Illawarra youth worker's two months in Cambodia

Clementina Velasco with Meid Ray at the Green Gecko children's home in Cambodia.

Green Gecko project children Tida (left), Chieng Ang, Teara and Sophy pictured at the charity's home near Siem Reap last week.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au

BY COURTNEY TRENWITH
3/08/2009

Tears well up in Clementina Velasco's eyes when she describes the night she met a Cambodian child whose parents pulled him from the safety of a children's home to work the streets.

"His family wanted him on the streets because he could make more money there," she said, choking back tears.

What made that meeting so emotional for the Wollongong woman was her own experience at that home, about 2km from Siem Reap and the famous archaeological site of Angkor Wat.

As a volunteer at the home during May and June this year, Ms Velasco, 25, witnessed the tremendous impact it had on the lives of dozens of children who are the legacy of a society still reeling from the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge.

The home, run by the Green Gecko Project and established by Australian woman Tania Palmer and her Cambodian partner Rem Poum, has rescued more than 70 children from the streets and provided shelter, education, food and the potential for a successful future.

During the two months, Ms Velasco taught and played with the children, developing a bond that would permanently affect her.

"Most of them aren't orphans (but) their families are too poor to feed them so the children have been on the streets until all hours begging," Ms Velasco said.

"(There's) a range of social and physical issues that combine to make some pretty horrible home environments for the children."

Ms Velasco has worked with Illawarra youth for several years but this was her first overseas volunteering role.

"I found the first few weeks really easy because everyone is so happy in such a great place, where they've got food, good shelter (and) they go to school," she said.

"It took a few weeks before getting to know the children ... and learning some of their stories and their backgrounds, (before) you really start to learn where they've come from. That made it even more amazing to see how far they had come."

Ms Velasco is selling Green Gecko cookbooks, with Cambodian recipes and stories and photos of children involved in the project, at Green Bean Play Cafe in Fairy Meadow to raise money for the project.

For more information visit www.greengeckoproject.org.