Sep 7 2009 by Katy Simpson, Evening ChronicleA NORTH East MP is swapping her creature comforts for a taste of life in the Third World.
Sharon Hodgson, MP for Gateshead East and Washington West, jetted out to south east Asia on Saturday to spend two weeks volunteering in poverty-stricken Cambodia.
She is hoping to pass on some of her Westminster expertise to politicians and campaigners working to improve disability rights in the country.
Cambodia was ravaged by civil war and the genocide of the Khmer Rouge era, leaving a tragic legacy of landmines which has left the country with one amputee for every 290 people.
Mrs Hodgson’s trip, which takes place during the last few weeks of the Parliamentary summer recess, has been organised and funded by Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
VSO has placed her with the charity Disability Action Cambodia, and she will be living in basic accommodation alongside the volunteers who live there.
At the end of her stay, Mrs Hodgson will meet with the Cambodian minister of social affairs, veterans and youth rehabilitation, as well as the president of the national assembly.
Mrs Hodgson said: “The idea is that I go there and give them as much advice as I can.
“When I meet with the minister, I will talk to him about the two most important points I have gathered from working with the charity.
“I’ll try and impress upon him the things he could do to help, obviously in the most humble and respectful way.”
Mrs Hodgson, who has teenage children, has been abroad on several exotic parliamentary delegations, including visiting Israel and Palestine last year.
But this is the first time she has set off on her own, living as the locals do.
She said: “It will be very different from the parliamentary delegations where you are with a group of MPs in nice hotels, and you could be anywhere.
“I’m probably most apprehensive about the food because when you are in people’s homes it would be rude not to eat whatever they offer you.
“I’m not sure how up close and personal I will get with people who have lost arms or legs because of the landmines.
“But I imagine there will be some involvement for me to appreciate how important it is. So I’m preparing myself.’’
Mrs Hodgson said she aims to complete some form of personal development challenge every year, to keep learning new skills.
She said: “Everyone always says you get that huge recess and do nothing. I can reassure them that’s not the case.
“I spend a couple of weeks with my children like most people, and the rest of the time I use it to be in the constituency.’’
:: To find out more about VSO, call 0208 780 7500 or log on to www.vso.org.uk.
:: You can follow the MP’s progress on her blog on our website www.chroniclelive.co.uk
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