The saddest and most emotional day of my trip to Cambodia

Posted by Jane Hannan • Thursday 17th October 2013

Today Jason took me and two other volunteers (Grace & Alex) to visit a family in a local village who he’d heard were in urgent need of help and support.

The family, all living together, consist of a grandmother, her two daughters plus these sisters’ 8 children. The husband of one sisters had abandoned them so the other sister’s husband left to find work to try and supprort them all. He sends back what little money he can and only gets back to visit them around once every three months.

We stop at the market on the way and buy essential food for them (enough rice to last a month and veg for a week or two) and all for just $35 plus we buy some clothes and other supplies for the children. They were so grateful for what we had taken and the grandmother, especially, got quite emotional. It really was such a privilege to be able to help them, if only with these few simple things that we all take for granted back home.

I was really shocked to see how different these children where from the ones that come to school. They were just so listless and solemn, obviously due to their poor circumstances, being under nourished and having no energy. These children don’t come the Hope Agency school but apparently they do walk over but don’t venture in just standing outside – maybe we can change this?

I found this really tough, the grandmother was so overwhelmed and I’m afraid I could not fight back the tears. It was hard to see a family with so little and it really has put things about my own circumstances into perspective for me.

As we left we do manage to get a smile out of one of the little boys. Will be coming back to see them next week and hopefully we will see a change in the children.

One thing is for certain, I won’t forget this day and meeting this family!