Earlier this year
Belfast surveyor Nick Rose stumbled across an article in the Sunday papers
about the successful (Scots) Hollywood film producer Scott Neeson who wandered
into the area around the Municipal Dump in Phnom Pehn whilst backpacking in
Cambodia.
What Scott saw would
change his life, a forgotten community living day to day by scavenging anything
they could sell from the dump. The experience haunted Scott and the
following year he sold his house and cars, moved to Phnom Pehn and set-up the
Cambodian Children's Fund. That was 6 years ago and the Fund now provides
clean water, food, shelter, heathcare and basic education for over 700 kids.
Nick has two young kids
himself and the article touched a chord but Iike many people Nick is sceptical
that donations to such charities actually reach the front line. His initial investigations were positive -
low administration costs and a maximum score for transparency from
www.charitynavigator.org.
Nevertheless, Nick wanted
to see the charity in action and a planned trip to the Rugby World Cup in New
Zealand provided the perfect opportunity.
These are his own words
and photographs:
It
is Monday lunchtime Cambodian time and I land in the sweltering heat of
Phnom Pehn.
Scott
Neeson is away fundraising and his right hand man Patrick McKinlay comes to
meet me - a diminutive ex-army scotsman who came to visit as a sponsor and
didn't leave. That was 4 years ago and he won’t be leaving anytime soon.
Patrick says everyday is a challenge here and he would be bored at home.
We
visit two of CCF’s five facilities in the poorest parts of the City - they are
very basic but functional and clean - space is clearly at a premium, with rooms
used as classrooms during the day and for sleeping at night.
I
notice that Patrick and the Cambodian staff are all softly spoken with the
kids. He explains that many have
suffered abuse or rejection from parents and they are slowly learning to trust
adults again.
We head off on foot into the areas where CCF have a presence and I
see deprivation on a level that is difficult to describe. The mud lanes
are difficult to navigate and there is garbage absolutely everywhere.
Groups of kids recognise Patrick and come out from corrugated
metal shelters to say hello. Their
smiles are infectious and the warmth towards Patrick is palpable.
Patrick and I sit down to talk.
My immediate question is why the Cambodian government is not doing
more to help these kids.
This question also troubled Patrick when he first arrived but he
suggests you cannot look at the situation through European eyes.
Cambodia is a poor country with a troubled past and no welfare
state. Whilst education is technically
free teachers are badly paid and need to be subsidised by parents. This creates a poverty trap that is almost
impossible to escape.
We chat about the financial situation. A major funder has just gone bust but they
are optimistic that the money will be found from somewhere. I suppose you have to be an optimist in this
environment or you wouldn't get out of bed in the morning.
I ask what would happen to these kids if CCF closed it's doors
tomorrow - “someone would step in” he
says but the look in his eyes tells a different story.
I leave Cambodia charmed by the kids I have met and humbled by the
people at CCF - truly good people doing good things in very difficult
circumstances.
Since returning from
Cambodia, Nick has set-up HYPERLINK
"http://www.justgiving.com/friendofCCF" www.justgiving.com/friendofCCF
His aim is to use the power
of the internet and social media to get as many people as possible to each
donate just £1 by texting DTGC58 £1 (or
some other amount) to 70070
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