Cambodia trip - 2015

Getting closer...

Only two weeks until we leave for our yearly trip to Cambodia, on 1 March. This trip will be different for two reasons. Firstly Toni's Mum is coming with us and so we will visit Angkor. We don't travel there anymore as none of our organizations are based there but its a wonder of the world. Say no more. The other reason is that we will meet Seng Somnang our second uni student, for the first time.

A mountain of clothes

The donated clothes are nearly sorted. Thank you to everyone who gave.  It does take a while as we have been given around twenty bags. Some of the items aren't suitable like jumpers and jackets for colder climates and some are soiled, so we spend a few days sorting and boxing them up. We really look forward to the part of our trip where we donate the clothes. The smiles on the faces of the children say it all.

One of our very talented local artists, Pamela Denise, has donated some art supplies and is giving Toni a free workshop next week. She will be learning how to make dragon flies from coloured wire and beads and taking that knowledge to the Goodwill Center for the children there.

Donations

We've also been receiving one off donations from various local community members and these donations, along with all the regular donors go along way, especially now the exchange rate is bad and projects we've committed to are consequently significantly more expensive in Aus dollar terms.

Personal Expenses

100% of all money raised and donated goes to the projects we support. Toni and Trevor cover all of their own expenses.

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Clothing Donations

Clothing Donations

We were inspired by our friends in Ireland, Ciaran and Audrey, and asked our local community to donate clothes for us to take to Cambodia.  Logistically it was quite simple. We paid a little more for extra luggage and booked a taxi directly from the Phnom Penh Airport to our accommodation in Sihanoukville, all paid from our own pocket not the donations. We had close to 50kg in clothing from locals in Nymboida and Grafton. We were overwhelmed. Thank you all so much but the biggest thanks come from the kids around the Goodwill Centre in Sihanoukville.

The Goodwill Centre does an awesome job and we were so happy to revisit and keep supporting them. They rolled out the welcome matt and it seemed we had never left

Sign on the Centre's wall !

Working with our friend, Jen, we laid the donated clothes out while the staff were minding the children.

Toni and Centre Manager, Jen

more clothes...

Staff and children swooped in !

L - R: Jen, Kolab and Toni trying clothes on with the kids

Local Mum's in on the action (ex Centre manager Sabine dropped in as well)

The clothes were snapped up in a flash.

We know they were appreciated, thank you to all who helped with their kind donations.

Local kids modelling the donated clothes

Local kids modelling the donated clothes

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Childrens Clothing Donations

We will be travelling to Cambodia at the end of March and will be visiting the villages and organisations that your wonderful donations have helped support. We are seeking donations of childrens clothes to take to the poorer villages. These people are mostly undernourished so the older children are also very small and the weather is warm all year. This means that small items and no jackets etc are best.

Contact Toni on cookie1616@gmail.com to arrange collection if you live locally in the Clarence Valley.

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