Diary 2018
Day 1 Wednesday 4th July
After a long flight we finally arrived at Phnom Penh, capital city of Cambodia. The heat immediately hit us as we walked out of the airport and were met by John Tucker the founder of NHCC. What would normally be a 30 to 40 minute bus trip to NHCC from the airport turned into a 2 hour plus journey due to blocked traffic. We later discovered after seeing numerous police cars and military vehicles that the President was nearby opening a new Chinese built and owned shopping complex. Hence all vehicles had to stop and wait. We entertained ourselves by watching life go by with pigs tied down on the back of motorbikes and other motorbikes carrying heavy loads on trailers behind them.
We finally got to NHCC and everyone drank copious amounts of water and juice as we unloaded our gear. Lunch was eaten almost immediately and then an afternoon siesta was called to catch up on much needed sleep. Later that afternoon we pumped up 20 balls donated by St Paul's and gave them to some very happy children. The games began straight away and continued until dark - the only interruptions being dinner at 5pm and then stopping again at 6pm so all the children could take their medications.
After bucket showers and bucket toilet flushing lights were out by 8.30pm and a very tired group slept heavily till 5.30am, periodically interrupted by geckos who seemed to mimic humans very well. Mosquito nets were a new experience for many and the fans did not seem to cool us enough. If you like your creature comforts and western food this is not the place for you.
Day 2 Thursday 5th July
After a 6am breakfast John took us on a tour of the 20Ha NHCC complex. This included the 2 schools and the dorms where the children live in small clusters of 10-12 per dorm. The highlight of the tour was seeing a room with a photos that offered a historical perspective on the orphanage. The most striking photos were of 8 year old San Peth - alias Mr Peth. He was discovered on the Thai - Cambodian border weighing just 8kg and near death. No orphanage in Cambodia would accept him. NHCC took him in and paid $2000 per month for his medications until Former US President Bill Clinton took over the payments for Mr Peths drugs through The Clinton Foundation. He is now aged 11 and leading a happy and healthy life at NHCC
Zach Edmonds with Mr Peth - now aged 11
During the rest of the day we painted one of the dorms. Each dorm has 10-12 boys or girls and a dorm nanny who lives with the children. We had hoped to help in the classroom but exams had been moved a week forward so we helped out in other ways. The kids at NHCC were happy to practise their english around the basketball court or kicking a soccer ball or just hanging out with the St Paul's boys. After dinner at 5pm the kids play until 6 when medications must be taken and then it is back outside until dark to play basket ball or count numbers , spell words or just be piggy backed around or pushed on a swing. The simple joys of life. It is easy to forget but these kids have no other home. There is no holiday during term break - they stay at NHCC. A once a year visit to Sihanoukville on the coast is a luxury as is the concept of owning a mobile phone. Hence looking at the photos of themselves on the boys phones brought great joy and laughter. By 7pm it is dark and the NHCC kids are off to bed. The card games then get underway in our dorm while listening to Hayden Abrahamsen's superb music selection from the 1980s - this kid has been well raised.
Friday 6th July
This turned out to be an amazing day. We could not do to much because it rained most of the day. The usual Cambodian wet season will see a short shower at some time during the day and then plenty of sunshine. This was Melbourne drizzle at 30*! The boys still made their own fun though in between the rain. This day had 2 incredible highlights. The first was the graduation ceremony at 9am. We helped set the hall up with balloons and a sign saying "Congratulations". After helping line the classes up in order the ceremony got underway. Every child received a certificate from the Principal ( a young lady from Adelaide who has been at NHCC for 2 years). the ceremony lasted an hour or so with the kids sitting on the concrete floor and never complaining. After this we helped pack up amidst shaking hands with and congratulating the students. We later met as a group and it were asked not to let this simple graduation ceremony and it importance be lost on us as just an event. The mere fact that these children are alive is a celebration in itself but to be healthy and have the opportunity to go to school and live in a caring village for moist is more than they could ever imagine. it was also explained that to the children who can remember heir life before coming to NHCC - this place is a virtual paradise with clean water and not having to forage for food to eat.
For the rest of the day we played with the kids outside and just had fun. The 2 highlight and one that a number of boys described as one of the most amazing days of their life was the Friday night disco in the hall. We were invited along and many thought they would just watch the kids have some fun. The disco started at 6pm sharp . The music began blaring, children with more of an outgoing personality immediately jumped on stage and began showing the rest of the crowd the dance moves. One couldn't help but think that there was a set playlist as every child from knee high to teenager seemed to know every word and every dance move associated with each song. Little children were grabbing our boys hands and dragging them to the inner part of the dance floor and getting them to join in. There were looks of amazement from the NHCC kids as a group of our boys then jumped on stage and carried out all the moves to the "Macarena and "YMCA". A great night was had by all - the joy was in watching the NHCC kids enjoy so much. As John Tucker said, when the orphanage started 12 years ago with many sick kids and a lack of medicine - all NHCC seemed to do on a regular basis was celebrate death at funerals as young children died of AIDS - an inherited illness from birth. This is now a rarity and they wanted something to celebrate life and be happy about - hence the Friday night disco - we were very privileged to be a part of it.
Saturday 7th July
A sad day for all as we had to say goodbye to our new found friends who have suffered so much but are so giving and generous. A number of children came down to help us pack and it was typical of their spirit that although very small in stature many children insisted on carrying our heavty luggage bags and even heavier donation bags to the mini bus from NHCC to Phnom Penh. Our boys then wandered around NHCC looking for new found friends to say goodbye too. John and Kathy and their 2 grand daughters (visiting from Texas) came out to farewell us. Many of our boys were sad to go despite knowing they were going to a nice hotel - people and friendships being more important than air conditioning and a hot shower. I think the joy of what we took away from NHCC will stay with the St Paul's boys for a long time to come and many spoke of wanting to return next year for a longer time period. The journey into Phnom Penh was uneventful but the sight of 5 people on a step thru motor bike with toddlers standing on the seat was always going to be an eye opener and the seemingly chaotic traffiic was hard to comprehend. Upon arrival our rooms were not ready as we knew in advance so we locked our gear up and after a quick speech by Larry ( one of the owners and Australia) about security when on the streets we headed off to the central markets for 2 hours of kids in the lolly shop all hoping to get a bargain. All were warned that the Rolex for $30 was probably not real and the warranty in the mail gimmick was never going to happen. By lunch time we returned to the hotel and enjoyed lunch and a swim before a siesta then back on deck in the foyer by 4.30pm to head down to the river bank in tuk tuks. we were dropped at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC), made famous during the Pol Pot regime as a haven for foreign journalists attempting to tell the world what was occurring.
My best memory of New Hope for Cambodian Children Orphanage
I will never forget the happy faces of these children. They were all born with an illness through no fault of their own and abandoned when their parents died or deserted them. They know no other existence than the orphanage which is their home and family. They have so little in material possessions but are so happy and so giving. For our boys I think the Friday night disco was a highlight of their life they will never forget. Over 200 kids dancing and singing and celebrating life and grabbing our boys hands to dance and have fun with them. For these kids the Friday night disco is a celebration of life. There is nothing like this place anywhere else on earth – truly amazing. The great feeling in this place is probably best summed up by watching Chhouys story
Mr B Quail
I loved everything about the orphanage. Seeing happy kids all the time running up to you and holding your hand, begging you to play with them is a great feeling. I will never forget playing sport with the kids whether it was football or basketball or even playing Cambodian counting games was great fun. The disco at night was the best night of my life as we were dancing with the kids to old classics and Cambodian songs we have never heard before. I also had made some close friends with some of the orphans who I will never forget. This experience has been the greatest couple of days ever.
Anton Callow
What a rewarding time I have had. I was amazed at how happy the kids were, no matter their circumstances or situations, they always seemed to have a smile on their face. Whether it was through playing football, basketball or satisfying the bombardment of clapping games, I feel I have truly made friendships through this experience and will never forget them. The disco was amazing as well. 200 kids dancing happily to songs we didn’t know what in the world the words were, with everyone brightening up the night with the widest smiles I’ve ever seen. Helping these kids was the best thing I have ever done and I am so thankful I’ve been able to make a difference in their life.
Zach Edmonds
Staying at the NHCC orphanage was an amazing experience and I enjoyed every second of it. My highlights from the stay at the orphanage were: Bucket showers and non-flushing toilets, playing with the Cambodian kids, painting dorms for the kids, dancing to classic songs as well as Cambodian songs at the disco on our last night, becoming good friends with the kids our age, playing basketball with everyone and finally eating rice and something for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Overall, I had the best three nights of my life, I made fantastic memories and I wish I could have stayed at NHCC for longer.
Hayden Abrahamsen
NHCC orphanage was one of my favourite experiences in Cambodia. Ever since I got there, everything changed for the better of me. Though it was difficult, the children at the orphanage help encourage me to speak up and give me courage. My best moments at the orphanage was taking bucket showers, it was one of interesting experiences of taking a shower as it is taken in cold water and after taking a few buckets, it feels refreshing and addictive method of showering. Another favourite moment at the orphanage was playing basketball with the Cambodians as they reveal to us their amazing skills and no matter what size they are, they can steal the ball from you. These best experiences, helped me gain great connections to the people at the orphanage. It was too bad that we had to leave so soon, as we had a great time together. I hope that I can try and come back next time. I am thankful for meeting these people and having the chance to help paint one of the houses.
Matt Nguyen
From the moment we arrived at the NHCC I knew that it was going to be a new experience, however, nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to witness. The children at the orphanage showed us all how happiness can be found in any situation or circumstance. They welcomed us like we were family and in the short time we had there we felt as though we were. They showered us with affection and love and saying goodbye was extremely difficult. At the start I looked at the boys and saw how privileged they were with their lives back home but now I know how privileged they have become from being a part of something very few people experience. They have told us that they will take it with them for the rest of their lives and I have no doubt that this is true. I certainly will.
M Hutchinson
The moment we arrived at NHCC it was amazing see how the children are so happy considering that they have nothing. The moment I was there all the children were friendly with us and always wanting to play. In the quarters that we were residing in, they had bucket showers and that made realize how fortunate we were. The best memory that I had of the orphanage is when we played a competitive game of basketball, it was amazing how good their skills and it was fun playing with them
Andres Jimenez
NHCC was an experience that I won’t forget for years to come. Driving into the area and the orphanage itself I had a feeling of regret of what I had gotten myself into. The area was so poor and ridden with people clearly struggling. The struggle of these people never left us whilst at NHCC but the overwhelming love that the kids gave was washed away that feeling of regret almost instantly. They were always smiling, always laughing always bouncing with joy. Whenever we left our dorm we were swarmed by kids wanting to look at our phones, ask us questions about planes and Australia or play a game of basketball or soccer. As hard as I try I honestly don’t think I could express in words how these kids made us all feel, they were so welcoming and loving towards us even though they never even seen us before. We were told that they would climb us like trees and that was not an exaggeration. They loved everything about us and the feeling was mutual. Leaving NHCC was so difficult, they kids were devastated and insisted that we woke up really early to say goodbye one more time before we finally leave. As I said before NHCC is an experience that I will never forget and will influence me and my actions for years to come. Note to Mr Quail: Next year we need to stay for longer.
Jake Edwards-Hanson
I will never forget the time that I spent at NHCC. All of the children at the orphanage were so happy to see and really appreciated the time we spent with them. Playing sports with all of the children at the orphanage and seeing how happy it made them. Also the time at the dance where over 200 kids all joined in on dancing. The NHCC is a very special places and the job they are doing is amazing. –amazing experience
Lachlan Gorman
The time spent at NHCC was the best part of the trip so far. All the children were very excited to see us and was delighted to have our company throughout the 4 days at NHCC. The best part of the time was playing basketball with all the kids with Australia versus Cambodia most of the time with sometimes mixed teams. This was a great part of the stay. The food every morning, lunch and dinner was good with different meals every time except for the rice in every meal which some people got sick of very quickly. The accommodation was great also with bucket showers and no flush toilets which was something new for everyone but was a great experience. The time at NHCC was great and would always do it again.
Vincent Miller
Our time at the orphanage has been the most rewarding part of our trip. It was good to see the happiness we all brought to the kids there that we met and became friends with them for the short time we were there. I enjoyed playing several competitive basketball games in the afternoon and night as Cambodia Verse Australia. I also enjoyed learning the dances at the Friday night disco and watching how involved they were. They were all happy kids and I never saw any unhappy or ungrateful children which gave us a good feeling. I am glad that we could help them by simply being there and enjoying the new environment with them.
Callum Quail
The time that we spent at the orphanage while short was great, we enjoyed the company of nearly 200 happy go lucky kids who were just happy to have us there. Whilst seeing one of the poorer sides of Cambodia the school itself was much better off inside, due to its cleanness and facilities, the the surrounding areas by a long shot. On the drive in we saw houses with umbrellas for rooves and large areas of pollution where it just has been dumped on the side of the road. The kids in the village have normal school days in their grades and then go out to play their sports in the afternoons. They love their soccer and basketball probably due to that they were the only balls that were given to them. Overall the NHCC was a great experience that I will never forget and hope to come back in the not to distant future to come back and check in on the multiple children that I met.
Thomas Dunne
The time spent at the NHCC orphanage was an amazing experience and an experience that I will never forget. To see a bunch of children with barely anything being so happy really made me realise how lucky we are in Australia and how much we take for granted every day that these children might never have.
Joseph Bruwel
Photo below - Matt Nguyen, Adam Skiffington and Anton Callow with some of their many friends at NHCC at the Friday night disco
Sunday 8th July
This was a very quiet and reflective day. We organised to go to Tuol Sleng (S21) - the former high school in Phnom Penh that was used as a torture prison during the Pol Pot regime from 1975-79 and then Ek Cheung (The killing fields) on the ouskirts of Phnom Penh. Of the 14000-17000 prisoners who passed through S21 on false charges of crimes against the state there were only 7 survivors. we were privileged to meet two of these gentlemen at S21 which we visited first - Mr Bou Meng and Mr Chum Mei.
After several months of interrogation in S21, Bou Meng gave a false confession, admitting to being part of a CIA network so the torture would stop. The head of S-21 Prison was Kang Kech Ieu, better known as Brother Duch who ran a tight ship where both guards and inmates feared for their lives. When Duch, found out that Bou Meng was an artist, he told him to reproduce a black and white photograph of Pol Pot. Duch warned him that if it wasn't lifelike he'd be killed. Bou Meng took three months to finish the painting - it was 1.5m wide and 1.8m high. Pleased with his work, Duch later requested large portraits of Karl Marx, Lenin and Mao Zedong, as well as several more of Pol Pot. Bou Meng was also told to draw the Vietnamese communist leader, Ho Chi Minh.
Duch kept Chum Mey alive because he could fix typewriters - crucial for taking down false confessions. He also fixed sewing machines, used to make thousands of black Khmer Rouge uniforms. In 2009, both men testified at a UN-backed war crimes tribunal against Duch.
S-21 was a microcosm of what took place across Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. An estimated 90% of artists, intellectuals and teachers were killed in an effort to return the country to "Year Zero" - Pol Pot's vision of a classless, agrarian society.
By the time Pol Pot fell from power, about two million people - a quarter of the population - had been murdered, starved or struck down by disease.
2018 Tour group with Mr Bou meng (above)at S21 - he is one of the few survivors.
The boys are seen below with Mr Chum Mei - one of the other few survivors of S21 during the Pol Pot regime between 1975 -79
Monday 9th July
Today we visited the Missionary Sisters of Charity on Monivong Boulevarde - about 10 minutes from our hotel. We met with Sr Anunciata (Nigeria ) and Sr Lumina (India). They run an orphanage for infants to children aged around 4 years. After this they move to other places including NHCC if they are born HIV positive. We dropped off 3 bags of clothes and stayed for 2 hours helping to clean, change curtains, clean fans etc. The Sisters tell of some sad stories of how children come to be in their care. Often the mother is young and single - in this case the Orphanage also takes the mother in and looks after her as well. There are also cases where the mother is a drug addict and the father in and out of prison. There are cases where children have been dumped at hospitals etc and are taken to the orphanage. there are extreme cases where babies have been deliberately maimed so as to enable their parents to use them more effectively as beggars.
The Missionary Sisters of charity have been operating in Phnom Penh for over 25 years now and are very well known and very highly regarded
Tour group below with Sr Lumina at the orphanage run by the Missionaries of charity
Tuesday 10th July
The second of our easier days. Today we visited Tabitha in the morning and ate at friends restaurant in the evening. Tabitha is an NGO we have worked with in building houses on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. It is run by a Canadian lady, Jan Ritske who has been in Cambodia for some 30 years and achieved a great deal. She is currently building a hospital for women in Phnom Penh. ln the evening we went to Friends restaurant. It is an NGO that sponsors street children through formal training to work in the hospitality industry and teaches them english in the process. in between these 2 events there was of course a visit to the central markets.
Above - Anton Callow, Adam Skiffington ans Hayden Abrahamsen outside Tabitha HQ in Phnom Penh
Below - Tour group outside Friends Restaurant in Phnom Penh
Wednesday 11th July
This was to be the most confronting day of the tour so far. We had been invited by Brother Binu of the Missionary Brothers of Charity to visit their Home of Hope on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. In this place the Brothers look after those children with disabilities such as polio, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome and other issues such as HIV. Some of these children are bed ridden while some are able to play and enjoy life in their expansive property. We played basket ball and volleyball with a number of boys and enjoyed their company. There were some extraordinary volunteers at the Home of Hope. These included a Casey, a young lady from Florida US who was training to be a physio, Meghan from Giants causeway in Ireland who is training to work with children with disabilities and Lynn, a solicitor from Five Dock in Sydney who was taking time off from work and wanted to do something positive for other people. We gave Br Binu 3 bags of clothes, books and stationary to help with his work. He is very keen for us to return next year and do a few days painting at the orphanage and help in the classroom at his small school.
Tour group below with Br Binu at the Home of Hope run by the Missionary Brothers of Charity
Thursday 12th July
Today we visited Somaly Mam, well known Cambodian human rights activist who runs a centre for rescued trafficked and abused girls. Somaly was in Australia earlier rhis year and spoke to the boys going to Cambodia with Sina Vann, a rescued trafficked girl from Vietnam.We were expecting to find adult ladies but actually found girls ranging in age from 15 months to late teens who had been rescued from mostly abusive males. The centre houses up to 60 girls who live on site and attend school or University or a Polytechnic college. The centre runs a a school for girls up to the equivalent of year 9 then they go to a local high school nearby. We were entertained with traditional Cambodian dance and music and then a number of girls bravely stood before us and told us (with an interpreter) their story of abuse. We were able to help the girls with literacy or computing for an hour before the sitting around chatting to the girls for the last hour. despite the ordeals the girls have been through they all thanked us for coming to see them and many came up and gave the boys a hug and said they hope they return to see them. A very humbling experience. You will note in the photo below that most girls have bowed their head or made an attempt to cover their face. This is a deliberate tactic so that if a picture of them happens to get on to the world wide web , they are not recognizable to their former captors. we were actually not allowed to take any photos whilst there but one of their staff took many showing the girls typically from behind with the faces of our group showing. Visiting these young ladies was certainly on par with the reception and warmth we received at NHCC.
Tour group below with rescued trafficked girls - many wit faces covered and Somaly Mam on right
Friday 13th July
This was our travel day by bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. We had booked our bus based on pictures sent to us. It looked fabulous and modern. However the bus that turned up on the day was not the one that we had booked. There were thoughts of refusing the bus and waiting several hours for another. The manager of the Billabong and I checked the exterior of the bus. It had good tyres which was important. It was not much to look at from the outside and not much better on the inside except it had seat belts and AC. When I noticed the 2 disco balls and flashing LED lights on the ceiling I asked the driver to turn them on. They worked!!! Done deal and we had our bus. I suspect that photo of the shiny new bus originally sent to us has been used a few times before and was probably taken off the internet.
It turned out to be a pleasant trip after We got the Khmer speaking staff from our hotel to speak with the driver to emphasise we wanted a slow trip with no overtaking. The driver was excellent and very sensible. We only had a few stops with the main stop being at Kampong Cham, about 80km out of Phnom Penh and famous for its spider market. This was a great stop with boys getting photos of themselves with tarantula spiders crawling on them and some even tasting them!!
We got into Siem Reap to our hotel – the Villa Sok San Square at around 2.30pm. after that we could relax for a few hours before going to the tourist markets on Pub St, less than 100m from our hotel. Once again the boys had a great time shopping for the real deal Rolex watches and Gucci handbags etc, all at a bargain price of course.
Saturday 14th July
Today we visited the Happy days Village School at Sre Vibol - about 30km from Siem Reap on the road to Phnom Penh. School in Cambodia runs on Saturday as well as the standard Monday to Friday. We arrived at the school at 8am to find many children quietly sitting in their class room waiting for their teacher to attend. A number of classes were without teachers so we sent half of our group into each of 2 rooms and began to carry out reading activities with them with english age reader books
This school is fortunate in that it receives financial support from Mike Pawley’s Happy Days Village Charity. Up until recently 3 boys from last year Year 12, Issiah Vumbaca, Rhys Vorillas and Oscar Saunders have been volunteering there as part of their gap year and teaching English and Maths to the students there.At around 10am some other teacher from Forestville public school arrived – they had made several visits that week. Classes finished at 11am on Saturday so we spent time in the yard chatting with the students and playing soccer with hem and a new form of Badminton lead by Andres.
We were to go to dinner that night in Siem Reap with around 15 girls that Happy days Charity is putting through senior High School and beyond but sadly one of the girls brothers died that morning in a head on crash on a motor cycle so many of the girls had gone to the village of his family where the first cremation took place the same day at 2pm.
Some students at happy days Village school Sre Vibol - about 30kn from Siem Reap
Sunday 15th July
A 4 am start to the day!!!!! We were up early to go to Angkor Wat and be in position at sunrise for a group photo. We made it on time and ate breakfast while waiting for the sun to come up as well as feeding some of the local kids who were there and looking very hungry. We were to see the 3 main temples of Angor Wat - Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Bayon but only did the first 2 as the group was very tired. The boys seemed to more fascinated by Ta Prohm - the temple made famous for being used in the set of the Hollywood film 'Tomb Raiders". Hence it is often referred to by locals as "Tomb raider" or Lara Croft" temple. Our tour guide was Chaya who we met in 2016. He was very grateful for the 2 bags of stationary, reader books and sports gear that we were ale to give him for the school he is funding called "Opening doors Cambodia. we have agreed to visit his school next year and spend some teaching teaching english to his students, most of whom come from an impoverished background and who are not allowed to attend school by their patents once they are of an age where they can help in the rice fields.
The photo above shows the group at Angkor Wat main temple complex with our tour guide Mr Chaya. He is a former English Teacher at Happy Days Village school who is now funding and building his own school about 7km out of Siem Reap called Opening Doors Cambodia
The photo below shows the group at Ta Prohm or "Tomb raider temple" with Mr Chaya. Below that is a photo of one of the classrooms at his "Opening Doors Cambodia" School
Monday 16th July
Sadly this was our last day. A sleep in after visiting Angkor Wat yesterday was called. we then visited the main markets of Siem reap - where the locals shop. This was an experience as we watched motor bikes ride through indoor section of the market between shops and hunted for bargains. After returning to our hotel by 10.30am it was a quick trip across the street for many to have a fish foot massage for $3 including a free drink before lunch and heading out to the airport at 1pm. The entire staff of the Villa Sok San came out to farewell us from the managers to bar staff to room cleaners and even one employee who had the day off came in to farewell us
Photo below shows the entire staff of the Villa Sok San Square Hotel coming out to say goodbye to our tour group
