Every build offers a highlight to each par-ticipant. The recent Hope Journey in Cam-bodia affirms this notion. There are the two home partners – Meng Nat and Thoun Visal – who opened up their lives to the people who helped them build their own homes. There are also the participants, who were eager to understand a new culture and to appreci-ate resilience through the different people they met. There are those that organize the build, who witness how lives are touched in many ways, and there are also the community people, who instantly become an important part of the build, making the experience even more complete for all.

Hope Journeys are unique travel experiences that provide participants an opportunity to help transform communities around the world. In addition to working alongside Habi-tat for Humanity partner families, the teams meet with community, government and busi-

ness leaders to gain a better understanding of the challenges of poverty and to witness first-hand how Habitat transforms lives.

The Hope Journey team in Cambodia was composed of 12 members - Scot and Keely Sellers and their 3 children Ross, Kaitlyn and Alyssa, Joe and Christine Price, Winston Fish-er, Andrew Joblon including Jonathan Reck-ford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Interna-tional, who personally invited the participants, his son Alexander and Susan Yow, Tithes Di-rector of HFHI.

The team started their journey with a visit to historic places like the Killing Fields and in-formal settlements at the Stoeung Meancheay dumpsite and the house of one of the home partners, Meng Nat. This part of the trip sets their entire journey into perspective, allowing them to understand Cambodia’s tragic past and the prevailing problems that they could

I ssue 42 | 1 | Ju ly 2012

eventually take part in solving.

“Despite very challenging conditions, we’ve been so impressed with the resilience and graciousness of the people we’ve met,” said Jonathan Reckford. Meng Nat and her fam-ily warmly greeted their guests to their rented house. Thoun Visal, on the other hand, start-ed his day early at the build site helping the skilled workers as he excitedly waited for the group to arrive.

The participants eagerly and devotedly start-ed building. It is wonderful to note how families and individuals of such high stature would ensure that each of them worked very hard to carefully lay and point bricks to build walls, mix cement, install different parts, paint windows and doors, clean the site and also to get to know the home partners and the people from the community.

During the three-day build, the participants also visited other Habitat home partners under its HIV OVC program and had a dia-logue with partner NGO MaryKnoll to un-derstand more about the program and how it holistically supports vulnerable families. The younger ones spent some quality time with the community kids making beaded acces-sories for them. It was obvious that getting to know and playing with the children were some of the best moments in their journey. At the dedication of the two homes, every-one gathered to celebrate with the families; they offered well-wishes, shared experiences, shared much laughter and tears, danced and sang and released birds and flowers to bless

Hope Journey team posing with home partners and HFH Cambodia staff

A Journey of Hope in Cambodia

I ssue 42 | 2 | Ju ly 2012

the families with hopes for their better future.

Everyone was high spirited and was touched by the dedication. It was difficult to say good-bye. “I have loved every Habitat dedication ceremony I’ve had the privilege of participat-ing in, and this was the kind of afternoon that makes me want to work for Habitat forever,” said Jonathan.

Hope Journey did not end here. After a day of building and celebration, the team hosted a dinner reception as Habitat ambassadors with partners from the government and private sector promoting Habitat Cambodia’s drive to strengthen and expand their partnership. Habitat Cambodia is thankful for how the par-ticipants helped engaged the guests to Habitat’s work.

Next stop, the team also took some time to-gether to visit the ancient wonder of Angkor Wat.

After the sightseeing, the team went to the vil-lage of Trokiet in Angkor Chum district to join Habitat Cambodia in a Hand Washing and

Hygiene promotion event in the village school, Kor Trokeat Primary School. Hope Journey team members walked in a parade with the school children as they encouraged villagers to practice proper hygiene and sanitation car-rying posters which they designed and pro-claiming their commitment to better practices in their homes and communities.

In the school, children explained their con-cepts of healthy sanitation practices and learned more through hand washing and per-sonal hygiene demonstrations that were per-formed by the participants. They joined the kids in practicing proper hand washing and also taught them how to clip their nails to keep their hands clean. The children were also mo-tivated to share what they learned through a simple game where they answered questions and also presented their works of art to the younger kids. It was a fun-filled learning day for the children and a heart-warming one for the team. Before saying goodbye to the village, the team also visited Habitat home partners supported by its Water and Sanitation project and further learned how families’ productivity and livelihood are improved by having access

to simple water and sanitation facilities. “It has been an exceptional trip. I love intro-ducing people to Habitat’s work, and the group has engaged with great energy and spirit. We have laughed and cried together, and everyone will have some great memories. When I asked team members what they would remember most, each responded that the highlight was the opportunity to build with and engage the partner families and community. I will always remember the warmth, gracious hospitality and extraordinary resilience of the families we got to know and look forward to the day I can return and visit them again,” says Jonathan Reckford in a blog that he kept to share his ex-periences in Cambodia.

It is very clear how each of the family and community members and each participant touched each other’s lives in the short span of Hope Journey. Some may think that a build is just another build, but this is not true for Habitat builds, where every build has a special highlight. For the recent Hope Journey, every experience was created in humility.

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On 11 July, HFH Cambodia conducted the EHOPHHS Dissemination Workshop with four implementing partners, Khema-ra, Save the Children, Sharing Experience for Adapted Development and Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope, as well as home partner representatives.

This one day workshop was conducted in order to review and disseminate the mid-term review of EHOPHHS Program, to review its achievements, to assess the rel-evance of the project interventions to the needs of the beneficiaries, to assess the ef-fectiveness and efficiency of implementa-tion methods, and to measure the initial improvements and significant changes within the project.

Ms. Pang Kim Soeun, the very first home partner of the project who continues to be an active member of the family selec-tion committee, was one of the three home partner representatives. She shared, “I’m happy to be given a chance to join this workshop. I can see as well as understand the processess of the project, share my ex-perience and my ideas to help the project grow.”

It is through workshops like this that com-munities and families are able to provide significant inputs to the project which also promotes the project’s balance and trans-parency. EHOPHHS is currently on its second phase called Chab Pdoeum Chivit Thmey.

EHOPHHS Dissemination Workshop

HFH Cambodia’s Strengthening Civil Soci-ety Government Partnership to Deliver Se-cure Land Tenure Project and its partners from the local authorities are now able to make an immense move of providing legal land plots to families in O-kchheay, 13 Ma-kara, Chamkar Russei Villages, Prek Preah Sdach Commune, Battambang Province.

By this July, 115 out of the total 300 land plots have completed the land demarcation, in which 80 of the plots have finished soil fill-ing. To support 50 other families in planning for the construction of their new houses, the project has provided them with 50 types of house designs. The families are now al-most complete with their construction. Mr. Has Phina, the Community Representative and also a member of the savings group in O-Kcheay Community shared while watch-ing his house construction, “I am now able to really build a decent house for my fam-ily on my own private and legal land plot

To increase the responsiveness of villagers to hygiene and sanitation, HFH Cambodia Community Organizers and WatSan Spe-cialist worked together to run a three-day Hand Washing Campaign entitled “Clean Communities and Healthy Families” for

people living in the outskirts of Phnom Penh - Trapaing Anhchanh, Toul Rokar Kosh, An-long Thmei communities from 18 to 20 July.A total of 300 villagers including local author-ities and especially children received sanita-tion and hygiene education through role play-ing and hand washing demonstrations. The villagers also took the opportunity to clean-up and clear stagnant waters and garbage within their area.

Through this exercise villagers are reminded that health is wealth and about their responsi-bility towards themselves and their respective communities.

Battambang Project Progresses to the Next Level

Hand Washing for Hygiene Awareness

provided by the government. Through this project, our community was also provided with good infrastructures. We feel safer from natural disasters especially floods and we can easy access work, housing kits, form saving groups to support the communities. We were also taught about land rights, man-agement and others.”

Since its start in 2008, Habitat Cambodia’s land advocacy project is indeed beginning to experience its outcomes of facilitating the government’s provision of secure land titles, of building safe, decent and affordable homes and in helping build stable lives along with its donor, World Bank.

HFHC also initiated the Basic Construction Training to thirteen skilled workers in Bat-tambang to provide them the useful guide-lines in building proficiency. Soon, the proj-ect site will be ready to host Global Village teams for house building and many more.

I ssue 40 | 3 | May 2012

Highlights

Soil filling at Battambang site Has Phina and his wife in front of their future home

Questions and answer to improve the sanitation knowledge

Home partners representation, partners participated in the workshop

Global Village Wrap Up

June 27 to July 09: “RBAI Scouts” GV team from Northern Ireland built the house foun-dation and walls for one home partner in Trapaing Anhchanh Community, Phnom Penh. The 20 volunteers spent time togeth-er sightseeing and visiting different places around the city. They also visited some Habi-tat home partners to understand more about the housing loan and grant projects of HFH Cambodia.

June 29 to July 13: Another Global Village volunteer team from Northern Ireland ar-ranged a group of thirteen and built houses for families living in Trapaing Anhchanh Community, Phnom Penh. Team “Closed Hamilton,” as they call themselves, was able to complete one brick house and one wood-en house. They were happy to have taken part in transforming the lives of 2 families they have grown to love in a short span of time.

June 30 to July 06: A 17-member Global Vil-lage Volunteer team from Australia came to Cambodia to promote the Water and Sani-tation project in Siem Reap by building one community rain water tank, and one latrine for Pram Domleng Primary School in Rokar Village, Angkor Chum district. Aside from community work, the team experienced and enjoyed their ox-cart ride!

June 30 to July 07: A team from Korean consisted of 24 members joined HFH Cam-bodia in Pouk district, Siem Reap to repair two brick houses for 2 families. At the end of their build, the team was able to finish repairing the wall and latrine, building the kitchen and yard for both houses. Dur-ing the dedication ceremony, the team also shared a glimpse of their culture to the local community by cooking Korean food during the dedication which they ate together with the home partners, some neighbors and the skilled workers.

Shoveling crew

GLOBAL VILLAGE TEAMS

Viva VolunteersViva Volunteers

Issue 42 | 5 | Ju ly 2012

Building the foundation Group shot during sightseeing

New buddies... Heavy lifting under the sun Well-wishes for their future

Carefully laying bricks It’s ‘photo-o’clock’! Almost there!

Official hard hats collector Team signature pose... “It’s cooler up here!”

The paint job is looking good! Checking another view... Chum reap su!

I ssue 42 | 5 | Ju ly 2012

July 02 to 11: A 17-member Global Villager team from Konkuk University, Korea com-pleted two brick houses in Ang Snoul Dis-trict, Kandal Province. Aside from the build work, the team took the opportunity ddo some sightseeing and sang, danced, and played games with many kids. After an emo-tional dedication, the Korean brightened up the occasion with more songs and dances.

July 08 to 13: Australian GV formed a team of twenty to build two brick houses in Vimean Trong Community, Phnom Penh. Towards the end, the team from Scotch College was able to complete the house foundation and some parts of the wall. After sharing their wonderful experience during the at the dedi-cation ceremony, the volunteer team also in-vited home partners and skilled workers to join them for lunch.

If you would like to make a difference and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Cambodia as a Global Village volunteer,

visit this site for more information:

http://www.habitat.org/gv/

The day of celebration

Fun time with community kids

Volunteers’ Voice

Trying a new transportation method Mixing mixing!

Riding Romok (Khmer transportation) yum Getting high

Ironing group Smile Concertate on work

Time to mix Started the fist layer Hard working

Peace!

Khmer traditional welcome (som peas)

Sharing experience during the dedication

Cutting the red ribbon

“Raising chicken is not hard if you under-stand its process clearly,” confidently shared by Ms. Srey Hak as we sat and appreciated the view of the whole farm during lunch time.

Ek Srey Hak is a HFH Cambodia home part-ner who works at the farm for more than a year now.

In Srey Hak’s explanation, for the type of chicken they are raising now at the farm, it takes two months to raise and reach about 1.2 to 1.3 kilograms before they are able to

Oudong Farm Update

sell to the people from the communities and the local markets. The selling price depends on the season and demand, and it can range from $2.4 to $3.1 per kilogram.

According to her, there are two main steps to chicken-raising. For the first 15 days, all the chicks will be kept in one small shed where they will be provided steady temperature (between 25 to 28 °C) The flame from the gas power, a new technology they were provided, is being used to keep the heat constant. The chicks are fed twice in a day and given water five to six times every one to four hours.

Khmer Harvest Build

The shed presents a good view of the entire farm

I ssue 42 | 7 | Ju ly 2012

Eunice Olsen and friends support Squat with Dignity in OudongThe installation of 100 toilets in Oudong was completed and handed over to 100 families living in Blue Tent community on July 6 after a month of its launch.

This toilet project is aimed to restore the dig-nity and pride of the needy families living in the Blue Tent community (Tang Kiev vil-lage), who were displaced from the city and relocated to Oudong.

With their own toilets, the people will now face better health conditions and be able to save the money they used to spend for medi-cine when a member of the family gets ill due to the unsanitary and unhygienic environ-

After 15 days, 70 per cent of the chicks will be transferred to the big shed, to give them space to grow. During the next 45 days, the chickens no longer need the steady heat, but they keep the light on every night to ensure that the chickens are safe. Various kinds of vaccines are also provided to prevent the chicken from getting sick. After 60 days, the chicken are ready to sell.

The Khmer Harvest Build Farm is currently raising 2,000 chicken and is expected to be sold by this August or early September.

ment and practices. Mr. Oy Bunthu, Mobile Clinic nurse of Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope (SHCH) shared during the event that “I am confident that starting this month, the cases of diarrhea within this community will significantly decrease, since every family can now access their own clean latrine and wa-ter.”

The celebration of the completion of the project was joined by local authorities, HFH Cambodia, which provided technical sup-port to the project, Sihanouk Hospital the Center of Hope, Eunice Olsen the project funder, and the community people.

Ek Srey Hak takes a short break from farm work

The hand over of new 100 toilets built at Tang Kiev Community

Feeding time!

Special Feature

June 29, 2012

Time slows as you put the shovel back into the freshly mixed cement, one bead of sweat gathers at the base of your chin, ready for the plunge, the free fall, no one hears it land. Your eyes begin to search for what is needed, maybe water, maybe some sense of attachment to what you think you’re missing, but that’s the best part. Contact with home depleted, lazy life non-existent, and free form expression at its peak. You continue to look around, slowly observing the conditions of lost treasures and pure human condition. Children run and smile, laughing at the serenity of life; parents and relatives attempt to keep them in line, trying to tame the child spirit which knows no bounds. Families strong held, even with the grip of disease bidding high hopes of methodically ripping the strands of rope apart one by one. Tortuous departure from known existence, loss is always sad, but it’s more prevalent here, and you’re sitting there and watching as it comes through like the clouds that gather above. Only these clouds do not offer cleansing rain, rather they take life before it had a chance to live, to feel, to see, and you ask, is this fair? Such a question breaks foundation, and only has a place in the minds of those watching the one they love pass. It has no business being released from mouths with cracked lips, dissipating into air, becoming breath for another, infecting their strength, and resolve; no, these people must stay strong, such words are not meant to be spoken.

Strength they have, compassion they feel, gratitude treads its course, and love they offer, they do not speak your language, but they do know the matters of the soul. When those children, or parents, or members of extended family look into your eyes, they are staring into what makes you become the man or woman you are. Even if you don’t know who that person is, or if you’re not sure what’s becoming of the person you were, in that moment, that lapse of time that slows down, you feel understood, understood by someone who has never met you. Clarity wraps arms around you, happiness looks you in the eye, and humility becomes evident. It’s one instant, then you put the gloves back on, grab you’re shovel again and start turning over cement, because that’s the foundation to the house that will become the haven for a family that needs it more than you could possibly imagine.

Ross Sellers

Cambodia Building

Issue 42 | 9 | Ju ly 2012

Habitat for Humanity Cambodia wishes to share this poem written by Ross Sellers during his Hope Journey experience, which thoroughly represents the many reasons ‘why we build’.

Thank you Ross for sharing your experience.

I ssue 42 | 9 | Ju ly 2012

20 July – 04 AugustGlobal Village Team from Canada in Siem Reap

24 – 17 July HFHC attends Housing and Human Settlements Course in the Philippines

23 – 27 JulyHFH Australia and New Zealand Visit HFHC Projects

23 – 30 JulyGlobal Village Team Site Visit - Takeo, Siem Reap and Battambang

30 July HFHC Meeeting with Torneakea Pum Cambodia

03 – 11 AugustHFHC Joins Rebuilding Project in Sri Langka

18 – 25 AugustHFHC Country Director Attends Donor Fellowship Meeting in United States

Special Feature

Upcoming Events and

Legal HolidaysDuring the Hope Journey Hygiene Event, one student leader caught our attention. Her name is Tao Srey Ly, a 13 year-old, grade 6 student of Kor Trokeat Primary School.

Srey Ly enthusiastically headed fellow students during the campaign parade and confidently expressed her compassion when she presented their campaign poster to the entire school and the Hope Journey participants. Srey Ly was an effective young teacher.

In our chat with her, she told us how happy she was when she was elected as part of the student council and how she was doubly inspired to study harder and help others when she became a leader. “I was motivated, I wanted so much to help other children by being a good example and I am happy that I am able to communicate well with them,” she said.

She dreams of learning to speak English, complete her studies and work as a translator to help her parents in sending her brothers to school. Srey Ly is the eldest among three siblings; her two brothers are 12 and 3 years old. Her parents produce chairs made of cement, and through their hard work, she happily shared to us that her family was able to save and will be building their own toilet soon with the help of Habitat for Humanity. She told us how excited she was for it because once they have a toilet they will not be scared of walking far from their house, they will be healthier and she will be able to practice fully what she and the school children have been teaching their community.

It is always inspiring to see children like Srey Ly who at her young age is able to use her God-given gifts sensibly to help others.

Tao Srey Ly - a Youth Leader

Children encouraging villager to commit to good hygiene Srey Ly in action

Please join HFH Cambodia in welcoming Pich Sovann our newest Project Officer for Takeo Proejct. Sovann brings with him over 10 years of experience working with local and international NGOs on community develop-ment and livelihood.

Please contact Sovann at pich_sovann@habitatcambo-dia.org

Welcome Sok Nith who joins our Siem Reap Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion project as the Project Officer. Nith brings with him 14 years of experi-ence working with government, local and international NGOs.

Please contact Nith at sok_nith@habitatcambodia.org

New Faces

Or Kun!

Join HFH Cambodia’s Social Media Network! Become a Fan or join our Cause on Facebook http://www.causes.com/causes/260473-habitat-for-humanity-cambodia

Follow Habitat Cambodia Tweets http://twitter.com/#!/HabitatCambodiaVisit our website http://www.habitatcambodia.org

HFH Cambodia address: #35Bis, St. 478, Phsar Duem Tkov Commune, Chamkar Mon District, Phnom Penh City, P.O Box: 2452 Phnom Penh 3Tel/Fax: (855) 23 997 840

E-mail: info@habitatcambodia.org

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Habitat for Humanity Cambodia says thank you to our corporate and international partners and our affiliate tithe donors.

Together, we will continue improving lives and building communities in Cambodia.

The Charitable Foundation, Elton John AIDS Foundation,

International Children’s Care Australia, World Bank,

Japan Social Development Fund, Asian Development Bank,

Paul and Aileen Munn and World Vision Cambodia

Pannasastra University of Cambodia, Norton University,

Build Bright University, Royal University School of Social Work,

Logos International School, Northbridge International School,

University of Cambodia, Collaborative Studio

U N I V E R S I T I E S A N D S C H O O L P A R N T E R S :

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I N T E R N A T I O N A L P A R T N E R S :

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L O C A L P A R T N E R S : Khemara, Maryknoll, Sharing Experience for Adapted Experi-

ence, Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope