Imaginif

“Even as a child I wanted to work with children”. I revisit these words with a smile as I write. I remember sitting in my bedroom as a young person, at 14 years of age and writing a poem called, “Seeds of change”. The poem was about children in poverty stricken countries, the value of each and every child and the potential I felt within every child in the world, to effect change in the world. It was from that significant moment that my feeling of connection outside of my immediate reality truly began. It was a couple of years later, at the age of 16 years that I became connected in with World Vision and began sponsoring my first child and now, 12 years later, that I embark upon the next phase in my journey towards ‘gift giving’.

Within myself I had always held a vision of wanting to ‘do something’ to help others in the world, to offer something of value, to give of myself in a way that was outside of my work role. For many years I have focused upon ‘helping’ through voluntary contributions locally, through fundraising for charities, via my own personal interactions and through my work role as a social worker, counselor, Community Support Worker and Trainee Play Therapist.

However, it wasn’t until I visited Cambodia and Thailand that I rediscovered the wider vision that I had created as a child – and that this vision began to expand and evolve. And so, here I am today with this vision firmly in my heart and soul, being now with a passion and commitment to enabling this vision to become a reality for the children in the Cambodia Orphan Save Association (orphanage) in Siem Reap Cambodia.

Whilst I was in Cambodia for a week recently I was privileged to learn small pieces in relation to the recent history of war and unrest within Cambodia and also to visit the Cambodia Orphan Save Association (children’s orphanage) in Siem Reap. It was through this process that I began also to realize the atrocities that have occurred, the suffering that the adults and the children have endured and the significance that my contribution and others from throughout the world could actually make! 

Words cannot describe the absolute beauty and uplifting spirits of the children I met at the orphanage. And each day now that I sleep in my own bed I think of the 39 children at the orphanage sleeping on the floor in their shelter and I cry, but I also smile. I cry at the hardships the children have had to and continue having to endure, however, I also smile with the hope that I may be able to help make life easier in some way, maybe even better, for each and every child in this orphanage. I also smile at the hope that regardless of the distance physically between us, the spiritual connection we made will continue and will strengthen over time and that with further contributions – including financial, emotional, physical, practical and spiritual; that I (alongside with others) may help each and every child within this orphanage to not only have their basic needs met, but to also have further opportunities to love, to be loved, to feel nurtured, to experience family, to feel welcomed and accepted and remembered by others in the world, to feel cared for, to share their ‘selves’ with others, to discover them ‘selves’, to love themselves’.  

Most of all, I smile at what a privilege it was to meet each child in the orphanage, I smile at the way their faces lit up when we handed out pencils and notepads, the way they thanked us for these so humbly and with such excitement, the excitement they shared at eating lollies, the amazement in their eyes at their ability to use lego blocks (they had never seen these before) and to create something, their pride in themselves for coloring in between the lines, their enthusiasm and passion for sharing with us their traditional dance, their smiles and laughs and team work and welcoming, openheartedness to us, as strangers, coming into their classroom which is also their eating area, their bedroom and their safe place – their home. I smile most of all at the children themselves – their hearts, their souls, their personalities and their sharing. And as I write this and as I remember it I am transported back there, into their homes and into their hearts and I look forward with great excitement to hopefully return to visit the children in August of this year.  

While I was at the orphanage I was made very welcome by the staff, who allowed me to speak and play with the children, to hand things out to them and to have photos taken also. The Director of the orphanage, Sean Samnang also insisted on writing a receipt for the small donation that my friend and I provided while we were there, signed by him and with the official stamp for the orphanage. And since this time I have been truly blessed to be in touch with Samnang via email and to access further information in relation to the orphanage, including the registration certificate for the business and details of the structure of the organisation etc.

It is due to all of the above that I have decided to start a gift giving circle and the reason that I have contacted you. I sincerely and wholeheartedly hope that you will find it within yourself to join collectively to help the children at Cambodia Orphan Save Association. Your contribution will not only be significant, but life changing for all 39 of the children! On behalf of them I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read this information and to care.

Natalie McKenzie.

Note from Megan Bayliss: Thank you Nat. This is a project that I would like to support. The thought of forty children, eating. sleeping and schooling in that one little room (yes, the one pictured folks) perturbs me. Further, the opportunity for child sex exploitation is rife in many countries (particularly Cambodia) and I cannot sit back and ignore a call for support of creating a better life for children. I am sure that many others will think similarly. Therefore Nat, I am raising a PayPal donation button to allow global readers to join your circle of giving and protect children in Cambodia. To my readers, please consider giving just $1.00 to help raise funds for the orphans of Cambodia. Nat is returning to the orphanage in August and this money can go with her to purchase whatever it is that the children need.

Please help Natalie McKenzie support the orphans of Cambodia. Donate just $1.00 today: