Visits to Feeding Dreams Cambodia 2024
In February 2024 Gill and Lynda, Chair and Treasurer of Feeding Dreams UK, visited FDC. The visit was an opportunity to connect in person with staff and pupils of FDC and to see the great work being done at the school. The trip was a huge success and we were able to meet all the staff; help purchase and deliver some educational resources for the school/ teachers and to work closely with them to discuss our ongoing support and how FDC and FDUK can work together to assist the most vulnerable children and families around Siem Reap. Whilst there we were also lucky enough to connect with Clare McKinney and Peter Flint, long-standing supporters of FDC who are UK and Australia Ambassadors respectively.
We spent most of our time with the Education Team, sharing and learning from each other, discussing ideas and purchasing resources to aid their teaching such as tablets and books. We were also able to accompany Clare and the Social Work Team to conduct a food and clothing drop to some of the poorest section of the local community. This assistance is invaluable to families who are living in the worst possible conditions on the bread line.
Our trip reinforced what we already knew: that there are so many children and families in Cambodia in desperate need of help and that education is a critical tool for breaking out of the cycle of poverty and enabling those children and their families to move forward in life. The ongoing support and financial assistance that international supporters can give via NGOs such as FDUK is of vital importance and every penny donated makes a huge difference. As ever, we left Cambodia more humbled than when we arrived and more determined to help them continue to make a difference.
In October 2024 Liz (FDUK Trustee) and Anne (FDUK Secretary) visited Feeding Dreams Cambodia (FDC). This meant that all four FDUK trustees had been able to visit FDC in 2024. Having been involved with FDC for over ten years, it was fantastic to be able to put our ‘boots on the ground’, to meet the children, the FDC Team and see first-hand the amazing work and impact of FDC. No matter how many pictures we had seen and conversations we had had with FDC, nothing quite prepared us for seeing and experiencing the reality. An education for a child at FDC is life changing. It’s a way of breaking the poverty cycle.
We received such a warm welcome from day one and this continued throughout our time. Liz was able to spend a month at the school and to work alongside the FDC Team, to develop relationships with the Team and get a real sense of the day to day running of the school, its joys and challenges. Time was spent with the Volunteer Coordinator to look at ways in which we can increase the number of volunteers who come to FDC, look at how we can improve the volunteer experience and work with each volunteer to carry on supporting the work of FDC when they return home.
Anne was able to add her support to assist teachers in the classroom. Many volunteers are English speakers as a first language and are able to support the children with pronunciation which is such an important factor in communication and learning a language. In addition, we worked collaboratively on training and other admin tasks.
During the visit we were also able to meet and spend time with two of the trustees from Feeding Dreams Australia (Tracey and Rob), whose visit coincided. This provided a great opportunity to discuss how we can work more effectively together as international supporters.
This would all have been plenty in terms of an amazing and very fulfilling visit, but our last day at the school also landed on the 12th Anniversary celebration (25th October) of the opening of Feeding Dreams Cambodia. There were celebrations throughout the day. It was so upbeat and positive, a fabulous way to end our visit which couldn’t have been bettered.
If you are thinking of volunteering at FDC, just do it. You’ll have an amazing experience which will impact your life in such a positive way.
Group Volunteering 2023
The School of Nursing and Midwifery - Edith Cowan University final-year nursing students. During their time with us, they helped our children with health check-ups and medical needs and also many of their families in the local slum communities. Thank you to this very special group of big-hearted people.
Also a group of yLead volunteers from Australia. Whilst with us, they visited one of the local slum communes that Feeding Dreams Cambodia supports and where also many of the children that attend FDC's free school programs attend. Our volunteer's hand packed food packs in the morning and in the afternoon distributed these food packs and some much needed clothes. It was a day full of many emotions but full of much hope and happiness too.
AFESIP Yoga Classes 2017
Mersey Walk Sept 2016
British 10K July 2016
Liz and Dave's Wedding Aug 2014
For their wedding, Liz and Dave requested that friends and family make a donation to Schools for Children of Cambodia as a 'wedding present'.
Gill's 50th Birthday 2014
For Gill's 50th birthday some of her friends decided to donate funds to the trafficked women and girls in AFESIP. This donation will enable staff to take the residents of the shelter on an educational trip to some of the historic sites of Cambodia.
British 10K 2014
Six committed volunteers ran the British 10k for SCC on Sunday 13th July 2014. A huge thank-you goes to Alexsandro, Alex, Silvia, Andrew, Arlene and Dave. They raised over £2000 which will be split between our four projects in Cambodia and will make a huge difference to the lives of many Cambodian children. Well done and thanks to all of you from the children in Cambodia.
20K Thames Walk 2014
Helen, Lynda, Andy, Denise, Dale and Alison (LWL) walked 20km along the iconic River Thames National Trail from the Thames Barrier to Embankment on 12th May 2014. The money they have collected has been sent to the four charities SCC supports in Cambodia.