Saturday, 6 September 2008

Students shared hugs with rubbish tip kids

Helping hand: Staff and students from Trinity Academydesigned and painted this mural for these Cambodian children, who live and work at a local rubbish dump

The Star
Published Date: 06 September 2008
By Staff Copy

DONCASTER students who travelled to Cambodia are back home - and they reckon their trip has changed their lives.

Eight students from Trinity Academy in Thorne travelled to the far eastern country to help community projects and help out in schools and orphanages.

Among the projects the aid work they carried out took was a the designing and painting of a mural for the children who live and work at a local rubbish dump.

The group visited the capital Phnom Penh with local representatives of SAO Cambodia, one of the charities the Academy has supported since it opened.

SAO Cambodia is a UK-based, evangelical, inter-denominational mission and development agency, founded in 1973 by Major Taing Chhirc of the Cambodian Evangelical Church.

Its promotes the Christian faith and works to relieve poverty and distress amongst the people of Cambodia.

The students say they gained a real insight into the Cambodian way of life when they saw the giant municipal rubbish dump where many children work as litter pickers.

They paid a visit to a local orphanage, singing songs and painting with the children, and saw the work of the Bridge of Hope project which aims to give Cambodian youngsters a better and safer life.

The Trinity group also got a glimpse of the notorious Killing Fields, where tens of thousands of people were executed during the Khmer Rouge's reign over the country from 1975 to 1979.

Students said the expedition had made them appreciate what they had at home even more and gave many of them a desire to travel again.

Gemma Forshaw said: "The most significant thing I will take away from this trip is appreciation.

"From experiencing and observing many deprived lives within Cambodia, I now realise how lucky I am for the support I have and the opportunities at my feet."

Nathan Porter said: "We have seen a lot of chilling and traumatic things as a team in Cambodia and I feel grateful for every little thing I own, which I may take for granted. I value my life more now and I realise that small things make a big difference."

Jodie Pugh added: "I have learnt just how lucky I am to have just the small things we take for granted, such as food or a shower. I think whenever I want to moan about something, I will stop for a minute and think how lucky I am, and appreciate what I've got."

Trinity Academy Principal Ian Brew said: "I'm delighted that the trip to Cambodia has had such a positive impact on the students.

"It was a fantastic opportunity for them to experience a new culture, religion and way of life that is so dramatically different from their own."

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