We welcomed Day Two in Siem Reap, Cambodia with apprehension. For the 12 of us who had come from different walks of life, we started the day with our own views of what we wanted to do and achieve for the day.
For some those of us who have not been to Siem Reap, we started out not knowing what to expect. We only knew what we wanted to achieve, and with that, we set out for Smach Village in the Kralanh District of Siem Reap to visit a school adopted by Shinta Mani Foundation. After a backbreaking ride through kilometers of dirt road, we found ourselves at the Smach Primary School where the Foundation had been supporting for the past few years.
Our friends from Shinta Mani, and the teachers at the school helped us identify children without footwear and we immediately set out to work, distributing the slippers sponsored by Havaianas. As children without footwear streamed forward, the numbers took us by surprise – the needs were aplenty, yet the means limited. Two experiences particularly, left a lasting impression on our minds and hearts: the swollen feet of young children from having walked barefooted on dirt roads; the disappointed faces of children we had to turn away because the slippers we had did not fit them.
As the bus left the school, the determination to do more hung heavy amongst us. Having witnessed the many needs, each of us harbored our own thoughts and ideas, yet all of us stayed united in wanting to do more to enrich the lives of these children.
After some planning, we ended up at the Siem Reap market to get additional school supplies and slippers for the children we had to earlier turn away. Despite the sweltering heat we had to endure at the local market, every member undisputedly agreed that this was indeed a truly satisfying “retail experience” because we knew that our experience was nothing compared to what each child sacrifices each day just to get a chance to be educated in school.
The experience was truly humbling, and one that got us thinking about our common vision as we explore ideas to further empower the lives of the people here in Siem Reap.
Contributed by Chen Ming. Click here to view more images of PHFVLX team in action.
