The Project Happy Feet Volunteer Leadership Experience (PHFVLX) team landed in Siem Reap this afternoon, hungry and restless. A short ride to the hotel later, the team was treated to a refreshing welcome drink as they arrived at Soria Moria, the boutique hotel where they would rest for the next four nights.
Famished and looking for food, the team heaved a collective sigh of relief when Stefanie, the day’s leader, announced that she had made a booking with Haven, a social enterprise supporting young adult orphans.
Piling into tuk tuks (a local form of transport), the team quickly arrived at Haven on Sok San Street. Launched in December 2011, Haven is a restaurant that provides young adult orphans an opportunity to learn a skill and more importantly, a future away from poverty, prostitution, human-trafficking and delinquency.
“We wanted to show these orphans that there is a way to break out of the poverty cycle and that they can work to earn their keep to build a life for themselves,” said Sara, from Switzerland, who had founded Haven with her husband, Paul. They were both traveling around the world in 2008 when they fell in love with Cambodia and decided to stay and work with the children here.
“We found out that a lot of the orphans have no where to go after they are old enough to leave the orphanage. They grew up accustomed to the handouts that they have been receiving from tourists and volunteers, but we wanted them to learn that it was not possible as adults. So we created Haven, where these orphans can learn a skill and find a job to build a future for themselves.”
Volunteers from Project Happy Feet dined at Haven and filled their bellies and hearts with the sumptuous dishes that were prepared, knowing that each patronage means another ray of hope for the orphans and a chance to break out of the poverty cycle. The team cannot help but to draw similarities with KOTO (Know One Teach One), PHF’s beneficiary in Hanoi, Vietnam.
A few photos later, PHF waved goodbye to Sara with their best wishes. Organisations like Haven warm hearts and give hope, knowing that no one’s ever alone on the journey of empowerment.
So if you find yourself in Siem Reap, do drop by Haven – “where helping tastes good”.
