I cried tears of joy when my sponsored child dashed out and gave me a tight hug
Going on humanitarian trips has always been one of the things on my bucket list, but the idea was often put aside as I got so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life as time went by.
When I saw World Vision's announcement about their upcoming trip in February 2025 to Sambour in Cambodia, I was determined to be part of it particularly for the fact that one of my sponsored children is from the Sambour Area Programme. I thought, “if not now, then when?”
Being a solo traveller and my first overseas trip with the World Vision, I was very anxious. Yet, the desire to meet my sponsored child and to learn more about the lives of vulnerable community greatly outweighed any fears and risks of the unknown. I was curious to gain a deeper understanding of World Vision's actual fieldwork overseas.
After a 6-hour road trip from Phnom Penh on the first day, I finally arrived in Kratie province to visit the Sambour Area Programme located along the Mekong River, together with other child sponsors from Singapore. Never did I expect that was the start of an impactful and emotional 5-day journey which I never regretted.
Just like the locals, we travelled hours by various modes of transportation such as boat, ferry, tractor and van to get from point to point. We created fond memories together with the children from preschools to secondary school by playing interactive games, making crafts, singing songs, painting school wall, and planting trees. It was unforgettable to see the children's bright smiles and loud echoes in the classrooms which displayed their children's enthusiasm to learn despite the challenging environment!
Meiyin planted a tree together with the youth club members in the school compound of the only Secondary School in the village; the youth club is a club that engages youth in lifeskills training so that they can contribute to the community
Meeting our sponsored children was one of the most anticipated highlights of our trip. I started my journey of sponsorship with World Vision in 2022 through the Chosen initiative. To date, I had been chosen by one girl from Cambodia Sambour and one boy from Philippines Antique. Unlike conventional child sponsorship programmes, children from vulnerable communities were given the opportunity to select their sponsors. I was deeply drawn to the idea of empowering the children. Each child has a unique reason for choosing their sponsor. I remembered digging through several photographs before picking my most presentable ones to participate in Chosen. I was truly looking forward to know who picked me!
After years of exchanging photographs and letters, I finally got to meet my sponsored child and her family in person for the first time. It was truly a mixture of feelings and many thoughts flowed, “What if she was disappointed in me because I have not been writing a lot? What if we had nothing much to say in person because of differences in culture and language? What if I looked so different in person compared to the photograph she had chosen?”
As soon as we arrived at the main entrance of our activity area, I immediately noticed my child, Syrene, in the crowd. I gave a huge wave to draw her attention. Little did I expect her to dash out and gave me a tight hug! I was pleasantly surprised and we connected right away. I thought to myself, “So this is how it feels to be crying tears of joy…” I hoped she felt the same as I had, ecstatic and bubbling with happiness. It was heartening to see how Syrene has grown into a fine young lady now.
Meiyin met her sponsored child Syrene, who chose her as a sponsor through ChosenTM programme, and exchanged letters and polaroid pictures to remember the moment
We spent the morning chatting and laughing together with the help of translation from World Vision staff. We took many photographs together to capture memories from this special day. After some games and lunch, we had to say goodbyes. No one knew when we might be able to see each other again, so it made this meeting even more precious. Syrene passed me a handwritten note, simple yet heartfelt. I shook hands and hugged the mother to extend my well wishes. Unexpectedly, she broke down and said she was very thankful but also felt very sorry as she had nothing to offer in return to express their appreciation.
I was glad that I brought along my instant camera and boxes of polaroid films, in the hope of gifting pictures of the children and their families to them as a keepsake. Many of them might not have the chance to realise how beautiful their smiles are. I genuinely wished these pictures could remind them of the support, love and friendship they had from us if they ever come across any difficult times in future. This was my first mission trip but it would not be my last.
Meiyin and fellow trippers visited a daughter and her mother who was visually impaired. They were mutually dependent on each other for emotional and physical support. With the support from child sponsorship, the family received pipe water connection that enabled them to have access to clean water in the house instead of having to go to Mekong River to fetch water.
There were many other heart-wrenching moments throughout the trip. It deeply pained my heart to know that in today's world, many vulnerable families were still struggling to survive without clean water, inadequate food, no proper housing infrastructure, lack of educational support and limited access to healthcare services. We heard stories from villagers who had to fetch untreated water from the Mekong River daily, children who had to walk at least an hour to get to school regardless of rain or shine, and the sick ones who had to travel across water and land to get to the Health Centre. Nonetheless, the locals were not discouraged by the harsh conditions of living as they remained hopeful for a better tomorrow.
We witnessed the resilience and warmth of the Khmer people from Cambodia, the innocence from the smiles of the children, and the gratitude in the eyes of the villagers. With the help from generous sponsors and dedicated World Vision team, the communities had the opportunity to undergo some form of improvement one step at a time. Indeed, no change is too small, and no act of kindness is ever wasted. With the help from World Vision and sponsors like us, lives can be transformed - For Children. For Change. For Life.
If you have a desire to be just like Meiyin, to empower children and their families to break the cycle of poverty, click here to begin your journey with us today.
