LYNNE BARNETT IN CAMBODIA

 Let me introduce you to Lynne Barnett.  

During ten annual visits, she has worked tirelessly to improve the lot of people in Cambodia and last week left the UK for a year-long stay.

The cost of this visit is estimated at £24,000 which is currently about half way to being met, so there is still a need for more help. 

Once you have read what she is doing, I feel sure you will appreciate the effort she is making and the success she is having, and will want to support her. 

There are several ways to do this, all explained on her blog/website so I would urge you to check them out.

http://lbsanctuarycambodia.wordpress.com/   

http://www.sanctuary-therapy.co.uk.

The following is some of the work Lynne has done in Cambodia, supported by donations, since 2005

·          Visited two prisons, donated three sewing machines to allow teaching of new trade and reduce suicide rate

·          Provide therapeutic support and counselling

·          Hundreds of hand knitted teddies given out- ‘teddy ministry’

·          Fund-raised for two wells in remote villages, where there are still a lot of landmines in area. There are therefore numerous folk, young and old who have suffered traumatic amputations

·          Purchased corrugated roof and floor tarpaulin for local counselling mentee Sideth’s two village schools to protect children in rainy season and for ground cover.

·          Egg ministry- an egg a week for children

·          Planted fruit trees

·          Delivered many training days in the city and in the remote province areas  in child protection, safeguarding against trafficking and coercion; uniting communities; positive relationships; communication skills; skill sharing and team work; peer education to ensure sustainability; counselling skills; basic hygiene, health and sexual health; anti-discrimination; parenting; aseptic techniques; domestic violence; group work with children on various topics including self-esteem, confidence building; English lessons; assertiveness and ‘the world beyond’; ambition, hopes and dreams; cultural diversity.

·          Funding for a terminally ill child to have an operation to die pain free

·          Medical aid for individuals

·          Work with disabled people- focus on enabling, not on the disability

·          Blankets and mosquito nets,

·          Funded English classes for a woman working with street children

·          Rescued a 12year old child from sex traffickers

·          Provided team building activity day for a pig, chicken and fish farmer’s project

·          Trained community worker Sideth; raise funds for her annual salary, provide resources

·          Two ‘libraries’ (bookcase with books) in both of Sideth’s school structures

·          Annual Christmas parties for both villages - food and a gift

·          Worked with many projects delivering training and building relationships to encourage them to skill share & share resources.

·          Donations for a young man Yang’s studies (assist him to become an honest lawyer for his people…his dream and the country needs this).

·          Therapeutic support for orphans leaving orphanages

Case studies of people Lynne has been able to help

·          “There are many individuals who could tell you their stories as they work as volunteers in developing countries. I am not unique, but hope these short stories will give you a little insight into life beyond tourism.

·          A 12yr old girl from a rural village went missing. She lived with her elderly grandmother following the death of her parents from AIDS. I became aware of the girl’s disappearance when a Khmer teacher, who is funded by donations I raise locally for her to teach in two remote rural villages, raised the alarm. I was informed that the grandmother was approached and given the opportunity to increase her income by allowing her grand-daughter to do house work for a local business person. Taking a ‘down payment’, the girl was taken to her new job, but did not return. We managed to find the whereabouts of the girl after much searching. Our success was largely due to the teacher’s knowledge of the area and the relationships she had with the local people who trusted her.  The child had been taken to a local brothel. We had to pay for her release. To avoid this happening again, we paid for the girl to follow her dream to be trained as a hair dresser.

·          I would like to tell you about an inspirational character called ‘Sideth’. Her father was a general soldier during the Khmer Rouge era. She has only one photograph of him that she had sewn into her blouse collar during this time. His status would probably have put her life in even more danger. She does not know what happened to him, but dreams that he escaped to the USA. Sideth is a lady who works for a non government project five days a week. At the weekend she is sponsored by our fund raising donations to teach in two remote villages. She is an amazing woman, who has touched the lives of many who would not normally have an education and care. If it had not been for her, the children would not have had any education and may have been trafficked. I know of many instances where her educating the children has been the saving of them.

·          I met a child whom I taught last year. She ran up and hugged me. She proudly said in broken English, “Aunty, I tell my village that all people in village responsible for keeping children safe”. I was so excited to realise she had remembered a very important message I had taught them regarding trafficking.

·          Kind donations enabled a terminally ill child with hydrocephalus to have an operation. Her complicated medical syndrome meant that she could not be cured, but it enabled her to live her remaining days pain free. 

PLEASE  HELP  HER  TO  HELP  OTHERS