The team of 9 from the IM Group in Birmingham returned home Monday 9 February after undertaking a week that each team member will never forget. Several reported that it was a truly significant time in their lives as they worked alongside some of the poorest, gaining insights about not only those we serve but about themselves too.
The team had a packed schedule involving 5 days at the building site where we refurbished a dilapidated building, poured a concrete slab 30m x 14m, knitted rebar for the columns, rendered, mixed concrete and more… this was alongside 15 villagers and translator Pry Chhin. In a week we saw significant progress. Ironically it was not just the project money the team brought that was key, but that it symbolized the hope the village had as they had gone from being dumped in a field 5 years ago, to building shelter, starting a school and now a farm project with a vocational training and sewing centre.
The team also visited the Killing Fields (explaining how thousands lost their lives in the Pol Pot genocide) and Ankhor Wat at Siem Riep which in the 1100’s was perhaps the most advanced civilization and empire on earth.
One humbling thing was to work with Sara Sesay and his team who have been building homes for those in the slums. The team joined them to wash childrens hair to de-lice them in a community that earns its income from scavenging on the adjacent rubbish dump.
We look forward to getting together with the company and the team in a few weeks as we reflect individually and together on the learning and personal development. The realisation that as we help others, we too are touched in a profound way.