Inspiring Women Fall 2018

Canada: Building Homes In Cambodia
YOLANDA HENRY
FAUSA, Canada
From: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Lives: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario,
Canada (Formerly in Singapore and Surrey,
England)
I’m the only child of Polish immigrant parents.
I never thought of them as expats, but I guess
that’s what they were, as were many of the
families in our neighbourhood. I inherited my
father’s love of travel and was lucky to see
many places in the US, Canada, as well as
Europe before graduating from high school.
My first job after graduating with a master’s
degree in Environmental Engineering was for
the Occupational Health and Safety Products
division of 3M Canada. As a tech service rep,
I flew across Canada working with reps and
customers. Once married with children, I
moved into pharmaceuticals both in marketing and sales, and stayed closer to home.
Our first overseas posting was to England in 1992. Although I gave up paid work, I found ways to
keep busy in the community by volunteering at the children’s school and setting up a Moms’
hiking group. The next posting was to Singapore in 1999, then England again from 2002 to 2006.
During our first year in Singapore I
was looking for something to do
with my teenage daughters for
Spring Break. In the school
newspaper, I'd read about
teachers who went to Cambodia
to build houses for families in
communities devastated by years
of genocide under Pol Pot and
the Khmer Rouge. Would it be
possible for us to go, too? Sure,
they said. So, in March of 2000, off
we went to Cambodia. In a single
day, working in very hot and
humid conditions, we built a
house for a family who'd had
nothing. These people were so
incredibly thrilled and grateful, I
will remember that moment all my
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