Inspiring Women Fall 2018

life. And the next day, it happened again. Another
family, another home. The experience changed me. I
knew others who would love to do this too, and so
began my relationship with Tabitha and volunteer
house-building.
My father had been a good role model for me and
was the one who taught me to work with my hands so
the idea of building houses wasn’t scary for me. I
always fixed my bike, put a new roof on our garage. I
never felt constrained by gender roles. Also, it was the
70s and the world was changing.
Tabitha has now been a big part of my life for nearly
20 years, and today I am the volunteer Chair of the
Tabitha Foundation Canada. It’s like a part-time job,
but one that I am happy to do because I know the
results of my work can change the lives of so many for
the better. For example, 54 families have roofs over
their heads, and thousands of other Cambodians now
have access to clean water. Through fundraising
events, speaking engagements, and the sale of Tabitha’s silk products, I’ve raised awareness in
my community, within FAUSA and also FAWCO. This year I received the Paul Harris Award from
my local Rotary Club in recognition of my volunteer work with Tabitha. The more people know
about what Tabitha can do, the better.
I’m not shy to ask for anything when it comes to Tabitha. Tabitha’s well program was the first
FAWCO Target Project and received about $135,000. A few years earlier, the wells were the
recipient of a development grant from The FAWCO Foundation. Working with a small, grass roots
NGO, it’s a struggle to raise the kind of awareness and the funds that large, multinational NGOs
are able to get.
Tabitha has introduced me to so many wonderful like-minded people and allowed me to make
new friends. One teenager in particular stands out, who said to his parents in the midst of a
build, “This is the best holiday ever!” Other volunteers went on to lead their own teams. One
woman started her own
charity in Cambodia,
sharing her passion for the
written word with young
Cambodian students.
She’s also published two
novels set in Cambodia.
So, if you want to get
involved in something like
this, remember you just
need to take the first step.
Sometimes you don’t even
realize it’s a first step. I’d
have never imagined that
a week’s holiday would
turn into a lifetime
commitment to helping
the poorest in Cambodia.
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