We left New Zealand at midnight and I wanted to be in good shape physically (and mentally), ready to shoot when we landed in Cambodia. So we were fortunate to have a couple of spare seats next to us in economy, I got to spread out and catch some pretty decent sleep. A short stop in Hong Kong before the second flight took us into the welcoming arms of Phnom Penh and the heat of Cambodia.

Good news – all the bags made it. We had a late lunch and got to bed early ready to get into work the next day.

We left New Zealand at midnight and I wanted to be in good shape physically (and mentally), ready to shoot when we landed in Cambodia. So we were fortunate to have a couple of spare seats next to us in economy, I got to spread out and catch some pretty decent sleep. A short stop in Hong Kong before the second flight took us into the welcoming arms of Phnom Penh and the heat of Cambodia.

Good news – all the bags made it.  We had a late lunch and got to bed early ready to get into work the next day.

On our first day shooting. We left the city at six in the morning and drove south east for over two hours, ending up only eight kilometers from the border with Vietnam.  World Vision New Zealand is four years into a 15-year project in this community. 

We based ourselves at a lovely little school. The children were quite shy – and spent a lot of time watching us through the window openings. I was getting up to speed with my basic language skills, learning Khmer greetings like hello, how are you and thank you and practicing them with the bravest kids.

We stayed at a little guest house in a nearby town last night. A basic place, the basin had pipes to and from it, but take the plug out and the water just drained onto the floor – even though I knew this it was hard to break the habit of using the basin instead of the drainage hole in the floor. This is not a wealthy area. There is lush green countryside not at all barren looking - it reminded me about all the infrastructure that was lost during Pol Pot’s regime – without it you can’t turn natural resources into wealth. 

We went back to the school and happily the children were more used to us. More friendly and playful today, one girl took a particular shine to my 9-year-old co-host Isabella and led her all around the school. We investigated how poor sanitation means people’s immune systems are constantly attacked through drinking dirty water and bugs – and how this can have long-term, serious health consequences. Fortunately, lots of improvements to water and sanitation are taking place here. 

It’s wonderful to be back here after my last visit 12 years ago. I notice more of the roads are sealed and that feels safer for people travelling, but many are still unpaved.  The Cambodian people have smiles that are just as beautiful as I remember them. But I am struck again by their shyness. I was told the Pol Pot regime they lived through has made them nervous about trusting people. So, the scars of that era remain, but do I think the work that’s happening here is truly wonderful. 

Today we drove to a province three hours to the north of Phnom Penh. Bad recent flooding from typhoon Ketsana put our plans in doubt, but late in the afternoon we finally got word that roads were passable – so we loaded up and set off.  A long trip but exciting as we know the people in the villages up there had stories that are so important for us to tell.

Our first day in a small, remote and visibly poor village in north Cambodia and it’s just incredible to be with people who are living in extreme poverty - people who are not able to afford enough food to be able to survive and be healthy.   

There is however as sense of excitement as they start to lift themselves up through work, initiatives like weaving cooperatives, farming chickens, planting crops and the ability to fund business enterprise.  And the hope is they will go even further to a level of sustainability. They are taking small, yet significant steps.

There is water all around this village. We see the occasional huge handsome buffalo (the equivalent to a farm tractor in New Zealand) working hard and pairs of men using huge handsaws to cut great pieces of timber. It’s a privilege to be given access to this village and to now base our shooting here.

We were sitting in a house today with this little girl and her grandmother. Her mother has gone to Phnom Penh to work in a factory and send money home. But it’s literally not enough to take care of everyone.

The grandmother and the great grandmother bring up the children. There’s a baby and a little girl and another child. And honestly, they are poor and don’t have enough food. But in amongst the sadness, we heard about improvements to sanitation, to housing and roading and falling domestic violence levels because the women earning more money, these families are grateful that World Vision and people half way around the world are willing to help.

Tired at end of day a long hot day shooting, amazing sunset as we drove the hour and half long trip back to town.

We were up at 4:30am and filming by 7am. Today we’ve been able to hear more people’s life stories, like a 9-year-old girl who is just tiny – at least as small if not smaller than our 4-year-old at home. She didn’t get enough food as a young girl growing up and she was frequently sick because there wasn’t organised sanitation in the village or enough fresh clean water.

I can’t tell you how amazing and important the rather ‘ordinary looking’ water filters are. What a difference when you look at her sister who was born around the time World Vision started work here – she is nearly as tall as her 9-year-old sister!

Twice when I’ve tried to hold babies this trip, they’ve cried and cried, I guess we look so different - we’re big and the wrong colour.

We were sitting in a house today with this little girl and her grandmother. Her mother has gone to Phnom Penh to work in a factory and send money home. But it’s literally not enough to take care of everyone. The grandmother and the great-grandmother bring up the children.

There’s a baby and a little girl and another child. And honestly, they are poor and don’t have enough food. But in amongst the sadness, we heard about improvements to sanitation, to housing and roading and falling domestic violence levels because the women earning more money, these families are grateful that World Vision and people half way around the world are willing to help. 

I’m tired at end of day a long hot day shooting, amazing sunset as we drove the hour and a half long trip back to town. 

Hard to believe this is our last day here. It’s a beautiful morning and we have a huge schedule of shooting to complete.

At the village primary school quite a few kids gathered round and watched me do my make up this morning, I was something of a sideshow. My audience looked like children who were too young for school yet.

A World Vision staffer told me most of the kids were just enjoying seeing a foreigner for the first time. It was quite funny because if I moved too quickly the children would all move away from me – I did manage to get a few laughs though – mainly by pulling funny faces – a universal language for kids! 

It got very hot again, but so lovely to be in the same village for a third day in a row. People have become a little more used to us and they trust us more I think. There were some families and kids that we’ve gotten to know and recognise – the normality of their life has hit me – I’m just a visitor who will go back to my good life and they of course have to stay and live with not enough.

Many of the kids are so small. In the commercials when I am talking about stunted growth - basically malnutrition and poor sanitation robbing them of nutrients, normal growth and health – it’s real.  I just could have cried seeing this girl, its heart breaking, and surprisingly preventable. 

There is so much good happening too. A weaving group is established – such an inspiring group of women, with plans for their future. World Vision Cambodia gave each of us a scarf when we had finished and thanked us for being part of the team.

We told them that Kiwis and World Vision New Zealand are really committed to continuing to work with their community and make a difference together.

It’s my hope that the work we’ve been doing here will help make that promise come true.