Reflection #2: Give of yourself

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give"
some say the above quote is credited to Pierre Corneille but others Kahlil Gibran.

This is my second time going back to Hope Village Prey Veng (HVPV). What surprised me most was how comfortable I actually felt in HVPV. My last trip to HVPV was in Sept. 2007 almost 2 and a half years ago. But when I got there on 8 Mar, it felt like it was only yesterday that I left. I was thrilled to recognise the children there and it gave me much happiness to see how they have grown! Although they are taller and more matured now, all the children were just the way they were when I left them in 2007. They are still, so full of joy. We may think we have everything in Singapore but I am convinced they are richer than any Singaporean that was on the YEP with me.

Indeed, there is a difference between giving our possessions (like money) in the name of charity and actually giving of ourselves. By giving up my time and effort to this trip, I have gained so much more. Before this trip, I thought the organisation and planning of the trip would be plain-sailing and easy since it is my second time in HVPV. I suppose I was plain foolish to think that way. In fact as it turned out, the planning and organisation of this YEP was just as time-draining and energy-sapping as the first. I realised each YEP is different. This time round, the work was more physical. We were exposed to more risks (insect bites, cuts, scratches, heat exhaustion, etc) this time. However, all these risks were mitigated because we worked as a team. We shared our repellents, our water, our food, and we even shared our first-aid knowledge. In the end, everyone benefited in this giving of ourselves to the commuity at the village and the orphans at HVPV.

We all grew in our own ways seeing how our contributions brought a smile to the Cambodians. For once, we could truly smile back from the bottom of our hearts. And know that we made a difference even if the difference might be a small one.

Ben Cho