Working with the New Hope organisation Rob Pointon and his partner, Sally Venner, are raising funds and volunteering overseas to help shelter families before the monsoons hit.  

Now in Cambodia with New Hope, Ms Venner said families are living under tarps or pagodas (monk temples) and those with more permanent shelters struggle with leaking roofs, floors with missing boards, missing walls or walls made from scrap materials.

She spoke about a couple in desperate circumstances.

“The couple is experiencing hardship as the husband has leprosy, and his wife is eight months pregnant.   He has already lost some of his toes and we are trying to find leprosy medicine for him although this is proving difficult in Cambodia.  He is receiving treatment from our New Hope medical clinic for serious infections in the wounds which are caused by the leprosy.

“The roof of their home leaked dreadfully, so we have provided them with a tarp that will be used over the roof to make it weatherproof. The cost of the tarp was less than $20USD.

“The tarp has a secondary benefit in that with the upcoming rainy season they will be more protected from illnesses if they, and especially their new baby, can stay dry,” Ms Venner said.

“We urgently need to raise funds for a housing repair project to help New Hope assist as many families as possible before the rainy season,” said Mr Pointon who is embarking on a fund-raiser mission for the project.  

He stressed, “One hundred per cent of the money goes to the housing project nothing will go to administration.

“We’re calling for supporters to donate to the building project,” he said.

Monsoon rains are expected to start in May and June, rainfall may last for days on end during the season’s peak. 

A team effort, Ms Venner is overseas volunteering while Mr Pointon will take on a 21 kilometre half marathon in Sydney on May 19 to raise awareness and funds. 

His first ever marathon, Mr Pointon is in training, “Riding, paddling and running up to 60km a week at the moment,” he said.

Ms Venner was inspired to volunteer overseas after reading ‘Mama Tina’ a book based on Christina Noble’s work helping disadvantaged Vietnamese children. 

Mr Pointon said Sally did a lot of research on Pol Pot and the effects of his dictatorship, “After reading the book [Muma Tina] it was on her bucket list and the timing just worked out well.”  

Ms Venner will return to Australia on November 30 after having volunteered for five months. 

All donations, large or small are gratefully accepted and will go to the Housing Repair Project. To make a donation visit http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/Venners

For more information on New Hope Cambodia visit www.newhopecambodia.com