By Monica Pitrelli
Issue 92 - March 2010

Here’s the story of how one conversation between two strangers affected the lives of hundreds of Cambodian children.

As Shyla Mathews shopped for children’s furniture in Ni-Night’s showroom, a canvas print of a strikingly beautiful young boy caught her eye. She asked Ni-Night’s owner, Majella Skansebakken, about the remarkable image on the wall. “That is my son, Sorya,” said Majella. “We adopted him from Cambodia five years ago.”

As the two women talked, Shyla learned about Majella’s efforts over the past eight years to improve the lives of Cambodian orphans. As the co-founder of SIR Move Services, Shyla immediately offered to lend a hand. 

“Would you be able to send 50 kilograms of soccer uniforms to an orphanage in Phnom Penh?” Majella asked hopefully.

Shyla responded, “I was thinking more along the lines of filling a 20-foot container.”

The Drive
As the two local businesswomen pooled their resources and reached out to friends, clients and colleagues, the first annual Cambodian Orphanage Donation drive was formed.

“Last year’s drive was unbelievable!” says Shyla. “We received more support than we ever hoped for. In fact, instead of sending one 20-foot container, we sent three!”

Majella adds that sending materials into Cambodia can be a logistical nightmare. “But SIR Move never complained or asked for any money even though we went two containers over the original plan. They never let me down.”

The Delivery
Shyla and her family personally delivered donations to Missionaries of Charity, an orphanage mainly for children who’ve lost their parents to AIDS. “The nuns we met were lively, warm and friendly,” she says. “There were so few of them to do so much work. They actually asked the young boys to take a break while they unloaded the cartons themselves – and they are in their 50s. One nun was so happy that she simply couldn’t stop giggling.”

A second container was delivered to Sunrise Children’s Village. “The children were so excited, yet they patiently waited while the items were unloaded. Each child received a toy, and afterwards they hugged us, held our hands and sang for us,” recounts Shyla. “It was extremely emotional.”

This year’s donations will go to Sunrise Children’s Village, Maryknoll, New Hope for Cambodian Children, and a mobile maternity clinic servicing remote villages.


Please Donate!
New:
• Milk powder
• Muslin cloth for nappies
• Mosquito nets
• Personal products – toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, detergent, shampoo, lice combs and lice
   shampoo

Gently used (clean and in good condition):
• Clothes
• Baby items – slings, bottles, blankets
• Cooking utensils, Tupperware and other containers with airtight lids 

• School supplies – English books, pencils, pencil cases, book-bags

For a complete list, visit the link below:
http://sirmove.com/cambodia_orphanages_2010.html.
 
Between 1 and 31 March, donations can be dropped at the following locations and times:

Ni-Night
9 Margate Road (call Majella at +65 9829 7961)

92 Woodleigh Park (private home; call Irene at +65 9757 7705)
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 9am to 5pm

Expat Auctions
102F Pasir Panjang Road
Citilink Warehouse #05-11
Call Zoe at 8268 4114
Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm


SIR Move Services specialises in domestic and international moves.
For more information, call 6534 7345 or visit www.sirmove.com