French volunteers build houses for poor Cambodians

French ladies cutting the house colum in French volunteers cutting wood to construct houses for poor Cambodian families

ROCA KANDAL, Cambodia (UCAN) — A group of 12 French volunteers has used their vacation time to build houses for poor Cambodian families.

The volunteers spent two weeks at the end of December and beginning of January building houses for two families selected by the local Church.

“Our aim here was to serve and do charity work for poor Cambodians,” said Mathieu Bovet, 32, the group’s coordinator.

He said the volunteers, mostly in their 20s and 30s, came from all over France, “but wanted to spend their holidays in a useful way.” Although they were prepared to spend their own money on accommodation and food, the local Church helped them out by providing these.

The cost of building the houses was borne by Coup de Pouce Humanitaire (Lending a Helping Hand), a French humanitarian NGO.

One house was built in Roca Kandal, a village in Kratie province, and the other in Kdole in Kompong Cham province. Both houses cost about US$1,700 each, said Father Ivan Campana Suarez, the local parish priest in Roca Kandal.

Saum Sovanara 35, a beneficiary, said: “From now on, I don’t have to worry about repairing the house any more. I can now save money to support my three children’s education.”

Her former house in Roca Kandal did not have a roof and every time it rained, she and her family had to take shelter downstairs.

“I never knew there were people who would take time out of their holiday to help poor people like my family. I would really like to thank all of them and also God who answered my prayers,” the Catholic woman said.

Father Suarez said the volunteers had set an example for young local people to follow. “I hope young Cambodians will now consider how to serve poor people in their own villages,” he said.