The garbage fields of Cambodia motivated Abbotsford resident Lorri Sawatsky to join the fight against global hunger.October 19, 2009
By Vikki Hopes
Abbotsford News (British Columbia, Canada)
Lorri Sawatsky had never seen anything so devastating.
She and her husband stood on the hill in Cambodia and gazed dumbstruck at the massive field of garbage that stretched out before them. The stench was unbearable, but what was even harder to take was the sight of hundreds of people – many of them young children – picking through the filth.
They were rummaging for things to sell, so they would be able to buy food.
Lorri sat for awhile, thinking about how horrible the world could be.
“No human being should ever have to live like this,” she said to her husband, Randy.
Before they returned home to Abbotsford, Lorri told the director of the kindergarten they had come to visit that she couldn’t leave the impoverished nation without doing something to help.
“What do you want to do?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Buy food. Buy rice,” Lorri replied.
“Yes, rice! Buy rice!” the director said.
Lorri and Randy had about $100 on them, and this was used to purchase several sacks of rice. Each sack was enough to feed a family for a few days.
The impact of this resonated with Lorri, who was working for a non-profit organization, after the 2004 trip. She began reading about global hunger and how rice is the most consumed food in the world.
She came up with an idea for a pilot project that would involve school kids collecting bags of rice for local needs while raising funds for global needs.
One school – Mennonite Educational Institute – participated in 2005, raising enough money to provide food for one week for 3,000 people in developing countries. More than 800 kilograms of rice were collected to feed those in need within Abbotsford.
By 2006, Lorri had formed Hunger Response International, and the Rice Raiser became its main program. Since then, school participation has grown significantly. There were 35 schools – 10 in Abbotsford – involved across Canada in the 2009 campaign.
Each school organizes and holds its own activities to collect money and rice.
Lorri said there is an educational aspect to students’ involvement, as they learn about global hunger and the conditions specific to the country they are supporting.
“It’s about planting those seeds of compassion in their hearts while they’re young.”
Lorri often shares the story of the garbage fields in Cambodia when speaking to schools about Rice Raiser.
She also talks about the impact of the global food crisis and the importance of developed nations sharing their wealth.
“It has to be taken seriously. How are our kids ever going to manage the world if they don’t know what’s going on?”
Each year, Rice Raiser supports four food projects in the world. The 2010 campaign involves buying goats and cows for Burundi, Africa; supporting an agriculture business for women in Guatemala; providing food for two children’s group homes in Uganda; and supporting a “work for food” project in India.
For more information, visit riceraiser.org or hungerresponse.org or call 604-308-1391.
New campaign
Have a Rice Day is a new campaign started by Hunger Response International to support its Rice Raiser program.
The campaign involves purchasing a $5 button and wearing it on one of the six designated days over the next year. Also on that day, people are encouraged to substitute one of their meals with a bowl of rice to identify with people in the world who are hungry.
The next Have a Rice Day event is on Nov. 20. Other dates are Dec. 10, March 22, April 7, May 15 and Aug. 19. The buttons are available at Prospera Credit Union branches in Abbotsford, House of James, Abbotsford Printing, Numbers Unlimited and Menno Travel.
She and her husband stood on the hill in Cambodia and gazed dumbstruck at the massive field of garbage that stretched out before them. The stench was unbearable, but what was even harder to take was the sight of hundreds of people – many of them young children – picking through the filth.
They were rummaging for things to sell, so they would be able to buy food.
Lorri sat for awhile, thinking about how horrible the world could be.
“No human being should ever have to live like this,” she said to her husband, Randy.
Before they returned home to Abbotsford, Lorri told the director of the kindergarten they had come to visit that she couldn’t leave the impoverished nation without doing something to help.
“What do you want to do?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Buy food. Buy rice,” Lorri replied.
“Yes, rice! Buy rice!” the director said.
Lorri and Randy had about $100 on them, and this was used to purchase several sacks of rice. Each sack was enough to feed a family for a few days.
The impact of this resonated with Lorri, who was working for a non-profit organization, after the 2004 trip. She began reading about global hunger and how rice is the most consumed food in the world.
She came up with an idea for a pilot project that would involve school kids collecting bags of rice for local needs while raising funds for global needs.
One school – Mennonite Educational Institute – participated in 2005, raising enough money to provide food for one week for 3,000 people in developing countries. More than 800 kilograms of rice were collected to feed those in need within Abbotsford.
By 2006, Lorri had formed Hunger Response International, and the Rice Raiser became its main program. Since then, school participation has grown significantly. There were 35 schools – 10 in Abbotsford – involved across Canada in the 2009 campaign.
Each school organizes and holds its own activities to collect money and rice.
Lorri said there is an educational aspect to students’ involvement, as they learn about global hunger and the conditions specific to the country they are supporting.
“It’s about planting those seeds of compassion in their hearts while they’re young.”
Lorri often shares the story of the garbage fields in Cambodia when speaking to schools about Rice Raiser.
She also talks about the impact of the global food crisis and the importance of developed nations sharing their wealth.
“It has to be taken seriously. How are our kids ever going to manage the world if they don’t know what’s going on?”
Each year, Rice Raiser supports four food projects in the world. The 2010 campaign involves buying goats and cows for Burundi, Africa; supporting an agriculture business for women in Guatemala; providing food for two children’s group homes in Uganda; and supporting a “work for food” project in India.
For more information, visit riceraiser.org or hungerresponse.org or call 604-308-1391.
New campaign
Have a Rice Day is a new campaign started by Hunger Response International to support its Rice Raiser program.
The campaign involves purchasing a $5 button and wearing it on one of the six designated days over the next year. Also on that day, people are encouraged to substitute one of their meals with a bowl of rice to identify with people in the world who are hungry.
The next Have a Rice Day event is on Nov. 20. Other dates are Dec. 10, March 22, April 7, May 15 and Aug. 19. The buttons are available at Prospera Credit Union branches in Abbotsford, House of James, Abbotsford Printing, Numbers Unlimited and Menno Travel.
4 comments:
It's heart broken story to see Khmer kids rummage through garbage dump like this. I have heard several Khmer friends after visiting Camboida they bragged about having good time and spent money on bar girls but never mentioned about the poor, destitutes at all. What a shame to those heartless people.
Lorri,
It is what it is in Cambodia....when a deciled leader only think of themselves....and make Khmer people look horribly bad...no different form scavagers fighting at the garbage dumb! How sad!
Thank you Lorri and Randy for your kindness on helping these struggling children who have been overlooked or neglected by RGC.
Surely with their low salary but POWER, officials have helped themselve as groups to be rich and powerful.
The root of poverty is corruption, would you please also write to your government for prompt attention to assisting these children.
Neang SA
Thank you, Lorri. It's ashame that our government (Cambodia) have been neglecting the citizens for mellenium. We have governement in charge of Red Cross, but anyone be lucky to receive a bag of rice from the current government.
To make lives even miserable for the Khmer Citizens, the current government were passing heinous laws to restrict operation of NGOs like yours to assist these impoverish people. YES, THE KHMER GOVERNMENT WAS CREATED FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF, NOT FOR THE INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE.
It's a fact of life in Cambodia.
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