Without her, Heartprint Wouldn’t Exist

During our Match it May campaign every year, we talk a lot about the things that hold our operations together, the things that keep us going. Things like rent, electricity, pencils, computers, printer ink, glue sticks.  

What we don’t talk much about are the people who hold us together.  In this case, the person who has been dedicatedly holding us together since 2015. 

You see her in many of our photos, although she is often in the background. If you were here with us, you would see how often people look to her for help or guidance during the day. You would see how hard she fights for our community, which she loves with all her heart, and you would see how she loves as hard as she fights. 

You would see Pheap.  Our Pheap. Heartprint’s heart.

Some history: We had not yet moved to Cambodia—we were here volunteering—when, through a bit of a circuitous route, we met Pheap. She was working in a hotel as the bar manager. 

Somehow, we talked with her sister and her about the fact that we were “thinking about” moving from Australia to Siem Reap so we could spend more time building homes.  It was casual, sort of thinking out loud. 

We mentioned the possibility of renting a house large enough to serve as a home away from home for the volunteers we hoped to recruit to come to Cambodia and help us build. At that stage, it was still a pipe dream, with no concrete plans, just some dreams in formation.

Little did we know the power that is Pheap! She took our dream and set out to make it our reality. In hindsight, she knew exactly what she was doing when she called us in Australia to announce that she and her sister had found the perfect house. She insisted that if we didn't snap it up right away, someone else would, and we would regret missing out on such an ideal opportunity.

Despite our initial hesitation to move forward that quickly, Pheap, being Pheap, made it clear that we "needed" the house she had found. This led to fast and intense discussions around our lunch and dinner tables over the next few days. Two weeks later, we were back in Siem Reap, the proud new inhabitants of a house spacious enough to serve as a dormitory for a dozen volunteers.

We settled in and knew we needed more help, so we offered Pheap a part-time job. She was hesitant to accept. This was an entirely new experience for her. She had never worked in an office, was unfamiliar with using a computer, and faced what seemed to her to be a seemingly endless list of challenges.

Despite her reluctance, we were determined and persisted until she agreed. Pheap began working part-time with us while continuing her role at the hotel.

Before long, Pheap was an essential part of our team. She helped us stay organized, guided us through local government issues, and kept us attuned to community norms and sensitivities.

However, Pheap was struggling. She often worked at the hotel until midnight or later and had little time to spend with her young daughter. She had to be exhausted, but being Pheap, she didn’t complain. Still, we knew. 

We believed we had a solution. Our organization was growing, taking on more projects, and planning for the future. We knew we wanted and needed Pheap to join us full-time. This would give her financial stability and much more time to spend with her daughter. Although she agreed to the move, her loyalty to her other employer prevented her from resigning. right away.  

This situation continued for several months until we realized we needed to address it, even if it meant issuing an ultimatum. 

It was hard for us and hard for Pheap. It went against her grain to “let down” the hotel management where she worked, but she finally took a big leap into her future and resigned from that job, coming to us full-time in early 2016. 

With Pheap as our right hand (and right leg, and left hand and leg), we are now on House Build #109.  We created the Community Centre and now have 80 participants in our programmes. 

Pheap is the head of our local NGO. She manages our finances, taxes, and programmes, and she teaches our Tiny Tots. (This is a bit of stress relief for her as it gets her away from some of the very serious problems she has to deal with daily. It is also the fulfillment of a dream from many years ago when she wanted to be a teacher but didn’t have the opportunity.)

She still manages our new baby baskets for moms, one of our original undertakings well before the Community Centre. This project is a part of her heart and an additional salve to the soul on some tough days. 

Pheap is our guide, mentor, mentee, and friend. She helps guide us through cultural trails so different from our own. She is our face, voice, and translator within our community. She is loved, and she loves. 

And she kicks us in the you-know-what when we need it! 

A match made in Heaven!

Thank you, Pheap. 

Housekeeping Note: If you are in Australia and contributed to Hearprint last year, we have emailed your tax receipt. Please let us know if you have not received it, and we will send it to you again. Thanks for all you do!