Wat Opot Children's Community

After travelling around SE Asia two years ago my last place to visit was Cambodia and I left that country knowing I really wanted to return and spend more time with the Khmer people. It had always been a desire of mine to be involved with a project which helped people and in Cambodia I could see that much help was needed. Earlier this year while staying in Christchurch I noticed an advertisement in the local paper for a fund raiser for a Cambodian orphanage and so began the journey to Wat Opot with my seventeen year old daughter Briony. After much emailing and a first meeting just before we flew out to Phnom Penh I met with two very special New Zealand women heading to this community to help the children learn to make their own jewellery and crafts. It happened that we only had two days with Fiona and Marjeke on their arrival at Wat Opot but it was wonderful to see the beginnings of their project with the children. On the day we they were busy sorting thousands of beads with the children.. I was especially delighted as Srei Lek a 14 year old girl who we had formed a lovely friendship with would be fully occupied as the holidays had arrived and it was comforting to know that she would be involved in an activity which I know she would excel at and love. We are so looking forward to seeing the finished jewellery and sewing. I had been on the website for Wat Opot but really had no idea of what to expect. Arriving from Phnom Penn in our very small tuk tuk we were greeted by Wayne and over the next few days I was extremely fortunate to have his company at meal times and he so willingly shared the sometimes unbelievably sad stories of the children and Wat O Pot. Not having gone with a project we were able to simply enjoy and observe the children and try to learn their names which was a challenge for me. The next challenge was purchasing the food in the market and attempting to cook spaghetti bolognaise for about 80 people over those coke fires. I had many helpers however and it was a wonderful experience to prepare food with the children and Khmer women. The next challenge for everyone was eating the spaghetti however in this I realized my own daughter had no technique for eating spaghetti either.

The only time we felt sad at this place was at night seeing the smaller children putting themselves to bed,
thinking of our own wee people who get the goodnight stories, kisses and a song. Wayne has to be the most sensible and loving parent in the world and I know Briony has learnt all she needs to know about parenting in those precious days we spent watching the love and interaction between this group of children and Wayne. Not that it was all love and we observed the children dispense their own form of justice without adult interference. This is a place where children are free to test their limits, develop independence, are given good food, love and a chance for education and an opportunity to live a good life and have a future. Although many of the children were HIV positive we felt that Wat Opot was a place that was more about creating a sense of belonging and acceptance and it just happened that some of the people and children were HIV positive. We did not feel this was the focus of this place as apart from the taking of their medication twice daily there was no difference between these children and those who were not HIV. One of the things I delighted in was the children’s creative use of etchi (rubbish) they would
be stars in our wearable arts fashion shows.
As for the children watching their personalities unfold and the smiles and warmth we felt from all of them was daily the most enriching experience. Some were needy and others totally self sufficient. We learnt it is helpful if you are able to hang several children off your limbs at one time.

I know Wayne would much prefer me to write about the children but this story is impossible to tell without acknowledging his specialness. He is utterly selfless, totally practical and sensible and doesn’t seek to change the natural order of things. He has set expectations for these children and provided an infinitely loving and supportive environment and these children are responding. He has melded Christianity and Buddhism in a way that is accessible and meaningful for his charges. To watch them meditate and repeat a simple Buddhist Chant - and Christian prayer - "sank you sank you Jesus" - was one of the very special moments at Wat Opot. As Wayne says these children are writing the book about surviving what was once a death sentence. It is going to be wonderful to continue to be part of Wat Opot and hopefully help find ways to tell people about this special place and support Wayne and Partners in Compassion in their work here. Thank you Wayne and the children and members of Wat Opot community for enriching our lives and making our time so special that we want to return and spend time with you all again.

Jena and Briony McKenzie visited Wat Opot 10th -18th July 2009

I visited Wat Opot for a couple of weeks in 2007 and June 20-21 & July 4-5, 2009

Thank you so much for inviting me back to Wat Opot.It's such a joy to see how the children have grown up these last two years, yet how little has changed. They are still as wonderful, creative and loving as they were before. I was pretty surprised that the children remembered me, given that my stay was short and so many visitors come through. The children's ability to make any and everyone feel special and accepted within minutes makes Wat Opot unlike anywhere else in the world. Truly an unforgettable place. Thank you for such a wonderful warm welcomes to me (again) and my friends. Wat Opot will always be in my prayers.

(feel free to post)

I went to wat opot for 5 days with my study tour. It was my first time working for a long period with children, and it was great. The kids were extremely playful and welcoming. I found that the whole experience gave me a finer understanding of life. It was a once in a lifetime experience and i hope to be back again.

Visited Wat Opot in January of 2009. Had a wonderful visit, and felt blessed by meeting all who were there. I hope that i will be able to visit again!

Being at Wat Opot is an experience I won't ever forget because of the people, the lessons I've learned and everything else.
When I got down from the bus on that Thursday afternoon, the children crowded around us and hugged us like we were siblings they hadn't seen in a long time. They helped carry what they could and started introducing themselves. I was honestly surprized because I thought I would be meeting children who would be on beds trying to keep away from bacteria but as it turns out they were capable of fighting dieases and were also not as weak as I thought they would be. They were running around, jumpping up and down and climbing trees! They were a funnny, lively and happy group. I was just simply swept away by them that it was like my friends and I just jumped right in and started playing and hugging like crazy. Also the faith, patience and dedication of the people who kept the place alive was just incredible and to think I played a small, tiny part in it by being there for the kids is wonderful. I love the fact that they live by faith alone. It's great to witness how God can provide for them and during my stay my faith became stronger.
Another thing about Wat Opot that's funny is that I feel like I've been there before. I was experiencing deja vu after deja vu. I think I might've dreamed about it, Í'm not sure but the the new dorm and the main hall looked strangly familiar.
I miss the kids so much! I remember the night before my group left, I stayed with four kids in their sleeping quarters until they fell asleep. Natot was lying on my legs and Shina was beside me on my left, the other two were next to her. I was pushing their hair back periodicly because when my parents do that for me I feel safe and then I fall asleep. It seemed to be the same for Natot because whenever I removed my hand thinking he was asleep his eyes would flutter open as if to check if I was still there. So I stayed for a long time just being with them for as long as I could. Then when they were asleep I positioned them and then left. I sat on the swing outside thinking how I might not see some of them when I come back and I continued thinking this even after leaving Wat Opot. My friends and I are thinking of holding another corcert to raise money for them again. I love them all and wish I could go back soon. I had a lot of fun and I hope they enjoyed it and got as much out of it as I did. A wonderful and magical place it is I have to say. Beautiful, too, for many reasons.

I visited Wat Opot on the 1st May till 4th May. Though I stayed there for only 4 days, I really enjoyed it. I wanted to stay longer but we had to go. The kids were lovely,kind,and very welcoming. After meeting them, I've learned to appreciate my life more than I usually do. I miss them a lot. I will always remember the kids and they'll always be in my heart. I love you all. I'm planning to go there again with my friends so see you soon Wat Opot!!

It was for a school study trip when I visited Wat Opot, just recently, May 1st to 4th. Right there and then when I first visited the orphanage, the love surrounds you already by the kids. They're full of energy, and love for the people they don't even know too well. I tend not to be affectionate at first as I hate missing people, eventually I fell for the kids' never ending care and passion for that very short while. Gosh, you won't find these kids anywhere else!
I and some friends will come back one day.

Wayne, you're a hero. People like you deserve an everlasting love.

Visiting Wat Opot childrens orphange during the first week of May 20009 was part of my study tour which i had decided to go on because it would give me community service hours which i needed to graduate, but after being there for the four days i had gone through a great experience. It was an educative experience about AIDS, and it also gave me the chance to see what these kids lives were really like. Apart from their losses and ailments it was really uplifitng to see the children happy playing and running around, and looked healthy that one cant tell just by looking that them. It was really an eye opening experience to the reality of AIDS but at the same time a great experience to get to spend time and play with the children and getting to know some of them.

I visited Wat Opot for 5 days and 4 nights in May 2009. I was there to play with kids to keep them company. Wayne told everyone that the kids know that they will die but looking at the kids faces, it is like nothing to them, they just keep on smiling with joy and live every second of their life.
this trip showed me how to appreciate life and things around us. keep on going, tomorrow will be a better day, just don't give up.
I'll never forget all the joy and smile i had with everyone there =]

I visited Wat Opot during the first week on May, 2009. I was strongly inspired by the courage and hope of the children here. God bless you all.