Give the gift of communication on my birthday!

I believe birthdays are a great time to reflect on where you are and where you come from; we are all the product of generations of experiences, the sum of which is much more than our own individual lives.
 

For me, my story begins with my great grandparents, getting on a boat from China to Malaysia for a better life. It continues with my grandfather being held captive during the Second World War to protect those around him, and then with my own parents sacrificing an easier life in Malaysia to move to Australia for their children to live a better life. Our family has endured so much to give their children, and their children’s children, a chance at a good life. And growing up in Australia, a country where education and health systems are excellent, I was always aware of this privilege. When you get generations of pain, injustice and sacrifice, combined with extreme privilege, you get OIC: The Cambodia Project.

OIC was born out of a chance meeting with Ling (pictured below), a 10 year old boy who no one ever thought could go to school. Due to his inability to speak clearly, people assumed he was not intelligent enough to participate. But I have seen through my own eyes how basic speech therapy transformed Ling and those around him. Through months of hard work, he was able to improve his speech bit by bit, word by word. At the age of 12, Ling started going to school for the first time. Now, he's not just participating, he's excelling. 

The work we did with Ling two years ago taught me that through speech therapy, a child's life can be changed. To know that even one child has gone to school through our work is enough. And yet, in Cambodia, there is not one single Cambodian speech therapist. We know that there are hundreds and thousands of other children like Ling out there who need it.

OIC aims is to establish speech therapy as a universally accessible locally led profession in Cambodia. It’s worth pausing for just a moment to think about the meaning of those words. Universally accessible - everyone who needs it can receive it. Locally led - led by Cambodian government. Our aim is to establish speech therapy in Cambodia and then get out. We have planned our exit strategy from day one.

To get this far, is in itself something of a small miracle. We have taken an issue that affects one in 25 people, that none of the big institutions, like the United Nations, have focussed on in Cambodia before. I have learnt, over the past three years, that it takes individuals like us, small groups of people who believe in creating significant change, to make incredible things happen.

And so, on my 34th birthday, I'm hoping to raise $5,000 to make the dream of getting speech therapy to every child like Ling in Cambodia even more possible. It's an extremely ambitious goal. But we're going to get it done, with your help.

To sweeten the deal:

• For every donation over $100, I will go 20 minutes without talking to show support for those who cannot. 

• For every donation over $300, you will receive a personalised video of me lip syncing to a cheesy love song of your choice. 

Donations made through this platform are secure, tax deductible if you are in the US, UK and Australia, and funds that go to OIC will be entirely spent in Cambodia.
 

Please give generously, and thanks so much for your support!

To read more about how OIC began, why this is something that we should all care about, and finally what we have started, and how you can be part of this journey please follow this link: http://oiccambodia.org/stories/speech-therapy-at-sas-global/