Hope Village, run by Operation Hope Foundation in Singapore, had urgent need for a basketball court to serve as a safe and therapeutic playing ground for the children of the orphanage. Cambodia was a war-torn country that saw the creation of hordes of orphans when their parents were killed in hostilities. Poor hygiene, medical conditions and a worrying Aids problem also contributed to children losing their parents at an early age and living in abject poverty. The orphanage extends a lifeline and opportunity to these children in terms of food, lodging and education, and as importantly, psychological well-being.

With the basketball court, the children are able to participate in outdoor activities and play in a safe and well-maintained area within the orphanage compound, rather than at abandoned schools or empty fields that are lacking in safety with threat of injuries and cuts from debris strewn on the ground. The basketball court also serves as a gathering place for the community around Hope Village, so that these children remain integrated and accepted by the community they live in.

Challenged out of their comfort zone, the volunteers experienced hard labour first-hand. Transporting sand, gravel and cement for the construction of the basketball court, and coping with the poor hygiene conditions and simple food at the site were some of the adjustments that they had to make, out of affluent and comfortable Singapore. But it was hard work well worth it when we now see the children playing safely and happily on the basketball court, stepping on concrete mixed with our sweat and love.

~ Voice of Marilyn Sim, Designer for the Project RCHD

In May and June 2005, we together with several friends volunteered our time over several weekends to paint the rooms. For a start, we took on three rooms on the third floor which housed the female residents and the therapy room on the ground floor. I was appointed to take care of the color scheme, the purchase of logistic items and the necessary decoration needed for each room.

I came up with two-tone color scheme to combat the high ceiling and stark white walls. For the ladies’ rooms, I opted for a combination of raspberry and orchid pink complete with beautiful floral wall-paper murals found at Spotlight.

For the Therapy Room, a marine theme was applied to complement the existing hand painted murals on the exterior wall complete with matching dolphin-motifs day curtains.

We called this the first phase, as after resting for a couple of months, in the following year, we decided to complete the rest of the rooms which is on the first and second floor. The first floor housed the children residents and the second floor housed the male residents. The children’s rooms were given a splash of yellow and orange color with teddy bear wall- paper murals while the men’s rooms got a dash of aqua-blue and cool-blue with marine theme wall-paper murals.

Every week, we tried to get different group of friends to help. The work was not as easy as it seems because the old paints were peeling off and we had to scrap off the paints first before the new coat of white paint can go up, followed by the colored. It was additional work that demanded more arm power and the dust that we have to bear with. After painting, came the unavoidable washing and cleaning up. However, we had fun amidst all the inconvenience.

Over the few months in these two years, we were proud to complete the whole painting project and make new friends and also to learnt about the life of our fellow citizens who were disabled not by choice and who require the constant care of our highly commendable nurses, social workers and volunteers.

In these two years that we were there, we also volunteered as drivers to bring some of the residents out for trips and we also had barbecue sessions at the Home to celebrate together with the nurses and workers there.

I am glad to be part of this project, being able to contribute whatever I can to make their living environment a better place not only for them, but also their family members and those working there. I believed all of us who had taken time to help have benefited as well. Thank you, friends!