Power shines light on Cambodia

By Kath Gannaway
IT MAY be the biggest “boys’ toy” in Warburton for now, but soon, for 70 orphans in an orphanage in Cambodia, the massive Rolls Royce generator currently undergoing repairs will be a source of life-changing energy.
Locals Terry Palmer and Ted Deed have been working on the generator in a shed behind the old Sanitarium Weet-bix factory for the past month and, they say, it’s all but ready to go.
Terry, caretaker of the factory, and Ted, an engineer with Signs Publishing, spent two weeks volunteering with International Children’s Care at the Light of Hope Village orphanage in Kampong Tohm in Cambodia last year.
ICC is part of the Seventh-day Adventist charity arm.
When a friend building houses in Kampong Tohm asked for a hand, Ted, his wife, Lexie, Terry and East Warburton resident Geoff Bish volunteered their services to do whatever was necessary.
Ted says the experience opened their eyes.
“Once you see how another part of humanity suffers the way they do, it’s not about religion, or what church you belong to, you just want to help.”
Terry said the project had given him an opportunity to help other people in desperate need. Terry said stories of children abandoned by their families because they cannot feed them, and worse, are overwhelming.
“There is a lot of mine damage, rape victims, children who have been shot at, flogged and chased through the jungles … people would not believe it if they read about what these kids have had to go through,” he said.
“They would think you were pumping it up.”
Ted said the response to the generator project has been amazing starting with Illawarra Retirement Village in Bendigo donating the diesel.
“We made an offer to buy it, but once they knew what it was for, they donated it,” he said. They were expecting to pay around $15,000.
Local tradespeople and businesses have also responded generously.
“We have a specialist diesel fitter, Glen Forsyth, who has come on board and is completely checking out the motor and fittings. He has put in a huge effort.
“Just today Woori Auto Parts have come good with all the oils, coolants and rubber hoses we needed. It’s fantastic,” Terry said on Friday.
The only component now needed to enable the project to be installed is 600 metres of 100amp cable – a considerable outlay at round $100 a metre.
Ideally they would like new cable, but would be happy to have second-hand cable. After two months work, the generator is expected to be on its way next week and Ted and Terry will be part of the team going over to help install it, possibly in June.
In the meantime, Terry will be having an auction after Easter of a collection of things he describes as “the folly of a man with too many sheds”.
Proceeds from the auction will pay the way for the volunteers.
For Terry and Ted, the opportunity which came their way, almost by accident, to make a difference to children who have suffered enough, is their good fortune.
“I was given this opportunity to help other people in need and, for me, there is no more obvious way to do it,” Ted said.