Yesterday was one of those days that stay in my mind for quite some time. Yesterday I met with 32 families who are in their first and second savings cycles. What made the visit so memorable was the act of stepping back to those difficult years when we began Tabitha.

Getting to the project area was a test in patience – unlike before – traffic has increased a hundred fold and just getting out of the city is a test of its own. Travelling to the community we bounced down a bumpy path until we were confronted by a flood of water. No motorbikes, no cars could enter – just taking off our shoes and walking through thigh high water, stubbing our toes on hidden rocks, sliding uncontrollably in glutinous mud.

The houses of our families were steeped in water – surrounded by it, infiltrated by it. We found an island of dry ground and watched as the families gathered – their own struggles walking and carrying children. Their legs were covered by sores and for a fleeting moment I thought of myself – would my legs bear the scars of our visit?

The reason for insisting that I come and see was the number of children who had joined the savings program. I met 6 year old Samphors proudly carrying her book. She was saving for school supplies – pencils and a book. Then 3 siblings – 15 year old Many, 13 year old Magan and 12 year old Narang – showed me their books. All for school supplies except for Magan who wanted a school bag as well. She was proud of her dream. I asked the youngsters how they raised their money. Many stood tall – we harvest morning glory that grows wild and then we sell it at the market. Or we help a farmer to plant or weed their rice and we get paid a few riels which we put into savings for school.

The parents and grandparents stood by as the children talked. They had their own savings book – one mother was saving to buy rice, several were saving to buy cooking pots - one elder had already achieved that dream and so the others wanted the same.

None of the families owned the land they lived on for the past 25 years – they lived with uncertainty, they lived without hope. Tabitha was the first and only NGO who had come to hear their story. They were fearful of losing what little they had – fearful of no future. Savings changed that fear – as the old man said – we never planned before and so we have nothing – now it is time for us to change – to plan and to start living for the future.

60 families have joined in this savings program – 60 families beginning the long journey out of uncertainty and fear – dreaming of possibilities – small things like a school pencil and a cooking pot – maybe one day a chicken or a pig.  They stood proud as we took their picture – holding their books high – hope in their hearts. It was the children who touched me most – living in water thigh high – scrounging the fields were wild food grew – harvesting and selling and saving their few pennies for a chance to go to school. It was the parents who touched me as they encouraged their children to save – life was not easy and food sometimes hard to come by.

Yesterday was a memorable day – a day of hope amongst despair. Each of you have stood with so many families over the years – I thank my God for that gift. But the work is not yet done – there are 13,000 families walking the path of hope and dreams. There are more waiting for us to come and stand with them. I thank my God for the privilege of my life – I thank Him for each of you who walk the path with us. How good that is!