Mother and son set up links with Cambodia

Sunday 5th April 2009

Craven Herald & Pioneer

A link is being forged between Ingleborough and children in Cambodia.

The assistant district commissioner for Cubs and Beaver Scouts in Ingleborough district, Jane Reas, and her son, Tom, have spent six weeks in the country on voluntary work, including teaching English to poor children.

On the way to Siem Reap, in Cambodia, Mrs Reas’s bulging suitcase contained a supply of donated Ingleborough Scout pens and a Beaver Scout mascot called Brian.

“Tom was at first involved with the renovation and restoration of a derelict traditional Khmer house that would eventually be used as a school and orphanage,” said Mrs Reas.

Meanwhile, she was working for ConCERT (Connecting Communities, Environment and Responsible Tourism), a new non-governmental organisation aiming to reduce poverty by bringing together organisations and visitors.

“Michael Horton, the Ingleton-born founder and director of ConCERT, argues that although tourism is bringing real benefits to the people of Siem Reap – creating jobs and improving the infrastructure – responsible tourism has the capacity to do much more,” said Mrs Reas.

“Tom and I have been so touched by Cambodia, the people and particularly the children, that we plan to return later in the year. I particularly hope to use my Scouting experience to help train and support local adult leaders and encourage young people to become involved in Scouting.”

Back in Ingleborough, she also hopes to establish links with Scouting in Siem Reap.

Settle and Ingleton Beavers, for example, held a Cambodian evening before the pair left on their travels. They tried writing Cambodian script, learned to count to five in Khmer and tasted typical Cambodian dishes prepared by Mrs Reas and Tom.

“Links will provide the opportunity for children to learn about their counterparts in other communities and the chance to be involved in fundraising activities,” she said.

They went on the trip partly because Mrs Reas had won a Frank Stell Scholarship, which supports Yorkshire students studying for a master’s degree in social research at Leeds University.

She had started university at the age of 48 and gained a first-class degree in childhood, education and culture in 2007. She graduated with a distinction for her master’s degree and won the School of Sociology and Social Policy’s award for excellence in December 2008.

“My research interest, the relationship between direct or impact philanthropy and children’s best interests, has very real meaning in a country like Cambodia, that relies heavily on foreign volunteers to teach English to its young students,” she said.