I’ve known Mitch for many years. We go back a few decades to our first year of college in Ottawa, Canada. Mitch has a huge personality and we instantly hit it off. Since that time, we have traveled throughout much of North and Latin America, Europe and Asia. Our shared interest in travel, adventure, cultural experiences, and road trips led to a lasting friendship.
Mitch isn’t the typical travel buddy, he’s been in a wheelchair since birth with a severe brittle bone condition known as osteogenesis imperfecta. However, his condition has never stopped him from making the most of his life.
Many years and adventures had passed since our days in Ottawa when Mitch joined us in Cambodia to collaborate on a water well building project with LEAP Cambodia. The initiative aimed at providing rural and disadvantaged villages clean and accessible water.
When I told Mitch about the work we were doing for economically disadvantage families, he was excited to participate in the program during his visit to Siem Reap. The timing worked out well (no pun intended). We had a student group that was undertaking a water well build for their service-learning experience. He was able to join the team and make an important impact on the rural community.
Over the proceeding days, we shoveled, mixed cement, laid bricks, and assembled a pump while learning about water and irrigation. There were no shortage of eager helpers showing up to help the volunteers, offer water, share a laugh and create memorable cultural exchanges for everybody involved. Once the project was completed, this rural community had clean and accessible water for a number of families in the nearby village.
It was an incredible experience having Mitch visit and show everybody that barriers and obstacles can be overcome. These rural areas of Cambodia have almost no wheelchair accessibility, they are often rutted, muddy and a challenge for even the most able bodied, yet this never stopped Mitch from going around and helping out wherever he could. It was inspiring to see so many people offering assistance, lifts and pushes along the way.
There’s still lots of work to be done, adventures to be had, water wells to be dug and villages that need a helping hand as we continue to collaborate with local communities.
A huge thanks to Mitch and everybody who has joined our LEAP Cambodia programs over the years. This kindness, empathy and dedication has helped improve the world one water well at a time. We wish you many adventures ahead on your learning journey.
