Jan’s Plan is still helping Cambodians after 15 years

IN 2008, Leongatha local, Jan Hewitt was meant to go to Kenya but trouble there led her to Cambodia instead.

During that first trip, Jan’s heart went out to the children living in very basic conditions at the Happy Family Orphanage. 

The children slept on mats on the floor, with all the girls in one big room and all the boys in another. 

“I came back home, and I couldn’t stop thinking about them,” Jan said. 

“So, I started sending boxes of stuff over, toys and books and clothes and shoes.”

Jan began fundraising and returned to Cambodia, carrying supplies and equipment with her to support the children.

“I just felt really sorry for the kids and the lack of opportunity and education,” Jan said.  

Consequently, Jan’s Plan, a registered non-profit organisation was born.

Jan also undertook a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) course so she could teach English to children.

“You can’t just hang around doing nothing much. You’ve got to be doing something as well,” Jan explained. 

“Sometimes you’d have sixty little kids in a class. You’d be teaching the kids in a little bamboo school, just on mats out on the ground.”

Over the years Jan has paid for houses to be built for families, bridges to be built for schools, plumbers to fix wells and pumps and has paid for qualified teachers to teach computer science.

She has visited 18 times, often going twice a year, and has watched as the young children have grown into confident, young adults.

“I’ve supported quite a few through university and different courses, computer studies and hospitality courses, some of them are still at university.  There are still a few teenagers that are nearly finished high school.”

Two of the boys whose university courses Jan’s Plan funded, became tour guides but are now sadly out of work.

“They’ve got families and I’ve been propping up their families with food aid for three years now. Just a couple of hundred every few months. It’s hard going (for them),” said Jan.  

Tourist numbers remain low across the country following COVID, and the recently re-elected government is putting enormous constraints on NGOs, creating extra hardship for people.  

At 73 years old, keeping the charity running is time-consuming and costly, but that doesn’t deter Jan; from selling items online, venturing regularly to markets, selling tickets and holding raffles from locally donated items, to keeping a stall stocked with flowers and plants in Korumburra Makers and Collectors.

As a horticulturist Jan enjoys planting, growing and propagating native plants, seeds and flowers and she has found that these sell well, and it is a great way to raise money for the charity. 

If you’d like to donate, Jan is currently looking for native flowers and proteas that she will happily prune herself. To support the charity, email: janlhewitt@hotmail.com.