After a fantastic building trip with Tabitha Foundation Australia in August with our four children, the decision to return and build with the January team was easy!

Accompanied by our son, Elliot, 11 years (who loves to wield a hammer), I flew into Phnom Penh to meet up with Janne Ritskes, Doug and Jude Quarry and the rest of the enthusiastic group of singles, couples and families from Australia, Canada, Singapore and the United States. It was reassuring to see how well the trip was organised for those new to travel in Cambodia - transfers, hotels, local information etc.

The team met up at Tabitha headquarters for a briefing from Janne and an opportunity to meet Tabitha's fantastic Khmer staff. A brief history lesson and personal stories of the people Janne helps certainly has the team raring to build!

The bus trip to Sihanoukville takes you past the city chaos, as you quickly disappear into the changing landscape of rice paddies, small villages, palm oil plantations and then low-lying mountains. On arrival, there was no tardiness in getting to the beach opposite our hotel and plunging into the sea. This was my incentive to finish building each day!

Three houses a day for three days!

Doug Quarry brought his world-class motivational skills to the bus ride each day, which ensured the team was well prepped. The repeated playing/mantra of Bob Marley's anthem "Don't worry 'bout a thing ... coz every little thing's gonna be alright" assured us we were all in good hands!

Although we built in three different locations - Chong Ou District, Bet Tran and Romdeul Commune - the situations in which the families live are all much the same. Tiny palm-frond huts, patched with plastic bags and cardboard that rain washes through, are homes for up to ten family members. Coupled with a lack of potable water, it is easy to see how these villagers suffer with malnutrition and disease.

Tabitha's premise of working with the poorest of the poor, is really just that. For the families who received houses and wells, it becomes obvious how they can begin to come out of the poverty cycle, which has an ensuing positive effect on the other families around them.

The first three houses built were in Chong Ou District for tribal people. At first shy, they slowly emerged to watch the building process. The children in the team did a brilliant job of nailing the floors, whilst the adults got acquainted with which end is up on the hammer and worked on the walls. I think I provided some amusement in the first hour with my ability to hit my thumb more often than the nail! However, it doesn't take too long to fall into a rhythm, and walls start appearing.

Janne kept the kids motivated and all of us hydrated with regular waterbreaks and a head dousing. Janne's Khmer staff are incredible in their calm and ongoing enthusiasm to teach the team the building process.

The following two days of building in different locations continued well, despite humorous protests of blunt nails, bent nails, dull hammers, blisters and hard wood. Although, when Janne presents each family with their home, the motivation to keep going is easy to find (okay, and the swim at the beach is the incentive to finish a little faster!).

As the final nails went into house number nine in Romdeul Commune, it was amazing to realise over 50 people would benefit from this building trip with their first real home.

For those considering a trip, take the plunge. It is a fantastic way to help and give that bit extra as well as see the amazing progress being made by Tabitha in changing people's lives.

See you all in April! Lisa.