Nadia Lim new face of charity

REACHING OUT: Nadia Lim, who is now the Tauranga-based Cambodia Charitable Trust ambassador, met Srey Chen, the child she sponsors. PHOTO/NADIA LIM FACEBOOK

Celebrity chef Nadia Lim is the new face of the Tauranga-based Cambodia Charitable Trust.

The trust was founded by Tauranga lawyer Denise Arnold, after she travelled to Cambodia in 2007 and saw first-hand the suffering of children there.

Now Ms Lim, the charity's new ambassador, is getting her first taste of the country and fulfilling her father's plan to help the underprivileged in Cambodia.

Her father, Ken, had visited Cambodia twice with wife Julie and had a passion for helping the underprivileged escape poverty through education. He had plans to return and spend more time volunteering, but died last August, before he could fulfil his wishes.

"Dad grew up in Malaysia in poor circumstances. His way out of poverty was through education. He understood the importance of an education for any child in a developing country.

"I, too, am a strong believer in the power of education to create opportunities and help individuals reach their potential," she said.

Ms Lim and her mother, Julie, have visited schools and teachers' training colleges. She has also met the girl she has been sponsoring.

"Her name is Srey Chen, she's 10 years old, and she is in primary school in the Kampot province. It was so special to meet her and see first-hand how the trust is making a difference in the lives of the people in her community."

The Cambodia Charitable Trust now supports more than 6000 children, providing bikes, uniforms, stationery, books, toilets, clean water and teacher training. It supports 16 schools and two teacher-training colleges.