Malaysian couple gifts poor Cambodian children with their first framed ‘selfie’

[geovalin]

IT’S a common scenario that we’d encounter when we travel to remote areas that are shackled by poverty – children coming up to you and getting mesmerised by every tiny gadget that we hold.

But a Malaysian couple decided to turn this experience into something more memorable after their trip to Siam Reap, Cambodia last year.

So professional photographers Reuben Teo and Fann Saw kickstarted a special community project called ‘My First Selfie’ for 600 poor Cambodian children.

Rueben Teo (left) and Fann Saw, founders of My Selfie Project community project. — Pic courtesy of Rueben Teo

The idea was simple. They wanted to provide these children– who do not own a self-portrait – an opportunity to own a framed photo of themselves.

For Teo, the shock of imagining someone not owning a picture of themselves was overwhelming.

“It all started when my wife and I were traveling in Siem Reap last year. A Cambodian friend brought us to this remote village for a sunset photography session.

A child holding her self-portrait.— Pic courtesy of Rueben Teo

“The village children came to play with us. Every time we shot a photo of them, they would want to see how it turned out. That’s when I found out that the children there and most poor villages of Siem Reap do not own a photograph of themselves.

“It shocked me because as a photographer, I couldn’t imagine someone not owning a photo of themselves and that disturbed me quite a bit,” said Teo.

He added that his Cambodian friend was once approached by a nun who had asked him a favour to take a photo of her so she could see it.

Boy watching in anticipation as Reuben Teo and wife distributes photos to children in Cambodian village.— Pic courtesy of Rueben Teo

“She told him that she wanted to see a photo of herself before she died. Of course, my friend then developed the photo and gave it to her as a gift.

“That was when I started giving this project some thought,” recalled Teo.

He and his wife then started reaching out to friends and family to crowdfund ‘My First Selfie’

It took them almost 4 months to raise some money and gather the right equipment for this project and almost a week to complete shooting, framing and distributing the pictures couple of weeks ago.

“Even strangers offered to help when they found out about us along the way.”

A child running with his a framed photo and stationery presented by the couple.— Pic courtesy of Rueben Teo

As their project progressed, the couple found it easy to take photographs and frame them but faced challenges when distributing them.

“Since there were so many of them, it was difficult for us to keep track of the children although we had their names recorded. But, we somehow managed to the photos to the respective owners.”

Teo, who wasn’t expecting anything in return, was however left speechless when the children hugged their framed photos as if they were hugging their favourite teddy bears.

Pic courtesy of Rueben Teo

The simple gesture of making someone so happy with their own photographs, in fact, moved him to tears.

The couple also used the fund to purchase snacks, candies and stationeries for the children and 25 water filters that will be able to provide 25 families with clean drinking water for at least 2 years.

Teo added that the completion of ‘My First Selfie’ project is just the beginning and that he and his wife have plans to travel the world and continue doing this project – provided they have sufficient funding – including to remote areas within Malaysia.

source: http://www.therakyatpost.com/life/people-life/2015/09/12/malaysian-couple-gifts-poor-cambodian-children-with-their-first-framed-selfie/