Peter Gardiner is a Catholic Priest, from Sydney, NSW, Australia. He has always had an interest in exploring diverse cultures from around the world. In 2000, he spent a three-month sabbatical volunteering in a school for Navajo children in New Mexico, USA. Not long after, he became involved with leading student groups to Vietnam and the Philippines, to help expand young Australians ’ vision. “I wanted them to experience for a short time what these people experience for a lifetime”. They lived with rural families, and also the more impoverished parts of Manila, working and living with these people. Peter was introduced to VBC in 2014 when he was looking to expand his volunteering work with adult volunteers from Australia. “I'm not sure how I met them, but I fell in love with them. “What I liked most about them was their commitment to the people who needed it the most. From a western perspective, I valued the transparency and openness about what they were doing, and how they were doing it.” He has contributed to a small number of builds, together with a number of volunteers from Australia. In 2019, he spent six weeks in the community centre, mostly helping the teachers, but also helping the students with their learning. “It was an amazing experience, really seeing how this all works together, to help these young men and women and give them a brighter future. It was wonderful to experience real Cambodian culture and people, and working close to the wonderful team at VBC and VBCCC was an amazing, positive experience”
Solange is an IT Analyst in Sydney, Australia. She participated in the building of a house early in 2020 and so began a relationship with VBC. Solange began her working life as a teacher and has a heart for coaching and guiding students. Later in 2020 when the pandemic broke out and working from home and video calls became everyday life she was able to flip her teaching background into coaching and guiding some of the teachers at VBCCC.
“My husband and I have always supported struggling communities in various parts of the world and we love the way that VBC engages with their community and makes a real and significant difference. We are also so impressed with the staff who are so committed and enthusiastic about making an impact and with the way that they keep adding new initiatives to the ways in which they serve their community”
Shaun is semi-retired supporting the elderly and widows where they are needing protection from being taken advantage of.
Shaun started out in life as an electrical engineer. He has worked as a manager for a number of international organisations and ultimately became a director and a co-founder of Central Automation and Control in Sydney, Australia. The organisation went on to become a national organisation in Australia supplying high tech electrical goods to industry.
Shaun has a heart for supporting underprivileged communities and enforcing fairness and justice to those that may have been disadvantaged or abused.
He is currently using his practical knowledge, business acumen and experience in supporting communities where needed. He has a desire to restore and replenish equipment and systems while improving the standard and lifestyle of those under privileged, disadvantaged or less fortunate.
For this reason, Shaun has a great level of respect for the work that VBC and VBCCC has done and is doing in the community and admires the high level and standard of tenacity, selflessness and unconditional commitment of VBC and VBCCC.
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