Fiona Donato and Trish Doyle, a school teacher and small business owner in Dover, Tasmania, never imagined they would become major philanthropists.
Despite not having expendable income or family trusts and never winning the lottery, Fiona and Trish have donated over $ 230,000 to CCT. Even more inspiring, these two best friends have achieved this remarkable feat while also saving tons of goods from landfill.
Fiona and Trish first visited CCT in 2008 as part of a school fundraising trip. It was Fiona’s first time leaving Australia, and neither had ever been to a developing country. Shocked by the poverty they saw and moved by the plight of the CCT kids and families, they were compelled to do more to help.
“We had never seen such poverty. You hear about it and read about it, but just to experience it first-hand, it was such a shock,” says Trish.
One of Fiona Donato and Trish Doyle first visits to CCT in Battambang, Cambodia
Their fundraising journey began with garage sales and turned into their very own informal op shop, called Juey Bazaar. Juey means ‘help’ in Khmer. Soon, their local community chipped in, donating bags of unwanted clothes. “We’re doing a double service, really,” says Fiona. “We’re providing cheap clothing for people who are doing it tough in Tassie, but then the money that we’re raising is helping the kids and families at CCT.”
They call themselves “CCT’s fairy godmothers,” and for good reason. They have visited Cambodia five times since 2008 to see firsthand the impact of their support.
Their contributions have been instrumental in the evolution of CCT over the years from an orphanage to the Village Hive, which is now the official model of social protection for the entire nation.
Over the years, they’ve been asked why they’ve dedicated so many years of their lives to supporting CCT. “A few people have said, ‘What are you helping Cambodia for? There’s people in Australia that need help,’ but we choose to do this because we know that CCT is doing amazing things,” says Fiona. “We know that the money goes a long way. There is not a big CEO sitting behind a desk in some flash office with a 4WD… like lots of other charities.”
Trish Doyle (left), Fiona Donato (middle) and CCT’s co-founder, Tara Winkler (right)
Trish and Fiona believe that anyone can make a difference, no matter how small. “If everyone did just a little bit, it makes a big difference,” Trish says. They point out that they are only selling things that people don’t want anymore, and that they are keeping these items out of landfill.
Trish and Fiona’s message is an important one. If we all do our part, we can make the world a better place.
Juey Bazaar op shop is located in Dover, Tasmania.
Check out Juey Bazaar on Facebook here.