The Beginning of the Journey
Hi everyone, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to share how it all started.

For more than 22 years, I have lived, worked, and traveled extensively throughout the most remote regions of Southeast Asia. During those years I met countless families living in extreme poverty. Seeing their daily struggles was often heartbreaking and had a profound impact on me.

Eventually, I reached a point where I knew I had to do something meaningful to help create change.

Growing up in a small country town in Australia gave me a strong love for the outdoors and a practical mindset for solving problems. With a background in business and trade, I believed those skills could be used to make a difference.

So I decided to reach out and offer help in Cambodia.

That was the beginning of what I like to call my “charity apprenticeship.”

Learning the Reality of Aid Work
It was an exciting time to become involved with a charity in Cambodia. I volunteered as a self-funded worker with a non-government organization (NGO).

It was a huge change from my previous life in my seaside home on Australia’s Mornington Peninsula. But in many ways, it was exactly the adventure I needed — one where the goal wasn’t just exploration, but real impact.

Working in rural Cambodia felt like stepping back in time.

I spent my days working alongside local communities on a wide range of projects, including:
• Providing support for families living on garbage dumps
• Food and education programs
• Rural farming initiatives
• Satellite schools and community centres
• Medical clinics
• Playgrounds for children

I loved the work and was eventually appointed project manager, all while continuing to run my own business from afar.

However, after nearly four years, I began to notice serious problems within the organization. Disillusioned by what I saw behind the scenes, I decided to step away.

I had seen the good, the bad, and the ugly side of the charity world.

It was time to rethink how things could be done better.

Creating a Different Kind of Charity
I wanted to build something simple and honest — a charity focused on real results instead of appearances.

That idea eventually became Global Village Housing.

The concept was straightforward:
• Keep things simple
• Build and gift homes to families who need them most
• Work with trusted community leaders
• Focus on grassroots needs
• Create employment for local people
• Reach remote villages that many organizations consider “too far away”

Many of the communities we visit are far from any form of modern infrastructure. There are no coffee shops, no roads, and often no government assistance.

These are places where poverty has trapped families for generations as the rest of the world continues to move forward.

The First Homes
To begin, I used funding from my own company to design and build small, simple homes for families living on garbage dumps.

Before receiving these homes, many families were living in shelters measuring only three by three metres, built entirely from garbage. These makeshift huts had no doors, no windows, and dirt floors. During the rainy season they leaked and flooded.

Not only were these families living on a garbage dump — they were living inside garbage.

The goal was to create homes that were:
• Affordable to build
• Strong and fire-resistant
• Secure and weatherproof
• Easy to transport and assemble
• Relocatable if necessary

One unexpected challenge was convincing families that the homes were truly a gift and not a scam.

For people who had experienced so much hardship, trust was understandably difficult.

Life on a Garbage Dump
To truly understand these families’ lives, you have to imagine what it means to live on a garbage dump.
Many families move there after leaving rural villages in search of opportunity. But survival often means spending 12 hours a day scavenging through waste, collecting recyclables to earn just a couple of dollars.

To protect the homes we provided, we created simple legal agreements with the families and village elders. These agreements prevent the houses from being sold or taken by loan sharks.

This small step has helped protect the homes and families for many years.

Building a Charity on a Shoestring
Over time, the house design continued to evolve, becoming stronger and better suited to Cambodia’s climate.

Originally, houses were built directly in the villages, but this created logistical challenges. Many areas had no electricity, and construction often took longer than necessary.

So I began searching for a small factory to produce prefabricated homes.

At that stage we had built only around ten homes, most funded by me personally. It was a big risk, but I believed we could grow if more people understood the need.

Thankfully, friends helped spread the word. One friend wrote articles about the project in Mornington Life Magazine. Those stories inspired others to get involved.

One young couple who read the article sponsored a home themselves — and wrote their own story about the experience.

From there, the message slowly spread.

715 Homes and Counting
Over the years we have delivered homes in many creative ways.

Some have been:
• Carried across flooded rice fields
• Transported upriver by canoe
• Strapped to the roof of a Land Rover
• Pulled by buffalo carts

Now in 2026, we are preparing to build and gift our 715th home.

Despite this progress, we are still working from the same small factory — about 8 by 15 metres — and using the same old truck capable of carrying two flat-packed houses at a time.

To avoid corrupt roadblocks and fines, the truck often leaves at 3:00 a.m., travelling six to nine hours to reach remote villages.

The journey can be difficult. Many villages have no roads, only rough tracks, and during the rainy season the land can become completely flooded.

But once we arrive, something incredible always happens.

The village community comes together to help build the home.

Even though poverty is widespread, there is never jealousy. Instead, people say things like:

“We are so happy that family is getting a home. Their situation is very difficult.”

That spirit of generosity and community is deeply humbling.

Building a Home in One Day
Once everything arrives on site, construction usually takes four to five hours.

The prefabricated kit includes:
• Four wall panels
• Two roof panels
• A floor section
• A staircase

Concrete footings are poured, the panels are assembled, and the roof is installed.
The house also includes:
• Rainwater collection system
• Solar power system
• Concrete living area beneath the house
• Roll-up sunshades
• Insulated sleeping area
• Lockable door and shutter windows
• LED lighting and USB charging ports

Where funding allows, we also include a simple toilet and bathroom.

More Than Just Housing
While housing remains our primary focus, Global Village Housing has also helped communities by building:
• Village schools
• Clean water wells
• Toilet blocks
• Bicycles for families to travel to school or work
• Medical aid programs

Keeping Donations Where They Matter
One of the biggest problems in many charities is high administrative costs.

From the beginning, I have chosen to cover administrative expenses myself using profits from my motorcycle tour company.

This ensures that 100% of public donations go directly into building homes.

Almost all of our staff are local people, and we make sure they are well paid so their families can enjoy a better quality of life.

Our team also keeps watch for wildlife trafficking, which remains a serious issue across Southeast Asia.

Join the Journey
The greatest reward from this work has been meeting incredible people who share the same passion for helping others.
Together we have created something meaningful — something that genuinely changes lives.

If you would like to get involved or support our mission, we would love to hear from you.

Together, we can continue building homes, strengthening communities, and creating a future worth remembering.