13.07.2026
The Gift of a Safe Home – Dublin Parish Completes Mission Trip in Cambodia
Everyone deserves a safe place to call home and a team from Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla joined skilled workers with Habitat for Humanity in Cambodia to ensure that aspiration became reality for one family.
The parish has had a partnership with Habitat for Humanity Ireland for some time and two years ago helped build another house in Cambodia.
Fourteen parishioners, including their Rector, the Revd Colin McConaghie, travelled to Cambodia at the beginning of July. Working alongside skilled builders, the team set out to construct a home for Ms Salat, a 63 year old widow, who has been living in a tin shack with eight other family members.
The family greeted the team from Dublin warmly on their arrival. Ms Salat’s daughter Trey was filled with emotion as she spoke of how they thought their mother would never get the opportunity to have a safe home to live in and explained that the team’s efforts had given them great hope for the future.
The team’s mission was to complete a wooden house which is placed on stilts to provide both indoor shelter and outdoor space. Learning new skills of woodwork, stair making and floor laying they quickly saw the house take shape. Rev Colin explained: “We are so privileged to be in this beautiful country having the opportunity to help a family to be able to live in a safe home. At the very heart of Habitat for Humanity is the idea that all of us can build hope by giving a little bit of ourselves to understand the need for safe homes.”
Throughout the week the team learned about Cambodian culture, forged new friendships and developed their skills. They dealt with high temperatures on site, into the high 30’s, broke down the language barrier and took on tasks alien to most of them. As the camaraderie grew, the misunderstandings turned to laughter and fun.
During the week the team made an emotional visit to the house that a number of them had helped to build in 2024. They were warmly welcomed back by the family. They were saddened to learn that the father, Kosal, had died last year but were so heartened that his desire for his family to have a safe place to call home had come true.
The team also got the opportunity to visit the new Habitat Cambodia office where they were welcomed by the National Director Phal Vandy and the entire staff team who give their visitors from Dublin a great insight into the amazing work of Habitat in Cambodia wishing them God’s blessing for their travels and thanks sharing their vision that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
The final afternoon was filled with both tears and laughter as the team and the family shared their experience of the past week. Ms Salat’s daughter Sarath was moved to tears as she thanked the team for giving her family a new home. “Thank you to all of you for coming from your country to build our new home. This means so much to my mother and we wish you happiness and safe travel home,” she said.
Following the ceremony of the lotus flower and cutting of the ribbon, the team presented gifts from Ireland for the family’s new home including a St Brigid’s cross, offering God’s blessing and safety for their house. The team thanked the skilled builders and Habitat volunteer staff for their patience in teaching them and the laughter they shared.
Summing up the mission trip Rev Colin said: “Each one of us feels so blessed to have played a part in helping Ms Salat and her family to have a safe new home where they no longer live in fear of wind and rain. We thank God for the mission of Habitat for Humanity globally and would encourage anyone who is interested to get involved locally in Ireland or internationally. To be able to give a little of ourselves to serve others is truly at the heart of the Gospel.”
