Bags collected for Cambodia through Bags of Hope

Leah Anderson, Sue Cleave, in front, both from the Office of Schools, Wayne Hill, the first education department staff member to make a donation and organiser Maruschka Loupis.


IMAGINE walking a long way to school on a hot day and having to carry your water bottle, lunch and books in your arms.

Most schoolchildren in Cambodia don’t have a school bag, some of the lucky ones have an old bag tied together with string, Maruschka Loupis said.

Two years ago Ms Loupis and her husband George travelled to South East Asia and last year on their second visit to Cambodia, Ms Loupis decided she needed to do something about the lack of school bags.

“I work for the education department and have children of my own, and I thought, surely we must be able to contribute,” Ms Loupis said.

Through the charity organisation Bags Of Hope, more than 5200 school bags have been collected for distribution to Cambodia. “Now we need stuff to go in the bags, like pencils and exercise books,” Ms Loupis said.

The bags will be shipped to arrive before the start of the Cambodian school year in March.

Any individuals or organisations wanting to contribute bags, books or school supplies, contact Ms Loupis on 0425 367 52.