Report from Cambodia: And Often, One Stands Out

Posted on December 30th, 2010 by Keith Ferrazzi

I look forward all year to our trip to serve orphanages somewhere in the world.  It has not only become a reflective and spiritual reminder of what's important, but it proves to be a transformational experience. It grounds me and frankly makes me a better leader: More empathetic, authentic, and generous -- key leadership qualities I want to constantly continue to develop and inhabit.

You may enjoy my blogs from last year in Guatemala, and from a brief trip to China, here. I have also made the commitment to bring executives and their families and teams we work with at Ferrazzi Greenlight on future trips.  We are arranging one for Guatemala in the spring in partnership with www.culturalembrace.com, who has arranged all my trips to date.

Having been a voracious "tourist" of leadership off-sites and retreats around the world, I have found no other more powerful accelerator of a team (or family's) relationships (and effectiveness, collaboration, and success) than shared service.  A strong personal commitment to each other is the #1 predictor of high-performance teams.

But these last nights in Cambodia were an important turning point in the evolution and mission of what we have been calling Big Task Service. Big Task (www.BigTask.org) is the foundation that promotes our non-profit work toward a more collaborative and relational world.

At the CDO orphanage in Cambodia I met Ganesh.  In the picture above he is the little boy in the black shirt.  And here he is again, thanking my friends Lisa and Mehmet for their contribution to the orphanage.

Why did he stand out?  Hard to put a finger on it.  His gregarious nature; his impressive attempts at English, perhaps.  Then when I asked the director of the orphanage about him, I was told he was the best student.  The real leader of the group. Even though he's not the oldest, he's the one who makes sure the younger kids are taken care of.

Then I went to ACODO Orphanage and met Ty Pech.  He had a swollen eye from having taken a spill the day before (he'll be fine :)). Again, I was struck by this boy and subsequently learned similar things about him from the orphanage director.

Ty, being silly on the floor

Recalling last year in Guatemala I can say that the same happened at each stop:  A few boys and girls really stood out.

Several years ago, I also met a young man from Nigeria who had been influenced by a copy of Never Eat Alone left by a traveler in his village. Long story short, this young man, with the help of a patron family, found his way from the worst poverty to one of the most prestigeous schools in America and is now at Goldman Sachs.  He has started a foundation to pave the way for other Nigerian kids.

I couldn't help but think back to my own childhood.  My father wanted to assure his son got a good education, but it also helped that a few other important individuals "threw in" on the question of whether I'd ever amount to anything.  I recall the headmaster of my school saying to my father, when my dad told him we'd never be able to afford the tuition, "Mr. Ferrazzi, we're certain that someday Keith will be able to pay us back." And I have.

Anyway, this is the thinking that has lead me to an additional focus of our Big Task Foundation.  As we travel doing Big Task Service Projects, we will be identifying young men and women around the world who just need a small break.  And we will be giving them this break.

It is my dream someday to bring these young people together.  To watch them grow into leaders of their villages and countries, and ultimately, to become global contributors to our mission of an increasingly collaborative and relational world. A world where people help each other as their first impulse.

If you are interested in joining our efforts, come with us to Guatemala (email ksprings at ferrazzigreenlight dot com for info) or contribute online to the Big Task Foundation. I'll personally make sure the money is put into a sustainable project at one of these orphanages, or directly toward one of these exceptional children.  So little means so much to them.  Even $20 will feed them for a month!  Another $20 educates them.... Such a small investment in their future but also a step toward your own personal transformation.  Join us.

Send a trackback!
1 comment // In Leadership, Philanthropy
Bookmark and Share
« Previous Post Next Post »

One Response so far | Have Your Say!

  1. My mom and i visited Cambodia for my 16th birthday. We also stumbled upon CDO and met the most amazing people. You went a while before us i dont know if you stayed in contact but everything is absolutey going great. New wood was donated by my mom and a couple from Norway. If was very difficult to leave Sambo, Thy, Ro, and all the other little guys, im not sure if they were there yet when you arrived. Im so happy i found this! ive been looking for CDO online and its hard to find. i heard they are making a website soon though.

Leave a Reply