Having dealt with years of well-documented corruption and social unrest, Cambodia stands as one of the poorest countries in the world. Access to education, sanitation and nutrition is minimal in many locations, and non-existent for some. Many children begin working at a young age in horrendous conditions, exposing them to many risks, including disease, drug abuse and sexual violence.
That’s where Mendy Field, a SkyWest flight attendant based in Palm Springs, California comes in. For the past seven years, Mendy has organized trips to Cambodia to help children in need. She first learned about the need while working alongside a Cambodian war refugee in Irvine, California for six years. There Mendy heard stories of the extreme poverty many are facing and knew she wanted to do something to help. After a trip to an orphanage in Mexico to deliver supplies, Mendy realized she could make the same deliveries to orphans in Cambodia.
“It’s an adventure and a mission to help children learn and change that country,” said Mendy.
Mendy made her first journey to Cambodia by herself and discovered an orphanage by asking locals at a hotel lobby about where she could find children she could help. Since then her efforts have continued to expand. Recently, she started her own non-profit organization called We See Light. Their mission is to help put an end to sex trafficking through education, building safe houses for children being rescued from brothels, and providing basic necessities like food, clothes and hygiene supplies.
“My goal is to build more safe houses for children who have been rescued from brothels,” said Mendy. “It’s not going to get better unless people go help them.”
This summer, Mendy will be heading back to Cambodia to visit the orphanages and to deliver supplies that she has collected from other SkyWest employees. In fact, so much has been donated that several additional employees will likely join Mendy to help with the deliveries. Their efforts are a great example of what many SkyWest aviation professionals are doing around the world to help those in need.
