True Heart : Maria Barbosa de Lima ~ Shanty Town Spirit Ermine Norodom Association

Her name is Maira Barbosa de Lima, she is 65 years old, and Brazilian. She is graduated in Accounting, and Bachelor in Theology focused in Anthropology and Social Services.

She is retired now, and before she used to work as a Financial Manager in different companies in São Paulo in Brazil. She worked for many years as a social worker in poor communities with the street’s kids in São Paulo, where she even sheltered 15 of those children.

Until today she keeps in touch with them and some are now married...

She left Brazil in 2008 and went to United Estates to improve her English, she then arrived in Cambodia in January 2009 and has been in there since.

She is a Christian missionary and in the bottom of her heart she truly believes that God guided her where she is now.

She came to Cambodia with the vision to communicate with people, in order to spread the gospel and helping the poor communities to transform they lives.. Firstly she learned khmer language, through this to built the relationship with local people. She focused on the vulnerable children with dysfunctional families in the poor communities.

She connect the children with public schools, provide them all kind of support they could need : financial, counseling, professional training, spiritual guidance etc...

She is helping different NGOs and Poor families from the poorest communities supported by Shanty Town Spirit Ermine Norodom Association, checking the school results, taking them to the dentist, doctor also when needed, visiting the families to get to know their physical and spiritual needs..

Maira organized outdoor events, swimming pool, teaching English and bible studies. A lot of things to carry on, she is doing an amazing job helping everyone with all their difficulties she as a tremendous amount of work and she is so much devoting to help Shanty Town Spirit and the other NGO’s.

One very last project is to transform an acquired room in the Boeung Trabek slum to become an activities place such as teaching all kind of subjects, English, extra classes, Art etc…. after the Covid crisis it is a project to begin.

Maira is a multi task person, she is also teaching English to disabilities children at Light of Mercy NGO.

Maira is doing all that from her heart as a volunteer, she feels so much joy and happiness when she see people and families getting out of the slums, improving their life and having a good job or proper home.

Finally not forgetting to mention that Maira is fostering a little girl : Sothea , for more than 7 years, providing her a proper living and a good education.

Thank you very much Maira for the tremendous work you are doing with us, Shanty Town Spirit and all the other people you are supporting.

God bless you Maira for your kind heart helping everybody and everyone.