'The House of Tara' ABC Australian Story

17/03/2014
Tara Winkler was just 19 when she set off on the trip to Cambodia that would change her life.
After coming across an orphanage where funds were embezzled and young girls sexually abused, she set up her own orphanage in the city of Battambang in 2007.
Seven years later, the organisation she created is no longer an orphanage but a community development organisation offering help to poor families and more than 100 children each day.
Tara Winkler is no longer 'mum' to the kids. But in the four years since she was first profiled on Australian Story, she has faced dramas in her professional and personal life that nobody could have predicted.
The story is introduced by fashion designer Jodhi Meares, a supporter of Tara Winkler's Cambodian Children's Trust.
www.cambodianchildrenstrust.org

[@melissamartinez-hernandez8600]

This was just beyond inspirational and just so touching. I wish I could be as you were Tara. You helped change the direction of these children's lives and have made such an improvement from when you first had a vision to improve their well being. There are not many people like you and I wish there were. I wish you and your organization the best of luck. I pray you keep changing the lives of these young ones for the better.

[@ForRiel]

Thank you Tara and CCT for your ongoing work reuniting children with their families.

[@cookie46631]

A courageous Australian - thank you for all you are doing Tara-

[@tinaturner134]

This young lady story is interesting and inspirational too

[@randomvintagefilm273]

Tara is amazing, a different breed set apart from most

[@cookie46631]

love you too Tara - keep up the good work - many children need a fresh beginning and need to feel someone cares enough. Your family too are pretty special - so glad they are behind you and help you to succeed. I saw the first ABC Australian story and never forgot you & the children. I am so happy to see this follow up and see how happy the children are. It is just sad that in a bountiful world too many do not have enough; that there is poverty & cruelty & perversion & exploitation of our innocent, vulnerably little ones. Please don't tire of the doing what is fine, loving & generous of you & all the team. Love the work you do. Thank you Tara & ABC keep us informed please..

[@barcrusher]

Simply made me cry.Tara your such a beautiful sole.

[@teresitacallard5320]

What a wonderful woman Tara is!! and so her whole family as well!! God bless you and and your family.

[@amyradevinta4489]

what a beautiful beautiful soul❤ We love you Tara!

[@BellaWorldAni]

THIS inspired me beyond words. Thank you, AS, for this incredible piece, and thank you to Tara & her fabulous family & all the volunteers & staff & donors that make CCT possible. WOW!

[@neatznotso7424]

Even though things are slowly changing there are still tourists who go to Cambodia and volunteer in random orphanages or even visit them for a day or two, with the internet and such easy access to information there is no excuse for this anymore at all! It's pretty irrelevant whether someone has good intentions or not when the damage done is just the same. Orphanage tourism is so damaging to those kids, and results in more and more dodgy orphanages existing which in turn results in more and more innocent children being used and abused. Cambodia cannot afford to have another generation growing up traumatised. There are some great organisations our there supporting families so they don't feel they need to give their kids to orphanages and putting systems in place where kids ending up in orphanages is rare, such as supporting foster carers if it's not possible to place children back with their families. Which is the main reason why this story is so important, it's so good to see this change being reflected, especially by an Australian considering how many dodgy organisations are run by expats. It's just sad that in 2019 the same mistakes are being made by well intentioned tourists that have been made for years, it never hurts to tell anyone you know travelling to poor countries to do some research before they leave.

[@cheetoesgal5229]

What a remarkable, inspiring young woman Tara is. To me, this epitomizes TRUE social justice. Tara, you rock!! So do your family and dedicated staff!

[@jannalli7]

Wow...what a wonderful story and woman !! =)

[@melmazing3993]

Wow, pretty extraordinary story, and inspired young lady. Amazing.

[@cdd4248]

The more of 'Australian Stories' I see, the more I admire Australians - they appear to take a great deal of pride taking care of their own and then, ultimately of others-

[@thereseward7852]

Noble is another dvd comes to mind when I saw this remarkable story about Tara who sees people who need help and steps up and little by little does what she can to reach out and lift them out of horrific circumstances to a better life. This reminds us that we can all make a difference. There are people around us that need our help. Little by little we can make a difference we just need to take action

[@rubytuesday5412]

Love you too Tara! There's not much i can say that has'nt already been said except I'd love to know how things are going for CCT now in 2019. It would be wonderful to have an update. Bless your heart Tara, you are a true inspiration.

[@gregmayoaussie]

What a wonderful young women, we need more like her.

[@Tillysnow1]

What an amazing woman :) I wish I had seen this before I visited Cambodia and ate at Jaan Bai!

[@iCarilloninChrist]

@CambodiaCCT … *_Outstanding !!!_*

[@Jomary1000]

Great story but the subtitles underneath are crazy. Let me do it next time.

[@tresaholmes430]

Amazing lady x

[@tarareed3394]

Are there any updates to this story?

[@birdyelke775]

Great initiative, yet in Downunder the natives are put aside in total depravity, withdrawn from their cultures and all their costumes, but yet many people will go in other countries and save them. doesn't we said charity start at home?

[@newgabe09]

Yes there has been a bad history of institutionalising indigenous kids in Australia. That's one reason we know how dangerous the generational effects are, how damaging it is to families. We see the results. Here is Tara Winkler talking about exactly that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKuTlHSgjbuYpsk