Mention Cambodia to Brad and Ange Wheeler and their hearts melt. Their minds wind back to Christmas 2012 when they took their daughters, aged seven and two, to the Southeast Asian country.

Charity container organisers Brad Wheeler, Tim O'Connor and Courtney Wheeler with some of the goods to be shipped to Cambodia this month. Photo by Tracy Hardy.

They remember living among the poverty-stricken communities, educating children, bringing food parcels for families in need and taking rice and supplies to a rubbish dump the whole village lived on top of, sorting through the waste just to make a living.

'[They were] some of the happiest people I've meet,” says Brad.

He remembers building a toilet for one family, digging and laying bricks for a few days – and the 80-year-old woman who lived in a pole shack, about 2.5 by 2.5 metres, on the river bank with her daughter's family.

'She didn't have long to go and couldn't move,” says Brad.

'That memory was hard for me. In New Zealand we're taken care of in our old age.

'She, however, didn't know any better. She was loved and had faith.”

He remembers his daughter Courtney using the popular hit song ‘Gangnam Style' to overcome the language barrier and communicate with the village children.

'All the girls dissolved into giggles together over and over,” says Brad.

'The desperateness of certain situations combined with the gift of giving was a very emotional and uplifting experience for me and my family – a life-changer and a massively positive experience for my seven-year-old daughter.”

The treasured memories have prompted the couple to bring smiles to the children's faces by seeking the community's help in filling a 20ft shipping container with goods to be shipped to Cambodia's coastal city Sihanoukville in late January.

The idea coincides with their childhood friends and full-time missionaries Ben and Cherie McGonagle's Princess Project – a prevention project getting girls and their families off the streets, into school, jobs and a life out of extreme poverty.

Mount Maunganui surfer Tim O'Connor is riding the wave too, by donating boards gifted by him and fellow surfers. The 25-year-old, three-time NZ junior champion and Under-16 NZ Nationals winner jumped at the opportunity to give Cambodian children a chance to learn to surf.

'Surfing has been a massive part of my life and if we have a chance to share this with some kids in need it's a great opportunity.

'To give them some surfboards seems is a small gesture knowing that it could have big impact of someone's life over there.”

Brad and Ange are encouraging residents to donate children's clothes, educational tools, picture books and un-broken toys.

Donations can be gifted to AllWall Building Products at 90a Maleme St after January 5.