JOINING FORCES: Claire and Bertrand’s story
“A family mission that has deeply changed the way we relate to those in need.”
JOINING FORCES: Claire and Bertrand’s story
For the past few months, Claire and Bertrand Servantie have traded Cambodia’s rice fields and the bustling streets of Phnom Penh for the quiet charm of a small rural village in France’s Côte-d’Or region. Returning from three years of volunteering with the Bamboo mission in Asia, the family looks back on an extraordinary adventure at the heart of urban poverty in the Cambodian capital. What began as a daring change of scenery has since become an unforgettable life lesson.
Interview conducted by Antoine BESSON
What led you to take on this mission with Children of the Mekong three years ago?
Claire: Fourteen years ago, when we got married, we wrote a life plan together, outlining the kind of couple and family we wanted to be. From the start, we knew we wanted our family to serve others and step beyond our comfort zone. At the time, though, we had no clear idea of what that would look like in practice. When Grégoire, our third child, turned three, we revisited that plan and realised we might finally have a window of opportunity. That was when we discovered Children of the Mekong and the Bamboo missions.
Did you immediately know you wanted to go to Asia?
Claire: Not at all. At first, we were even thinking of Africa, partly because of the francophone connection. It was really meeting Children of the Mekong that made us consider Asia, even though Bertrand had already spent a few months there.
Bertrand: When I was 20, I spent four months travelling around Southeast Asia, deliberately living with very little. Back then, we aimed to get by on just one dollar a day. I never imagined going back with the children for something similar, but I did want it to be a real family adventure and that is exactly what Children of the Mekong offered. What also reassured us was that the charity has always seen our family situation as a strength.
How did you find things when you first got there?
Claire: The first thing I remember from our arrival is the boys, their eyes wide with wonder, pressed against the bus windows taking us from the airport to our quarantine hotel. For us adults, it was a dive into the unknown, both scary and exciting at the same time.
Bertrand: Arriving in Cambodia was unforgettable, especially in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. We spent two weeks in a fully locked-down hotel. When we finally got to the centre, it was empty, and some staff were working from home. We had to reopen the building and get back into the rhythm of living together. From day one, our focus was on making the centre as welcoming as possible for anyone who needed it.
How did your family change and grow over those three years?
Bertrand: Our family clearly grew, going out as five and returning as six with the birth of Victor. More importantly, we have become a very close-knit family. From the start, we made sure the children understood that it was not just the parents on the mission with them tagging along. They were on a mission too and had their own part to play. That shared purpose really brought us together. On a personal level, I have learned to let myself care more deeply for others. I come from the corporate world where I held management roles. In that environment, the focus is on rational approaches, profits, and margins. People are part of the equation, but they are not always the priority. In Cambodia, on the other hand, I was on a mission serving a programme where people were at the heart of everything. I discovered a completely new way of working, one guided by care and attention. That does not mean we abandoned our skills and experience, but rather that we used them in a different way.
Claire: We did not go abroad just to work. We went on a mission to support a project and the people involved, and that made all the difference. One of the biggest lessons I learned over those three years is that you can be happy anywhere, whatever the circumstances. The Khmer people, more than anyone, really showed me that.
I probably arrived in Cambodia with a lot of preconceptions and mental barriers that kept me from living in the moment or reaching out to others. In Phnom Penh, a city that had not appealed to me at all at first, I discovered the strength of a community, the almost unconditional welcome, and the extraordinary ability of people to adapt anywhere, at any time. The lesson that hit me hardest and stayed with me was humility.
Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Claire: I have always been very sensitive, and when I faced desperate situations, I sometimes felt like giving up. You can imagine that during a three-year mission managing and running a boarding house for students from very poor backgrounds, tragedies were never far away. At first, it made me deeply unhappy to feel so powerless. I remember the brother of a young girl we welcomed to the centre. He was disabled and living in a tiny shack made from scraps, facing a death that seemed inevitable. There was nothing we could do except be there for the family and support them as best we could. We gave him rice to show that, even if his fate seemed sealed, he still mattered to us. To us, he was precious and important. That was when I realised our mission was not to fix every problem we came across, but to be with them, to live alongside the families we were sent to serve.
Bertrand: I have the feeling that in Cambodia, death is more present, especially among children and teenagers. At least, it is certainly more visible. At first, our European mindset tends to resist death, whereas the Khmer people approach it with far more wisdom. Earlier, Claire talked about humility.
A vulnerable young girl had dropped out of school, stopped attending classes, and was working elsewhere. We had to end her sponsorship but continued to support her through our psychological support team and a professional project. Despite all our efforts, it was not enough, and she tragically took her own life. Of course, it affects the whole social work team. You end up thinking that you were not able to meet the depth of her suffering, that maybe you could have done more. But you also have to accept with humility that you cannot fix everything. We are by no means saviours. There are many things beyond our control, especially as French people on a mission in a country with ways and codes that are completely different.
What kept you going through those tough times?
Claire: During those tough times, what kept us going was knowing we were not alone. We had the strength and support of Children of the Mekong behind us. It may sound like a cliché, but the charity really does feel like one big family, with a genuine closeness between those on the ground and the teams in France. We truly felt supported. When things got hard, we could speak openly, and we were always heard. That made all the difference and helped us make it to the end of the mission. I would never have managed alone.
Do the children share the same energy?
Bertrand: Our third son has spent as much time in France as he has in Cambodia. For him, home is Cambodia, and France feels very exotic. That said, I think they have gained a lot of maturity, perspective, and a real simplicity of life from this experience. I remember one day our eldest stopped us while we were talking about the difficulties families face in the neighbourhood and said, “We are not here to change Cambodia! It is the Khmer people who will change their country, if they want to!” Just like that, in a single sentence, he summed up what took us much longer to realise as adults, yet it remained at the heart of our mission.
Claire: Going on this mission as a family has somehow made life simpler and completely changed the way we relate to those in need. Before we left, I felt a mix of embarrassment, fear, and indifference when I saw someone on the street. They simply were not part of my world. The mission broke that barrier. Even if I cannot do much for the person I meet, I can at least be there with them, share a word or a smile, and give a little of my time. Over the past few years, our most treasured memories have been exactly that, simple, real, and authentic moments.
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