This fearless woman bought an island for $15,000 and helped hundreds of local people

Melita Kolmandas Hunter got a chance to live out her dream. From a humble Australian housewife, she turned into a co-owner of Song Saa, ...

Melita Kolmandas Hunter got a chance to live out her dream. From a humble Australian housewife, she turned into a co-owner of Song Saa, a stunning private island resort in Cambodia.

This woman’s story has once again proved to us that if you really want something, the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

It all started back in 2005, when Melita’s husband, Rory, was invited to work in Cambodia. Naturally, she followed him on this big adventure. They were planning to stay in South Asia for a year and then move to New York.

 But after spending some time in Cambodia, they decided to stay. It’s been 16 years now, and they still love it here. Moreover, Melita managed to buy a deserted local island for $15,000 and turned it into a chic resort.

 It took 2.5 years, hundreds of people, and a whole lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but they eventually designed and built their dream. Today the heavenly place called Song Saa Resort features 27 intimate villas, a Cambodian restaurant, a bar, spa, and, of course, the amazing scenery.

The resort can be reached by boat from Cambodia’s port of Sihanoukville in less than an hour. Those coming from other cities can take a helicopter straight to the Song Saa beaches.

All homes on the island are made of sustainable materials — driftwood, wood from old boats, scrap metal, and stone.
The locals welcomed the Australians and their ambitious plans. Cambodia was still in the process of picking up the pieces after the war, and work was scarce. Naturally, by organising such a huge enterprise, the couple provided work for a lot of Cambodians.

 Aside from tackling ecological issues, Melita and Rory are also working on helping local communities toward sustainable livelihoods, supporting village rejuvenation, and cleaning up neighboring islands.

Everyone who comes to the island helps out with charity work: the proceeds from three guests every month go to Song Saa Foundation. Thanks to Melita’s efforts, the Cambodia’s first coral reef conservation reserve was created, that increased the reef twice in size already. There’s also the foundation’s annual collaboration with a medical outreach mission and countless plans for so much more.

Source: http://brightside.me/