How Sowing Seeds of Hope began....
Sowing Seeds of Hope started following one of our founders, Rohan Samara, going back to his birth country of Vietnam and where his heritage came from being Cambodia.
Rohan and his wife went back to the orphanage where he was adopted from at three months old at the end of the Vietnam War as part of Operation Babylift in 1975.
Rohan learnt about his background whilst looking for his birth parents.........a search that is still continuing.
Over the years, Rohan and his wife Anne have taken groups to help out the poor people of the countries with food parcels, building infrastructure, supporting education and providing food supplies.
Rohan's desire is to raise the awareness of the poverty people are living in and raising money by taking groups on trips making a difference in people's lives.
Rohan's Story
Rohan Samara’s life began in the shadow of war. As a baby, he was evacuated from Vietnam in 1975 during Operation Babylift, a humanitarian mission that rescued thousands of orphaned and displaced children. Severely malnourished and packed into a cardboard box, Rohan was flown to Australia and adopted by a Canberra family. Though he grew up surrounded by love, the mystery of his origins remained a defining part of his identity.
His search for answers led him back to Vietnam decades later, where he visited the orphanage he once lived in and met a nun who remembered him. Through DNA testing and international outreach, Rohan eventually connected with a fourth cousin—another adoptee—marking his first meeting with a blood relative in nearly 50 years. This emotional milestone deepened his commitment to helping others on similar journeys.
Rohan’s personal story has evolved into a mission of service. He founded Sowing Seeds of Hope, a charity that supports vulnerable communities in Vietnam. The organization provides essentials like food, clothing, and medical supplies, and helps reconnect families separated by war through DNA testing and outreach. In 2025, Rohan joined fellow adoptees on a 260-kilometre cycling fundraiser across Vietnam, raising $30,000 and distributing hundreds of care packages to families in need.
Through his work, Rohan bridges past and present—honouring his roots while creating opportunities for others to heal, reconnect, and thrive. His story is one of resilience, compassion, and the enduring power of hope.
