I'v been home for nearly a month now and whilst it is lovely to see all of my family again Cambodia is still very much in my thoughts. The saying that travel changes you is overused. All of life's experiences change you in some way. Life is an evolution and everything plays it's part. I have travelled to many places and seen wonderful things and all my travels have shaped me to different degrees but nowhere comes close to affecting me the way that Cambodia has. I am busy sorting out another visit, hopefully before setting off on our drive from Peking to Paris. I will also visit again for a longer time next winter. The problems that Cambodia has are very complex and change will be very slow. But, the only hope for the country to function and progress normally, is to educate all of the children to give them a chance in life.
My part in all that is just a grain of sand but I am determined to do all that I can. Poor, poor Cambodia, abused for so long by so many people. Now, it is the corruption that is so endemic that is a huge problem. If all the aid money given to Cambodia actually went into helping the poorest instead of lining pockets then the country would be in a better shape. The resilience of the Khmer people is staggering. Everyone over the age of 30 will have direct experience of the Khmer Rouge. Everyone under the age of 30 will be affected just because they were born Cambodian. Their parent's will have been traumatised by all that happened. Mental instability is a huge problem and, yet, there is no treatment available anywhere for mental health difficulties. 50% of the population is school age or younger creating massive problems for an education system that was destroyed by the genocide. There is a huge shortage of older people to mentor and teach. In all my time there I never stopped being surprised when I saw an old man. There are a few more old women, but not many. Then. when I did see one, I always wondered if they were victim or perpetrator. There is no one alive in Cambodia who is not still affected by the thirty years of war, genocide and occupation. All bear the scars. All are victims.
The joyfulness of people who have nothing is deeply moving. The children in the schools that I was involved with have nothing. Not enough to eat, no access to clean water, filthy clothes and no shoes. They are often treated like slaves by their parents and have no material possessions. I loved their exuberance and determination to learn. I loved their quiet trusting in me and huge smiles and joyfulness whenever the tuk tuk turned into the school yard; their attentive behaviour in class and the speed with which they grasped things. I loved the way they fell about laughing at my attempts at Khmer, which only highlighted, as I wanted it to, how fantastically they were doing with their English lessons. I was humbled by the way they learned to trust me to wash them and show me their wounds. I enjoyed immensely being able to make them laugh and to get them dancing to silly songs. I admired the way they overcame their fears and that I was trusted to take them into Siem Reap, a town they had never been to, to take them to the hospital. A terrifying experience for them. I feel very protective of them and cannot wait to see them all again.
Cambodia is in my heart now and I know that I will never be able to completely leave it. The work that Ponheary and her family and Lori do is simply stunning. Everything is put into the work of the Foundation. No money is wasted. Ponheary feels a great responsibility for all the children in the Foundation's care. 2200 children is quite a tally. Ponheary and Lori only worry about how many more children need help that are still denied it. They are both determined to do more and I want to support them in that in any way that I can.
My part in all that is just a grain of sand but I am determined to do all that I can. Poor, poor Cambodia, abused for so long by so many people. Now, it is the corruption that is so endemic that is a huge problem. If all the aid money given to Cambodia actually went into helping the poorest instead of lining pockets then the country would be in a better shape. The resilience of the Khmer people is staggering. Everyone over the age of 30 will have direct experience of the Khmer Rouge. Everyone under the age of 30 will be affected just because they were born Cambodian. Their parent's will have been traumatised by all that happened. Mental instability is a huge problem and, yet, there is no treatment available anywhere for mental health difficulties. 50% of the population is school age or younger creating massive problems for an education system that was destroyed by the genocide. There is a huge shortage of older people to mentor and teach. In all my time there I never stopped being surprised when I saw an old man. There are a few more old women, but not many. Then. when I did see one, I always wondered if they were victim or perpetrator. There is no one alive in Cambodia who is not still affected by the thirty years of war, genocide and occupation. All bear the scars. All are victims.
The joyfulness of people who have nothing is deeply moving. The children in the schools that I was involved with have nothing. Not enough to eat, no access to clean water, filthy clothes and no shoes. They are often treated like slaves by their parents and have no material possessions. I loved their exuberance and determination to learn. I loved their quiet trusting in me and huge smiles and joyfulness whenever the tuk tuk turned into the school yard; their attentive behaviour in class and the speed with which they grasped things. I loved the way they fell about laughing at my attempts at Khmer, which only highlighted, as I wanted it to, how fantastically they were doing with their English lessons. I was humbled by the way they learned to trust me to wash them and show me their wounds. I enjoyed immensely being able to make them laugh and to get them dancing to silly songs. I admired the way they overcame their fears and that I was trusted to take them into Siem Reap, a town they had never been to, to take them to the hospital. A terrifying experience for them. I feel very protective of them and cannot wait to see them all again.
Cambodia is in my heart now and I know that I will never be able to completely leave it. The work that Ponheary and her family and Lori do is simply stunning. Everything is put into the work of the Foundation. No money is wasted. Ponheary feels a great responsibility for all the children in the Foundation's care. 2200 children is quite a tally. Ponheary and Lori only worry about how many more children need help that are still denied it. They are both determined to do more and I want to support them in that in any way that I can.
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