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I am now back in Siem Reap for just a couple of weeks, this time with George. He will be kept very busy helping to upgrade the computer systems and generally sorting any computer problems out. The welcome at the airport from Lori, Fifi, Alice and Yaya was fantastic. The kids had drawn lovely picture for me and it was hugs and kisses all round from them from the rest of the family, when we arrived at the house.
We arrived here yesterday and got straight into it by going to visit a dormitory where some girls from remote, rural areas are staying in order to go to the High School here in Siem Reap. This place was built, at no small cost, a few years ago by an NGO. There are a couple of classrooms that are very well equipped with furniture. In fact, they have a super abundance of brand new, unused office style chairs. How it was decided that these were necessary is a mystery. There are a further couple of rooms full of very basic bunk beds and a large kitchen with a great number of wood stoves and cupboards that are empty. No cooking pots, no wood to work the stoves, it is literally empty.
This all sounds very well and good but, a couple of months ago, the NGO just upped and left leaving no funding behind to maintain the facility. So, the girls are still there in a fancy building full of superflous office chairs and not even a saucepan for cooking or some food to go in it. Oh,I forgot to say that it surrounded by brothels and not in the best part of town. These are very naive village girls, fending for themselves in the most difficult of circumstances just so that they can complete High School. A Monk from Wat Damnak told Lori about this place. He had been trying to help them as best he could but more help was obviously necessary. Lori is now helping to support these girls. She takes them food every day from a local Khmer restaurant so that can get a decent dinner and also other supplies that they really need. We took some things for them last night, basic things like soap powder, shampoo and body soap etc. She was asking what else they need and one thing is sanitary towels. Just imagine the problems a load of teenage girls have over that one. Lori has also got a volunteer from the PLF giving the girls extra English tuition,this is essential in order for them to be able to complete their education and pass the exams.
Another thing that the NGO left behind, apart from the ridiculous amount of office furniture, is a whole load of computers. George is going to go tomorrow evening and try to sort them all out. I was a bit worried about the protocol of him being allowed in with a load of girls but it will be o.k. because he will be there with a female volunteer Teacher. There are very strict rules about this for decent girls in the conservative Cambodian society. There is a high fence around the building and a locked gate to keep the girls safe but it feels as if they are imprisoned there. There is a little bit of land around the building where they could have a least a little bit of recreational stuff such as a volley ball court or badminton. They could also have a little vegetable garden and grow some food but, until now, there has been noone to help them to do all these things.
This place raised all sorts of questions for me, and baffled George as a first time Cambodian visitor. I wasn't baffled as this country is so full of strange things. But how could an NGO, who invested fairly heavily in this place, just up and leave with no provision in place for it to continue? Why spend so much on totally unnecessary expensive, fancy furniture and yet not equip a kitchen to enable food to actually be cooked in it? How did they just turn their backs on those poor girls and go without any thought for their future welfare? At least now that the Foundation is involved they will be getting looked after and receiving the few basic things that they need.
This morning, Sunday, we were up bright and early to visit the fishing village. On the way we visited a couple of chaps, one English and one American, who are setting up a microlight touring business. Floating over the Temples sounds idyllic if you can conquer the fear. First Lori went up and then George went. They both loved it. I am afraid that I was too scared but they are working on me to try to get me up, we'll see. Pove drove us in his tuktuk and, as usual, looked after us all beautifully. He manages to produce cold water just when you think that you may die of thirst, for example.
The rains are very poor so far this year which is very worrying. Normally the rice is growing well by now but many people have not even planted it yet because it is still too dry. I was expecting the lake to be much higher visiting at this time of year but, it is actually lower than when I left in March. If the rain doesn't get heavier soon this country is in for a humanitarian disaster. Hasn't it suffered enough? At Tchey School, and the village, the wells are running dry it is starting to feel pretty desperate.There was a very heavy downpour last night, we need much more of that to make any difference.
Tonight we are going with the family to the local 'whole cow' literally a whole cow gets cooked and eaten even the bits you don't want to think about. Tomorrow work proper starts. I can't wait. We have been here for less than 24 hrs and already seem to have done and seen lots, George wont know what has hit him soon when the work really begins.
We arrived here yesterday and got straight into it by going to visit a dormitory where some girls from remote, rural areas are staying in order to go to the High School here in Siem Reap. This place was built, at no small cost, a few years ago by an NGO. There are a couple of classrooms that are very well equipped with furniture. In fact, they have a super abundance of brand new, unused office style chairs. How it was decided that these were necessary is a mystery. There are a further couple of rooms full of very basic bunk beds and a large kitchen with a great number of wood stoves and cupboards that are empty. No cooking pots, no wood to work the stoves, it is literally empty.
This all sounds very well and good but, a couple of months ago, the NGO just upped and left leaving no funding behind to maintain the facility. So, the girls are still there in a fancy building full of superflous office chairs and not even a saucepan for cooking or some food to go in it. Oh,I forgot to say that it surrounded by brothels and not in the best part of town. These are very naive village girls, fending for themselves in the most difficult of circumstances just so that they can complete High School. A Monk from Wat Damnak told Lori about this place. He had been trying to help them as best he could but more help was obviously necessary. Lori is now helping to support these girls. She takes them food every day from a local Khmer restaurant so that can get a decent dinner and also other supplies that they really need. We took some things for them last night, basic things like soap powder, shampoo and body soap etc. She was asking what else they need and one thing is sanitary towels. Just imagine the problems a load of teenage girls have over that one. Lori has also got a volunteer from the PLF giving the girls extra English tuition,this is essential in order for them to be able to complete their education and pass the exams.
Another thing that the NGO left behind, apart from the ridiculous amount of office furniture, is a whole load of computers. George is going to go tomorrow evening and try to sort them all out. I was a bit worried about the protocol of him being allowed in with a load of girls but it will be o.k. because he will be there with a female volunteer Teacher. There are very strict rules about this for decent girls in the conservative Cambodian society. There is a high fence around the building and a locked gate to keep the girls safe but it feels as if they are imprisoned there. There is a little bit of land around the building where they could have a least a little bit of recreational stuff such as a volley ball court or badminton. They could also have a little vegetable garden and grow some food but, until now, there has been noone to help them to do all these things.
This place raised all sorts of questions for me, and baffled George as a first time Cambodian visitor. I wasn't baffled as this country is so full of strange things. But how could an NGO, who invested fairly heavily in this place, just up and leave with no provision in place for it to continue? Why spend so much on totally unnecessary expensive, fancy furniture and yet not equip a kitchen to enable food to actually be cooked in it? How did they just turn their backs on those poor girls and go without any thought for their future welfare? At least now that the Foundation is involved they will be getting looked after and receiving the few basic things that they need.
This morning, Sunday, we were up bright and early to visit the fishing village. On the way we visited a couple of chaps, one English and one American, who are setting up a microlight touring business. Floating over the Temples sounds idyllic if you can conquer the fear. First Lori went up and then George went. They both loved it. I am afraid that I was too scared but they are working on me to try to get me up, we'll see. Pove drove us in his tuktuk and, as usual, looked after us all beautifully. He manages to produce cold water just when you think that you may die of thirst, for example.
The rains are very poor so far this year which is very worrying. Normally the rice is growing well by now but many people have not even planted it yet because it is still too dry. I was expecting the lake to be much higher visiting at this time of year but, it is actually lower than when I left in March. If the rain doesn't get heavier soon this country is in for a humanitarian disaster. Hasn't it suffered enough? At Tchey School, and the village, the wells are running dry it is starting to feel pretty desperate.There was a very heavy downpour last night, we need much more of that to make any difference.
Tonight we are going with the family to the local 'whole cow' literally a whole cow gets cooked and eaten even the bits you don't want to think about. Tomorrow work proper starts. I can't wait. We have been here for less than 24 hrs and already seem to have done and seen lots, George wont know what has hit him soon when the work really begins.
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