Free Time Project
on Mary In Cambodia (Cambodia), 13/Nov/2010 13:39, 34 days ago
A free-time project.(The views expressed in this blog are the author’s own, and do not reflect those of VSO.)Last July my then colleague Gen and I met up with another volunteer from health, Oly. He told us about the new children’s ward nearing completion at his hospital in Thmar Puok. Soon he would have a solid building, but little else. We agreed sick children deserved better than bare walls and iron bed frames, and as our schools would soon close for 2 months, we could spend some time and energy helping to make it a child friendly place.We made plans before I went home to Ireland for a holiday. Gen got the ball rolling by going up there. She met the director of the local primary school, enlisted the help of the children, bought some paint and held a very successful day painting and repairing old playground equipment, they sourced some old tyres, had a fallen tree sawn into blocks, and with a very small budget had the basics for a children’s playground. While I was at home my friends purchased and posted some sturdy educational toys.Thmar Puok it must be said is a beautiful little village, but it is in a remote area. According to Lonely Planet the road to it is the worst road in Cambodia, and that was written before the terrible floods of October. The village was cut off for several weeks.Finally I got the all clear. Oly assured me the road was open, and so last Saturday morning bright and early I set out with my loyal VA Joe We walked to the shared taxi rank, waited the usual hour, and by 8 AM we were on our way, or were we?We had a tarred road for a mile or so, another mile on a mud track and we came to a halt.A lorry lost a wheel in the mud and was blocking the road. Crowds gathered, traffic piled up, some became impatient and tried to force a way around the obstacle. The police arrived, bushes were cut away, people were moved out of the way, horns were used energetically, buffalo tractors pushed and pulled, and within 40 minutes we skated around the offending truck and continued on our way. Our driver seemed in a hurry and surprisingly we reached our destination before 10 AM. A 30 kilometre journey had taken us three and a half hours.Good going according to Oly, who had the day all planned. We met the school director, and organized a colouring competition, the winning pictures will be laminated to decorate the nursery. The children will be invited to the hospital to have their prizes presented to them. We hope this will help to make it less threatening if they ever need treatment there.The gentleman in charge of the children’s ward came in, even though it was his day off. We presented the toys. He was so delighted he offered to vacate a small staff room to be set up as a play room. He will open it for 4 hours a day, and he will personally speak to parents to impress on them the importance of supervising and respecting the facility, and not stealing the toys. Everything will be marked library fashion.We found a workman, and showed him what was required to finish the playground. Oly had already noticed the equipment was being used as a clothes line, spoken to the director, and we were delighted to find an area sourced and proper lines erected.We pitied a number of adults with little sick children sitting on steps. On a walk-about we found seats that were surplus to requirements. Oly will get permission to move them, and make a shady sitting area just outside the ward, and within view of the playground. We even stopped for a tasty lunch at Oly’s house.We have a few more ideas, a nutrition garden,( the school is willing to help develop this) to supplement the scant hospital rations, some fruit trees, to provide fruit and much needed shade, a load of sand around the swings as a soft landing, that’s another days work. By 3pm we were on the road again seeking a taxi to take us back to Sisophon. Joe stopped a couple returning from their rice field, who agreed to take us for $5. They had their little daughter with them, and were the kindest, gentlest people I have ever met. Luckily I had few Jelly Babies in my bag, which went down a treat, enjoyed as much by the parents as by the child.    The truck was still blocking the road, and after several hours of traffic being pushed and pulled around it, the muck was knee deep, and the buffalo tractors were doing a roaring trade towing cars through. Our poor driver tried to do it alone, telling them quietly he had no money. He looked very embarrassed when they reminded him he had a foreigner in his car, meaning she could pay. After a while they realized he was holding up their profitable business, and towed him out for free. He drove us back to our door, and an extra dollar really put a smile on his face. A day to remember.