Challenging times in Samrong.
on Carol and Geoff in Cambodia (Cambodia), 19/Sep/2010 06:57, 34 days ago
Hi EveryoneIts a hot, green but cloudy Sunday here and I've just got back from a bike ride around the lake, bird watching. Now that its raining hard every day there aren't so many, but I've seen a white bellied stork for the 1st time, a kingfisher and the usual purple headed swamp hens. The pink lotus flowers are in full bloom, the lush vegetation covers a lot of litter and there are lots of dragon flies, so it looks very pretty. I've started to meet a couple of kids, a boy and a girl, who look about 8 but will be older, as most of the kids here have stunted growth, who scour the laleside for cans and plastic water bottles. They are dirty, shabbily dressed and barefoot but full of smiles and talk a little. They have their place in society, contributing to their family's income, child exploitation I would have said in our early days here, but I'm not so sure now. Children sell from market stalls, help in the rice field, wash clothes and take care of younger siblings, all with seemingly very little supervision.They ride full size bikes, often with a toddler on the back. I've never seen children begging in Samrong, unlike in the bigger towns. The schools will be starting again soon. Most go to school for at least part of the day but 50% drop out at the end of primary school, more girls than boys as those living in rural areas need to travel into town to secondary school. The boys can stay for free with the monks at the Pagoda, some become monks for the period of their schooling, but there is nowhere free for girls to stay, unless they have relatives to help out.I'm home today to Kymer romantic pop ballards blaring out from out landlords son's phone shop. They start at 6am ! I've spent the day reading - Zoe Heller's 'The Believers' is unput downable,and later I'll make a Kymer pork, coconut and pineapple curry for Geoff's homecoming. Its so easy to make delicious food here. Yesterday I bought fresh lemon grass, pineapple, cocunut, tumeric as a root, aubergines, shallots and local herbs at our local market for about $4. Geoff's been in S Reap and P Penh for 2 wks as tour guide with Barbara , a friend from his quiz team in Oldham.It will be good to have him back, though I haven't been alone all that time as I was in PPenh with Vatnak talking to the new group of volunteers again about how to get the best out of working with a volunteer assistant. It's always good to meet new folk. Helps me to appreciate how much I've learned and changed! One of the group was Kath, a midwife/manager from Holmfirth, a friend of Chris, my friend in Huddersfield!It feels as if we are now on the homeward straights. I've completed most of my activities for the organisation -now helping staff to write decent CV's/ letters of job application. Also supporting the project manager at lots of long, sometimes boring meetings, with our donors,to plan activities and budgets for our new programmes. Its really hard for Cambodians, as everything has to be written in English and senior staff even, find it difficult to think creatively and plan for the longer term.I'm new to spread sheets and log frames but theres lots of help around and as VSO says its all about sharing skills!I didn't think that I would be spending so much time looking at a computer screen, but the world of development is no different from the western world of work. As well as donors who want to know and rightly so, as to how every dollar is to be spent, the Ministry of Health and the Provincial Public Health Department here are very controlling, so reports, assessments and performance indicators abound. Its a pity that for all this, things at the grassroots , particuarly in hospitals and health centres improve extremely slowly. There just isn't the where with all to see things through and sustain a higher standard.Hope this doesn't sound too gloomy, but all this has been highlighted to us this month in Samrong by the ending of food provision for the patients. The kitchen is locked as the budget has mysteriously come to an end and poor patients who have no relatives to cook for them and the TB patients are starving. As volunteers we've made a lot of noise but haven't got anywhere. Everyone seems to say that it is not their responsibility - the hierarchy and major political party is very powerful. People need to keep their jobs to feed their families and life for them and their families can become even harder if they try to rock the boat. As foreigners we have only the tiniest insight into the pressures and constraints for ordinary Cambodians.On a much happier note, Laura and Alberto's baby is due next week and we're all very excited.Laura looks great, just wants this little person to arrive. She had a 'shower' at school on her last day last week. Her friends each bought her a children's book so we'll have lots to read to the baby during our stay. We plan to visit 1st October for a week. We'll leave here Christmas 2010 for Singapore, back in the UK end of March 2011. We're waiting for news of Nicks' plans. His relationship with Liz has finally ended, very sad as we'd all become fond of Liz, but somehow inevitable. Hope he'll come out for a holiday with us.Please continue to keep in touch. Its still great to hear from everyone.With love from us bothCarol xx