I have just returned from a friendly game of competitive haggling (for kramas) at the market across the river. Each "team"was given $50 and told to get as many kramas as possible. From what I can gather, the victorious team was Connor, Annalise, and Hilary, with an impressive 140 kramas. Diana, Hannah, and I came in with a close second place, with 130 kramas. Now we have a short break before we go and play some pool at the FCC. It is a very competitive day!
This morning we took a trip out to see the floating villages. It was very fascinating to see how these people live. However, Arn enlightened us on the issues surrounding the cultural ownership of the village. Many people from various surrounding nations are building in, and around, the floating villages and the Cambodians are not sharing in the profits. As tourism becomes more popular in Cambodia--especially in Siem Reap, because of the Angkor Temples--it is important to make sure that it is the Cambodians who are profiting. Karen and Riege told us that this was something that they considered when choosing hotels.
Yesterday was a sad day, because we had to say goodbye to our new friends in the village. This past week, Karen and Riege have worked with many different organisations to figure out how to best help the village with the money that we have raised. The first thing that we asked, was that five women of the village attend daily classes for the next few weeks, and then monthly classes all year, regarding health issues. Much of the health issues in rural Cambodian villages are due to a lack of education, and we hope this will help to improve health, as well as to elevate the influence of the women in the village.
We have also aimed to fix some health issues by building an entirely new latrine system. On the same day of having the idea, and speaking to the village, the materials were being transfered. The next morning (yesterday), the foundation was set and the people were already working on the walls. They plan to have a men's bathroom as well as a women's bathroom. Surprisingly, many young women of the village were actively participating in the construction. From what I hear, this is a vast difference to how the women of the village were treated in the building of the friendship hut, last summer.
We also spoke to a European producer of water filters and bought five filters for the village--one for each family. These will be installed in the ground and will hopefully reduce the amount of common colds, this year. For these minor sicknesses, we have provided the village with their own medicine chest. This was something that they specifically asked for, which shows how the trust is being strengthened every year.
The final thing that we bought was four new bikes, with the wonderful haggling skills of Sayma. What is so important to realize is that this is possible from the fundraising that we do in the States. So, buy more kramas! Buy more Kampot pepper! And please, make donations!
It is also important to realize that our relationship, with Ma Mein's Village, is not meerely one of us giving gifts. While that is helpful, we try to connect with the people on a different level. I believe that we succeed in this. We are able to communicate without words by playing games, such as volleyball and hand games, and by facial expressions and laughing. We often undermine non-auditory language where we are from, but by speaking to people who are deaf, and people without a common language, we have learned entirely different ways to understand people.
However, we did try to swap languages in our english lessons. We spilt into four groups (advanced boys, advanced girls, elementary boys, elementary girls) and had 3 full-length lessons. While saying the english, we would mime out the words until they figured out what we were trying to do, and then they yelled it back in khmer. We would then try the khmer pronunciation and they would try the english. Needless to say, they were much more successful at these excersises.
Tomorrow we will leave Siem Reap, and head to our final destination in Cambodia, Phnom Penh. We all miss you all at home, but want to stay in Cambodia for longer. Why don't you all come here? They flight isn't that bad. Well, actually yes, it is. Three more days!
-Luke Murphy
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Now that I am getting the posting thing down, you are leaving! I really enjoyed reading about all you were able to do w the money raised. Now I understand why last year's participants were so involved in this year's trip planning. You want others to carry the good will forward.
guys, i am so excited and impressed with all the work you did in the village. these things happen over time, but it has only been a few years and they have really gained our trust. i'm so proud to have been part of it and only wish i could have been there to see it all this summer. =) it's really incredible. i remember getting some of the girls to hammer nails in the friendship hut, and that was a huge deal. we hoped that that meant they'd be able to do more work by the next year, and they have! i'm so excited, i don't even know what to say. i can't wait to see you guys when you get back and hear everything. what did they think of the cd? i've been listening to it a lot lately, hearing their voices and knowing we were all with them is just amazing. enjoy your last few days--soon it will all be over, so live it up =)
<33naomi
Post a Comment