Good day,
During the last month we have seen a lot of changes in the landscape of Cambodia. The tail end of the rainy season has meant the most rainfall and swelling of rivers that have spilled into fields that this country has seen for a few years.
This has translated into flooding of my target villages and chaos in trying to reach them. As the below video indicates, I have had to take a motorized canoe through Vien Sai District in Ratanikiri Province. I wanted to initially use my motorcycle as I had gone through deep water before, but soon realized that it wasn’t possible and that my super powers were no match for super power mother nature! The displaced villagers, didn’t really go anywhere other than up to higher ground, meaning the second floor, and when that didn’t exist they made tents on the banks of the water. I wanted to give out money, but I didn't tis time. Sometimes it just seems too much, and I have too little. Don't get me wrong, I am a generous man.
Everyone was just waiting for the water to recede and was often just looking out their window and stuck inside. The widespread damage to the crops and inability to sow rice fields and losing livestock has added to increased pressures on an already significantly overlooked population. The locals in Phnom Penh often don’t consider their countrymen who they feel are from the ‘jungle’ and Indigenous. It is a sad fact that notions of civilized peoples, routed in Imperialist values still permeate. Looking down on the less fortunate seems to be a global theme.
My partner NGO has emergency funds to help distribute needed supplies. We also had to examine the recently installed well-pump systems as a part of our WATSAN, (water and sanitation) project. We have been trying to initiate the villagers of Kok Lak to build the fence around each of the three wells to ensure they feel the sense of ownership for this new infrastructure development. As you may also know, floods don’t mean an abundance of fresh water, rather it is more of a harbinger of disease, ergo, a clean water source is paramount!
On another note, I finally participated in my first Khmer holiday. P’chum Benh as it is called, if focused on Buddhist tradition to give blessing for the monks and they are allowed to come out of the pagoda. Although I was here last year, I did not become engrossed in the ceremony until this year! Everyone returns to their home province, so I went with my best friend, Vireak, to Cratie Province and
stayed with his family and experienced the most loving happy connection I have in quite a while. Five hours on the back of a motorcycle, on a bumpy road adjescent to the swollen Mekong River was well worth my soar back. I had visions of living in a village again, (partially delusional!) and dreaming of engrossing myself in the Buddhist Philosophy (partially realistic!).
Warm and wet regards,
