.... destination addict: Field Feet

I am aware that most of my posts are about extraordinary travel days, not about my normal life in Cambodia. Over the next few months I will try to put a few more stories and photos up of life, work and play here in Cambodia.... The sad fact is that most of us never remember to take the time to document our 'normal' days...

So, here's my first attempt at documenting 'Cambodia' as I find it..... starting with field work. Hopefully soon I will also be able to give you some insights into monsoon rain, markets, Phnom Penh night life etc…

In June I spent a few weeks in the field, in Prey Veng and Siem Reap. I went to our various project sites in these provinces to meet with the Buddhist Monks who work as on SCA's Orphans and Vulnerable Children project. At head office we are currently working on a number of new monitoring processes, and I was looking for some feedback on these systems from the Monks.

As with anyone I come across in Cambodia, the Monks are always craving to learn something new, so the first comment usually made about any new system is 'can I have training'... The work these Monks do in their communities is really outstanding in many cases. What they lack in resources or education, they more than make up for with enthusiasm and zeal. In Prey Veng I met a Monk in a very remote pagoda who had set up a group to protect a local forest, started a small community vegetable garden and set up a school for young children because the nearest government school was costing too much money for poor families. This school was in a hut on the pagoda grounds, with no desks, only a dirt floor. When I met the children they were very keen to ask me questions about where I come from (What food do you eat? How do you get there? etc), and to tell me about what they had been learning. With SCA's support to this pagoda, all the children recently received school kits, including bags, pencils and books, and shortly after our visit, had a delivery of desks.

Any orphans and vulnerable children in this community will also receive support from the SCA OVC Project, including food rations from WFP and protein food from the SCA project budget. Most importantly, the OVC project works with monks and community leaders to reduce discrimination towards HIV+ families and assists their children to attend school and access health services.

PREY VENG

While in Siem Reap my colleague Chanthea and I visited a Pagoda in a rural area of the province that is not part of our program. One of our partner Monks took us there, as he thought SCA may consider partnering with this pagoda in the future. He knew the head-Monk at this pagoda was interested in supporting children in his community and that there were many orphans and vulnerable children in the area. While visiting this pagoda, I met a young boy, Kot. He was in the pagoda grounds while we visited. He was suffering from a number of what appeared to be birth defects, including what was later diagnosed as a case of meningoencephalocele, or MEC.

In a future post I will write about Kot, his case, and how he is now accessing services at the Children’s Surgical Centre in Phnom Penh. His story is one that typifies the situation many marginalized, poor and isolated young people in Cambodia face. Although now, with many people’s support and involvement, he may be an example of what a positive change effective referrals and support can make.

While in Siem Reap I also had to opportunity to visit my favorite temple ‘Bang Mealea’ again. One of the Pagodas we support is near the temple, so on our lunch break our coordinator monk, Hai, took us for a visit. It was very special to visit this place with my colleagues. It is my favorite temple in Cambodia, and now I have been able to share the experience of being there with some of my favorite Cambodians!

A very hot, dusty and rewarding few weeks in the field. Out of the office, in our old Land Rover, seeing the difference our work makes.

SIEM REAP