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Newsletters

With our regular newsletters, we aim to keep you posted on all the interesting and important news and updates of our programs and various activities. Enjoy reading! 

January 22, 2015

            	

Happy New Years to all our friends and partners,

Happy – it is one of those overused words that I actually dislike but yesterday I saw true happiness! Yesterday was senior citizen’s day in Tabitha. Being a senior means anyone who can survive past the age of 60. I travelled to Saeb Village in Kampong Channang to visit with two families who had received a field well three years ago. The road to these field wells turned rapidly into a dusty track.

I first met Norng Sim, 63 years old – a woman worn by the years of hardship and suffering. The only members left of her original family were herself and her 83 year old mother. She raised 6 nieces and nephews – her children.  She was so excited to show me everything she had grown on her 1 hectare land –rice, watermelons, trakun, long beans, gourds etc – she was very excited to show me all the changes that savings and her income from the field well had brought – her own rotor tiller and wagon, her bicycle, her new house and all its furnishings, her youngest son’s telephone shop – all her children are now successfully employed and they all live under one roof – 8 people.

But! – her true happiness – the thing that pleased her most and made her body shiver  with joy was – I now eat three times day – can you imagine – 3 times a day! – and anything I want to eat! What hunger this woman must have endured in her 63 years of life that food –in its variety and plentifulness was her happiness!

         

200 meters down the dusty track I met the diminutive Hout Hun – all of 4ft8in- and her husband and children working their two acres of land. She is 64 years old and has 8 children and grandchildren living in her house – one son with 6 grandchildren living next door. Once again I was shown with great pride the food that the field allowed them to grow all year round- rice, watermelons, beans, trakun, etc. She to, showed me with pride her rotor tiller and wagon – no more cows for her! Her two daughters and their children were helping. Her house was not yet rebuilt – a new road was being planned by the government and she did not know how much land that road would take from her home. But - she winked at me – it’s okay – you see my pocket is full of gold -once I know how much space I will have left -then I can build my house!

But! – her true happiness – the one thing that made her giggle like a school girl was the fact that now she could buy anything she wanted – she is not talking about the big things in life – rather the simple day to day things that make life worthwhile – before I could only look at things – I could never buy – it was always so hard – now I can buy what I want!  What hunger this woman lived in her 64 years that buying a fish for lunch caused her so much happiness.

             

We sat and chatted under the shade of Sim’s house – her 83 year old mother joined in the banter – it was the repeated word of happiness that touched my soul – both women were so delighted to work in their fields each day – and then Hun wriggled with passion as she said – I just love harvesting the watermelons and taking them to market – all by myself – and selling it – oh, she said – it is my favorite day of all. Sim chimed in and said that was true for her as well – to be able to have my own money – to do so many things – but the best is yet , I can eat three times a day.

Neither woman complained about aches or pains - neither woman wanted to stop work and sit under a tree – life was too good for that – working hard and bearing the fruit of their labors – that was true happiness.

          

A simple field well – the source of contentment for a couple of the seniors in Saeb village – their retirement home – their peace – their contentment. I thank my God for this gift that so many of you have given to those whose lives were torn asunder by a violence and evil none of us can understand. To bring peace with the gift of a well in the latter part of the lives of these seniors- that touches my soul to its core. Thank you my friends for making this happen,

 

Janne

Tabitha Cambodia web site: www.tabitha-cambodia.org

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