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! 

August 22, 2006

            	
Dear friends and partners, Two weeks ago, all our development staff spent a few days together looking and evaluating and learning from our newest programs. They came back with a story that made us stop and think and evaluate all that we do.
                
The story began last April – during the Khmer New Years break and the Easter week-end. A couple of funders had arrived and they wanted to see Svay Rieng as a possible project that they would like to support. Srie, Nary, Ponluck and I took the folks out to see. When we arrived at the first village, I was once again struck by the meanness of poverty – family after family lived in houses less than 2 meters square, made of grass and nothing much else. The houses were unusually close to each other. It was Khmer New Years – a big holiday here in Cambodia – the children and adults swarmed around us – dressed in their best – much of it the wrong size, dusty and often with holes – they were happy to see us – and we were happy to see them. And yet – the poverty was hurtful to see and in one of my moments I blurted out – how disgusting it was to see people living in such squalor – living like animals. We visited several other villages and then left for home. One of the village volunteers asked Ponluck and Srie what I had thought – in a rare moment of honesty they told him what I said. They were standing in front of part of his village – in an area of 20 square meters, 14 families were living in poverty. There was no space – there was no privacy. He looked at Srie and Ponluck and said that he was ashamed that I had seen this. Ponluck said that he should not be ashamed – we just wanted to help – to change all of this. If they could have wells the volunteer said – things might change. Srie spoke up – if you have a well, nothing will change – these families have no space and no land to grow vegetables or to raise animals. We cannot put in wells unless they can do things with the water to change their lives. Nothing more was said. In May, local elections were held through out the country. This volunteer was elected as village chief. His first task as village chief was to go up one level to the commune chief. He shared his story of our visit – he shared his desire to help his people – but, he said, we need land. The commune chief listened and empathized – he gave land to the villagers – enough land that each villager could have at least 10 square meters. The village chief returned to his families and he shared the good news. Out of the 14 families – 12 moved their shacks to their new land. They tilled the soil and planted their seeds and then they said to Ponluck and to Srie – now we need a well. And wells they got – 4 for this group of families. The staff arrived a month after all this took place. They visited with the family of 6 young orphans – elated because they now had land and they could grow food. They visited the family with 9 children – their house was still too small for everyone but they were all busy working the soil – even the baby. They talked with the widows who were already raising pigs. They chased after chickens with the family whose father was handicapped and whose mother was blind. They marveled at the land given by the commune chief – a lot of land still waiting for 50 families to accept this gift. They talked with the chief – amazed at his courage – amazed at his wisdom. He, in turn, talked of Ponluck and Srie and of their willingness to speak honestly. As the team left the village, the chief spoke again – this time, he said, I am not ashamed for you to come. The staff came back with new wisdom – we must not give wells unless the families have enough land to earn from the water – we must not be silent – we must speak for land for these families. We must not give wells unless families can show us beforehand, that they can do things. We must give wells only to support 3 families in growing vegetables so that there is enough water and enough income to change their lives. Janne, we want 1032 wells next year – can we have them? I ask all of you – can they have them? I said yes, but without you – I cannot do it. I thank my God for the wisdom that He has given; I thank God that speaking honestly about the hurt of poverty can change lives. I thank my God that I can speak honestly with you. Janne