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!
April 7, 2005
Dear friends, Its that time of the year to wish each and every one of you a Happy Khmer New Years. It seems strange to celebrate three New Years each year - Jan 1, Chinese New Years and Khmer New Years. The celebrations have started although the actual New Years days are April 13-15th - each evening our neighborhood rocks with the laughter of children and adults as they play games in the early evening. Hearing Miriam's laughter amongst them is very good. Khmer New Years also brings out the occasional electricity problems - not sure why, whether its because the country shuts down as everyone goes to their home villages, including those who do electricity or its because the weather is always at its hottest and the electricity use is at its peak. Whatever the reason, my home was without electricity for 2 days and nights - an experience that tests me to the core of my being and results in a schizophrenic personality that swings from utter despair to elation and unusual bonhomie to one and all when restored.
This week I had a site visit that brought tears to my eyes. Srei, Tharry, Pon, Pow and Cheiring asked me to visit this village in Kirivon. The trip is long and hard and has several roads that defy description. We had received our first rainfall since November in Phnom Penh and felt refreshed - the farther we drove - the less the elation as the drought in the countryside left us feeling bereft for the people we saw.
We arrived in Kirivon and were met by several hundred people. They were gathered around the only well in the area - all kinds of containers were lined in a row - people were bickering with each other over whose turn it was - many had been waiting for several hours to get their water.
The water was only good for washing - it was unsafe to drink - it causes severe cramps when drunk - I asked, where then do you get your drinking water - from another well - 3 kilometers away - how many families does that well serve, I asked - 489, I was told. We must use this well for water for washing and cleaning and we must use the other well for drinking water. Most of us spend up to 5 hours per day, just getting water. That is why we asked you to come.
They led me to the back of the village and there they showed me what they had in mind. In front of me was a reservoir that they had dug - 226 families in this village and every night after work 201 families sent a member of their family to help dig. The reservoir had been dug over 60 years ago by their great grandparents - then came the Khmer rouge years and everyone was forced away - many were executed - most of the families had returned over the years since then but the reservoir had filled with dirt and only a small pond remained. The drought each year had caused much grief for these families. They had heard about the other 2 reservoirs that we had helped with - they only knew that we expected them to do their fair share of work before we would help - they had not seen the other reservoirs because these were 50 kilometers away. So they had begun to dig where the top step was visible - and as they dug, the steps, kept going down. They dug 3 meters and still the steps went down.
Our staff, Pow and Cheiring had taken the leader to the other reservoir to see what we had done. The leader came back to the village and shared the news - we must provide the stone, he said, and then Tabitha will help with the cement and sand to make the walls. This was good, the villagers said, because that is what we do, break stones into gravel and we sell the gravel to others.
Now, they not only divided into teams to dig, but also divided teams into going into the surrounding hills to collect stones for the walls - even the children were part of the teams - doing an adult portion of digging and carrying. The children refused to stop doing their share while I stood with the elders and we talked. I asked the children why they worked so hard - they giggled and shyly hid their faces - a tiny ten year old finally spoke - we have no water and our parents work so hard - we can do this to help all of us and we can see how much we have done - next year, we will not be thirsty and our parents will not be so tired.
The elders, staff and I talked about how big this would be - the elders said we want to gig another 2 meters, making it 8 meters deep - and we heard that you wanted us to make it square so it will be 18 meters long and 15 meters wide - that way, we will have water all year round. Will the water be good, I asked. They replied that the water would come from the hills around us during the rainy season and it was very good water for drinking. The cost would be $600.00 to make the wall all around - the wall would be one meter high. It would keep the reservoir clean. How long would it take to finish, said I. By June, we will have it done.
I thought about the days of no electricity and water that I just had - the heat and the inability to do anything about it. Here was a village of people who were doing something about it - they are doing so with sacrifice and hard work, they are doing so together - from the youngest to the eldest - and they were doing so with joy. Can we start this week - before Khmer New years with the wall? Yes, you can. The staff and elders remained behind to purchase the cement and sand - the children returned to collecting stones and I returned home - thinking that this is what it is all about.
You, our friends and our partners, say to us at Tabitha, yes, you can and we in turn say to the villagers, yes, you can.
I am humbled by my God, who said, yes, you can - together, each of us, in our own way - change so much of what we thought we could not - but together we can.
On behalf of all the staff, villagers and families, we wish each of you, Happy Khmer New Years.
Janne
