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! 

December 7, 2004

            	
Dear friends and partners, We've had an unusual number of events the past few weeks - I thought I'd just share one of the most poignant ones that I experienced. Several weeks ago, I traveled with the staff to meet 2 groups of families in one of our new districts - Kirivon. Now Kirivon is one of those places that I do not rush to visit as the roads are a bit bone jarring to say the least. The request had been presented in August - it took me 3 months to find the time to come. Srei, Tharry, Phon, Cheiring and Pow were all delighted - actually Cheiring and Pow were a bit nervous - they are relatively new staff and I have a reputation of asking the hard questions.
                
We met both groups within 50 meters of each other - both groups are very poor - their main source of income is to carve out bricks from volcanic rock underneath their feet. Its an onerous task requiring much skill and strength - an improper size brick will not be purchased. An average family can chip out 5 blocks a day - their earnings average 2500 riels or roughly 55 cents per day. Their houses are simply scrap thatch - their clothing is bare, their food is subsistence. As we stood talking about their labors - they proudly showed me their new pick-axes and hammers they had bought from their savings. The staff, as usual, didn't make their request known; they waited until I was properly enamored with these people. Then they said to the leader of the group, show her what you want. We walked to the side of the road and they pointed at something and asked if Tabitha would help them clear their water hole. I looked for the water hole but found it hard to see - it was covered with bush and thistles - so I took a few tentative steps in the right direction and sure enough - their was a pit about 8 meters square with water in it. I asked the story - the families told us how this had been dug by their grandparents 60 years ago to keep water for the village - there was a second one a half kilometer away. The water holes had fallen into disuse despite the water in it - things had fallen in to spoil the water - I asked what things - people were not to anxious to answer - children, cows they murmured. I didn't say much - I had an inkling of what had really happened - the Pol Pot years tended to use such spots as places to disperse those they murdered. I turned and asked Cheiring and Pow what they thought - they just shuffled their feet and looked away. Srei looked at me with beseeching eyes - please understand, she begged. I asked the people, why do you not clear the bush, why do you allow it to be this way? Again much shuffling of feet - obviously, my inkling was right. What do you need - I asked - money they said, money to put cement and steps and to drain the water and to clean it. How much, I asked - $300 they said for each reservoir. I said little, kept looking at the bush and picked a few thorns out of my leg. I said, okay, this is the deal - you must clear the entire bush and the water - you must do this yourselves - if you have done this, then Tabitha will give you the money. If you do not do this - Tabitha will give you nothing. The leader was a wizened old man - we will do this. You have 1 week to clear and clean both reservoirs - I said, I will see what you do. The next week, the staff proudly showed me the pictures of the cleared reservoirs - the following week, the staff returned with laughter in their eyes - Oh Janne, you should see it - the cement and the poles - and the ceremonies - they are no longer afraid of the ghosts - they are laid to rest - they are no longer dirty, they can now wash - they are no longer thirsty, they can now drink - its so very good. I thought back to the biblical words spoken so many years ago - to give a cup of cold water - so little can bring so much - and I thought of the Biblical saying of casting our bread upon the waters and it will come back to you. You, our friends and partners, are our bread - you have brought comfort to those who sorrowed, you have given a cup of cold water to those who had none. Thank you for that gift. Janne