Now that I’ve had time to reflect on my Cambodian trip, I feel obliged to share with you some of the experience so that you can better understand the impact of your generous support.
After the long build up and anticipation of our trip I was ready to get stuck into our project.
Phnom Penh was as bustling and intimidating as I’d remembered. On our first day we met the rest of the builders and spent the next three days getting to know each other and learning a bit more about Cambodian history. On our first morning we visited the Tabitha headquarters where Janne Ritskes – the founder of Tabitha gave us an overview about the recent history of Cambodia. Although I have heard Janne’s orientation three times, I think this was the first time it really impacted on me. I recall in the past sitting there and thinking what had happened was sad but I don’t think my younger brain really appreciated the impact of what was being said. Janne talked about the Khmer Rouge, which I realised I really knew little about and her experiences living in Cambodia at this time. She explained; How she’d sleep in the bath at night just as the local Cambodians would sleep in holes they had dug in the ground to stay protected from bombs. How post Pol Pot she would visit local family’s where they kept a bottle of poison that they plan to take and give to their family if anything like the Khmer Rouge ever reappeared because they just couldn’t go through it again and never wanted their kids to experience the terror they had during this time. Janne also retold the specific stories of two of the women that now work for Tabitha. One of these had witnessed her whole family being killed when she was a young girl. Janne talked about the effect the Khmer Rouge has had on her staff and that it is still evident today how traumatised they are. She explained how many people nowadays are scared to educate themselves or wear glasses even though many of them can’t see well, just because of the fear of the Khmer Rouge returning. The Khmer Rouge looked for glasses or other documentation to identify the educated, who were then killed. Listening to Janne talk I felt my eyes water, trying to cover this I looked around and saw that every single person in our group was crying, this is how powerful Janne’s talk was.
The next day we were then off on a 5 hour uncomfortable bus trip to Svay Reing, in a remote Northern district. When we arrived at our ‘hotel’, despite my exposure from previous trips and a warning from Dad that the hotel was actually the local brothel, I still wasn’t prepared for what we found. Needless to say the accommodation, which was our only option in this remote area was very challenging, was disgustingly dirty (beyond what I’m prepared to write) and way more confronting than I was expecting.
Once we reached the village the next day, immediately my issues with the accommodation were put into perspective and were quickly forgotten.
The villagers were clearly very anxious and excited when we arrived, there was no doubt that their years of dreams and savings for their new lives was soon to be realised. Despite their enthusiasm, they still appeared very nervous at our presence. Without any ceremony or interaction, other than everyone’s uncomfortable stares, we were issued with tools and instructions, divided into loose groups and started the process of ‘building’. I was assigned floorboards, as the men in our group thought they were more capable to do the walls. I didn’t mind this at all as I got to sit down until after about 3 hours my forearm started aching, it got to the point I could barely move yet we all kept going for the rest of the day. Someone had the great idea to pack some bubble blowing kits. How amazing to watch how excited the kids were to chase bubbles for a few short minutes – it was a great distraction for everyone.
In the first house we built, a young man sat and talked to me. Although he spoke very little English I learnt that the house we were building was going to be for his sister and her husband. He was a policeman and had travelled a long way from his village just to be part of the building and to share the experience with his family. He told me how he was learning English but had never spoken to a Westerner before, although I could understand most of what he was trying to say he did not understand anything I said. He kept asking if I was thirsty or hot anytime I went to get a drink, and saw me being hot or tired as a big concern. I kept assuring him that I was fine. I found it funny that he kept asking if I had a husband! I’m not sure how old he thought I was or how young is acceptable to get married over there. It came time to move on to the next house and we said good bye.
As each modest home was completed the awkward feelings in the village quickly started to evaporate. This was helped along by their amusement at every missed nail, saving their muffled laughter for when one of us caught a wayward finger…..
We moved onto our next house and again I was on the floorboards and this time a lady came and sat with me. Every nail I hammered she would then take the hammer and bang it in a little more just to make sure it was perfect. At the slight bend of a nail she would make me take it out and do it again, without a word of English. Although this was frustrating at the time, I realised that this was her home. She was the proud owner of a proper house and everything had to be perfect. Like we expect our homes to be kept nice, the slightly bent nail is the same to this new home owner.
At the end of each day we had a ceremony and to present the houses to the families, although the families houses who were finished earlier in the day had clearly already moved in, were fussing around and already started their celebrations. The head of the village gave us a thank you speech which was translated by one of the Tabitha staff. He said that we will never understand how much these houses mean to the families. Owning a house in these villages is a big thing. A house, access to water and to owning land gave the families a much better chance of being able to send their kids to school which will allow for a better life for their future generations. He told us that we will go home and probably in years to come will forget about the families but they will never forget us.
Eventually we had completed 20 houses for families who have mostly never lived in a house! So thank you for making this happen. The amazing $11,000 that we raised, pooled with the other volunteers contributions, did change the lives of over 140 of the poorest Cambodians. Our additional funds were put towards building wells in the next village.
It was hot, it was hard but I truly wish that in a little way you could share with me the joy, grace and self-satisfaction that we saw in every single one of our new Cambodian friends. For people with so little, they have so much.
Somehow, I know that this probably won’t be my last visit to
Thank you from me, but more importantly thank you from all of the families that you very directly have helped - akun.
Anna Moran
PS also thank heaps to Back Vintage Wines, Hunters Hill’s best restaurants Cucinetta, Duo and Madeline's Brasserie for their support and to the Hunters Hill Sailing Club for making their wonderful facility available to us for a fundraising night.