Crash!

As I've mentioned in an earlier blog, the kids at Honour Village have a fairly structured day.  They go to school every morning, mealtimes are at certain times, they get their drink of water at certain times during the day, they have afternoon rest time and meditation time.  But some days, routines just gets broken.  Today was just such a day. 

For one thing, there was no school today, so all the children were home.  In the morning, they played hard, and worked hard, then ate a hearty lunch, but for some reason, they just did not want to settle down after lunch for their afternoon rest.  As I varnished away, I could hear children talking out behind the building, obviously trying to sneak out of their nap.  Somewhere I could hear one child crying, and I could see a few running up & down the stairs to their dormitories.  Then I heard Riem wail, and I watched him climb down the stairs, still bawling his eyes out.  Just about the same moment my can of varnish ran out, everything seemed to go silent.  I walked over to the office, and this is what I saw....



Three-year-old Riem (L) crashed out.
Sek (R) is in that 'teenage-always-sleeping' phase

In another building, six kids slept in reclining chairs

Brothers Rethy (L) and Raphy (R)

Somneang

Little Phanit



Sisters Narin (L) and Narong (R)


Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to structure time for a nap or a rest, it doesn't always work out, but when it happens all on its own, isn't it just grand?

Gordon's projects

When we arrived at Honour Village and offered our services, they were very happy to have Gordon, who is a fantastic woodworker.  Honour Village is still in the growing stages, so there are a lot of things that need to be done, and Gordon is the man who can build just about anything, given an idea and some wood. 

Originally the plan was for Gordon to build ten desks which are like low tables.  The children will sit on the tile floor instead of on chairs, and these tables will also be used for dining. Before Sue left, Gordon made a prototype, which met with great approval. 


Sue and the kids testing out the first of the new tables

Since then, he's made another nine desk/tables and has also built a meditation bench for Sue, a book shelf for the children's books, a shelf unit for Chhunly, and several easels for the children to use for painting and drawing.

Book shelf for children's books
The books are displayed face up

Shelf unit for Chhunly under construction

Easels

In addition, he's cut down five large desks to make them a useable size for the smaller children, fixed doors and windows, and helped to build the clothesline.  He's been a busy man! 

Gordon the builder!

Right now, the crunch is on.  We are coming down to our last few days at Honour Village.  The ten desks and the two shelf units are pretty well completed and all need to be varnished.  Three coats.  That's my job.  I'm the painter.  It's a smelly job, but somebody's got to do it.

Aren't they beautiful and shiny?
I've already gone through one gallon of urethane
and still need more!

 

Bubbling good time....

Yesterday, I managed to capture some photos of a couple of little girls having great fun behind the new building.  They'd been sent back to do their laundry, and as kids will do, they'd turned a dull chore into playtime.  Some soapy water and some imagination was all it took.

On volunteering...

As I 'mouse over' the bottom right hand corner of my computer, a box appears to warn me that it's already February 11th. We leave in less than four weeks.  The days continue to go by far too quickly.

 When we were here last year, I taught hand sewing and embroidery to about 60 students.  As we neared our time to leave last March, I was able to look back and see what those kids had learned, and what I had accomplished, and I derived a great deal of satisfaction in knowing I had left something tangible here.  I dreamed that this skill I'd brought to these kids might somehow live on and make their lives a little different at some time in the future.  This year, I came to Cambodia with soaring hopes, good intentions and great ideas of what I would be doing....helping a doctor at a health clinic, teaching sewing and embroidery.... and none of that happened.  My volunteer work here now consists of playing with kids all day, serving rice at lunch, picking up toys, rocking little ones to sleep, sponging down feverish little bodies, guiding tiny hands holding a crayon, doing jigsaw puzzles, and handing out reams and reams of drawing paper to endless calls of 'Som grodah' (Paper please!). 

Last year, Gordon came here to do woodworking, and he built 10 computer desks and a complex shelf unit.  This year, he's building ten more low desk/tables, as well as several other things (a meditation bench, easels, shelving), and he's also doing a ton of repairs.  There are days I look at the work Gordon is doing, and I am immensely jealous, because he can visibly measure what he has accomplished here, and I cannot.  All my life, I have measured my usefulness in observable, tangible ways, and I now find myself with no benchmark to gauge my value or success here.  Many times, when there are five or more full-time volunteers onsite, I feel like the odd (wo)man out, like a tit on a bull, and I dream up ways to make my moments here count.  I've made the commitiment to paint the PVC water pipes so they won't deteriorate from the sun.  I've already learned that Gordon expects me to varnish the desks he's making.  But is this the way I want my time here to be remembered?  I remind myself that all these jobs need to be done by someone and it might as well be me, but deep inside I know that I am fighting that desire to feel like I have done something important, like I have left my mark here. 

Today I was asked to accompany Sreylean (one of the house-mothers) who was taking seven of the kids with various complaints to Angkor Hospital for Children.  It was a tight squeeze as we all piled into the tuk-tuk, and I automatically wrapped my arm around one of the young boys to keep him from falling out  He grabbed my arm with both of his, and pulled it tight to his thin little chest, and snuggled up to me as close as he could, and we rode all the way into town that way.  It just felt so right.  As we rode along, I wondered when was the last time he'd been hugged or cuddled.   

Deep inside, I wonder if he'll remember me years from now.  I doubt it.  But I do know that this afternoon, I was just the person he needed.  After we get on that plane for home,  there probably won't be much physical evidence of my having been here, but I hope that somehow I've helped to make this world a better place, even if just for one lonely little boy. 

Step By Step

In the few weeks that I've been volunteering at Honour Village, I've developed a great respect and admiration for Chhunly, the manager, who is the man that seems to make it all happen there.  He's got all sorts of responsibilities - everything from coordinating all the construction projects to managing the budget, all the while being friendly and accommodating to everyone who crosses his path, and acting like a big 'dad' to the kids.    While juggling all these roles, he manages to get things done at an amazing pace, and with a calmness that I can only hope to emulate. 

One of the phrases I've heard him use several times is 'Step by step'.  If only we Westerners could learn this simple philosophy!  Everything will be accomplished step by step.  A little at a time.  Enjoy the process.  Don't rush.  Marvel at the accomplishments.  It must be the Buddhist philosophy, because it generally seems to be a way of life here in Cambodia.  Whatever it is that inspires this attitude, it feels good to me.  Step by step.  I have a lot to learn from Chhunly and his fellow countrymen.

Here are a few of the 'step by step' accomplishments that have occurred over the past 2 or 3 days.  It's always something newer and better....

The 'spirit house, flagpole, lotus pond' complex is almost completed.  The four sets of stairs, leading up to the central elevated area where the spirit house & flagpole will be, are now completed.  Chhunly ordered the spirit house and the flagpole, which were delivered in the past two days.  I think the flagpole will be cemented in place tomorrow or Friday.

Stairs lead up to the elevated centre area
where the spirit house and flagpole will be.
Four large 'triangles' on either side of the stairs
are ponds filled which will be filled with lotus flowers,
the symbol of Honour Village

The spirit house is delivered on a moto in 3 pieces
It's made of concrete!
Amazing what they carry on motos, isn't it?

Chunly, admiring the assembled spirit house.

Testing to see how the new flagpole will look
Chhunly is on the left
Looks great, doesn't it?

Extra rows of ceramic tiles have been added at all the doorways to accommodate 30+ pairs of shoes... Remember, no shoes are worn inside the buildings, so there are always a lot of shoes at the doorways.  Sometimes I wonder how they figure out 'whose shoes is who's?'

First row of new ceramic being added

Coming together nicely!

A privacy fence has been added around the well and pump where the kids go to bathe and clean themselves off. 

Privacy is a good thing

The area where the bicycles are currently stored is just temporary, and definitely will not withstand the rainy season.  A new shelter for the bicycles and tuk-tuk is being constructed.  At this pace, it will probably be completed before the middle of next week.  These guys don't waste any time!

This morning - Wood for the new bicycle shelter
The post holes are almost all dug out.

Later this afternoon - The first supports are in place

Meantime Gordon has been working away at the desk/tables for the new building....

It doesn't look like much, but all the frames are ready for the desks.
On the left, the table tops are standing up against the wall.
Once they are planed, sanded and assembled,
I will have a LOT of varnishing to do!

Valid Questions!

One of my readers has asked some very interesting questions, so rather than reply privately, I've decided to answer them by posting a blog since I thought it might provide some good information for everyone.  I tend to forget that travel brochures and Wikipedia don't give you inside info, and I confess, after I've been here for a while I've begun to assume that people know this stuff (but how would you?).  When I bog, I just write what's on my mind, and I'm not ever sure if I'm grabbing your interest until I get questions, so I want to thank the people who have emailed me personally, or who have left comments here.


Here are the questions, with the answers to the best of my knowledge.  I especially want to thank Chhunly (the manager of Honour Village), for filling in a lot of blanks and providing me with so much insight.

1) Where were all of these kids before the orphanage opened?
These 32 children have come from many villages and many situations.  Each story is different.  Most of the stories are sad or desperate, some are downright frightful.  I hope to elaborate on the background of some of these kids in upcoming blogs, so keep posted. 
It's hard to believe that the first two children came to Honour Village just a mere few months ago, near the end of November 2010.  When the orphanage first opened its doors, Sue and Chhunly went to the neighbouring villages and spoke to the village chiefs, and announced that they were a new NGO who was offering a home to needy children who were hungry and poor, and whose families were unable to provide the basics (including education).   They also made themselves known to neighbouring NGO's that were filled to capacity in hopes that they would refer some kids forward. 
With three houses in place, Honour Village can comfortably accommodate 45 children, so there is still plenty of room (and a lot of love) for more kids.  There are plans to add a fourth house, which would easily increase their capacity to 60 children.

2) Does Cambodia have the equivilent of a foster parent program or a system where children are "wards of the state", as we do in Canada? Who are their legal guardians?
In a word, 'No'.  There is no tax base to support any kind of social programs.  It is up to the 'family unit' to take care of their own.  In Cambodia, the nuclear family is quite extensive, including aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc.  The kids often go to an aunt or uncle or grandparent, but if that person cannot cope with the extra burden, the children will go on to an orphanage.
Nobody is a 'legal guardian' as far as I can determine.  In a country where some children don't even have birth certificates, the focus isn't on legal matters as much as it is on survival.  It might be surprising to learn that most children who end up in 'orphanages' are not really orphans in the true sense of the word. They may actually have one or both parents still living.  When a child becomes orphaned or loses a parent, it all comes down to who can feed an extra mouth or two.  Very often, one parent dies and the other parent either cannot feed all the children, or has to go to work at a distance and cannot take care of the kids.  Sometimes the family just has too many kids to feed.  Sometimes the widowed parent remarries and the new spouse also has kids, so again there are too many mouths to feed.  It seems to me that the rule here is that the new wife's kids get priority, which reminds me of back home in some ways. 

 3) Do Cambodian children have "summer break" like we do in Canada?
The system is not exactly the same.  First of all, Cambodian school kids (up to high school) go to school 6 days a week, 4 hours a day, either from 7 to 11 am or from 1 to 4 pm. 
Here's what I read in the Tourism of Cambodia official website: There are 5 term breaks in the year for schools throughout Cambodia.  The term breaks vary slightly from state to state. However, they fall roughly during the later part of the months of January (1 week), March (2 weeks), May (3 weeks), August (1week), October (4 weeks).  I do know that they also have a few days holiday during April which is the Khmer New Year - a BIG celebration here.

4) I wonder if it is disruptive in the lives of these kids to have volunteers come and go , or is some attention from strangers better than regular, but perhaps limited attention from adults?
Chhunly did tell me that they prefer to have long term volunteers, and I am certain this is the primary reason for choosing to have Project Trust volunteers doing their gap year at Honour Village.  Stability is important to these kids, considering they have just come from situations where they have been shunted around, and probably feel pretty rejected.  Honour Village asks for a minimum commitment of 4 weeks.  Chhunly tells me that the kids often cry after the volunteers leave, so he tells them they will be coming back.  I'm not sure if that's always the entire truth, but in our case, he's right.

5) At what age are children no longer allowed to live at the orphanage (18 y/o)? What then?
As a rule, Honour Village would prefer to accept new children up to the age of ten, but there have been some exceptions, which I will explain when I start to go into the history of these kids in later blogs (there are currently at least 4 or 5 older children up to age 14) .  Their reason for taking kids at a young age is so that they will have time enough to give them a head start in life, along with a good education, both of which take more than a few short years.  At this point, the age at which they expect the children to be ready for living on their own is approximately 18 y/o, given the hope they will have received a good education and some vocational training during their stay at HVC.  Chhunly plans to set up onsite vocational training for cooking and hospitality, which he was employed in for many years before joining Honour Village as their manager. 


6) Are children ever adopted to families?
No.  Cambodian people who want to adopt children will go to the hospital and get a newborn, not to orphanages (Not too much different than in the western world, really).  Once upon a time, westerners were allowed to adopt Cambodian children from orphanages, however the Cambodian government closed the adoption doors to westerners a few years ago.  As I mentioned earlier, so many of the children in orphanages may have one or both parents still living, and technically are not orphans at all, yet they were being adopted.  This certainly wasn't fair to the children or their families.  It makes me wonder how Angelina Jolie recently managed to adopt a Cambodian child.  Here is a scary story about Cambodian adoption.

7) Are there post-secondary schools? What percentage of people have a post secondary education? How expensive is it?
It would be good to know that their school system is not too different than the North American system, in that primary school goes to grade 6, then lower secondary school is grade 7&8, and high school goes to grade 12.  Up to grade 12, education is free.  The only stipulations are that the child must wear a uniform, provide their own school supplies, and must be able to get to school.  All of these can be a huge challenge, especially if the family is so poor they cannot afford the $20 or less (per year) that it costs for school uniforms and supplies.  More challenging can be getting to secondary school.  There are many rural schools, but less high schools, which many mean the child has to travel a great distance, and may need a bicycle, another expense.  Sometimes they may need to stay in another village closer to the high school....all these things cost money.  In a country where the parents are looking for an able body to work in the fields or at a job to feed the family, it is a constant challenge to get children to go to school beyond 6th grade, let alone go on to high school or university.  The percentage of children who go on to secondary school is very small, so the percentage that go to university is probably miniscule.  Here is a statement I read on a website about Cambodian education:  The percentage of children completing primary school was also low, at 48%, and for completing lower secondary school was lower still at 21%.  I wonder if that is the percentage of children who enrol, or the percentage of children period.  School is not cumpulsory.
There are many universities in Cambodia.  I have friends who are attending university in Siem Reap (Build Bright University and Angkor University), and if you google 'University Siem Reap', you will come across at least a couple more.  Cost of university is between $350 and $400 USD per year.  Books cost about $20 per semester.  Considering that a decent salary in Cambodia is probably about $300 per year, the cost of university is quite prohibitive, and I believe a lot of university students rely heavily on sponsorship.
During the Pol Pot era, more than 2 million people were killed.  Almost all of these were the educated people, which threw this country backward with a huge whallop.  At present, approximately half the population of Cambodia is under 30 years old, (I think the mean age is 22), so there are a lot of young, bright minds eager to learn, but it not happen overnight.
One thing is certain.  Education is the key to moving this third world country forward.  This takes time, patience and money.  It is organizations like Honour Village Cambodia, whose focus is on education, that offer promise for this country's future.....one step at a time, one child at a time. 

Angkor Hospital for Children........... An inside view

This past Friday, April and I took three kids from Honour Village to the Angkor Hospital for Children.  (April and Rosie are gap year students volunteering with Honour Village through Project Trust).  Khaneung needed a follow-up visit for an eye inflammation, Sopheak was still having pain after a recent tooth extraction, and little 3-year-old Phanit had a problem with his front tooth.  When you have 32 kids, there's bound to be somebody needing attention.

Sopheak (L) and Khaneung (R) on the tuk-tuk ride to the hospital

Walking in the front entrance, I was very impressed.  Everything seemed very well organized.  It helped that April had been there a few times before and knew the ropes.  We were given a number and sat down to wait on some benches under a canopy outside the hospital entrance doors.  It was crowded and we'd brought along some books to keep the kids entertained.

Only a small section of the waiting area

It didn't take that long for our number to be called, and we were sent on inside to be triaged.  Having worked in hospitals a good portion of my life, I can honestly say this is the only hospital ever that I've been in where you are required to remove your shoes before entering. 

Shoes on one side of the door
Same amount on the opposite side....

We waited in a small waiting room until our names were called.  There were many sick kids waiting around.

Too bad I can't speak Khmer.
I didn't know what was wrong with this cute baby

This poor little one looked like he (she?) had mumps

Once the boys had their temperatures, weight, and pulse taken, we waited in a smaller area to be seen by the doctor.  It was a hallway filled with pictures and our friend Steve was keeping a lot of the kids entertained with colouring.  A big screen TV overhead was playing a kids' movie.

Watching the big screen!

April waiting patiently with Phanit

Steve entertaining the kids

The big screen TV

Finally the boys were seen briefly by a doctor who then directed us to the proper areas.  Khaneung went to the Eye Clinic.

Sopheak and Phanit went to the Dental Clinic

April in front of the dental clinic

Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm not the best with dentists...but I was elected to go in with the boys.  It was easy with Sopheak, who was just having a check-up, but poor little Phanit needed two front teeth extracted, and I had to be the one to soothe him, and at the same time hold him down.  I felt like the biggest meanie in the world.....but I didn't look... not once!... or I might have ended up on the floor myself.

After all that, I had to go to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions. while April waited outside comforting Phanit who was in a lot of pain, poor little guy!

Pharmacy

All I can say is, it's a fantastic place.  Clean, bright, efficient.  Especially when you think of the number of kids coming in with so many problems.  It's refreshing and reassuring to know that these kids are being given a chance by the generosity of so many.  Thank you Friends Without A Border!  Thank you Angkor Hospital for Children!

Day to day life at Honour Village

All week long, I see so many things happening that I want to write about.  Hopefully they are also things that you, my readers, are interested in, but I'm never sure, because I rarely receive comments from anyone.  Honestly, I'd really appreciate if you'd leave comments here, or if you're too shy to do that, just email me.  I'd just like to know I'm not only writing this for myself.   

 I've tried to include a lot about the construction of Honour Village because a) I've promised them I would, and b) I think it might be great for everyone at home to see what wonderful things are happening there in such a short time.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Honour Village's history, it might help if you visit their website, but I bet any one of you would be amazed to learn that Honour Village was nothing but an empty rice field until this past May.  We've been working on building and finishing our house for more than 2 years now, so I can really appreciate all the effort and expense they've gone through in just 10 short months! 


When I also learned that the first of these 32 children only came to Honour Village in late November, it helped me to understand how fragile (and resiliant) these kids are, and (as I've recently written) the newest family of 4 arrived just a few weeks ago. 

Three brothers from the new family. 
They also have an older sister

Most of the time, they seem like one big happy family.  Occasionally there's a squabble, and some jealousy, and the odd temper tantrums from the youngest ones.  There's sniffles and coughs, and skinned knees, and plenty of toys to play with, which also means plenty of toys to put away. 

How many pieces of Lego is this?

All the children (except the two 3-year-olds) go to school 6 days a week, Monday to Saturday.  Classes are from 7 am to 11 am.  Some of them are up as early as 4 am, and have a hearty breakfast before going to school.  The school is 5 km away and the older kids bicycle, while 6 or 7 of the youngest ones get driven to school in a tuk-tuk. In the morning the two youngest ones play quite nicely together, but they do need their nap. 

ZZZZZZZZZ

The children are escorted to and from school.  Around 11:30 pm, it's a joy to see the big procession of kids on bikes just over the top of the wall as they arrive home after school. 

You can just barely make out
the procession of bicycles over the top of the wall

The children burst through the front gates

As they arrive, they all sompeah (bow with hands in a praying position) and greet each adult with 'Jeum reap suah".  It's quite touching to see this when there are several adults around (sometimes more than 8 or 10)...and 32 kids all jockeying for position....Of course, I'm trying to name each one individually as I greet them!  (Yes, I've finally learned all 32 names!  Whew!) 


As soon as they arrive home from school, they change out of their school uniforms into their play clothes, and come down for n'yum teuk (a drink of water).  Honour Village has put a system into place to ensure that each child is getting enough liquids daily (closely monitored, they get water breaks 4 or 5 times a day).


Lunch follows right away.  Boy, these kids can pack it in!  Even the little ones will eat up to 4 bowls of rice and soup!  The kids always help to clean up after meals. 

Eat up!

After lunch, they all go up to their rooms for one hour of quiet time (& hopefully a nap).  Then it's play time!  We've been introducing all sorts of fun activities....Games, sports, and singing.  They especially love the 'B-I-N-G-O' song.

 B-I-N-G-O...and Bingo was his name!



Hula hoop!



Alley oop!

Everybody loves colouring and drawing
Even the adults!



Puzzles!



One of the workers takes time out for badminton with the kids 

Riding tandem

One of the older boys teaching
a little one to ride a bike

Some of the older kids have chores, including laundry and washing their bicycles. 

Scrub a dub!  Hand laundry - no washing machines here!

We leave for our guesthouse around 4 pm, and I've been told they later have their baths, then meditation time, then supper (not necssarily in that order.) 

I love every minute I'm out there, and I hope in some small way we're making a difference.

What's not to love?