Monday 28 March
Up early and checked the footy scores. Yeah Carlton – but what happened to the Swans?! Seems like they squandered an early lead – look like another stressful year for Swans fans………….
Did some email and admin in the office before heading off with Bindi & Moni for Koh Kong Province Cambodia Cambodia
It’s a 5 hour ride including a few breaks. At our first stop we indulge in papaya, pineapple and coconut rice treats wrapped in banana leaf. Yum! The lunch stop is not so appetising. I pass on the pots of ready cooked choices and ask for a vegie fried rice – its OK.
At the office Suthkray briefs us on the village selection process for he women in business program. Its incredibly detailed. I’m surprised to learn that Cambodia CARE is able to identify the villages in most need of the program. 36% of Cambodians live below the poverty line. CARE is targeting those that fall the furthest below, and also where there is a high school drop out rate, or a high incidence of never attending school. Discussion revolves around the areas of need, teacher identification and training, and the logistics of reaching some of the villages, especially come the approaching rainy season.
Finish work around 5.30 & check into a hotel on the river. I have a lovely river view room for US$18. Bindi (CARE Project Director for Women at Risk programs) and I head to a riverside restaurant to debrief. Its happy hour so $3 affords 2 lovely Mai Tais! We talk for hours and end up ordering dinner - stir fried prawns with the local kampot pepper for me. Coconut ice-cream to finish! I’ve eaten enough tonight to get me through the day tomorrow should the food situation be dire in the villages!
Off to bed around 10.15.
Tuesday 30 March
Village adventures
Awoke to a sunrise over the Koh Kong river. Not sure where else in the world you would get a hotel room like this for US$18. Breakfast on the river –local omelette, baguette, tea. Once at the office its straight out with Amsara & our driver to interview beneficiaries of CAREs programs in the Koh Kong provinces’ villages. Our first visit is to the village of Pak Klong1
Sreypich ia a 16 girl who has attended CAREa LEAD & WE Bloom projects. They aim to empower young women by providing them literacy, small business, financial, and life skill training (mainly covers reproductive health matters). Sreypich is one of 7 children and her father sometimes works on local building projects. All 4 of the girls in the family had dropped out of school by grade 4 – this is standard. With CAREs assistance she has set up a small grocery store –its almost the first building you enter the village. By store I mean a loose wooden structure, tin roof, a table displaying goods, and a table and chairs out front. Coffee at 1000 riel (25 cents) is her most popular sale. Followed by alcohol (1500 riel 38 cents)– they call it gin – certainly not Bombay Sapphire! Its in a big screw top jar and its murky brown. Mum & Dad and her siblings all come and listen to our interview and I get the feeling I’m a bit of a novelty. At 16 Sreypich is marriageable age; so the business gives her some independence and choice.
Our next visit is to Chayhuon. She’s a 12 year old Mum whose husband, like most of the villagers, is a fisherman. She too has a small grocery store, but hers is more about the coffee and alcohol. Her “café” is a few poles covered by a tarp for shelter. Amongst all the dust there is a clean tablecloth and the goods are arranged neatly. Chayhuon is really shy but is animated when she nurses her baby boy. Like Sreypich, her ambition is to expand her business. Both girls are making about 50,000 riel/day , about US$6.
Chayhuon & her son Tonmeoun
Next it’s a walk to Pak Khong3. This village is set over water. The houses are on stilts directly over the ocean and the “footpaths” are timber walkways over water. Mostly they are not very solid, and being considerably bigger than the average Khmer I worry about landing in the filthy water. Many women in the village have been involved with CAREs programs, and Amsara is greeted warmly by many as we pass through. Lucky for me there is a wedding ion progress and the village leader invites me to look. The bride & groom appear very solemn, not smiling and staring ahead.. The considerable crowd are far more celebratory. Its very colourful & loud. The bride and her attendants are painted like dolls and there are more sequins than the Brownlows!
In one of the over water houses Lyheang runs a sweets business. In the back of her mothers home she makes sweet treats with yellow beans, red beans. coconut milk and sticky rice. The kitchen faces directly onto the ocean and through the floor planks one can see the water below. I worry that the hot pots directly on the kitchen floor will burn through. It must be very difficult here in rainy season. There are many holes in the tin roof.
Lyheang the villages best sweets cook!
She finished school at grade 3, and prior to the CARE program 3 years ago she helped he mother in the house. She is one of 6 children and there is no father in the household. She enjoys cooking and assures me her sweets are very popular in the village. I buy a small juicy pineapple before leaving – its 2000 riel ( 50 cents), and despite the bargain price its artfully peeled and chopped and presented in a small plastic bag with a skewer to ensure mess free enjoyment!
Back to the office for lunch around 12.15 and to check some details that were lost in translation during my interviews. Satear kindly fills in the details. Amsara and I are doing OK on the communication – but I know I am not getting anywhere near understanding the details of these women’s amazing stories.
After lunch it’s off to another village, Ta Chat. Whilst Pak Khong was a seaside setting and all about fishing, Ta Chat is a lovely rural setting beside a channel. At the beginning of the village there is a very bright and new looking pagoda.
Sok Chea’s house is opposite. It’s a grocery store and they have a TV which makes it popular with the villagers. All of eh family is here to greet me – neighbours, cousins, parents and grandparents. Grandfather has lots of advice re what I should photograph – in particular he doesn’t want me to miss the baby chicks! With all these chickens running around my feet avian influenza does cross my mind!
Like the farming programs I saw in Prey Veng province, CARE teaches chicken farming in this area as well. Most villagers have chickens, the run around everywhere, but by putting them in pens they are more manageable. They can have larger flocks, keep track of them, and most importantly they don’t mix with other birds and the risk of disease is lowered. Sok Chea supplements her family’s grocery business with her chicken farming. She has load of chicks – no wonder Grandad is proud!
Grandpa's chicks
Off through the village to see our next program participant. I’m confronted with the most rickety 2 plank bridge I’ve ever seen! No rails, and every step seems to wobble! The fishing village bridges were well structured compared to these. At least the water here appears cleaner should I take a plunge. Our program participant has gone to the market, so I talk to her mother and aunty. All the women I have met are composed and have a undeniable strength. One of the core premises of development is to improve communities by empowering women. From the women I have met today I totally agree.
Tonight Bindi and I stay at the Oasis resort outside of town. Nice place run by Jason, an Englishman. Rustic ambience and great food. Its actually quite chilly tonight. Slept well.
Wednesday 30 – Seamstresses do Karaoke
Awoken around to load Khmer music – not a particularly melodic way to start the day. Apparently there is a wedding down the road – can’t believe the bride has to be ready at this hour!!
Breakfast of banana pancakes is delicious. Into the office at 7.30am and spend about 1,5 hours wring up my interview stories whilst Bindi attends one last meeting. With Sokree our driver we start the 5 hour drive back to Phnom Penh
Back in town I have the unique experience of attending the CARE PACE program graduation ceremony at Bright Sky garment factory. Its one of the 350 garment factories in town and has a reputation for being one of the better in terms of conditions. And yes – we have another acronym. PACE = Personal Enhancement & Career Enhancement. It’s a 12 month life skills and literacy training course for the garment industry workers and it funded by GAP who manufacture their jeans her in Cambodia
Ocean Sky, a Singaporean company runs this factory and management areal here for the graduation.
It’s a big event celebrated in true Khmer style with lots of Karaoke. 201 girls are here and they all giggle shyly at any provocation. Obviously the speeches are funny – I wish I had more of an idea what was being said. After the 3rd karaoke number I’ve had my fill – however just being part of this experience is something special. The girls are proud and happy and I’m sure it’s the first time anyone has applauded them. Very special.
Quick snack for dinner at the local restaurant next door – fish cakes and chicken satay with a beer
Some of the garment factory girls graduating from the PACE program. Bindi is 3rd from left
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