Hello Everyone,
Hope this update finds you all well. As we work our way through the projects for schools, clinics etc, we always run into specific issues relating to children and families. We try to address as many as we can and here are a few.
Pheara's House
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| thatch walls with many holes |
Pheara is one of the children in our Smart Kids program which educates
rural children working in brick factories to escape the cycle of poverty. Pheara
is a bright and engaging young student who lives off the power grid with her
parents in the country side. When we visited her house we found it to be in need
of work. The house had a good roof but the walls were very poor, made of thatch
and had many holes and openings where the wind and rain could easily enter. They
were also living on borrowed floorboards, widely spaced apart with huge gaps in
between, as they could not afford
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| Preparing a meal |
their own. They had some funds saved but were
years away from being able to complete the work to upgrade their house. We
supplemented their small savings with a few hundred dollars to get the repairs
done. As is usually the case, the minute we announced that we could fund some
material they quickly marshaled friends and family to redo the walls, add a few
windows and get a new floor of their own. The next weekend we went to visit
Pheara and her family as they worked on the house. We all sat down and shared a
simple meal on the floor, as is custom here, they wanted to show their
appreciation and they thanked everyone for supporting them in providing a better
future for their children.
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| New walls, roof, floor and windows |
Odasak School on Stung Sen River, Cambodia
Last week we went down with The Lake Clinic (TLC) team to the Stung Sen River.
We wanted to bring supplies to the Odasak School, the school is close to where
TLC operates. We went to the school in December with TLC when they did a health
check up for the school children. Odasak is a very isolated school and has very
little in the way of resources. The children were small for their age due to
lack of proper nutrition. Most of the children had no shoes.
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| Lining up for new flip flops |
We obtained a list
of needs from the teacher and principal and we returned with scribblers,
pencils, pens, erasers, art supplies, flip
flops, white boards and a first aid
kit. We had to deliver the supplies by van, then boat and then by motor bikes to
reach the school. Once there we organized the kids into lines of different ages
and sizes, boys and girls and started to fit them with the appropriate shoes.
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| First aid for an ankle wound |
One girl, about ten, stepped up to get a pair of shoes and we were shocked to
see that she had a huge open wound down to the bone on her ankle. When we
quizzed her as to why she did not go to the clinic that day she said that she
did not want to miss getting her pair of shoes. Luckily we had the first aid kit
and one of the nurses, Savann, from TLC along with us. Savann had to quite
aggressively clean and then bandage the wound. The little girl sat there
stoically, not showing any expression with what must have been a very painful
procedure. These children are used to hardship and hard work. The teachers and
principal, greatly appreciated the support. The principal told us that he had
worked at the school for five years, because of the isolation of the school he
lived at the school for four years only going back to his home once a month. Now
they put in a small motor bike trail so he is able to live back in his home town
and travels an hour each way on motor bike, which he is happy about.
Thanks to your contribution of books and pencils which brought smiles and laughter to their faces. The shoe made walking to and from school less painful and uncomfortable... simple support that makes a big difference.
Thank you!!!
Rick and Adrianne
