CambodiaWatch Team took an initiative to organise a food supply distribution after a team member returning from Cambodia had witnessed the devastating effects of flooding.
With a small group of friends and support network, and in collaboration with expat friends in Phnom Penh, we were able to successfully deliver supplies to a number of flood affected families.
"I saw families who ate nothing more than donated rice and vegetable grown in nearby rice fields. I saw young children in constant hunger as they sat next to their mothers waiting for their meal."
Below is an account from our friends in Cambodia who took their time off work to meet those in need, and spent the past week organising the logistics. We couldn’t have assisted those in need without their supports. For that, we thank them wholeheartedly, and we are looking forward to working together again on the next projects.
Flood Victims of Tram Klar Village, Tbeng Commune, Kampong Svay District, Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia - 29 October 2011
Like many families who lived in Kampong Svay district of Kampong Thom Province, the population of Tram Klar Village of Tbeng commune which comprised of about 300 families had been severely affected by flood waters around mid September 2011, just a few days before Pchum Ben holiday. The situation got worse soon after Pchum Ben.
Those who were only able to afford to construct houses at ground level were the most affected as their dwellings and possessions were quickly inundated. They found they had nowhere to stay and their rice crop and village plantations were soon under water. The families who were well-off generally constructed houses on stilts higher up which provided better protection against flooding, and they were relatively safe. It had now been around 5 to 6 weeks since the flood.
The local school in Tram Klar village was also inundated, with initially one of the children reported drown, and 2 more were reported on 29 October.
With the support of the local Red Cross, around 140 families were evacuated to Toul Chan Prum, about 2 kilometres away. Toul Chan Prum is located at a higher elevation near a National Highway, so it was a logical site for temporary accommodation for the victims.
The Red Cross provided communal tents, which I believe were donated by the Japanese Government. Each tent is estimated to be 6m x 3m and was shared between 5 families, with women and children stayed in the tent at night and the men remained outside. Some men returned to the village when possible, to safeguard their possessions which were left behind. Other necessary items provided by the Red Cross were manually operated emergency pumps to extract clean drinking water.
Since their arrival at the relatively safe site in Toul Chan Prum on 21 October, each family received one plastic water container and 2 kilograms of rice.
Natural disasters are known to have the greatest impact on the poorest of the poor, and this is heartbreaking.
I’ve returned from Australia to live and work in Cambodia since 1992 and, at my friends’ request, agreed to take a trip to the site to learn of the situation first hand. While the assistance received from the Red Cross was most appreciated by the flood victims, it was limited in quantity, and much more supports were needed.
The hardship was severely felt by the elderly and families with young children, those who were least able to fend for themselves. I saw families who ate nothing more than donated rice and vegetable grown in nearby rice fields. I saw young children in constant hunger as they sat next to their mothers waiting for their meal. The sights of hungry children were hard to bear as I had firsthand experience of being in constant hunger myself during my time with the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979.
After confirmation with my friends in Australia about the date of distribution and the types of foods to be donated, we purchased 2,800 kilograms of rice, 840 bottles of fish sauce, dozens of water bottles, plus sweet and biscuits for young children.
On 29th October, we travelled for 3 hours from Phnom Penh to Kompong Thom City, then we shipped our supplies to Toul Chan Prum, which is 16 kilometres north of Kompong Thom. We finally arrived at 10:30am and distributed foods to 140 families, with each family receiving 20 kilograms of rice and 6 bottles of fish sauce. The cost of supplies provided to each family was about $16 (including transport from Kompong Thom City), which was a small sum of money that made a great difference to their well-beings. Sixteen dollars could provide emergency sustenance for a family of 5 for up to 10 days, which meant a lot when one was in dire straits and had no means to earn an income for an extended period of time. About 150 children were also very happy that same morning as biscuits and water bottles were shared all round.
As I walked through the camp an hour after the distribution I could see hundreds of smiling faces. Everywhere, there were greetings and thanking gestures with hands put together, and the words “thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you, thank you...!” As volunteers on site, we were happy to witness that moment but we also knew that they would be facing further hardship for several months to come. Then a woman in her mid 30s who had many small children with her lowered herself to the ground with her hands together and said with gratitude “thank you for bringing us rice.” She said it with such sincerity that it was heartbroken to hear it, knowing that her family had been without adequate food for quite some time now.
Our donor friends in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, should be proud of their initiative. They are among those few who decided to donate to help the poorest of the poor. For me, they are the role models for the other Cambodians across the globe and, indeed, for individuals in Cambodia who have the capacity to assist those less fortunate. As we found out, it takes very little to ease the suffering of others.
We thank you all.
Expat friends in Cambodia
Since their arrival at the relatively safe site in Toul Chan Prum on 21 October, each family received one plastic water container and 2 kilograms of rice.
Natural disasters are known to have the greatest impact on the poorest of the poor, and this is heartbreaking.
I’ve returned from Australia to live and work in Cambodia since 1992 and, at my friends’ request, agreed to take a trip to the site to learn of the situation first hand. While the assistance received from the Red Cross was most appreciated by the flood victims, it was limited in quantity, and much more supports were needed.
The hardship was severely felt by the elderly and families with young children, those who were least able to fend for themselves. I saw families who ate nothing more than donated rice and vegetable grown in nearby rice fields. I saw young children in constant hunger as they sat next to their mothers waiting for their meal. The sights of hungry children were hard to bear as I had firsthand experience of being in constant hunger myself during my time with the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979.
After confirmation with my friends in Australia about the date of distribution and the types of foods to be donated, we purchased 2,800 kilograms of rice, 840 bottles of fish sauce, dozens of water bottles, plus sweet and biscuits for young children.
On 29th October, we travelled for 3 hours from Phnom Penh to Kompong Thom City, then we shipped our supplies to Toul Chan Prum, which is 16 kilometres north of Kompong Thom. We finally arrived at 10:30am and distributed foods to 140 families, with each family receiving 20 kilograms of rice and 6 bottles of fish sauce. The cost of supplies provided to each family was about $16 (including transport from Kompong Thom City), which was a small sum of money that made a great difference to their well-beings. Sixteen dollars could provide emergency sustenance for a family of 5 for up to 10 days, which meant a lot when one was in dire straits and had no means to earn an income for an extended period of time. About 150 children were also very happy that same morning as biscuits and water bottles were shared all round.
As I walked through the camp an hour after the distribution I could see hundreds of smiling faces. Everywhere, there were greetings and thanking gestures with hands put together, and the words “thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you, thank you...!” As volunteers on site, we were happy to witness that moment but we also knew that they would be facing further hardship for several months to come. Then a woman in her mid 30s who had many small children with her lowered herself to the ground with her hands together and said with gratitude “thank you for bringing us rice.” She said it with such sincerity that it was heartbroken to hear it, knowing that her family had been without adequate food for quite some time now.
Our donor friends in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, should be proud of their initiative. They are among those few who decided to donate to help the poorest of the poor. For me, they are the role models for the other Cambodians across the globe and, indeed, for individuals in Cambodia who have the capacity to assist those less fortunate. As we found out, it takes very little to ease the suffering of others.
We thank you all.
Expat friends in Cambodia
1 comment:
Life in Cambodia today is not much different than during 1950 to 60.
At the old day we also have to fight with flooding in our villages, but we still have to go to school and enough to live our life. We were not rich neither poor or beggars. were able to manage our life and not expected or waiting much help from others.
Post a Comment