Cambodia and Khmer Community
The Official Site for Cambodia Community, Khmer people
HOPE...
But in the mud and scum of things
There always, always something sings"
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Not much can prepare you for Cambodia.
Corruption, Poverty, Vulnerability, Exploitation
You can only to be heart broken by the devastating poverty and the drastic effects that war and corruption has subjected over this potentially beautiful country.
However the thing that keeps me coming back to the country is of course the people and their will to overcome their hardships. Families living in complete poverty however somehow still manage to keep a smile on their faces and live with their hearts full of hope. Although witnessing the hope inside of people is a beautiful sight it is often only brought out in the worst of situations. The Andong community is a prime example of this.
Andong is one of the many areas where displaced communities in Cambodia are being relocated to. It is currently being called 'home' to approximately 1800 Khmer families. Andong is a slum area about an hour out of the hustle and bustle of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. Andong however bares no resemblance to the near by city. Instead it is an area prone to severe flooding, which causes many water borne diseases to affect the families subjected to the environment. With limited sewage and water sanitation and phenomenal amounts of rubbish dumped all throughout the community you can only begin to imagine the stench that these people have to live in when the hot weather rolls in, which of course in Cambodia is most days of the year.
Walking through the community of Andong amongst the squatter housing, the neglected thatched roofing houses and through the canals of sewage and waste it is hard to believe that people actually call this place home, that for people and their families this is just a way of life. As you walk through Andong you are still bombarded by little children yelling out 'hello', children giggling, singing or dancing and Khmer ladies happily chatting away as they do their washing in the same lake used for drinking, bathing and swimming. Everyone seems to have a smile on their faces despite their devastating situation. It gives your life a real perspective. If any good had to come out of the horrific conditions of Andong it would have to be the hope. The hope that the people continue to have each day; that things will improve, hope it won't rain too much, in hope life will be little less difficult when they wake up the next morning. Hope is what guides the people of Andong and other displaced communities through the hardships they face. Hopefully the people of Andong can hold on a little while longer continuing to keep their smiling faces to the sunshine, so they can overcome seeing the dark shadow.
There always, always something sings"
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Not much can prepare you for Cambodia.
Corruption, Poverty, Vulnerability, Exploitation
You can only to be heart broken by the devastating poverty and the drastic effects that war and corruption has subjected over this potentially beautiful country.
However the thing that keeps me coming back to the country is of course the people and their will to overcome their hardships. Families living in complete poverty however somehow still manage to keep a smile on their faces and live with their hearts full of hope. Although witnessing the hope inside of people is a beautiful sight it is often only brought out in the worst of situations. The Andong community is a prime example of this.
Andong is one of the many areas where displaced communities in Cambodia are being relocated to. It is currently being called 'home' to approximately 1800 Khmer families. Andong is a slum area about an hour out of the hustle and bustle of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. Andong however bares no resemblance to the near by city. Instead it is an area prone to severe flooding, which causes many water borne diseases to affect the families subjected to the environment. With limited sewage and water sanitation and phenomenal amounts of rubbish dumped all throughout the community you can only begin to imagine the stench that these people have to live in when the hot weather rolls in, which of course in Cambodia is most days of the year.
Walking through the community of Andong amongst the squatter housing, the neglected thatched roofing houses and through the canals of sewage and waste it is hard to believe that people actually call this place home, that for people and their families this is just a way of life. As you walk through Andong you are still bombarded by little children yelling out 'hello', children giggling, singing or dancing and Khmer ladies happily chatting away as they do their washing in the same lake used for drinking, bathing and swimming. Everyone seems to have a smile on their faces despite their devastating situation. It gives your life a real perspective. If any good had to come out of the horrific conditions of Andong it would have to be the hope. The hope that the people continue to have each day; that things will improve, hope it won't rain too much, in hope life will be little less difficult when they wake up the next morning. Hope is what guides the people of Andong and other displaced communities through the hardships they face. Hopefully the people of Andong can hold on a little while longer continuing to keep their smiling faces to the sunshine, so they can overcome seeing the dark shadow.
The Cambodian Kids Foundation is working hard with many communities living in relocation areas, including Andong, our Rudi Boa school reaches hundreds of children in the relocation site of Borey Santepheap II, if anyone is interested in helping out with our work please get into contact with me sam@cambodiankidsfoundation.com or visit our recently updated website www.cambodiankidsfoundation.com.
+++ CKF are planning on making a documentary about life after illegal evictions & life at a relocation site, if anyone is looking for a very educational & meaningful volunteer journey please contact us about coming along and helping and seeing these horror first hand - we want to raise awareness about these things back home in Australia so that people understand whats going on and help ensure it doesn't keep happening in the future.
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