Only a week into the job, and I have already visited both sites where my local NGO has orphanages, which it calls ‘Peaceful Children’s Homes’.I returned Friday from the Home at Battambang in the West of Cambodia. The great thing about the 5-hour bus trip each way was that it enabled me to get to know the General Manager of the Foundation much better. He is an incredibly impressive 35 year old, who was one of the first orphans supported by the NGO 14 years ago. Having no schooling, he started Grade 1 as an 11 year old, worked through to a degree, followed by stints as an English/Thai/Khmer interpreter with the US State Dep, and then with the Cambodian Constitutional Court. He returned to run the Homes, when they were in difficulty 2 years ago. He is impressive not only in his direct achievements, but in the values he lives by, and tries to pass on to all the children, values of honesty, hard work, obligation to help other people, and belief that Cambodian society can be rebuilt from the bottom up through example.
These values are particularly important in a society, which has been corrupted by its history with the Khmer Rouge and the ‘dog eat dog’ need to do anything to fight for one’s own survival. As a result, all levels `of government and the bureaucracy run on a ‘what’s in it for me’ basis. The top 1% are consequently very rich, but this corruption permeates all the way down, and a vicious circle is created with salaries, which are set low, because people are expected to live off their kickbacks to survive. As an example, teachers are not paid a living wage – they could earn more running a roadside stall, so they have to make up the money, either with 2nd jobs or, more commonly, through private tuition. There is therefore an active incentive to give inadequate tuition, to increase the need for private
tuition to pass exams. It is not that there are not exceptions, but you have to have a strong character to fight against the system.
Veuk, the G.M., believes that the only way that this can be changed is from the bottom up, and thus the over-riding aim of the homes is to instil the right values, to help this to happen – for a `cynical`Westener, this degree of commitment is amazing. He does this very much by example, since he appears to work 7 days a week on one third of the salary that he could get in the private sector.
The Foundation focuses on values, education, and a ‘family atmosphere’, and the kids certainly seem to be having fun. They are also very hard working, and in
the last few years, they have had 100% success in passing Grade 12 and going on to University. This compares with 4% for the country as a whole. 40 of the ‘Peaceful children’ have now graduated from University, and 20 more are still attending.
When Veuk took over as GM, 2 years ago, the Foundation had the 2 homes with 150 children, and $48 in their bank account, with no regular supply of income. The Founder, who has now retired, had a lot of contacts, and Veuk has clearly spent a lot of his time, trying to re-cultivate these contacts, and build on them, to get funding from individuals . The land connected to the homes is used to grow the food for the children, and the donors’ money is mainly used for University fees. This of course, while very attractive from a donor`s point of view, doesn`t leave funds for running any form of organization, to move forward and build on the success of the last 14 years. Hence my role in coming here with American Jewish World Service, to try to help them develop their plans for the future, and a better basis for long term survival. Altogether, something of a challenge, but very humbling and motivating.
Judi has posted a few photos of my visit to Battambang with this blog, but if you're interested in seeing a few more, feel free to click through here to Picasa. The kids were delightful and seemed really happy.
Below- as we were leaving the National Museum last Sunday, this little girl decided that Colin's leg belonged to her Dad and was quite surprised when she discovered that its owner was someone completely different.
