here is a summary of part 1...then a little insight into the shit that goes on in cambodia when you are poor.
so one of my embroidery ladies, srei-nad (aged 19) just had her first baby a week ago. she lives in the most basic shack you could possibly imagine. after some massive rain a couple of days ago...i borrowed an umbrella and went to check on her and baby. sure enough...they were both wet. infact...nothing was dry so little Warrin was wrapped in a wet towel! ive been trying to help this family for a while now...but this really tipped me over the edge...so i put the word out on facebook for people to chip in so we could maybe raise $500 to fix up the place.
well...
the response was amazing. within a couple of hours of putting the word out there i had so many people who were wanting to help out. my faith in humanity was restored....and i got busy organising building supplies and so on. that evening...im losing track of time..but i think it was two nights ago now..so maybe tuesday night...srei-nad and her little family (husband, younger sister, mum and newborn baby) rocked up at our doorstep. miracle of miracles they had accepted my invite to come and sleep with us while the rain continued. so i quickly made a room available for them. they were very embarrassed by all the fuss. like a mattress. and a sheet. and a pillow for each person. a first for them. also a first to have electricity. and a shower. (those of you who've had a baby try to imagine those first few days without a shower.) anyways. everyone was dry and happy....and house improvements were scheduled to begin the next afternoon. yes. yesterday that was.
so yesterday (im back on track now)..i headed down the road to take some photos of the building. sure enough...the building supplies are all there. but nothing else is going on. to make a long story short. word had very quickly spread about the home improvements...and the owners of the land had found out about the plans. and in true rich vs. poor style...they flatly refused for any work to be done. they have been wanting to get rid of the family since buying the land a while ago...and had no desires for these squatters to improve their situation. so...what this little family have been dreading...and avoiding for so long finally came true. they got evicted!!! it was bound to happen at some stage...especially with the road getting widened soon...BUT STILL!! a family got evicted because of me trying to help them out!! hard to explain my feelings as im standing there in the glaring sun. with a three year old who is whining about her sore tummy (more about that later). and my son who was all ready to help fix the house... i had to think of something. and i had to think of something quickly. and of course my phone credit had run out so i couldnt contact steve and ask him what he thought. in fact..i couldnt contact anyone!! so to make a long story short. i invited everyone to come and sit down on our front steps. i explained that the best thing would be to find some land that we could buy. this way they would not have to live in fear anymore . it would also mean that we could out in some long term things...like a drop toilet!! and maybe some running water!! what i proposed to them was that we would pay for the land....and then they can pay back - interest free - $10 a month until its paid off. this way they can feel a real sense of ownership...and the house would be in srei-nads name since she is the one earning the money. this would also mean that once the money is paid off we could help someone else in a similar predicament. they seemed really pleased with that. the house itself would be a gift though. nothing would be paid back for that.
so off young hubby and builder went to look at a piece of land close by. (and in the meantime both my daughters are now complaining of tummy aches and heads hurting. not to mention sewing ladies needing more fabric.) a little while later im told that some land has been found. its a small piece of land but definately enough for this family. i let out a sigh of relief when i hear that its going to cost $300. this widowed woman with her three daughters and now a grand daughter will no longer be squatters...and live illegally... but instead have a small plot of land of their own that they can do improvements on as they earn some more money through the embroidery. to be honest the biggest thing in my mind is that they will have a toilet instead of bushes...and that their morning wash wont be such a public event.
so last night my four year old daughter had a super high fever...and since things havent been good for a while now with both the little girls i realised that i would have to head off to phnom penh (three hours away) to get them to a proper doctor. never a dull moment i tell you. on my quick rush into town to find an ATM i pass srei-nads shack....only its not there anymore!! they had already torn the place down!! so what was yesterday a shack in a muddy puddle. is now just a pile of scrap metal and palm branches in an even muddier puddle!! i so hadnt expected that!! (im just grateful that it wasnt set on fire which seems to be the most popular way to get rid of squatters.
so here i am in phnom penh. with two girls who are pleading to go back to australia to see their dad. both of them with parasites and some weird bacterical thing. our house in kampot is being looked after by a family who still cook their food over a fire every night and who havent mustered up enough courage yet to use the shower.
im still getting messages from friends around the world who are wanting to help out. even with the extra expense of the land - we are going to have enough money to get this family looked after. in fact there will be enough money to buy a bike for 13 year old srei-net so she can start school in september. im even mulling over a small little enterprise to kickstart for Wat. (thats the widowed grandmother...whos a very old 41 year old.) if you have any ideas of what would be good for her let me know. in the three hours it took me to get to phnom penh i could only come up with one idea and its somewhat outrageous...so im happy to get some input.
with that my friends...im needing to sign off. its been a big...week. in fact...in a couple of days its a year since we came to cambodia. so yeah..its been a big year. it has been so heartwarming (sounds lame but its the best word i have for it) to see how many people have chosen to send money in for this little family. i know many of you are still trying to spread the word around...and let me just say..your money will go a long way over here. after a few weeks of feeling really discouraged about what im trying to do over here..its been very grounding to know that there are a lot of you out there that actually 'get it'. so for that...thank you!!
so one of my embroidery ladies, srei-nad (aged 19) just had her first baby a week ago. she lives in the most basic shack you could possibly imagine. after some massive rain a couple of days ago...i borrowed an umbrella and went to check on her and baby. sure enough...they were both wet. infact...nothing was dry so little Warrin was wrapped in a wet towel! ive been trying to help this family for a while now...but this really tipped me over the edge...so i put the word out on facebook for people to chip in so we could maybe raise $500 to fix up the place.
well...
the response was amazing. within a couple of hours of putting the word out there i had so many people who were wanting to help out. my faith in humanity was restored....and i got busy organising building supplies and so on. that evening...im losing track of time..but i think it was two nights ago now..so maybe tuesday night...srei-nad and her little family (husband, younger sister, mum and newborn baby) rocked up at our doorstep. miracle of miracles they had accepted my invite to come and sleep with us while the rain continued. so i quickly made a room available for them. they were very embarrassed by all the fuss. like a mattress. and a sheet. and a pillow for each person. a first for them. also a first to have electricity. and a shower. (those of you who've had a baby try to imagine those first few days without a shower.) anyways. everyone was dry and happy....and house improvements were scheduled to begin the next afternoon. yes. yesterday that was.
so yesterday (im back on track now)..i headed down the road to take some photos of the building. sure enough...the building supplies are all there. but nothing else is going on. to make a long story short. word had very quickly spread about the home improvements...and the owners of the land had found out about the plans. and in true rich vs. poor style...they flatly refused for any work to be done. they have been wanting to get rid of the family since buying the land a while ago...and had no desires for these squatters to improve their situation. so...what this little family have been dreading...and avoiding for so long finally came true. they got evicted!!! it was bound to happen at some stage...especially with the road getting widened soon...BUT STILL!! a family got evicted because of me trying to help them out!! hard to explain my feelings as im standing there in the glaring sun. with a three year old who is whining about her sore tummy (more about that later). and my son who was all ready to help fix the house... i had to think of something. and i had to think of something quickly. and of course my phone credit had run out so i couldnt contact steve and ask him what he thought. in fact..i couldnt contact anyone!! so to make a long story short. i invited everyone to come and sit down on our front steps. i explained that the best thing would be to find some land that we could buy. this way they would not have to live in fear anymore . it would also mean that we could out in some long term things...like a drop toilet!! and maybe some running water!! what i proposed to them was that we would pay for the land....and then they can pay back - interest free - $10 a month until its paid off. this way they can feel a real sense of ownership...and the house would be in srei-nads name since she is the one earning the money. this would also mean that once the money is paid off we could help someone else in a similar predicament. they seemed really pleased with that. the house itself would be a gift though. nothing would be paid back for that.
so off young hubby and builder went to look at a piece of land close by. (and in the meantime both my daughters are now complaining of tummy aches and heads hurting. not to mention sewing ladies needing more fabric.) a little while later im told that some land has been found. its a small piece of land but definately enough for this family. i let out a sigh of relief when i hear that its going to cost $300. this widowed woman with her three daughters and now a grand daughter will no longer be squatters...and live illegally... but instead have a small plot of land of their own that they can do improvements on as they earn some more money through the embroidery. to be honest the biggest thing in my mind is that they will have a toilet instead of bushes...and that their morning wash wont be such a public event.
so last night my four year old daughter had a super high fever...and since things havent been good for a while now with both the little girls i realised that i would have to head off to phnom penh (three hours away) to get them to a proper doctor. never a dull moment i tell you. on my quick rush into town to find an ATM i pass srei-nads shack....only its not there anymore!! they had already torn the place down!! so what was yesterday a shack in a muddy puddle. is now just a pile of scrap metal and palm branches in an even muddier puddle!! i so hadnt expected that!! (im just grateful that it wasnt set on fire which seems to be the most popular way to get rid of squatters.
so here i am in phnom penh. with two girls who are pleading to go back to australia to see their dad. both of them with parasites and some weird bacterical thing. our house in kampot is being looked after by a family who still cook their food over a fire every night and who havent mustered up enough courage yet to use the shower.
im still getting messages from friends around the world who are wanting to help out. even with the extra expense of the land - we are going to have enough money to get this family looked after. in fact there will be enough money to buy a bike for 13 year old srei-net so she can start school in september. im even mulling over a small little enterprise to kickstart for Wat. (thats the widowed grandmother...whos a very old 41 year old.) if you have any ideas of what would be good for her let me know. in the three hours it took me to get to phnom penh i could only come up with one idea and its somewhat outrageous...so im happy to get some input.
with that my friends...im needing to sign off. its been a big...week. in fact...in a couple of days its a year since we came to cambodia. so yeah..its been a big year. it has been so heartwarming (sounds lame but its the best word i have for it) to see how many people have chosen to send money in for this little family. i know many of you are still trying to spread the word around...and let me just say..your money will go a long way over here. after a few weeks of feeling really discouraged about what im trying to do over here..its been very grounding to know that there are a lot of you out there that actually 'get it'. so for that...thank you!!
the Have-Nots
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