O Ta Saeng revisited

When we embarked on the school project at O Ta Saeng we were suffering from a bit of donor fatigue. It was our third school building project after Chhom Trach and Ta Peuv. Fortunately we were able to team up with The Alor Star Methodist Church who not only helped with our school building fund but also went on to build a church at O Ta Saeng. This ended up as a perfect example of not only how school and church building efforts can work together, but two churches that hardly know each other can trust each other enough to work hand in hand to advance His Kingdom.

We have followed up at O Ta Saeng through the donation of a swing and see-saw playground set. Unfortunately the construction was not up to standard and we have left instructions for the contractor to redo the installation. But it is a good start and the kids are clearly delighted with the playground.
We are also putting in place a plan to incentivize the students through the provision of annual prizes for the top 5 students in each class. Unfortunately we didn't go quite prepared this trip so we had to make do by awarding a stuffed toy to the best student in each class. We will prepare a series of gifts/awards for next year, but the presentation this year was nonetheless a good opportunity to make a point to the students that they should strive to do well.

But the school still suffers from a lack of teachers. The government could only provide one teacher. One was drawn from the community and another from the local high school. Currently despite having a maximum capacity of 6 sessions, the school only holds 4 classes - Grades 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Transforming Chhom Trach

Several years ago we were almost accidentally let into a remote village called Chhom Trach.

We had just completed some medical-dental in a village called Ta Prot, and were already packing up when we were told of a nearby village that was very poor. Could we go in and help? We didn't need much persuasion.

Chhom Trach was a very much neglected village. Poor and shunned by the other villagers because of its history of being associated with thieves, drunks and likely ex-Khmer Rouge members (I still remember the armed policeman who escorted us in), it could only try and work the rocky infertile land for whatever subsistence they could get. On that first trip we did whatever medical-dental work we could, and resolved to return.

We had around that time already decided to embark on a school building strategy for future trips and Chhom Trach was easily the first choice for where we wanted to place a school. Despite being so poor and isolated, the local CMS pastors had already begun some work there and there was already a small cell group operating.

It was our first experience building a village school, but by God's grace we raised the required funds fairly quickly and were able to build a two classroom school, a bore-well and two toilets. But what really took us by surprise was the dramatic transformation of that village because of the school and well.

On our follow-up visit, we were taken aback by the change in the children and villagers. The children were clean (well...relatively...)!! And they were laughing and playing. The entire mood of the community was so different. While previously they were negative and despondent, the village we saw now had a sense of positivity, and dare I say it without sounding cliched, ... hope.

The transforming power of the well was so impressive that visitors to the village were inspired to place wells in other villagers. According to Esther, visitors to Chhom Trach had gone on to donate a total of about 53 wells for other villages around the district.

We continued to work with ChhomTrach. This year we were able to begin a once-a-week meal supplementation programme.

At US$0.25 per meal, we were able to provide a simple warm cooked meal of rice and duck's egg fried with some onions and carrots.

A management committee has been set up, which included the Dy Headman, the senior teacher, the kindergarten teacher and a mother from the community. Other than the teacher, the other 3 members were Christians.

From my left: Dy Headman, teacher, kindergarten teacher, mother

While there we took the opportunity to deworm the children as well.


The current operating costs for supporting the village are:

Meals US$0.25 per child per meal.
Currently we are providing 100 child-meals per week, so the annual cost is US1300 per year.

We provide a 'love-gift' for the Meal Committee members of US$5 per month per member, so that comes to US240 per year.

In addition we started a teacher incentivization programme to encourage the teachers do their best for the kids. This is a bonus of US$15 per month for each session taught by the teacher. Currently the school is operating 3 out of a maximum of 4 sessions, so the programme will cost us US$45 per month and US$540 per year.

Total annual cost for supporting Chhom Trach =US$2080. This amounts to approximately US$21 per child per year. I think it is money well spent.

Mirinae - Downgraded to Tropical Depression

Forecasted path of Typhoon Mirinae (from Weather Underground 2/11/2009)

Thank God, Mirinae is losing steam It is forecasted to reach Cambodia about tomorrow but has been downgraded to a "tropical depression".

Tonle Sap flood plains

The TonleSap flood plain. The dark blue areas represent the permanent waters of the Tonle Sap, while the lighter blue regions are the flood plains. I have inserted the approximate location of Baray in the map so you can see where it is relative to the flood plains and the Tonle Sap.

Extracted from the Inventory of Conflict and Environment (ICE) website. For more information about the Mekong flood plain please go there.

Through a unique natural process, the Tonle Sap, which is fairly small and shallow for the most of the year, increases in size and volume almost nine-fold during the monsoon season when the Mekong floods and pushes water into the lake. Due to its rich biodiversity, the Tonle Sap floodplain is one of the most productive inland fisheries in the world, supporting over 3 million people and providing at least 60% of the Cambodians’ protein intake.

The problem is further complicated by the overall decline of the Mekong River, caused by adverse human interference and climate change. While exact origins of the Mekong have not been identified, it is known that its source lies somewhere in the mountains of Tibet. Every spring, when the ice melts the resulting water flows into the river, replenishing it. With Asia becoming hotter and drier as a consequence of climate change, the glaciers that provide Mekong’s water may diminish with time, supplying less and less water with each consequent year. Such decline in water supply at the source, exacerbated by excessive demands imposed on the Mekong’s flow by filling of dam basins, may lead to severe deterioration of the Tonle Sap and its biosphere.


Here are some pictures to show you what the flood plains look like when they are flooded. These pics were taken on the way back from the 'fishing village'. In the dry season, these would just be open land, some being cultivated with padi.

Typhoon Mirinae

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- International aid agency Oxfam has cautioned that a new wave of rain from Typhoon Mirinae is expected to reach Cambodia on Nov. 2.

In a statement received Saturday, Oxfam said situations in communities already affected by Typhoon Ketsana and prolonged annual floods in central and northern Cambodia are likely to worsen with the effects of the new typhoon, putting already affected people further at risk.

"Typhoon Mirinae is currently on track to hit the northern Philippines island of Luzon . Although Cambodia may not be hit with the full strength of the typhoon, the country remains vulnerable due to its limited resources for preparation and response, and while the country is just beginning to recover from recent flooding," the statement said.

"Typhoon Mirinae could set back on-going emergency work and planned recovery and rehabilitation efforts in Cambodia ," said Francis Perez, Country Lead of Oxfam in Cambodia .

"The effects of the new typhoon could increase hazards in still flooded areas and cause further damage to crops and livelihoods. It may also displace communities or prolong the return of those already displaced by Typhoon Ketsana," he added.

Fearing a new threat of another typhoon, Oxfam is alerting humanitarian agencies and government authorities to help communities living in areas susceptible to flooding to be prepared by stocking on clean water and food and securing important documents.

The damage from Typhoon Ketsana runs to around 40 million U.S. dollars in Cambodia, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The storm, which killed at least 30 people, affected about 6,000 families and destroyed thousands of hectares of rice fields, and local infrastructure such as irrigation systems, roads, schools and houses.

Afzelia xylocarpa - The Cambodian Beng tree

The Cambodians call it the Beng tree. The scientific name is Afzelia xylocarpa . It is listed as one of the endangered tree species in Cambodia.

From Wikipedia: Afzelia xylocarpa is a tree from Southeast Asia. It grows in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma in deciduous forests. It can reach 30 meters tall with a trunk up to 2 meters in diameter in a mature specimen. An alternative name is Pahudia cochinchinensis. The seeds are harvested for medicinal purposes. The seed pulp can be used to make cigarettes and the bark and seed are used for herbal medicine. The highly-figured lumber is often sold as Afzelia Xylay. The wood is used for ornamental woodturning, pens, knife handles, carvings, and musical instruments.


Other Endangered trees include:
Anisoptera costata
Dalbergia oliveri
Dipterocarpus alatus
Dipterocarpus costatus
Hopea ferrea
Hopea pierrei
Shorea henryana
Shorea roxburghii
Vatica cinerea

Critically Endangered species:
Aquilaria crassna
Dipterocarpus dyeri
Hopea helferi
Shorea guiso
Shorea hypochra

The Aquilaria crassna is the ketsana or agarwood tree which the recent typhoon was named after.

Blessings abound, we set forth...

Thanks to the generosity of friends and relatives, we have put together a total of US$4000.

This morning as Esther and Samreth left, I passed them US$2000, and will give the rest when we see them tomorrow in Phnom Penh. I am particularly concerned that we use some of the money to buy milk powder for the nursing mothers.

All in all, we are pretty excited about going to Cambodia again. When I first went to Cambodia almost 10 years ago, I never thought I would build up such an affection for that country, and the people there. This trip will see us bringing 60kg of old used clothes, children's books and toys with us.

Thank God for His leading and protection. We continue to entrust our lives to Him as we set out early tomorrow morning.