Saturday, December 3, 2016

Saving a School

Dear Friends,

We hope all is well with you and yours. We have now arrived in Siem Reap and after a few days of R&R are back working away in Cambodia. We have been seeing many of the wonderful kids that we all assist and it is great to see them again and see how well they are doing thanks to your support and generosity.

Yesterday we went out to visit a small, isolated floating school in a village on the Tonle Sap Lake. We were asked last year if we could help this school as it is sinking and has very little resources. So after an hour and a half road trip and a two and a half hour boat trip (one way on a small fibreglass boat with a long tail motor) we arrived at the school. As we stepped onto the school we could immediately see the problem. The water started to come over the wooden floor boards.
As we entered the school we could also see how little the teacher and the children had to work with however the children are all so very eager to learn and without this school they would never learn to read and write. The wife of the village chief teaches these children with no monetary compensation, she does it because she believes every child has the right to an education.

Even though we raised funds from our great partners Compassionate Eye Foundation for new bamboo to float the school we also could not leave without offering to bring a new black board, chalk, books, school supplies and also fix the ceiling which is falling down as well as some other structural work. The blackboard was not a black board anymore it is a brown board and worn paper, thin from so much use and most of the kids had only slates to to write on.


 
As we said farewell to the kids and they left on their boats and we left on ours our hearts were heavy with seeing how little these children have in their lives and also full to think that together we can keep this haven of learning and respite floating and benefiting children.

Here is a little video of the children heading home.




With thanks, respect and appreciation,
Rick and Adrianne