NEW: My first day in Pursat...

Time for catch- up! 

I arrived at Sustainable Cambodia in Pursat on Saturday, May 22, 2010.  Immediately upon my arrival, I was greeted by the other volunteers, Kevin, Paulina, and Anisha.  They showed me to my room, which is pretty nice-- spacious and clean with a couple double beds, a desk, compact refrigerator, TV (not necessary!), and a large bath.  I dropped my off my bags and then went to lunch at a restaurant down the street.

Polin informed me that there was going to be an art drawing competition at 3:00 pm in the library and perhaps I should check it out.  Thus began an afternoon of meeting the school children and teachers and it is no exaggeration that every time I turned around there was another student wanting to meet me!  "Hello, how are you?"  "What is your name?"  Because learning English is so important in Cambodia, the children were very excited to have a new volunteer with whom they could practice their English.  I had so many interesting and refreshing conversations-- one student wanted to talk about Barak Obama, the United States government, politics, and world history.  Several other girls wanted to talk about their hopes, dreams and their experiences about being young women in Cambodia.  In Cambodia, family traditions are strong and the girls openly expressed their frustration of being torn between continuing their education or honoring their obligations toward family.  The cultural pressures for a young woman to stay at home and assist her struggling family and of finding a husband before she gets too old are great.  Some of these girls want a quality education and the opportunity to study at a university or study abroad, but are unsure of how to access the resources that would help them to do so.  They were curious about my history and how I managed to find my own independence.  My response to this sensitive topic was to talk about the importance of finding balance in one's life, to continue learning for the benefit of one's self, while also giving attention to family and community. I could sense that the word "balance" and the idea of it was a bit new, but then I am always astounded at the idea when I think of it for myself......  

In the mid- 1970's the Khmer Rouge wiped out education and schools in Cambodia by murdering  teachers and the educated elites.  The country is still in the long process of rebuilding its education system; the parents and grandparents of the current generation suffered greatly during the Khmer Rouge, but with each day, there is progress....

In Cambodia, opportunities for advancement are few, especially for the poor, but things can change rapidly in our contemporary economic climate-- it is possible that opportunities will open up to more young people in the future.....   it seems there are many people and organizations that have good intentions, and are working towards building more resilient communities.....
 

After several hours of greetings and conversation, I was a bit wiped out!  But I can hardly express in words the impression these interactions had on me; the young people of Pursat have such an appreciation for their education and they have a strong desire to want to do more for themselves and their community...