Today we decided to hold a sports day for Fun Friday – a great idea in theory but considering the state that we sent the little kids home in after an hour of sack races and tunnel ball, one has to wonder about our sanity.
Explanation of the rules, even in Khmer just wasn’t working so it was left to Andrea, Dave, Cameron, Pa and Mr. Bui (Khmer teachers), and me to demonstrate. (No wonder the kids were confused because the two Aussies, Brit and the Irish confused the hell out of each other, frantically trying to remember the rules). Anyway, it worked. In the end, despite the heat and hideous dust, they loved it.
Later came the tears with a tour of a few of the homes belonging to families requiring urgent sponsorship or house repairs. I can’t believe the state of some of the homes and the condition that these people live in, yet they continue to produce the most beautiful smiles you’ve ever seen. What is fantastic is that such a small amount of money can go such a long way. With contributions of around US$350 from friends, I was able to confirm a new roof for a 60-year old lady (US$50), completely renovate a house for a family of eight (US$175), buy bikes, 2 birth certificates (US$10), 6 school uniforms (US$30), and a mat.
Further, Paul (my brother), Simone, Polly and Charlie have confirmed sponsorship of the family of eight (mentioned above), meaning that the family can be reunited. (The parents had to send their three eldest children away this Wednesday because they could no longer feed and support them. Fortunately that has now changed and they can expect their first allocation of rice, eggs, soy and fish sauce next Friday.
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