Takeaway breakfast at 6.45am before the 80 mile drive to Pailin on the border with Thailand. Amazing welcome at the Daughters of Charity house where Sisters Norma and Angela really pull out the stops with welcome banner, handmade posies, silk scarves, sticky rice in banana leaf etc – before the first visit of the day to Soun Ampou Primary School in Pailin City. This is the school where, on our visit a year ago, we discovered vandals had cut the electrical cable to the well, thus disabling the entire water system Support Cambodia had installed 12 months before. Today we are here to inspect the repairs and yes, they have (mostly) been done, everything is more or less operational and there’s even a fledgling veg patch. But the shortfall at Soun Ampou is evident when an hour later we arrive at Phnom Priel Primary, 20k out of the city The Principal and his smartly attired staff of 6 are waiting to greet us with a small group of excited little girls. Courtesy of Support Cambodia, the school is newly repainted throughout, creating a fresh and inviting atmosphere for the children. Support Cambodia’s first two borewells were installed here in 2016 when there was no water on site and although they have now been replaced (yes. Samaritans Purse again!) it’s clear that water is now an integral facility here. But the most impressive thing is the way the whole school community – head teacher, staff, parents, children and Sister Norma – have worked together to get the painting done and they are rightly proud of the result. The contrast between the schools couldn’t be starker.
Next, to Pheasabao village for distribution of baby milk. Support Cambodia presently funds this program so it’s lovely to meet the babies first hand.
A delicious home-cooked lunch (thank you Sisters!) is followed by a brief meeting with Marist Brother Gustavo and a look at the Sewing Room funded by Support Cambodia in 2022. Although we no longer fund this facility, Sister Norma has plans to reinvigorate its use.
Finally, we’re just in time to catch the children at Sneung Kindergarten before they go home, check on thje Support Cambodia borewell and see the new classroom with desks provided by Aylsham Rotary Club. Together with the well. water filter, funding for the kindergarten and support for the local elderly, our charity has contributed significantly to Sneung over the last year so it’s great to see it all in good shape and moving forward. Big thanks to outgoing parish priest Fr Carlos for his partnership with us here.
And yes, it’s been another very long day ….but our visit here in Battambang Province is finished and tomorrow we return to Siem Reap for two more visits, craft shopping and some downtime.
Thank you to the many, many kind people who have welcomed and looked after us over the last 6 days. Special thanks to Dr Chamrom – we really couldn’t have done this without you. Okoon charen.
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