8am: Complete change of plan! We are scheduled to spend the first half of the day at Tampoung visiting the kindergarten and share community lunch. But in the event, we only have an hour there, just time for another lovely welcome, coffee with Fr Glenn and observe the daily rice meal (supported by our charity) for the 55 kindergarten children…..before we are suddenly invited to join Dr Chamrom on a visit to one of the evacuee camps 30k from the Thai border. This is a unique opportunity to see the current border situation at first hand so within the hour we are on our way to the camp northwest of Svay Sisophon to link up with a joint Prefecture/Korean aid team already there. Sudden changes of schedule are a way of life here….which partly explains why staff are so mega busy and permanently so exhausted.
This government-organised camp currently houses 400+ families living in Chinese-sponsored tents with little or no other facilities. We visit one of them and talk to a 34 year old mum of two about her situation…. details to follow in a separate post. A real eye opener.
In a day full of surprises we meet up with Bishop Kike, Ms Theara Kao and members of Karuna Battambang Organisation (KBO) together with Fr Greg Priyadi,Parish Priest of Svay Sisophon, Korean Sisters Franny and Domenica……and our beloved Om Cecile!!! All there helping distribute emergency aid. It’s a very small world….
Finally, a bizarre return journey in the company of a mother and daughter team from France – hitchhikers doing a “Race across the World” type challenge. Dr Chamrom gave them a lift to Battambang in the back of our pickup….but I don’t think we’ll be on the telly. And that was all before 3pm!! Your correspondent is going for a lie down.
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