Each day I think to myself that it is impossible for living conditions to get any worse for the people of Cambodia. Today I saw poverty at its absolute worst state imaginable. 
This morning MaryAnne and I left our hotel at 6am when the Commissioner of Girl Guides picked us up. Our destination today was Phum Thom, a small village about two and a half hours from Phnom Penh. To get there we had to take a ferry to across the Mekong River because there are no roads yet connecting the communities on the other side. Next we drove down this very, very long muddy road. This road was filled with massive holes and the mud was extremely slippery. We were driving in a big truck and our vehicle still fishtailed many times. Others on this road were driving motos or animal-drawn carriages and they had a more difficult time getting through the mud. I saw many people fall off their motos and become covered in mud. As we reached the villages, the mud roads continued and I began to see more of the awful conditions for people living here. It was honestly like a whole different world or back in time centuries ago when civilization was just beginning to form. These people lived in small huts made of grass, leaves and sticks that were many times elevated on posts to keep from the flooding of the river. People here use the Mekong River for everything- bathing, washing clothes and dishes, drinking and for every use imaginable. The trash and wastes from these people end up in the river. The water was a dark brown color and very dirty. People here farm, fish, and work in the rice fields to obtain their food. There is no electricity, shops, or restrooms anywhere in the villages. Cars do not typically pass through the streets- today the people starred as our big truck passed by their homes. Many were shocked as they saw me looking out the back window because they have probably never seen an American before. Dogs and cows rested in streets not wanting to be disturbed and chickens and roosters walked casually across the street. I noticed many young children as I drove by these villages. Many were unattended and playing outside without any clothes on.
We finally reached the location where the Promise Ceremony was to be taken place. Girl Guides are equivalent to what we all know as Girl Scouts in the U.S. Some goals for these girls include: learning a variety of different skills, participating in community service, and protecting themselves-especially from human trafficking. There were 105 girls at the ceremony today and each were there to make a commitment to become leaders in their community as a Girl Guide. It was so wonderful to see that even in the conditions these girls lived in, they still set goals for themselves to succeed. MaryAnne and I each received a Girl Guides of Cambodia uniform and bandana as well making us official Girl Guides! We helped to give each girl her bandana and pins for her shirt. Towards the end of the ceremony we handed each girl the gift bags we made for them. They were very excited with the hair accessories and the WNEC stuffed animal that was inside the bag. They also were very interested with their dental kits. I noticed the children looking confused with the dental floss; not understanding it’s use. It made their day to just receive those small items.
MaryAnne funded the ceremony and it was very well put together. The girls sang and one young girl spoke. There were other speeches from the Commissioner of Girls Guides, MaryAnne, and the Village Leader congratulating them on their accomplishment. I really enjoyed capturing video of this event and being able to interact with the girls as well.
After the ceremony we walked to the nearby medical clinic that MaryAnne and the Grinspoon Foundation built and provide funding for sustaining. It is called the Sok Sabay Clinic and it opened in October of 2006. The commune is comprised of about 26,000 people in six small villages and there is are no other health clinics close by. The orgional plan for the clinic was to service a maximum of 300 patients a month. However, in less than a year the patient load grew to 1,800 patients a month. Many people get very sick from drinking the filthy river water. Just this past year, the clinic was enlarged to better care for mothers and children. Before the clinic was established, mothers would have their babies outside of their homes or in the fields. Now about 40 women a month come in to deliver their babies. Today I was able to see five mothers with their newborn babies- all boys! They were so tiny and adorable- what an incredible site to see! I learned one baby that was delivered today had something seriously wrong with his stomach swelling. The mother and baby had to be brought to Phnom Penh to try and save the baby. However, to get there they need to take a boat (not even a speed boat), which will take a very long time. Visiting the clinic today allowed me to see tremendous impact it has on this society.
I have never before realized just how lucky I am to be living life in my shoes. Feelings of guilt came over me as I was leaving that village to go back to my luxury hotel room with electricity, a bed, and a bathroom. I have so much that I take for granted everyday of my life without even realizing it. The people living in the villages were smiling and satisfied with what they had. These people do not know any different because this is how they have lived their entire lives. Yet seeing how they lived will affect me for the rest of my life and allow me to appreciate everything I have so much more. This is something that is very important for everybody to learn... Hopefully the video I create will help to open the eyes of others to think the same way.
(For more photos see my Facebook page)
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