I have met most of the kids now. They are so much fun Today I pooled
all my resources and gave the school some gifts. Along with the $200.00
my friend from swimming gave us I was able to purchase a motorbike for
O… who can now go back to school. She hasn’t been to school for 3
months and now her dad can drive her. (She hasn’t been able to access
the high school in her wheel chair because it is too far and a not so
good road.) I don’t know if she will go back to school straight away
which she was very keen to do, but as she has missed the first 3 months
of year 7 I said it may not be best to go back this year. Plus next
year her younger brother T… will be going to high school and will be
ale to drive her on their motorbike. I left the decision of when she
starts with the family, at least now they can choose. (I am pretty sure
she will go back now, she was very keen and obviously missed her friends
and studies)
I gave 8 bicycles to 8 students who Mr Hon chose. We only had one car,
so there were ten of us driving from the school to City Centre, (7 kids
in the back – me, a kid, and the driver in the front)
I let S……. chose the first bike. S……. is infected with HIV. I think
Mr Hon (principal of Khvein Primary School) chose the 8 poorest in the
school.
I spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the schoolgrounds, mostly
soccer, a duck, duck goose kind of game, and Sum-macca-dora(but in
Khmer)
I’m going back to the school in the morning for their ‘cleanup day’.
Every Thursday the whole school (or half) comes in the morning session
and does routine maintenace, and cleaning around the school. After
tomorrow I start on the more ‘touristy’ side of life here in Cambo. On
Friday I will be buying a 3 day pass to go and see the temples until
sunday.
Kat, apart from the 10 kids in the car the most people I have seen on a
motorbike so far has been a family of 5. I’m sure I will see more than
7 buy the end of the trip.
Just for laughs..I gave the kids some new footballs (soccer balls). Two
days ago. Today one of the year 5 boys said to me ‘You want socer ball
– one dollar’. I told there would be trouble if he sold that ball.
Especially for 1$!!!! He is a smart alek that kid, very funny.
I haven’t been to the Angkor Wat Temple at all today, just stopped to
buy an ice cream and stopped another time to take photos. But in those
short few minutes I think I was asked to buy about 6 different guide
books, about 10 times each.
I am having a night in to recover – still jet lagged.
Robbie
Note: For safety reasons, children’s names not shown.