20 Oct 07 - first impressions

This friday makes my 1st month anniversary working in Riverkids. *gives self celebratory pat on back*. The past few weeks have been crazy digging out receipts and documents and putting (or at least trying to) things into some sort of order, and of course there's the preparations for the online shop.

So my first ever 'business' trip to Cambodia, was quite a welcome, away from the Singapore office and files.

Before the trip, the only ideas I've had about Cambodia and Phnom Penh were reviews from friends who've been there and stories from Dale about the lives of families and children under the care of Riverkids. Peers' reviews ranged from 'Oh it's the greatest place ever!' to 'Oh no, it's a dismal, dreadfully depressing place'. Stories of abuse, trafficking didnt help paint a very bright picture of Cambodia in my mind either. My dad being obsessively worried about landmines and the 'Cambodia mafia' did not help AT ALL.

Therefore, I entered the airport half wondering 'what in the world did i get myself into' and half telling myself to ignore whatever my pessimistic alterego was thinking.

Soon after touch down in Phnom Penh International Airport, we were greeted by Sok Lee, one of the staff from Riverkids Foundation . With a tuk-tuk and a taxi, we loaded our many boxes of donations (many many thank yous to all contributors!) and headed straight to the Family house.

Once there, Dale sat down with the others for a staff meeting while I got a chance to visit the Alexandra Riverkids community.

I was seriously surprised to see happy children running around playing. 'Everyone looks so happy! What abuse?' I thought.

I mean, how can you not be happy when you get to go swimming and diving everyday - with the river right under your house? And I'm not being sarcastic here, the girls really looked like they were having fun, and the life here constantly reminded me of the 'legendary' kampong days of my parents back before Singaporeans were packed into HDB flats in the 70s. I mean, my mum's always poking fun of the lives of kids here in Singapore nowadays, saying that we have no life and cannot survive for nuts without computers and expensive toys, when all they needed in the past for play were cheap erasers, marbles to play Goli, five stones, rubber bands to make catapults and the spiders among the bushes.

The kids now?

Playstation, Xbox?

So I couldn't help but be reminded of my mum as I walked explored the community, nevermind the very narrow planks for walkways in some parts which I tried to avoid or the litter infested water in some parts.

It wasn't easy to connect the smiling faces to the stories Dale mentioned from time to time. And it's not difficult as yet for me to stay emotionally detached from the families under Riverkids. But nonetheless, the stories are real.

A few days after the visit, I returned to the Family House and saw the Get Ready! girls touching up some stuffies that they had been making. What Mr Sophon mentioned later struck me a whole lot. Here's the gist of what he said:

'6 months ago they [the girls] were all disheveled. They come to class in a mess, hair messy, no confidence. And now, look at them! The things they can do [the dolls] is so amazing! They're all so well done, and now the girls are so full of confidence!'

I am not much into dolls, but seriously the dolls they were touching up were just adorable. And try as I may, I just couldn't imagine the girls looking messy or lacking in confidence. How I wish I was involved in Riverkids in her earlier stages so that I could see the transformation of the community!

The work that's been done here in the Alexandra RK community has been amazing, and definitely life changing for some.

So people, we've got a group of very passionate people here in Cambodia making things work in the best way they can. Do give them your support in whatever way you can in terms of expertise sharing, donations or any other ways.

Everyone here in Riverkids Foundation's an inspiration and I really am proud of being part of this community. :)