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Published: December 15th 2006
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Waking on the hard floor of the temple at 4:30am, I quickly bathed myself with a pan of water at the monks' water basin, threw on a light long-sleeve shirt, a pair of cargo shorts, and some comfortable hiking shoes. By 5:00am I was waiting patiently outside the gates of Wat Damnak. I watched the sky lighten and the sun begin to rise, but my tuk-tuk driver never showed.
As fate would have it, I didn't end up seeing the temples of Angkor that day. Instead, I joined my host--a monk named Somnieng--and saw something far more important.
Wat Damnak I'd left the ferry from Kompong Chhnang the day before at the drop-off point in a little town called Chong Kneas. I was 12km from Siem Reap--my gateway to the temples of Angkor--and I was feeling very poor.
Opting to walk into town, I had to battle past dozens of blundering tourists and eager drivers. I eventually made it out of the messiness though, and had quite a pleasant walk along the mud causeway that connects the stilt-houses of this odd little fishing village. Somewhere along the walk, I met a guy called Sayvan.
Sayvan
lived along the causeway, sharing a three-walled, one-room bamboo hut with his aging parents, his wife, and his infant daughter. He was also a tuk-tuk driver. He promised to give me a free ride into town if I would hire him as my guide and driver around the temples the next day. I told him to take me to a Wat.
My experiences with the monks in Phnom Penh--and my lack of interest to participate further in the Cambodian backpacker/tourist scene-- had given me the idea to spend my time in Siem Reap living in a monastery. Sayvan said he'd bring me to several until we found one that would take me in.
We needed only stop at one, however. Wat Damnak, the first temple on the southern route into town, was also home to an organization called the Life and Hope Association.
The Life and Hope Association The LHA is an organization founded and run by two of the senior monks of Wat Damnak. They undertake a number of charitable missions, all aimed at bettering the lot of Siem Reap's many homeless and starving children.
Upon entering the grounds of Wat Damnak and
asking if I could stay the night, I was quickly guided to the LHA offices. I ascended the stairs and walked straight in on a grant proposal-writing meeting, led by the Venerable Monk Somnieng.
Somnieng spoke excellent English and he agreed to allow me to stay in the temple for several days as his guest, with the expectation that I would help with revisions and editing of the grant proposal. I agreed enthusiastically.
We stayed up late that first night, working on the grant proposal and getting acquainted. I was almost melancholy over the fact that I'd be spending the next day at Angkor touring some of the world's most amazing ruins. I wanted to be there in the Wat, helping with the projects.
Fortuitously, I suppose, Sayvan never arrived with the tuk-tuk that next morning, and I had quite a different day.
The Children's Development Village Through working on the grant proposal, I'd learned that one of the LHAs largest projects is the Children's Development Village: a small living-community in the countryside that provides a loving home for two-dozen orphans. This village has it's own farms, it's own gardens, several small homes with
house-mothers, a kitchen, sanitary bathrooms, and a playground. The children who live there are all victims of Cambodia's violent recent-past, as well as the ensuing epidemics of starvation, poverty, and HIV.
When my driver and guide to Angkor never arrived, Somnieng told me I was welcome to join him on a visit to the village. Far from disappointed about this change of plans, I was ecstatic. We jumped into the LHA's little Toyota pickup, which Somnieng, myself, and two of the LHA staff rode through the Angkor temple sites and out into the rural communes where the Children's Development Village is located.
We pulled into what looks like a quaint and charming farm. I soon realized it was the village when I noticed the brown-sided stilt houses and the mobs of adorable, smiling children.
Getting out of the truck, we were assaulted with hugs and shouts of "Hello!" The affection continued to pour from these children all morning.
They were every one of them orphans and former street kids, but they were every one of them brimming over with love. We went for a pickup ride, played on swings, built towers with Duplo blocks, ate ice
cream, smiled, and laughed. It was a brilliant time.
These kids--from ages 2 to 8--were already learning English and geography. They knew traditional Khmer songs and dances. Even better, they knew how to care for one another as a family.
I spent a few hours as babysitter and new friend, knowing deep down that I would have to return here someday and help these children grow.
I came down a bit on the slightly-depressing drive back through the temples, seeing thousands of tourists go about their sight-seeing with no idea of the struggles of the people here, or the efforts being undertaken to help them. Oh well, all I can do is help make them more aware.
The Kids Over the course of my several days in Wat Damnak, I did a number of projects for the LHA. In addition to advising on two grant proposals--and extensively editing and rewriting one of them--I also helped teach English classes, helped the monks practice speaking, and of course helped with the kids on my visit to the village.
The Cambodian children are the brightest part of this damaged nation. These particular kids have come from
such adversity, but hold so much hope and promise. Meeting them filled me with great sadness, but also with great optimism. That trip to the village was by far my strongest memory in Cambodia.
If you'd like to learn more about the Children's Development Village and the Life and Hope Association, please visit their website at www.watdamnak.org
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Chani
non-member comment
AWEsome
What a great experience. I've never interacted to such an extent with local children in my travels, but I did get the chance to briefly interact with some children in the Village of Little Jesus in a small farm town of South Korea. The ride there was full of lush, jungle-green hillsides and muddy towns with people flowing in and out of tents/shacks. The village itself was a farm really. The children were purposefully orphaned - I mean to say their parents chose to relocate their children due to their inability to care for them given their additional needs - all the children have disabilities. They work hard farming almonds and cherries though, and sure know how to have a good time! They taught us some traditional songs and dances and we formed a huge circle and took turns being in the center mimicking the dance moves and trying to keep up with the lyrics. We fixed up some of their buildings and they fed us some damn good kimchi. What a great time!