Almost the same same but different

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Geo: -16.9254, 145.775

Some of you who read this will recognize yourselves and others; I refer to all of you with the utmost love respect and gratitude, my life is richer for the experiences we shared.

You can go to any country you like and enjoy their art, architecture, social customs, cuisine, and means of transport and personal activities but without the people who create, build, provide or participate in these events none of them would exist.

In the last 4 months I have met people from many different nationalities, social levels and age groups. I have worked side by side with 3 Khmer men one whom is 50 years old. That would mean that during the time of the Khmer Rouge he would have been in his late teens.

If you take into account the treatment of the population by the regime then you come to the conclusion that there were only 3 ways you could have survived during those times.

The safest was to be part of the Khmer Rouge regime, a proven and committed cadre.

Another alternative was to be considered one of the "base people" such as a common farmer or rural worker, who were generally uneducated.

Or finally it was to be one of those who were sent from the cities to the rural areas to work on farms. Survival in this group was extremely precarious, you had to endure relentless hard labor, ruthlessly rough treatment, lack of adequate nourishment and most frightening of all, not be implicated by anybody who the Khmer Rouge considered being a threat or enemy and that was nearly everybody.

The majority of those killed by the regime came from this final group.

I'm not sure which of these groups my co-worker came from and it doesn't matter, some how he survived and there are many people who are benefitting from and grateful that he did.

In a country with very few role models and mentors he takes on these roles with dignity and pride.

We were unable to communicate verbally with each other due to the obvious language barrier, we communicated without words, using gestures, mime, diagrams anything that would get our point across. We got to know, respect and like each other, we would find the same things funny or take the piss out of each other, enjoy sharing a rice wine and sitting down to eat together.

I also worked and spent time with a man who had been a successful real-estate agent and is married to a highly regarded and likeable mid wife.

Both of whom had given up their very comfortable English rural lifestyle to come and do volunteer work in Cambodia. He worked on the building project and she at the local hospital, sharing her knowledge and expertise in child birth to provide support, training and direction to the local nurses.

By the time they were leaving Cambodia they vowed that they would be back and had already begun setting in motion a venture that would provide services, jobs and opportunities for the local people.

One unusual observation that came as a consequence of being involved in this project was that, the prospect of working as a volunteer in community development in a third world country, for some odd reason seems to appeal to accountants.

I can't work out the connection, most of them had none if very little experience either digging holes, banging in nails or swinging a small ax. But not one of them recoiled when asked to perform any of these tasks, in fact most of them rejoiced in their new found skills and abilities and discovered the instant satisfaction that comes from creating, seeing and using something that didn't exist before. I assume as an accountant this is not a common occurrence but apparently it is something they crave.

During the 13 weeks I was involved I think I encountered at least 5, one had stayed for the same 3 month period as me, and who by the end of her time was able to instruct and direct other volunteers on the use of tools and building techniques, another used money raised by his elderly mother to buy much needed tools for project.

I met several young men most of whom were on their “gap” year and came from stable if not fortunate backgrounds. Predominantly they were on trips either through Asia or around the world, in I imagine the hope that it would settle them down and broaden their horizons before returning home to study.

What is surprising and encouraging is that all of them decided to give their time and pay money to help people who are far less fortunate than themselves. These are qualities that are admirable in anybody let alone young men who have been set free for the first time in their lives.

We built 3 houses for 3 different families all of whom consisted of a widowed mother and her children. Everyday we would work in front of their eyes building a house for them to live in. Members of the community would come to watch and help or just sit around and share some food and rice wine. Language was the greatest barrier but we were always welcomed and treated warmly and the gratitude shown was personal and obvious.

Everybody from the Tuk Tuk drivers to the people running the guest house we volunteers stayed in were happy, helpful and enthusiastic.

Through out history people have suffered at the hands of governments who have implemented their idealistic view on society in the name of racial purity, religion or greed. Unfortunately it is still going on today, we have blatantly corrupt governments, religious zealots and xenophobes destroying the lives of those they claim to represent, but realistically the only way they hold on to their tenuous power is through fear and suppression.

A very obvious point became clear to me while living and working in a remote village with locals and other foreign volunteers and that was that all most people really want is a roof over their heads, food in their stomachs, a safe environment to raise a family, the freedom to express themselves and to be a valued member of society.

It doesn't matter if you a real estate agent, tuk tuk driver, or the lady who literally sweeps the roads with a straw broom our needs are all the same.

To put this in perspective one of the greatest joys was watching young children take an empty water bottle, poke a thin piece of bamboo through the end to act as an axel, cut the ends off a coconut and attach them to the ends of the bamboo sticks, like wheels, then tie some string around the opening of the bottle to pull it by, and suddenly you have something that resembles a toy car. Or as I observed one young man do, find a rock, tie some string around it attach the other end to you bicycle and ride towing the rock behind you. Instant fun!

No Xbox, no computer, no ITunes just imagination and ability, the skill needed the sense of achievement and the satisfaction gained seems to be completely lost in a consumerist society.

I didn't see one person in the villages who felt that their life was unfulfilled because they didn't have the latest plasma screen TV. In fact I saw more smiling faces and genuinely happy people in a village of 200 than I ever do walking through the streets of Melbourne.

As much as the third world needs assistance from developed countries to bring the living standards to a comfortable and acceptable level the self proclaimed “developed” countries have a great deal to learn from societies that have had the opportunity to maintain a less complex, community oriented life. We can all benefit from each other if we stop complicating things.

All the people I met and worked with proved to me that happiness comes from giving and sharing, through meaningful contribution and acceptance, it doesn't come in a box with a plastic wrapper and a logo and cost 3 months wages.

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