Did you know more than 300,000 children will likely die of AIDS this year, and more than 2 million will be infected? Most of the deaths will be in Africa. The most important task ahead is to stop new infections, which is much more cheaply done than treating existing ones. Now some would argue that treatment is simply too expensive, relative to prevention which is still lacking (implying that we should let tens of millions of infected poor people die and spend the money on prevention instead). Although I get this in economic terms, I know too many specific children and adults who would probably die if that were the case. I also think the money spent on overhead (doctors, clinics, developing and delivering medicine, etc.) will have many lasting benefits that need to be taken into account.

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Tai Meng

I’ll be going to Cambodia in two weeks and visiting Wat Opot again. Wat Opot is a “children’s community” caring for children orphaned by AIDS. About 30 percent of the children and most of the staff are living with HIV, including the girl in the picture.  They all attend regular school, and they have supplemental classes at Wat Opot. The supplemental classes are important, because the quality of education at the school is very low.

Teacher at Wat Opot

This is one of the teachers for the supplementary classes. This conveys her personality — serious and kind (but mostly serious). In the morning she teaches the youngest kids (kindergarten age), and in the afternoons she works with the elementary school kids.

Studying by window light

This is Tai Meng writing in Khmer on a slate board. There is no elecricity, so she works by window light.

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Take a few minutes and watch this video. I think you’ll agree it’s worth seeing and learning the story.

I recommend watching THEN reading the story. If you prefer just to read it, see the previous post (with more details and better looking versions of the best photos). If you’d like to help out, there are more details at the bottom of that page.

UPDATE: You can read Abraham’s story in his own words here.

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Two weeks ago I visited Andong Village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Here is a brief story in pictures from that day. Keep in mind that you are only removed from these events by a few hours of travel. These lives and stories are ongoing, parallel to our own, in real time.

The well water in Andong Village is tainted with heavy metals. Long ago UNICEF provided large containers of water, but it was contaminated and people got sick. UNICEF left the barrels, and a private individual has been filling them with pond water and selling it. The water should be boiled, but fuel is expensive. Most village families have to take their chances.

Andong Village began in 2006. A slum in Phnom Penh (Sambok Chap) was emptied to make room for developers. More than 1000 families lost their homes and property (officially a much lower number). They were relocated to an empty field 24km outside the central city with no homes, no electricity, no sewage facilities of any kind, no drainage pipes to prevent flooding in the rainy season, no trash collection, no school, no hospital nearby, and the list could go on. Perhaps the  worst part was the loss of their jobs and businesses. The cost of commuting 24km to keep a construction job in the city was higher than a day’s wages. Those who had small businesses (fruit stands, etc.) had to start over. What little they had was taken away.

Events like this, the poor losing their homes to make room for development, are not uncommon in Cambodia or elsewhere. Often people in slums don’t own their property or they can’t prove ownership. In Cambodia, all property records were lost or destroyed under the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979). Technically, people are supposed to have property rights once they live in a place for a given period of time, but getting that on paper is quite a task. The reality is that “might is right” has ruled the day. People with powerful connections can seize land while the government turns a blind eye.

This was my third trip to Andong Village in the past two years. Each time I see my friend, Abraham, a Cambodian man, who I met through another friend, Brian Maher. Abraham began working with the people in Sambok Chap, and then he followed them out to Andong. Last year he moved with his family to a simple house next to the village.

Abraham (top left), two teachers, and a worker (now paid staff)

In 2006, Abraham recruited several volunteers from among the villagers and went to work. During the past two years, he has helped build about 450 temporary homes. They also put in underground pipes to stop the worst flooding. He started a school in 2008, because many of the children had nowhere to go. He has constantly been involved in the daily life of the village: driving pregnant mothers to the hospital, helping the sick find treatment, counseling families in conflict, and much more.

He dreams of putting in larger drainage pipes. During the rainy season, flooding brings raw sewage into homes, and some parts of the village are always flooded. He has the pipe, huge concrete sections sitting in a nearby field, he just lacks funds to finish the job. He also dreams of sewing classes (they have one machine and teacher so far) and, eventually, a factory. Jobs bring income and restore dignity.

Abraham became a Christian as an adult. He became involved at Sambok Chap, and later at Andong. He read in the Bible about God’s love for the poor, and he decided to live that way. Abraham speaks of “holistic love,” which means loving the whole person (physical, mental, social, and spiritual), not just his or her spiritual life or soul. They have a weekly worship meeting with about 200 gathering, but he insists that “church” is not a building or meeting. It is people who know Jesus, expressed in relationships, and characterized by loving and serving others (and he adds: without discrimination toward Buddhists or Muslims in the village).

A boy at school

We arrived in the morning and went straight to the school. Andong Village Primary School is government approved with four grade levels and 120 students. Each year they are adding a new class (in a new grade level). The teachers come from the village. They all began as volunteers for the first six months (despite being desperately poor themselves). Now they are paid $50 a month, supported by a church in Australia. It’s not much, even in Cambodia, but it’s a start. The NGO that Abraham created to run the school and work in the village has just enough money for one month at a time (if that). They had $135 in the bank when I visited.

The first thing we noticed at the school was the happiness of the children. They exuded it. They love being in school. They were polite, obedient, friendly, intelligent…just like children you would find at a nicely run school anywhere. I was taken aback by this realization. Could these really be the poorest of the poor? What really separates rich and poor? What if we were more connected, all of us here and there, with these children and countless others like them? What would change?

The kids get a free meal every day thanks to $600 in monthly support from another NGO. Most don’t get enough to eat at home. Even this meal is mostly rice with a bit of meat on top. The budget of $600 per month comes to about 20 cents a person.

Playing a Japanese game (and beating the Japanese volunteer)

I showed up with two volunteers from Japan, plus a Japanese friend (also a photographer). The volunteers taught the kids a simple song in Japanese and played with them. When it was  time to go, one of the older girls (in the photo above) approached a volunteer to say goodbye. I was already impressed with this girl. She seemed like a natural leader, winsome and bright. She suddenly stepped forward and placed a big kiss on the volunteer’s cheek. It was not a needy kiss, like someone craving attention, but a true gift from the heart. Later that volunteer said several of the girls kissed her that way (none of the boys, thankfully).

After the kids had gone, we stayed to ask Abraham questions and listen to his story. Then we walked over to see where the children live. I’ll let these pictures, with brief captions, tell the story from here.

A girl just outside the village. The fields and spaces between homes are filled with trash and human waste. There is no sewage system or trash collection service, and the villagers don’t own trucks to haul away garbage and sewage. This is a part of life that periodic flooding literally brings back home to them.

A girl returning home from school

A husband and wife need to fix their roof before the next rainy season, but repairs cost money, and the entire house in not in great shape. Most of these temporary homes were built nearly two years ago, and they are wearing out. Rebuilding a roof costs about $100. Building a simple but durable home costs about $600 with volunteer labor.

A father attempting to rebuild, rather than repair, his temporary house

Generations

Two girls from the school

The rainy season is coming in June, and many homes need repairs. Abraham and his team will work side-by-side with the villagers to help them prepare. Meanwhile, they hope to address deeper, long term needs (to stop the flooding, train women to sew, and create one or more factories with jobs).

The school is a success. The teachers are dedicated, and the students are learning. Recently, a volunteer started coming from Phnom Penh to teach English once a week, with 300 students of all ages attending. But there is still a lack of text books and school supplies.

People are being touched spiritually by a group of Christians with holistic love for others, and there is really no downside to that.

But a huge and unexpected challenge hit in January that affects all of these efforts. The owner of the land that the school rents decided to sell the property. He has given the school six months to move. There is not a good piece of land near Andong Village that is available to rent. A nearby field is for sale. It is ideally located and large enough for the school, but with escalating land prices it will cost more than fifty thousand dollars to buy it.

Still reading?

Would you like to donate to support the school and work in Andong? I’m confident vouching for the integrity of Abraham and saying that your money will be used well.

Probably the best way to send a donation is by wiring money directly to the NGO’s bank account. This works great for large donations, but the fees cut into smaller amounts.

I’m not involved in receiving or delivering donations, but if you’re interested, please contact me and I can send instructions or help you connect with someone on the board of the NGO.

Write to me at: online [at] globalcompassion [dot] com

– UPDATES (RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS) –

1. How can I give a donation? See what I’ve written just above.

2. How much does a sewing machine cost, and can they buy them in Cambodia? They can buy used, commercial grade sewing machines for about $600. These machines that are equipped with foot pedals, so they can be used without electricity. Such sewing machines can easily be purchased in Cambodia, and transporting one there would be impractical.

3. What will donations be used for? For the school, housing repairs, projects to generate sustainable jobs, etc. Abraham is always working on something. It’s better NOT to specify, because it puts a burden on them to account for every penny of your donation going to the specified project. They simply don’t have the staff to handle this, so someone has to stop what they’re doing and shepherd the money. If you indicate a preference and leave it up to them, I’m sure they will do their best to respect your wishes.

Some specific needs (as of this writing) are:

• New property for the school ($60,000 to $90,000 depending on the price negotiation).
• Installing drainage pipes to stop the worst flooding ($2500). Half the money was raised previously and pipe was purchased. Once the remainder is raised, then the pipes will be installed. This will prevent a portion of the village from being flooded part of every year.
• School books and supplies. Many children can’t afford these supplies.
• Supporting former street kids. Abraham is now caring for 11 former street kids. Currently, he is feeding and housing them at his own expense.
• Home repairs. Many people in Andong urgently need help to strengthen their homes. When money is available, Abraham and his team are out in the village building and repairing. The cost per house to rebuild the roof is about $100. (Note that other types of projects do not create dependency. Repairing a roof is done for humanitarian reasons. Ideally, the people need jobs so they can build and maintain their homes on their own.)
• Job creation. The people of Andong are willing to work, but they need jobs (a factory or business nearby), plus they may need practical training. If you are a person who can make this happen, then you know who you are.

WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE STORY HERE

UPDATE: You can read Abraham’s story in his own words here.

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A baby girl died almost two weeks ago. She survived for two months longer than her mother. Now there are three sisters remaining, all healthy and confused, and a father who is HIV positive but doing well with medication. She was known affectionately as Baby Peak.

The day before she died I held her for awhile so her sister could have a break to play. An eleven year old girl who cared for her dying mother, caring for her dying sister, just wanted to cut and glue paper with the other kids. I did ask her to stop and bring a bottle, which she did, and then I fed Baby Peak. She burped contentedly and fell asleep on my lap. I thought, “Maybe if we all work together we can save her.” She had a will to live. She ate well.

Baby Peak and her sister

She died of AIDS. Technically, she died of some unknown illness. She had started on ARV drugs (that fight HIV), but something already had her in its grip too strongly for any drugs to release her. The local hospital had given up and sent her to the orphanage. There was hope but not much.

Taking ARV drugs the evening before she died

The next morning (Monday, February 9) we learned that Baby Peak had died in her sleep. I confess my heart didn’t break when I heard it. I didn’t know how to feel. But I found the older sister, took her hand, and led her to where some children were drawing pictures and folding origami. She joined them and drew a picture of yellow birds and a girl (or maybe it was her mother…). The yellow birds were origami cranes. Later I saw a yellow paper crane resting on the flowers that covered Baby Peak.

The father came on his motorcycle. He has his hands full living with HIV and trying to work. He only keeps the youngest sister, who cries all day when he’s gone. After he arrived there was a brief service, and then a cremation. It all happened so quickly I almost missed it. I didn’t bring out my camera for a change. Not that pictures are bad, but one or two people had their cameras out and that was enough. I wondered what the father was feeling to lose a daughter so soon after losing his wife.

I sometimes teach a seminar about HIV/AIDS to university students in Japan. Recently, I was teaching at a Christian university, so I began by asking: “Is God good? How can we say that God is love when children and babies die of AIDS?” Maybe you think that’s a strange way to start, but I figured that was a question many of them would have, so it was best to bring it out directly. Most of the students were not Christians, and they have probably had their share of trite questions and answers that don’t satisfy.

I didn’t want to give my own answer. My life has been remarkably free from sickness and death, so who am I to act like I have honestly confronted these questions. But I asked my friend Wayne, the director of the orphanage, to give an answer. Here is what he said (which I shared with the class):

I believe that GOD is Love. From a distance PAIN and SUFFERING can appear to be acts of an unjust and unloving GOD but when one realizes that those who have suffered the greatest, are often those who appreciate life the most, then one begins to understand that PAIN and SUFFERING are actually gifts from a Loving Creator. Perhaps your question should be: Why does GOD allow some people to live in comfort? For those who live in the greatest of comfort are often those who find no meaning in life.

Wayne is not the type to try and give “correct answers” (in the Christian theological sense). He just answers from where he’s at, and I appreciate that. The students did, too.

Baby Peak’s death was a dose of reality for us (the Japanese volunteers and me). It was a reminder that people are still dying of AIDS, and if we leave the relative security of Japan and go out to where the poor live “outside the gates” then we may find suffering and death there. We also find life there.

When we push death away and choose comfort, we also push life away and choose illusion.

Coming back from Narita Airport on the train, I felt like I was the only person who could see. Everyone looked lost in various worlds, numb or deluded. I didn’t avert my eyes, like I’m used to doing here, but looked at people wondering how they had fallen asleep and what would wake them up.

Now a week has passed, and I’m intent on keeping my own eyes open.

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