I Will Always Remember It
Back in 1988 I was a young boy and so enthusiastic to go to primary school as older ones. That year I entered Chey Chum Neah primary school, Victory in English, where a number of the pupils were selected to be supported by Aspeca, a French not-for-profit organization. I was one among them. I was told that the school management made a connection with a French parents in France, and so I had a foster mother, Nicole. She was a teacher in a small town near Paris. She retired some years ago and moved to live in an area near the Mediterranean sea. Under the support I got food, clothes, and study materials periodically. I remember having a bread with milk as breakfast every morning. And I could attended French class every week. I occasionally exchanged letters and postcards with her. The support continued until I finished high school in 1999. A year later I entered university and got a full time job. I lost contact with her since then. Lately I realized that I should do something. I decided to ask for help from my French friend, Valerie, who lives and works in Phnom Penh. As I told her all about the story, she managed to contact my foster mother through her relative in France. Fortunately the only thing I could think of really worked. She got the contact address of my foster monther for me. What I want to do first and foremost is to write to her about university graduation, my current job and my life. I wrote to her after that, telling about what I have wanted her to be informed and little proud of me. I am very grateful for all her support at the time that my own family was at difficult situation. I will always remember it.
June 29th, 2005 23:43
Tharum, your foster mother might be very proud of you, obviously of your today’s achievement.
For me, I have a god mother. She’s Japanese. She used to work in Cambodia for JVC(Japanese international Volunteer Center). In 1999, she’s moved to Vietnam as a director/representative of the organisation here.
In 2003, my father introduced(he used to be her colleague and friend when she was in Cambodia), then we know each other here since then. We just have very litle time meet each other - and occationally, dating for dinner together(she took me once to have Japanese’s Sushi and Chinese dish), since she’s very busy with projects in some remote area in Vietnam. She’s one the most wonderful persons I’ve ever known.
Wanna,
June 30th, 2005 06:04
Everybody needs a guardian angel.
Everybody needs some wind beneath their wings.
I’m glad you and Wanna found yours.
June 30th, 2005 07:52
Usually when I received letters from Cambodia immediately I can picture the complaining on hardship: Sickness, need more money for a bicycle, paying for the English class or for tver bonn(religious ceremony) etc… I never received any pleasant letter from the country at all. I can only help so much of what I can. And, money doesn’t grow on trees in Los Angeles nor in Paris. We work hard to pay taxes and many other bills.
Your mom would be very happy and proud to hear from you especially on positive things of how you have accomplished. But, never to mention about sensitive issue of the money matter.
Take care.
July 1st, 2005 03:34
Tharum,
It is so wonderful to hear you say that!
The Sharing Foundation (http://www.sharingfoundation.org/village/school/high_school/index.html) - I’m on the board is now sponsoring 37 high schools from Roteang Village. They write letters to their sponsors and the sponsors love to hear from them.
We’ve just finished raising so money so we can provide scholarships for college them as well.
The kids came through the English program we sponsor in the local village school - there are 500 kids who attend.
We’re thinking about how to best support technology training for students who will go on to college.
Any ideas?
July 1st, 2005 15:05
Sopheap,
Your fishes are delicicous. If you don’t teach them to go fishing, then both of you will be the victims. Do never make other people to rely on you.
Beth,
I have to thank for your great effort to assist in Cambodian children in education.
I once happened to attend an informal youth meeting at World Bank Cambodia office. There was a question about whether intervention should be done without being aware of future economic impact. Few attendees reponded by ignoring any future impact, but to achieve their intervention. I opposed it, however. I thought of training people to use product of Microsoft and Open Source. My question is: Will Cambodian people be able to afford to pay for the giant company?
July 2nd, 2005 00:00
Tharum,
Good analogy on the fish story. I couldn’t find the latest statistical publication, but here (Table 2-1 page 10)
http://www.jica.go.jp/english/publication/studyreport/country/cambodia/ Japan gave Cambodia from 1994-1998 amount of $430.8 million. Cambodia must learn how to fish or Cambodia alone, not Japan, will be starving. Japan is rich and will never become a victim.
July 4th, 2005 19:20
Sopheap,
International relation and family relation seems to be in a context. However, these should not be compared. One thing is that you heartily give something to your relative and hope his/her situation will be improved. But it is hard to know what is going on. What you commented previously, I endorsed. I have seen too many people rely heavily on their relatives in rich countries. It is, in my own view, a catastrophe. People here do not work and do anything to improve themselve, but just waiting from you. And they know you have to work hard, but they also believe few US dollar from you is powerful enough for them to eat and sleep for few days. I am talking about which way you can do it in an ingenious way.
July 22nd, 2005 01:28
Tharum,
I agree with you 100% on the microsoft issue - and given that the fantastic work that Khmer Open Source has done in translating open source software into khmer language — cambodians will not be forced to learn english in order to use computers or have to pay the big license fees. People will have a choice — as they might make a choice to learn a foreign language.
In US, I train people to use computers or work with people who train them. Most of the people who are trained are poor or have a lower level of literacy — so I know how difficult it is to teach the computer if you can’t read well. And, it is a bigger barrier if you don’t speak the language and have to learn that language ON top of learning the computer. Very difficult.
I wonder also how you take into account in training cambodian people how to use computers - if they also can’t read or write? How do you take that into account when you do the training?
August 14th, 2006 10:18
Hi Tharum,
I am really proud of you, Tharum. People cannot be defined by what they have done, but however, it is no doubt to define how well they can rise after falling. You had struggled and went through those obstacles, and therefore, you have such a bright future.
All the best,
Pisey