Today was another day full of emotions. I started out in the school with Kevin. We had about 8 younger kids and Kevin decided to teach them about introductions. They were so cute and did so well! They all get so excited when you show them you’re proud of their achievements. Their sweet little voices struggling through greeting themselves, then finally speaking so that a native English speaker can understand them, it’s too precious for words. The second class we taught was only 4 students, and they were way more advanced. We started with a few introductions, then Kevin decided they were advanced enough for vowels, nouns and verbs. Hearing them excel from not knowing what any of these things were, to being able to pick them all out in a sentence, was such an empowering feeling. I cannot explain how proud of them I am. There is no doubt in my mind that they will be able to conquer the English language.
The afternoon for me was a bit slower than usual. I felt there were so many bodies at the dorm site, so I tried to find different jobs for myself elsewhere. Kevin and I tackled fixing up the shower. Beside the well, there is a little room made of corrugated tin. There is no roof to the shower, and the door has come off its hinges. We made a shelf for the kids to keep their soap off the ground. Tomorrow I will go buy a shower curtain, so that they can have privacy, but not have to deal with moving a door around. We also put hooks inside so that the kids can hang their kromas, or clothes, without anything getting wet. Later on in the day, Rachel and I planned how to tackle the clothesline posts, which keep falling over. There are 4 different clotheslines, but 2 are currently on the ground. I’m not sure how we will secure the poles, but we have considered cement.
I found a baby chicken today that had a very swollen foot. I’m not sure if it’s broken or what, but he was hopping on one foot trying to keep up with his siblings and mom. The hen clearly was not concerned about him, so I spent quite a bit of time trying to put him in a safe place away from the Tony’s (the 4 male dogs that live at the orphanage). Eventually, Jamie and I taped a cotton ball to the bottom of his foot, which surprisingly seemed to give him enough cushion to be able to step and keep up with his family. I am really praying that he does not get eaten tonight, and that maybe the swelling will go down with the help of the cotton ball.
At the end of the day, Meng, Rachel, Jamie and I went into the slums to hand out supply bags. I have walked into the slums every day to go to the library or school, but I had no idea how huge it was until today. We walked through a maze of tin buildings, random pieces of wood nailed here and there. The ground is a deep green color, covered in mold, contamination and trash. Since it has been raining so much, there are huge puddles everywhere. The first day I was so worried about getting any of this filthy “water” on my feet, but now, I’m just happy if I don’t completely submerge in it. The amount of trash on the ground is horrendous. I just don’t understand how people could litter so much that you are literally only walking on garbage. For the most part I feel that I have grown accustomed to the stinks in the slums, but every now and again we would round a corner and I would be floored by the sickening scent. Once again, completely blown away at how people live. There were portions of the trip where we were walking precariously on concrete sewage lines, or single 2x4’s. Ever step I prayed that I would not fall in. We were even vigorously told to turn around at one point, because the path ahead would most likely collapse underneath us. Once people figured out we were carrying supplies, our translator Meng would be bombarded by women telling her their stories and why they deserved a bag. We passed some houses with the oldest, most brittle people I have ever seen alive. They would give us big toothy grins and bow their heads in Namaste. One woman we gave supplies to was mentally disabled. She couldn’t speak, could hardly walk, and was mother to two young children. I hate to think about how she came to have those children, because she seems hardly fit to care for herself, and there was clearly no father in the picture. Almost every house we gave supplies to, the people would invite us in, or offer us food. I was so touched and humbled by this generosity. Here these people lived in a shack about 12x12, with a dirt floor and no doors, one bed for a family of 5, yet they were offering the little rice they had to us, complete strangers. It made me think about how many excuses we come up with, “I haven’t cleaned my house in months, I’ll invite you over when I do!” “Oh, I have hardly anything for dinner, next time I go grocery shopping you can come over!” If we really want to spend time with someone, or we are really thankful, all we have to do is express that, because honestly, that expression and genuine thought is really all that should matter.
I gave Srey Tok my mala bracelet today. I have been thinking about what kids I have felt most connected with and what to give them, so they will always have a piece of me. I think she has really started to become attached to me because I cared for her when she had dengue fever. She is so beautiful and such a sweet loving little girl. I am going to miss her so so much, I don’t even want to think about it. I also gave my “peace” necklace to Srey Pi. She always has the biggest smile on her face. It makes my day when she walks up to me, smiling, puts her arms around me and gives me a big fat kiss on the lips. At first I was a little weirded out, but then I realized that she just really wants to see me smile and likes to have my approval. I believe she is 15 and I wish I could take her home and be there for her through every struggle she may overcome. That is something that has been worrying me lately, the fact that I will not be able to communicate with these kids once I leave. I can’t call them on the phone to ask how their day is. They can’t email me if they are sad, or scared, or have questions about anything. I don’t like the idea of not being able to hear from them or about them. I think I will give them my email just in case, who knows, maybe they will have access to a computer in the next year. Maybe their teacher, Sopeak, will let them use his computer to write me a message. I will have to ask Lisa Marie if they can receive handwritten mail as well, so I can send them things. I shouldn’t think about any of this yet, I need to just enjoy the moments I have with them right now.
