Teachers Start to Get Bank Accounts: An ‘Unusual’ day and a moment to remember  

Thursday, February 6, 2014, Savy my VA and I were scheduled to visit the cluster schools in Buchi Ri Commune to observe, discuss and identify the needs of the schools. 

As usual, we had scheduled our meeting during normal school hours and expected, as usual, to be greeted by children playing outside because not all teachers are, as usual, in attendance.  We expected, as usual, to have to phone teachers and remind them of the meeting or to reschedule.   

But today was VERY unusual! Yes we were still greeted by the children as usual,  However, to our surprise Every single teacher in the ‘Primary Panel’ was present at Kumamekong School. They were waiting for staff from ACLEDA Bank to arrive at the school to open personal bank accounts for them.   

During the process it was interesting to observe that teachers identified themselves with a thumbprint rather than a signature.  Added to this, I lent one of the teachers my glasses to enable him to ‘thumbprint’ his documents.  Teachers wanted their photos taken to mark this 'unusual' day.  On the way home, one of the teachers on the back of a motorbike was carefully reading the bank documents that he was given minutes earlier.  

The teachers were happy that they were being paid directly by the government and that they would no longer be victims of the mysterious ‘deductions’ they incurred from their meagre $100/month salary when they were dependent on their supervisors to obtain their pay. 

'Tis truly a moment to remember ...    

'The reform of payment system of teachers salaries has been stated policy change of VSO-Cambodia and our Education Advocacy Partners (NEP and CITA) since 2011 so we are delighted that after two years of  research, campaigning and lobbying this change in now been implemented.  This achievement stands as credit to all VSO - Cuso volunteers and education advocacy partners and demonstrates how VSO- Cuso International Cambodia can play a role in closing the circle between national policy and changes in practice and policy which make a real difference to the lives of teachers and students'.    'Sharing Skills, Changing Lives'

More later ....

Please note that all photos were taken with the teachers/directors permission to upload on this blog and on any other website.

Primary / Junior Teachers 

Thumbprint signature 

A helping hand

Carefully reading his 'bank' documents 

Land grabbing …

Since I’ve been in Mondul Kiri, I’ve attended many meetings all of which are to do with educational rights; teachers’ salaries, teacher motivation, gender equality, enrolment and student dropout and more.   Last Friday however, I attended an all NGO meeting to hear more political issues Mondulkiri  Province is experiencing.  Each NGO sector (education, health, livelihood, governance) represented their case.  What was most interesting about the meeting is that livelihood and governance (who work in partnership) talked about ‘land grabbing and deforestation’.  This is a 'hot' issue!

A Bunong little girl wearing a 'spiritual' necklace  

Land grabbing and deforestation is common practice here in Mondulkiri.  Essentially, Mondulkiri Province belongs to the Bunong people, the indigenous people who have lived here for hundreds of years.  The Bunong people are nomads and travel from place to place throughout Mondulkiri.  They hunt and collect berries.  Burial places where their ancestors are buried, are considered to be ‘spiritual’ for the Bunong people.  ‘If however, these spirits are unhappy because of some human action /disturbance they can intervene in the life of a Bunong to harm or protect them’.   The Bunong people have a strong link with the land and in principal they are known to live a rather peaceful life.

During the last 50 years or more there’s been a huge migration here.  Both the Cham from Kampong Chang Province and rich Cambodians from the south have migrated to Mondulkiri.  The weather is more plausible, land fertile with rich black/red soil for planting.  Also, communal land is either cheap to buy, cheap to rent or anyone will settle on the Bunong’s land without paying for it.  They are many promises made from the people who settle on the Bunong’s land but none of these promises are delivered.

Rubber trees planted throughout various parts of Mondolkiri  Province 

Companies such as theVietnamese Co. have dug out 'spiritual' graves, cut down trees, and have replaced them with rubber trees.  For example; These companies have promised the Bunong people that they will pay them a million dollars a year for the next five years for rubber profit.  However, at the end of the 5 years, no money has been given to the village elders and their families.  At the end of the day the Vietnamese have taken possession of the Bunong’s land, claiming the land to be theirs. 

As I speak there’s an ongoing dispute between the Bunong people and a Vietnamese official in Ou Reang District.   The Vietnamese official has offered to lease and contract indigenous communal land for 99 years. They want the land to plant more rubber trees. The Vietnamese official has promised that this time the Bunong people will be paid.  The Bunong NGO, advocating for the Bunong elders know from previous experiences that if the land is rented out for 99 years –their communal land will continue to be destroyed.  More importantly, the Bunong people will never get their land back. And so negotiation continues. 

A Bunong lady selling her goods at the local market

Recently a Chinese company approached the Bunong elders to buy communal land from them and offered the Bunong people a considerable amount of money.  Together, with ‘My Village’ NGO  (operated mostly by Bunongs) collaboratively worked closely with the village elders and took care of the problem.  They declined their offer. The Bunong people’s mandate is to preserve their land, the forest and, their ancestor’s burial ground.

Some actions are being taken for communal land rights and forest protection.   Both the livelihood and the governance sectors are planning a Province wide demonstration to protect what’s left of the forest and for communal land rights.  The Indigenous people are asking for a 'plea' from the government to protect and preserve allocated acres of communal land and natural resources throughout various parts of Mondolkiri Province for them  –they are asking the government for a number of secured communal areas that the Bunong people can call it theirs again ...

More later ...

Commune Schools …

During the past two months I’ve visited a number of Commune schools (Bousra, Srae Ompoom, Buchi Ri Communes); observed classes in action; met, listened, discussed, exchanged ideas (and more) with partners in Penchr Chenda, Ou Reang and Sen Monorom Districts.

Giving a lesson

It is evident that some schools are better equipped than others.  Schools that were better equipped and had latrines, rain-water harvest, proper sanitation, breakfast and dental programs, appeared to care more about their school.   Even the school grounds were clean and were free of garbage.   School walls inside and out had painted pictures of 'One day in the life of a Cambodian …' There seemed to be a sense of pride! 

Children at play

Gymnastics anyone?

Other Commune Schools … where roads are treacherous and hard to reach … were not as well provided for and infrastructure poorly maintained.   The Ministry of Education regulated by the CPP government (Cambodia People’s Party) allocates the Communes just enough money to build a school.  Basically the ‘shell’ of a school is built on a Commune lot.   It is not the Ministry’s responsibility to provide the school with the ‘extras’ (which we would consider to be the 'basics' in the West).   The school is built on a plot of land and there are no considerations as to whether a well or a bore hole can be built in close vicinity to the school in order to relatively have ‘easy’ access to water.

Children's Art 

My Khmer colleague and I are in the process of building capacity -working closely with Bunong / Cham partners who know the system well here in Mondul Kiri Province to assess and identify their needs Also, to provide and assist Commune Schools with a 'healthy living' and a 'breakfast' programme.  

Children at work

However, before we go ahead with the work and get approval from the Commune Chief and the Community, our strategy is to continue to focus on capacity building.   Our best approach is to continue to observe and to listen to the people’s concern; listen to what they have to say, listen to what the people want us to do.  In the end, is to take action when the time is right to provide meaningful services that make sense to the village people.  Undoubtedly, this may be a long process.  My Volunteer Assistant (VA) told me when I hired him as my translator that ‘It’s very important to eat, drink and socialize with the community before anyone begins to work with them’.   Understandably so.     

Commune School

Added to this; when  we first arrived in Cambodia, a VSO volunteer  and her accompanied partner who had been living in Cambodia for 3 years, remarked ‘It takes a full year to immerse yourself in the culture, language and the local community.   It takes another year –a second year to be productive and work with the people'.

More later ...

In all the schools I had visited -children were well behaved, humble and happy. 

Greetings at the beginning of the day  "S'sweday"

Oh yes, A Merry Christmas and a Happy and a Prosperous New Year to all you!  Alice/Kevin

More later …

Water Festival – Reversal of the River …

It’s a perfect morning – there’s a gentle breeze coming my way. The sky is crystal clear.  The moon is slowly fading behind the bright blue sky.   There is a little community down below our house.  By dawn everyone has woken up.  The ‘bread’ lady has just arrived on her motorbike up the alleyway to sell fresh crispy baguette.  The landlady is gardening at the front of the house whilst the landlord boils hot water for breakfast. The landlord’ brother is cutting a branch. The vendor who lives down below with his wife has begun to deliver his goods on his motorbike whilst his wife is hanging laundry.  Kevin has just left for work – it’s now 6: 00 in the morning and the dogs are now sleeping from ‘yelping’ throughout the night.  This is what a typical morning look like for us each day. 

On the weekend ‘twas The 'Water Festival' or 'Bon Om Tuk'.  Bon Om Tuk is a national holiday here in Cambodia.  It’s a celebration of the changing of the season, the harvest and the return of the Tonle Sap River  -it's a celebration of the reversing flow between the Tonle Sap River and the Mekong River.  The Tonle Sap a.k.a. Great Lake begins just at the mouth of Phnom Penh and joins up river at Bat Dambang and Siem Raeb Provinces that sit on opposite sides of the lake.   The locals claim that 'the reversal of the river is probably the only waterway in the world, that the Tonle Sap and Mekong flows in opposite directions at different times of the year'.    Usually this time of the year there’s a large boat race in Phnom Pehn.  However, the boat race has been cancelled for the last couple of years due to political instability.

The Water Festival is also a time to celebrate the harvest.  Each year the reversal of the Tonle Sap River has proved to be beneficial to the locals.  The river is rich in fish stocks and the silt deposits left by the floods fertilize the fields.  It's a source of livelihood for fishermen and farmers. It’s a way to giveback to the river  -it's a way for the people to give thanks to the moon.    

During the Water Festival we stayed home and enjoyed beautiful Mondulkiri.

More later …

Time …

I have just returned from Phnom Penh – from a BELL conference that is to be launched and implemented to Cambodian teachers in the 4 North Eastern Provinces.    Here in Sen Monorom, a small group of Cambodian teachers have already been exposed to parts of Level 1English –a review will need to be done to assess how much the teachers already know before introducing the next level.

Whilst in Phnom Penh I have also had the opportunity to visit my daughter Tralore at her school   - ‘Zaman International Elementary school’.   Zaman simply means ‘Time’ –As a family, teachers, students, parents –collaboratively spend meaningful ‘time’ together on various activities/curriculum to support and help their students develop their talents, necessary skills and more ….

Tralore teaches 4 grade 2 English classes.  She arrived in Cambodia at the same time as we did.  A week later she found a teaching job.  She is beginning to settle in her new surroundings and unlike her parents; she enjoys the hot humid weather in PP.

More later …

Phnom Penh - Tralore at 'Zaman' School

PP - 4 on a motobike 

PP - holding on ...

PP - Streetscape 

PP - Streetscape

PP - Russian Market

PP - Russian Market 

Welcome to Sen Monorom ...

Sen Monorom is a sleepy little town in the beautiful hill country of Mondolkiri; surrounded by mangos, banana trees, coconuts and other lush vegetation that we haven’t seen before.  (So No -pine trees are not indigenous to this part of the country after all  -it was a Chinese Company who planted them in Mondulkiri).

Our house

We have rented the top floor of a 2-story house with a large veranda.  Everything is wood and very open to the elements.  ‘Tis truly an experience living here; it's like camping, which is great when the weather is nice and not so much when it rains.   

Our giant friendly gecko

There are numerous creaks with many visitors (bugs) who claim their spot in the house when it gets dark.  As part of the nightlife, our friendly giant gecko pokes his head out through the hole in the wall in the spare bedroom to check things out, and when he thinks it's safe, our gecko quietly runs around the walls throughout the house to search for bugs. 

Local market

As for the rainy season, fortunately we have arrived at the end of the rainy season.  The weather here is pleasant; it's cool in the mornings and quickly warms up during the day.  It’s a relief to be here after the hot, noisy traffic of Phnom Penh. Life is certainly at a slower pace and we love it here :)

Kevin now works with 3 NGO’s teaching English to the local staff.  He also does most of the shopping at the local market while I’m at work.

We are happy to be here and so far have stayed healthy.

More later ... :)

Mondulkiri Province ...

The beautiful hills of Mondolkiri

 We’ve just arrived in Mondulkiri.  MDK is a large and sparsely populated rural Province that borders Vietnam and Ratanakiri/Kratie Provinces.   Because the weather is unusually colder than other provinces,  Mondulkiri is the only province in all of Cambodia that has coniferous trees. Can you believe it?  -and we thought that we had escaped the cold from Canada.

Still, we were pleasantly surprised to find that Saen Monorom (capital city of Mondulkiri) is quite developed and picturesque.  There are a number of guesthouses, hotels, restaurants and market with plenty of vegetables, fish and other yummy food.   

My colleague came to meet us at the bus station and took us to a guesthouse that over look lush vegetation and rolling hills.  This coming weekend we plan to go house hunting and hopefully we’ll quickly find somewhere to call home during our stay in Saen Monorom.   After living out of suitcases  and backpacks for nearly 6 weeks, it’ll be a luxury to finally unpack and air out our ‘moldy’ clothes –let alone to finally have the pleasure to cook our own ‘healthy’ food.

Today we’ve had heavy rains with thunderstorms -and yes we bought a couple of heavy-duty ponchos to get through the 'remains' of the rainy season.   

At the market, the locals told us that we are indeed nearing the end of the monsoon season -that heavy rains with thunderstorms and mist means that frogs and fish that were born in small rivers (due to heavy rains) instinctively know that it’s that time of the year for them to move to a bigger river  (Preaek Chhbaar/Preake Te Rivers that crosses Mondulkiri), before the small rivers begin to dry up.   The locals believe that this a common trend that happens every year. 

More later ... :)