Li Sitha's story

- Poultry Farmer and Early Literacy Teacher Trainer

Hello. My name is Li Sitha.   I am a 49-year-old Khmer male from PuSham village, a sleepy village surrounded by striking lush green open grassland  that stretches out into the horizon of Ou Reang district in Mondulkiri Province. I currently, live with my Bunong wife and 3 children (1 girl and 2 boys) in OndolKroLong village.  Whilst my wife takes care of our family, our children and our store, I as a poultry farmer, work on the farm behind our home where we also grow a variety of fruits.  I am also a teacher trainer for the NGO called ICC (International Cooperation of Cambodia), coaching early literacy in Sen Monorom Town.   

My level of education is grade 7. My schooling has given me advantages for my working life in so many ways. My education gave me knowledge and has improved my ‘thinking’ skill set, which benefits my farming and our store where we sell food, fruit harvested from our trees, chickens, ducks and eggs from our farm. I know basic math, which enables me to run both businesses. I also have the ability to work and communicate well with other people.

Education has allowed me many advantages in my personal life. I have good living standards and I have been taught how to farm in a smart and efficient way. I am successful in my businesses; it is easy for me to sell the chickens that I raise and, the abundance of fruits I grow.   I can easily provide for my wife and three children and, for our families who live in nearby villages.  We are also able to go on holidays away from Mondulkiri.

As for my message for the school campaign, sadly, most children who live in OndolKrolong village attend grades one and two, before dropping out to help their parents in the home or  to work on the farm. I want tell the government, the Ministry of Education and NGO’s to help the people in the education sector to increase school enrollment, to ensure that children learn and that they understand the importance of staying on in school.

I want to tell the people who live in Mondulkiri Province that we register our children at school at the age of 6 years old or 70 months.

I want to tell the people in my village that school enrollment is free! When our children become educated people, they will help us, help our community, our society, our country, and the Kingdom of Cambodia will become a better place for everyone's futures.

I want to tell the people in Cambodia that education will help  young people to get well paid jobs, meaning that they can better support themselves, their families, their mothers, their fathers, their children properly.  But salary is not the only important thing; Education can help us to think deeply and critically, it can help us to decide what is good and what is bad. Thank you

Comments, suggestions, questions are welcome - 

More later ...:)

The road to prosperity …

-my education -my life

As I speak,  personal stories of local people with different levels of education describing how their education has been of value to them in their jobs and in their personal lives are being aired on the Mondolkiri radio. 

These stories were put together in collaboration with a variety of developing partners: POE - Ministry of Education, ICC,  NH, ICS – VSO youths, my two VSO assistance, Savy and Panha.  Whilst 10 slots per month for vignettes of people’s personal stories are being broadcasted throughout the months of November and December, a personal story of these local people will be posted during that same period of time for follow-up support to the various communities throughout MDK.   

Comments and suggestions are welcome for all following stories :)

Village Chief Elder and School Support Committee Leader

Greetings!  I am Kol Nem.  I am a 66-year-old Khmer male and I was born in Takao Province.  I now live in PouLong village, Mondulkiri Province with my beautiful Bunong wife for 36 years.  

I want to let you know that I have no formal education per se. My family was so poor that they cannot send us, 3 children to school.  The school at that time was very far away for any of us to attend school and this was an obstacle for me if I wanted to study; I would have to leave my family and go to a different town.

During my younger days, I moved to Mondulkiri Province and became an army driver for 4 years.   After the war ended,  I moved to PouLoung village where I met my beautiful Bunong wife; where I was soon elected by the people of my village to be the Village Chief elder, to support the school committee at Poulong Village School and, to work closely with parents, teachers and the school director.  At first, I was reluctant to accept these positions that was bestowed upon me, because I did not have the experience or the know how to help the people in PouLong Village.   After some years passed, with the help of my people, I gained  the confidence and the experience that I needed, to do a good job.   During that same period of time, I also worked with livestock to earn the extra money for my family and the community.  Today, I still provide the medicine to take care of livestock, so you might consider me as the veterinarian, the Village Chief Elder and the School Support Committee Leader of PouLong Village.  

As the Village Chief and School Committee Leader at Poulong Village School, it is our responsibility, mine and the people in this committee to encourage parents to give their children the education that I, and many like me never received:  to send their children to school and to let them stay in school.

My message for you all parents, is to send your children to school. You need to know that school enrollment is free to all children!  The more educated the Cambodian Citizens are, the more our citizens will benefit as a whole from this growth.   Education will lead us to freedom, the freedom to choose our own future!   Equally significant, Remember to maintain your ethnic Bunong culture: getting an education also means that you are preserving your Bunong cultural identity.

ប្រធានភូមិនិង គណៈកម្មការទ្រទ្រងសាលា

            បើនិយាយអោយចំទៅខ្ញុំមិនបានទទួលការអប់រំអីអោយល្អប្រសើរប៉ុន្មាននោះទេប៉ន្តែប្រជាជនបាន​ធ្វើការបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសយករូបខ្ញុំដើម្បីជួយដល់គណៈកម្មធិការនៅសាលាពូលុង។ ខ្ញុំធ្វើជាមួយ​ហ្នឹង ឪពុកម្តាយសិស្ស គ្រូបង្រៀន ហើយនិងនាយកសាលា។ ការធ្វើការជាមួយពួកគេបានជួយអោយខ្ញុំ​បង្កើតគណៈកម្មធិការប្រចាំសាលាដ៏ល្អមួយ ដែលគណៈកម្មធិការនេះមានទួនាទីលើកទឹកចិត្តដល់​ឪពុកម្តាយអោយបញ្ជូនកូនៗរបស់ពួកគេអោយទទួលបានការសិក្សានៅក្នុងសាលា ហើយនឹងអនុញ្ញា​តិអោយកូនៗរបស់ពួកគេបានស្នាក់នៅក្នុងសាលា។ សាលាពូលុងត្រូវបានជាប់ឈ្មោះជាសាលាគំរូ​មួយដោយសារតែមានការខិតខំប្រឹងប្រែង និងមានការចូលរួមពីសហគមន៍ទាំងមូល។

នៅក្នុងភូមពូលុងទាំងមូលឪពុកម្តាយសិស្សទាំងអស់អោយតម្លៃខ្លាំងទៅលើការអប់រំ ហើយកូនៗរបស់​ពួកគេគឺសុទ្ធតែបានចូលរៀនគ្រប់ៗគ្នា ហើយថែមទាំងទទួលបានលទ្ធផលល្អនៅក្នុងការសិក្សារបស់​ពួកគេទៀតផង។ ​

            ​​នៅក្នុងជីវិតផ្ទាល់ខ្លួនវិញ ខ្ញុំអាចជួយដល់ប្រពន្ធក៏ដូចជាសហគមន៍បានច្រើន។ ខ្ញុំគិតថា​យើង​នឹង​អាច​សម្រេចគោលដៅដែលយើងរំពឹងទុកបាន ដោយមានការចូលរួមពីអង្គការអន្តរជាតិ​ផ្សេង​ៗ ហើយ​នឹងអាចធ្វើអោយសហគមន៍របស់យើងល្អប្រសើរជាងមុន។

            ឪពុកម្តាយគ្រប់រូបគួរតែបញ្ចូនកូនទៅចុះឈ្មោះចូលរៀន ពីព្រោះការចុះឈ្មោះចូលរៀនមិន​មានការបង់ប្រាក់ទេ។ កាលណាប្រជាជនទូទៅជាពិសេសកុមារនៅក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជាទាំងមូល ទទួល​បាន​ការ​អប់កាន់តែច្រើន ពេលនោះប្រទេសយើងហ្នឹងមានការរីកចំរើនកាន់តែលឿន។ ការទទួលបាន​ការអប់រំបានច្រើន នឹងធ្វើអោយយើងមានភាពម្ចាស់ការនៅក្នុងការសម្រេចចិត្តលើអនាគត់របស់ខ្លួន​យើងផ្ទាល់ បើយើងមិនទទួលបានការអប់រំនោះយើងនឹងនៅតែទន់ខ្សោយបែបនេះរហូត។

 

More later :)

Planting a seed ...

A happening place in the beautiful hills of Mondolkiri ...  School Opening Ceremony was held on November 1^st , 2015.

It’s hard to believe that 2 months ago we had the Closing School Ceremony to mark and celebrate the end of another school year.  Now, the celebration of another 'brand' new school year is about to emerge.   

Ceremonial dance to welcome the new school year

This year, the School Opening Ceremony was held at Hun Sen Sen Monorom High School.  Unlike, the closing ceremony, where some  elementary children had fainted from exhaustion, had collapsed from standing in their respective line for more than two hours in the hot sun, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the Education Complex staff were well aware of their students’ needs and had provided shade for both high school and elementary students for this important occasion:  They had equipped students with canopies, they own water bottles and chairs to comfortably sit in their respective line – grade, to enjoy the ceremonial dance presented by 7 high school girls, to listen to the many speeches,  to witness high school students receive their certificates of achievements and more.   Could it be that we had planted a seed, to suggest that children needed to be in a shaded spot for a long ceremony?

Added to this delight, students from remote villages, throughout the beautiful hills of Mondolkiri,  and who graduated from grade 6, are now boarding behind the Education complex in Sen Monorom Town.  Students are also attending high school full time  - and, with luck, they will graduate from grade 12 with an intent of furthering their education.    

Other enlightening news,  well into the first week of school,  elementary teachers and school directors from various schools in Mondolkiri, attended a very important conference, conducted by the MoEYS staff (from Phnom Penh), with a focus on strengthening the teaching profession.  At the same time, the teaching staffs were also tested for their teaching and management skills in and out of the classroom.  Savy, my translator, told me that this strategy was meticulously put in place a year ago when the Ministry of Education cracked down on the grade 12 national exams where students were being closely monitored, where the grade 12 students agreed that the ‘crackdown on cheating was a good thing for the Kingdom of Cambodia.’   Savy added, that the ministry is now stepping up to the plate to cultivate teachers’ professional development: to ensure that teachers are being trained, regularly, to deliver a  better  teaching curriculum.  Further, he felt that  there was indeed a link between good teaching and the early years: that the primary core of education – good teaching practices first begins in the primary classroom to prepare students, the builders of the future, for success! 

Elsewhere in the school districts,  the first week of November, after the school enrollment campaign, we followed up at several schools for a number of new students  who had enrolled at school.  At Sre Y Village School, 21 grade 1 students enrolled: 14 boys and 7 girls.  

During that same week, students created posters. What it means to be at school?  The poster was  divided  into 3 categories:  Why go to school?  Why stay at school?  What would you like to be when you grow up?  Grades 1 – 3 drew pictures for each category.   Grades 4 -6  took it up to a higher level and added a story to their categorized illustrations.

More later ... :)

Everybody went to work on Monday

Indeed it was an unusual day …

Monday, October 26, 2015 was an unusual day.  Everybody went to work!  Savy, my translator went to work, to his 'real' job as a teacher, to meet with his boss and colleagues  to review and pick-up his (two day week) work schedule.  The girl who lives below us, had her police uniform on, and went to work with her two (female) colleagues, at the new police station, that's beside the produce stand just down the road from us.   Both high school and elementary students went to school in their ‘spick and spam’ school uniforms to clean the grounds, to prepare for the School Opening Day on November 1^st, 2015.

Added to this unusual day, we noticed that our little grey bat had returned to our house, unusually early at that, to hang on the living room wire, all the while happily chomping on his fruit berries leaving the remains of his little treasures, strewn on the floor  for us to discover the next morning.  Last year our little bat hung around our house during the months of November, December and January  - during the cold months.  It appears that our little bat knows something that we don’t know.  Could it be that he’s come to warn us, that  this sudden change of the season,  has abruptly sublimated from hot to cold, from lush green to saffron dusty, windy weather?  November is known to be the best, most comfortable time of the year in Mondolkiri.  

October was a month packed with a number of exciting activities.  In early October, new teachers at the education complex were deployed and placed in a number of village schools throughout the 5 districts in MDK.  We also conducted several workshops with teachers and, follow up trainings with school directors .  During the last two weeks of October, we (Kevin, educational NGO’s, POE, VSO –ICS youths) joined us to organize the School Enrollment Campaign in the villages, which was successful in many ways, in that we were pleasantly surprised how well it was attended by the community and more ... 

It’s been a month when we were further invited for dinner with the VSO – ICS youth group to meet and share initiatives that we're presently working on in the various districts. Throughout October, we also collaborated and worked on several activities together: writing a play and making masks for the school enrollment campaign ‘Why go to school?'    Prior to the  school enrollment campaign,  ICC – NGO lent us a cameraman, and a  truck for the day to interview a group of locals from different professional background, with different levels of education describing how their education has been of value to them in their jobs  and in their personal lives. Their personal stories were aired on the Mondolkiri radio for the month.   This was to reach everyone and beyond, especially those in the villages (whom we’ve been told) owned a radio.  

Oh yes, on Hallowe’en morning we awoke to a nervous little red fellow, to a shy little tree frog who was sitting on the kitchen counter's tray, exposed to unfamiliar surroundings. Was he by chance getting ready for  his first ‘Trick or Treat?”

More later :)

The cycle of rice

- rice for the spirits ...  P’chum Ben is the most important religious festival in Cambodia.

Traditionally, over the progression of 15 days, the whole community gets involved in donating food and money to the monks and the nuns, at the pagoda, for them to distribute as they see fit, to the poor. Community supporters consist of various collaborators: government, ministry of commerce, private businesses, tourism, private individuals, and alike take turn, that take a day each, to donate to the poor.

In Mondolkiri, we saw local people outside the Watt (pagoda) waiting to receive bags of rice, other foodstuff, scarfs, money and basic needs for the community poor so that they too, can celebrate P’Chum Ben.    Outside Sen Monorom Town, the provincial governor also supported the people in the villages.

As well as providing the basic needs for the poor, during the Buddhist festival of P’Chum Ben celebration, the women in town delivered dishes of cooked rice and other foods in silver bowls ,to the monks to share with everyone at the pagoda to honour the spirits of the deceased.

“Such dead people cannot eat cooked rice and food properly by using a spoon, but they can eat rice properly by not using a spoon or eat cooked rice thrown on the land,” one of the locals said, referring to the practice of throwing balls of rice, or “ben,” onto the ground outside a pagoda’s main temple before dawn during the first 14 days of Pchum Ben to feed the famished spirits.

More later :)

Quirks and quarks ...

Identity for sale anyone ...?

- Sukhon, the landlord's 29 year old friend, told us, that he had proudly bought someone's else's position  - someone else's  ID card, that stated this 'retired' particulars - this older person's personal identification: DOB, name etc.  He bought it for the purpose of legally retiring early, as an 'older' policeman.  Now,  this 'lucky' individual will be able to legally collect government pension for the rest of his life.

- Owning a good pair of walking shoes is a must with rubber soles at that, to avoid electric shocks from unearthed, dodgy wiring.

- A minivan for 14 people will usually be packed, like sardines, with 25 people or more.  For example, it's normal for 6 people to share a two seater chair.  And, if you're lucky, a child might even end up siting on your lap.

- Some may even sit on motorbikes hung at the back of the minivan for comfort?  

- Bus drivers, minivans and alike, are randomly stopped by the police, on the side of the road, to check for accurate documents.  In turn,  a case of water, money, you name it,  are donated for the patrollers to share with their comrades.

- Holding several monologues is the key to be had on the bus, talking over each other on their phones throughout the 5 ½ hour journey to Phnom Penh  

- Lack of the correct tools or materials will never stop a Khmer person. Where there is a will there is always a way. 

- Creepy crawlies, mice, rats are usually found in printers, photocopy machines, desk draws etc. , until they're released to freedom ...

- Occasionally, the office computer will be full of viruses that it can no longer save or print documents either on the desktop or the USB.  Instead, a logo of a smiley little man pops up to warn you of these deadly viruses. 

- Recently, 3 new staff was added to our office.  Rationale:  to fill the empty seats.   Perhaps, 3 specialists (Math, Science, English) could potentially replace them for ongoing trainings, workshops, follow-ups ... to build the capacity of teachers?

- Every once in a while, the director, will order everyone at the office to reorganize furniture for more space.  Even though the office is already large enough with plenty of space to maneuver around.

- No one knows where anyone else is, what they’re doing or when they’ll be back, even when you ask of their whereabouts.  This counts for yours truly, despite the fact that my translated weekly agenda is on the board for all to see.

- Pate, aka sandwiches with unidentifiable slab of processed meat are usually offered at trainings, workshops and alike that everyone looks forward to at break.

More later :)