A year on.........

Thursday 10th November 2011

I’ve been here a year now. Wow! This time last year I arrived in Phnom Penh not sure what to expect but glad to be here and eager for things ahead. As it’s turned out, it’s been a very different, very stretching, very full year with lots of surprises and memories made along the way. So last Sunday (6^th Nov) I was celebrating, exactly a year on, thankful for all that’s passed and still eager for things ahead.

Since I last wrote life has been pretty full-on. I enjoyed a quieter week after the Mekong prayer trip in August and then September was taken up preparing and co-ordinating things for the up-and-coming Good Touch Bad Touch Puppets Flipchart Project training days in October. At the time it felt like a daunting task, putting together a completely new training package and getting updated with the latest research into child abuse in Cambodia (not easy reading, as you can imagine) as well as doing all the communication and admin stuff. So by the time the training days began, it was a relief to finally be doing them.

There were four altogether: the first in Phnom Penh, then Siem Reap in the North East, then Poipet near the Thai border and finally Sihanoukville down South. So a busy time but brilliant too. Really enjoyed meeting participants (mostly Khmer) from different NGOs, groups and schools and was encouraged by their enthusiasm for the flipchart and desire to use it to help children look after themselves.

 I worked out afterwards that if the 160 participants who attended the training days facilitate just one presentation for 20 children, then already 3200 are learning the lessons about Good Touch and Bad Touch and how to keep themselves safe. So am chuffed to be part of something that’s helping make a difference having heard and read such terrible stories.

As you may have heard in the news, the floods here have been pretty bad and it was an eye-opener travelling across Cambodia and seeing the effects of them. When I came back from Poipet, the usual 7 hour journey took over 10 hours and to be honest, from the things we were seeing, I was surprised we made it back that quickly:

 This year the government has cancelled the annual Water Festival boat racing competition and pledged instead to give the money to flood victims and the villages and towns that have been most affected. So right now (the Water Festival runs from the 9^th-11^th Nov) Phnom Penh is relatively empty compared to the huge crowds that are normally here.

Just to let you know about my language learning, amazingly, it’s going well!! I have a great tutor called Abraham who’s helping loads. I’m beginning to read now and the basics are finally going in, hallelu. It’s been a real block so far so am enjoying the sense of release and connection it’s bringing.

My tutor, Abraham, and his fiance, Srey Rohm from at the Cafe Eden craft shop

Anyway, I’m excited today because in a few hours, Mum will be here :-) She’s staying for 3 weeks so am looking forward to lots of chats, coffee and a holiday up in the wilds of Mondulkiri for some of it. Will let you know about our adventures in my next blog.

Til then, lots of love and som prea brotien bper (God bless you)

Fiona X

Fri 11/11/11

PS Mum got here last night and we had a great catch up over G&T. And I SO enjoyed reading all your cards and the gifts that came my way. Thanks so much to all those who thought of me. It means so much here to know that people are thinking of me and praying. I was so encouraged.

Achun traan tom tom!!!

(Big Thanks)