Cold snap in Cambodia

It has been relatively chilly here for the last week. The Cambodian winter only lasts a fortnight, when the temperature comes down to temperatures of a hot English summer. I have needed to wear a fleece when I go out in the evening, and in bed I have been covering myself with a sheet; it’s still not quite cold enough for a blanket! It is hot at midday – more than 30 degrees - but it is much less humid than it usually is and therefore very bearable. In fact, the weather for me is just perfect. The Cambodians, however, don’t like it at all, and wear big coats and complain a lot. Here are Kaknika and Sophoin in the office – they didn’t take off their hats, coats or socks all day!

“Do they know it’s Christmas time at all??.....”

Christmas passes by unnoticed by most Cambodians, but, thanks to a fundraising campaign in Sussex organised by the fabulous Amy Hindhaugh, some very poor local people will be having a happy new year. Amy collected $900 from staff of Hastings and Rother PCT in the run-up to Christmas. Back here in Kampong Thom, my CoDeC colleagues, who know the local needs best, considered how the money could most effectively be used to benefit a poor community. We decided that the greatest need was for water wells to be built in a nearby village which has no clean water during several months of the dry season. The current water supply is in the form of shallow, open wells which are not able to provide year-round water. The $900 will pay for several very deep, covered pump wells to be installed.

The PCT staff members’ generosity will change lives. People will be able to drink clean rather than polluted water, meaning that they will be healthier and thus able to maintain their livelihoods. They will be able to grow crops to prevent their families and animals becoming ill or even dying of starvation. Once the wells are installed, I will put photos on a future blog posting.

I’ve discovered that there are lots of other ways that I would be able to spend small amounts of money to directly benefit local communities. The ultimate aim of third world development is to help people to help themselves rather than just give them money, but there are some basic things out of their reach which they need before they can start helping themselves. While I’m not here to be a fundraiser, if you would like to give any money (no matter how small) directly to desperately needy people, whilst ensuring that none of your hard earned cash is swallowed up in admin costs, mis-management, inappropriate causes, corruption or duplication of aid, then I would be pleased to organise this for you and let you know how your money has been spent. Contact me by e-mail: alisonincambodia@yahoo.co.uk.

Meanwhile, Christmas comes to Kampong Thom....

Well, just to my house! I’ve decorated my living room with lights and other decorations and have lots of exciting presents waiting to be opened under a tree. I started my celebrations last weekend in Phnom Penh, where I could be spotted sipping cocktails in Raffles (where else?) with some VSO friends. I gave each of the CoDeC staff a small token gift at yesterday’s staff meeting, which they were all delighted with. Rachel, my VSO friend from Siem Reap, is staying with me for the week running up to Christmas. We’ve been enjoying some festive treats together, mainly in the form of food and drink, whilst justifying our indulgences by chanting our mantra “Well, it is Christmas week!” An Australian volunteer, Stuart, has also been in town for a few days. Christmas Day, though, will see me in the office; there are no seasonal national holidays here.

Bribery and corruption

I have been hearing about the corruption which goes on in Cambodia's school education system. Schooling is free to all children, BUT if the pupils don’t give a few riel to the teacher every day, they don’t get any help in the classroom. If they fail their end of year exams, they are supposed to retake the year’s schooling again. However, most teachers will accept a bribe of $5 from a failed pupil to allow them to go up to the next class. If the teacher takes the moral high ground and refuses the bribe, the child would then go to see the headteacher, who would have no qualms about accepting it. Corruption continues into the university sector, with students effectively buying their qualifications. This situation completely undermines the whole education system, and means that the qualifications of even hardworking and able students are worthless.

It is the same in other public sector services.
 Police stand at street corners flagging down vehicles and demanding payments from unlucky passers-by on trumped up charges. If people actually need the services of the police to recover stolen property or solve a crime, they need to pay heavily for it.
 Fishery officials accept bribes from illegal fishermen, thus undermining the attempts for communities to manage their own fishery resources. This also means that illegal fishing continues, causing long term problems to the environment, fish stocks and livelihoods. The same happens with forestry officials, who are effectively supporting deforestation and all the long term environmental and livelihoods problems that this brings.
 Hospitals are supposedly free of charge, but unless patients pay the medical staff they won’t get any treatment at all. Even when they pay, the health care here is absolutely rubbish, if not dangerous.

At one level, the corruption is understandable. All public sector workers earn around $30 a month, which is nowhere near enough for one person to live on, let alone support a family. The national government is completely corrupt, and sets the example that others follow.

In my opinion, corruption is the biggest problem in Cambodia, and the cause of poverty and many other difficulties. If public sector workers were paid a living wage, maybe the acceptance of widespread corruption would reduce and Cambodia could start to move forward. My hope is that the international community in the form of donors and NGOs will hold their Cambodian beneficiaries increasingly accountable for the money they give, and where there is the slightest sniff of corruption support is immediately withdrawn. This would be a hard lesson for Cambodia, but very necessary if the country is to progress.