I've posted a few times before. I am an American living in Cambodia. I am lucky to be here. (Never thought you'd hear anyone say That, I bet. ) We have had only 275 cases of Covid here. there is 1 active case and there have been no deaths. Everyone else has recovered. The government here stepped early and hard and we have been able…
I've posted a few times before. I am an American living in Cambodia. I am lucky to be here. (Never thought you'd hear anyone say That, I bet. ) We have had only 275 cases of Covid here. there is 1 active case and there have been no deaths. Everyone else has recovered. The government here stepped early and hard and we have been able to keep the pandemic out. The groups we support travel the across Cambodia and visit hospitals all over the country. Except for virulent form of dengue, there are no more people in hospital now than there were a year ago.
We run a food distribution program as well as support a number of schools we helped build and we fund a landmine clearance team and 3 mobile bomb squads. Most of our work right now is in supporting those who have been effected by the Covid Economy. We do 2 or 3 distributions a week giving out 50 to 350 bags of rice and food stuffs. Each bag of rice provides 100 servings. In 4.5 months we have distributed 70 metric tons of rice and about 50 metric tons of other food stuffs. We do it all from donations.
Whenever we do a distribution the police are there. Sometimes in fairly large numbers. They help us unload the rice and set it out in rows so that those in need can get to it. They help the elderly carry the rice home. No guns. No armor. No shields. No helmets. When we distribute the food there is no pushing and shoving. Everyone sits behind their bags. Monks bless the food. Local politicians speak (yep it's just like home) and I get to say a few words. People help each other.
This is not the Cambodia many in the West picture.
I read you daily Heather. But I have to tell you it is becoming more and more disheartening, difficult, to read it all at one sitting.
I also support some organizations that are working to get out the vote, and register new voters. All the memes in the world are not going to change the mind of those who have partaken of that orange kool aide. Il Duce's followers will not be dissuaded. We play into his hands every time we waste our time talking to one of his followers.
Do everything to get out the vote. Every election in my lifetime has been referred to as the 'most important in history'. This one is it.
Bill Morse, may I share your statement by posting it on my Facebook wall? I am very moved and inspired by it. What you describe is what I want to see here...people helping people in need. Police helping people in need. Kindness. Caring. Yes, the most important election in our history, perhaps in the world's history.
I would very much like to re-post this.. with attribution, of course.
I find myself longing to live in a culture where people are not pushing and shopping both literally and metaphorically. This is a lovely post. You give me hope that some human beings are not selfish idiots. I am a nurse ( 38 years working with addicted young mothers)..and I guess I always try to look at things from the viewpoint of the ones who are hurting and who approach others with openness and grace. . The gentle patience of people in Cambodia shows me that we are lacking in simply showing human dignity and awareness of others. Fear rules here, not love. Fear of being different, fear of retribution, fear of starvation, fear for your children, especially children of color...that they may never come home one night, fear because you’re and addict and there’s nowhere to go for help and no one really gives a shit..And even those were supposed to help you look on you as if you were a piece of shit, even the nurses.
This is what drives America right now.. fear for one basic needs of survival in many cases. If you look at Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs” you’ll see that if people are not sure they’re going to survive there is little room for civility or fair “love and belonging, esteem, and self actualization.”
There is too much sad truth in your comments. And, yet, there you are proving what is also true here, that a nurse has worked for 38 years with addicted young mothers, that health care workers have given, and continue to give their all to those who are suffering with Covid, that hundreds of thousands of people have stood up for Black Live Matters, and hundreds of thousands of activists are volunteering their time to phone bank and text, to write postcards and letters, and donating what they can in dollars, to get the outcome that we absolutely must get in this election. It's not the picture that Bill Morse describes but there are many pockets of that world here. So many are working to create that more broadly here. May that vision prevail in November so that we can get started down that path.
More Americans need to hear these accounts in order to enlighten us all. Yes, many of us are disgusted and we know that things have changed but things have rooted slowly over the years so that even the best of us don’t understand how deep this is. We truly are on the brink of losing our democracy and everything that goes with it. I was sitting with a friend yesterday having a glass of wine and I said to her, I don’t like it here anymore and she said I don’t either. Enough said!
I've posted a few times before. I am an American living in Cambodia. I am lucky to be here. (Never thought you'd hear anyone say That, I bet. ) We have had only 275 cases of Covid here. there is 1 active case and there have been no deaths. Everyone else has recovered. The government here stepped early and hard and we have been able to keep the pandemic out. The groups we support travel the across Cambodia and visit hospitals all over the country. Except for virulent form of dengue, there are no more people in hospital now than there were a year ago.
We run a food distribution program as well as support a number of schools we helped build and we fund a landmine clearance team and 3 mobile bomb squads. Most of our work right now is in supporting those who have been effected by the Covid Economy. We do 2 or 3 distributions a week giving out 50 to 350 bags of rice and food stuffs. Each bag of rice provides 100 servings. In 4.5 months we have distributed 70 metric tons of rice and about 50 metric tons of other food stuffs. We do it all from donations.
Whenever we do a distribution the police are there. Sometimes in fairly large numbers. They help us unload the rice and set it out in rows so that those in need can get to it. They help the elderly carry the rice home. No guns. No armor. No shields. No helmets. When we distribute the food there is no pushing and shoving. Everyone sits behind their bags. Monks bless the food. Local politicians speak (yep it's just like home) and I get to say a few words. People help each other.
This is not the Cambodia many in the West picture.
I read you daily Heather. But I have to tell you it is becoming more and more disheartening, difficult, to read it all at one sitting.
I also support some organizations that are working to get out the vote, and register new voters. All the memes in the world are not going to change the mind of those who have partaken of that orange kool aide. Il Duce's followers will not be dissuaded. We play into his hands every time we waste our time talking to one of his followers.
Do everything to get out the vote. Every election in my lifetime has been referred to as the 'most important in history'. This one is it.
Bill Morse, may I share your statement by posting it on my Facebook wall? I am very moved and inspired by it. What you describe is what I want to see here...people helping people in need. Police helping people in need. Kindness. Caring. Yes, the most important election in our history, perhaps in the world's history.
I would very much like to re-post this.. with attribution, of course.
I find myself longing to live in a culture where people are not pushing and shopping both literally and metaphorically. This is a lovely post. You give me hope that some human beings are not selfish idiots. I am a nurse ( 38 years working with addicted young mothers)..and I guess I always try to look at things from the viewpoint of the ones who are hurting and who approach others with openness and grace. . The gentle patience of people in Cambodia shows me that we are lacking in simply showing human dignity and awareness of others. Fear rules here, not love. Fear of being different, fear of retribution, fear of starvation, fear for your children, especially children of color...that they may never come home one night, fear because you’re and addict and there’s nowhere to go for help and no one really gives a shit..And even those were supposed to help you look on you as if you were a piece of shit, even the nurses.
This is what drives America right now.. fear for one basic needs of survival in many cases. If you look at Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs” you’ll see that if people are not sure they’re going to survive there is little room for civility or fair “love and belonging, esteem, and self actualization.”
We are a degrading democracy.
There is too much sad truth in your comments. And, yet, there you are proving what is also true here, that a nurse has worked for 38 years with addicted young mothers, that health care workers have given, and continue to give their all to those who are suffering with Covid, that hundreds of thousands of people have stood up for Black Live Matters, and hundreds of thousands of activists are volunteering their time to phone bank and text, to write postcards and letters, and donating what they can in dollars, to get the outcome that we absolutely must get in this election. It's not the picture that Bill Morse describes but there are many pockets of that world here. So many are working to create that more broadly here. May that vision prevail in November so that we can get started down that path.
Fear is Trump’s MO, his go-to. Because he has nothing else to offer. He is barren of positivity and always has been.
Please repost
https://www.facebook.com/RSVPCambodia/
Please fell to repost. Our website is www.landmine-relief-fund.com
We also post to our FB: https://www.facebook.com/RSVPCambodia/
Should be feel free to repost. Never proof your own stuff....
I, too, wish to repost. Thanks in advance whatever you decide.
Please
https://www.facebook.com/RSVPCambodia/
More Americans need to hear these accounts in order to enlighten us all. Yes, many of us are disgusted and we know that things have changed but things have rooted slowly over the years so that even the best of us don’t understand how deep this is. We truly are on the brink of losing our democracy and everything that goes with it. I was sitting with a friend yesterday having a glass of wine and I said to her, I don’t like it here anymore and she said I don’t either. Enough said!
Bill, thank you for your post. I love to read comments from others who live outside the US and what they are experiencing... Be safe!
feel free to repost