Saturday, January 4, 2014
Leaving Cambodia #8
Friday, January 3, 2014
Leaving Cambodia #7
Without a doubt, one of the things I will miss most in Cambodia is the opportunity to travel extensively within the country and work very closely with our target populations (and now suppliers). It has been a great priviledge to have been invited to accompany my colleauges on trips into the field. I have now been to over 20 provinces in Cambodia, with at least a dozen trips to the main rice producing provinces around Phnom Penh--Takeo, Kampong Speu, Prey Veng, Kampong Chnang.
While it is tempting to compare the merits of a traditional rural and modern lifestyles, I do not think I'm qualified to make judgements. When we met farmers, they usually treated it as a special occassion--wearing their "Sunday best," offering drinks and food, and giving (mostly) positive interviews. We usually heard about problems with our projects after visits, or perhaps to save face my translator did not tell me everything that had been discussed during a trip. It would be easy to paint a romantic picture of their slower paced way of life, with the days work split into two or three hour blocks, kids and animals running between houses seemingly regardless of the owner, But I know that these communities suffer from a myriad of serious issues--alcoholism, domestic violence, limited access to formal health care, no sanitation systems, little clean water, persistent food insecurity... A pleasant demeanor for a foreign visitor could mean anything.
I will simply say that it was a humbling and very educational experience to work in villages across the country. As someone raised in a subdivision in suburban Ohio, it is an understatement to say I live a life disconnected with nature. It is so easy to walk into a grocery store and expect endless stacks of perfect vegetables, freshly prepared meat and chilled seafood from around the world. Even in the markets in Phnom Penh, I assume most tourists walk by pyramids of mangoes or 10 kg sacks of rice without giving a second thought as to where these things came from and who produced them. After learning first hand the hard work and risks involved in smallholder farming (which still produces a large portion of the world's food), I hope to never take the availability of food for granted again.
Wedding photos, children's portraits and a proprty title in a farmer's home in Kampong Chnang province
Thursday, January 2, 2014
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