Thursday, December 16, 2010

Orphanage Life...

Leng - the founder of ODA Art Orphanage - is alos planning to build 4 schools in rural villages outside of Siem Reap.  He has donors who have just purchased this land for him:


Here Leng speaks with villagers about building the school...


Bhub... his vivacious spirit always brought a smile to my face...


 The girls practicing Apsara dancing...


Lara - from Engliand - was a new volunteer in my last week at ODA.  We became fast friends and had a wonderful time teaching together and finding new spots to eat in Siem Reap and get foot massages in the evenings!


 Two of the girls from ODA took Lara and I on my last afternoon through the local villages near the orphanage...





Raksmay led the way and took us back to her village.  Raksmay asked Leng if she could study with the children at the orphanage (even though she is not an orphan) because her family is so poor that they cannot afford to send her to school.  She comes every day and sends her time at the orphanage and is very eager to learn. 



Here is Raksmay with her mother in front of their home.  Six people live in this hut that is about 10 feet by 10 feet.


Some village children...




Here the locals play volleyball!  I really felt so privileged to have this time in Cambodia... there small villages you see here are never visited by the "three day in and out" tourists despite the fact that we were just 5 minutes from the well--beaten tourist path...  

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