Day 4

Tuesday night after dinner we went back to the night market. Everyone bought their own little souvenirs to take home, as well as clothes and other items.

Wednesday morning we had breakfast as usual at the hotel. We then went by bus to the real market in Siem Reap- where the locals do their shopping- to purchase various different items for the community we had been helping. These included blankets, mosquito nets, toys, sporting equipment, lollies and other things of use.

We drove to the village and split up into two groups each helping to build toilet blocks in two houses. We painted and finished the toilet blocks walls and put the tin roofs on, before returning to the original building site for lunch where we sang and were watched by the villagers.

After lunch we finished off the toilet blocks. Then we had a ceremony to welcome the family to their new home and handed out parcels of all the gifts we'd bought earlier- for every family there. After walking around the house three times with the family, we went up into the house with them and danced around the newly-housed family, singing Jewish songs and no doubt confusing them. We spent the last hour playing with the kids and the plastic balls we bought for them.

By Alec and Carmen


From the teachers:

Hi everyone
First stop today was at the local market, to buy (useful) presents for the families in the two villages. Our local guide, Mr Yous Sa, advised us as to what we should purchase. We divided the kids into groups. Each group was given a certain quantity of a particular item to buy (see Carmen and Alec's blog entry). We gave each group money and let them loose. They had to find their target items, decide on quality and make the deal.

Then we drove to the first village, where half the group got dropped off. Then the other half continued to the second village a few kilometres away.

The task was the same- completing the toilet blocks. There were four parts to this work. The tin roof had to be nailed down; the mortared space in between the bricks had to be painted black; then varnish was to be painted over the brickwork (both inside and outside walls) and then sand had to be dug up and placed around the periphery of the toilet block.

Once again, the heat made the task quite a tough one.

After the toilet block was completed in the first village, Mr Yous Sa put up a plaque. A plaque will also be placed on the second toilet block and on the house we completed (!) When we send the photos through, please look carefully at the name of our school and also at the email address of his (one-person) organization.

After the day's work was completed the families from both villages gathered together with us. There were a few short speeches (not quite with simultaneous translation.) We divided up the goods we bought in the morning- creating a batch for each family. We presented each family with their new goods.

We then made a procession around the new house, following the family, encircling their new home three times. Then up we went up into the house with them. We joined hands and danced around them- renditions of 'Simen Tov  UMazal Tov'; 'Shalom Aleichem'.

We leave Siem Reap tomorrow morning. It's goodbye to the wonderful Mr Yous Sa. Our fabulous organiser, Sunny, flies with us to Phnom Penh.

Warmest of regards
Frances and Rhys