Elbow Swollen, Hot And Red

projects interview (Seam Reap)

seven hours of January twenty-six duemilaundici

woke up early and breakfast at the Blue Pampinks Antonio with a very special pastry in the center of Siem Reap, I eat two buns with almonds and a delicious tea with ginger and honey, then the van comes to Child Rights Foundation carrying a delegation of local NGO funded by Intervita deals with the development of the project within schools that we're going to visit in the district of Varin (Seam Reap) .

suggest below an explanation of the project as presented on the site Intervita and confirmed in person by the Country Director Antonio Small INTERVIEW Onlus CAMBODIA.

"A Siem Riepe, in northern Cambodia, interviews and undertook to train 150 teachers in 22 elementary schools on educational systems that do not involve corporal punishment positive. With the support of the Ministry of Education, the project provides the concrete implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Cambodia has ratified in 1992, permigliorare the learning conditions of 8600 children. Besides equipping school, Interview considers crucial to ensure teachers, principals and teachers the basics to start u report constructive side of children, because learning helps the growth of the individual as a whole. "

Let's start with the van and walk around sixty kilometers to reach the first school in Svay Sor School, the road to the first stretch is paved, but soon becomes unpaved and sometimes we met some difficulties in passing, given the state of wooden bridges that do not provide support to our means, fortunately there is always a small road from the possibility of continuing, other cases the co-pilot has to go down to help the driver to slide the wheels of the vehicle in the right direction to go hole to avoid if you want to continue the path.

When we arrived, the first director of the school comes to us, as for most of the population in this area, he does not speak English, so many bowed to the rite and then smiles, our companions and we translate explain some things.

Here is a structure a little older and a new just built and donated by Ms. Akiyo Takeuchi, who has the impression that it was finished recently and in fact cites the plate 'inauguration

bath Svay Sor school

occurred 15 October two thousand and ten, we are moving towards the classrooms and each time we approach the children are raised very kindly greet us all together, then sit back and continue the lesson, but continuing to study this strange characters that roam in their schools, especially I am noted for my beard now, especially here in Cambodia, but I smile at all so do not fear them, I continue to take pictures of the classes, the structure and then the manager shows me the bathroom, making me realize that I only have one for two hundred children and that is short, I look at it, take a picture and certainly believe him.

continue the tour in the second structure, in the meantime, the delegations will exchange information and impressions, I came across the floor of the new structure which, unfortunately, in some places is already breaking to just four months after his inauguration, someone explains to me that in some cases the schools are awarded to the Cambodian people in exchange for contracts in the country and then are built with a bit of levity, to use a mild term, but we can not say that again how it went, another hypothesis is that Cambodian businesses through the construction of the few reliable checks on contracts does not use the techniques and better materials that could make the structure more solid.

greet the children and we approach the van, we salute the director and we move to the second school.

see tragus In many schools, all part of the project, since it provides for the application throughout the area, because we do not stop and we continue our "guides" have some choices in detail and we do not know what ' and the criterion.

arrive in the School of Num COH, completely different structure, with open walls as a gazebo, here are three classes that are studying, here too we encounter the director and do the ritual greetings and then we presented to teachers and students greet us with the usual heat, then begin to scrutinize closely.

Here students are learning the alphabet and in turn go to the blackboard, with a long wand khmner mark the letters of the alphabet and pronounce each letter and the ' entire class repeats, the end of each aluno whole class applauds and goes next to the pupil, then move on to a visit around the school, I take a picture to the bathrooms, one for all here but unfortunately without water, thus unusable.

There are also see the well that until recently supplied water to the school, was also removed the pump handle and tell us that it is dry, but the biggest problem in this area is that there are technicians who are able to check if the problem is actually that, or maybe it's something easy to solve, we discuss a moment, Antony some hypotheses and explains some known solutions from the experiences of other projects, then you come to the conclusion that is home to understand that problem but it takes a broader analysis to give priority to interventions and that will be addressed.

us from the group reach a small village behind the school, here are a few pigs, chickens, children and lots of dogs, especially puppies a defense from his mother.

taking some pictures of the houses, animals and the group that met in the village next to a tree, then passes a girl on the bicycle, Antonio makes a joke and everyone laughs, of course, since they speak only Khmer and we do not, we do not understand but you still ride together.

In any transfer talk a lot with Antonio, and do a thousand questions to which he answered with great patience and an open book I illustrates his point of view, is a life that moves to help people in need and made it a profession, I explained very carefully the projects in which it is giving me the opportunity to take pictures and especially difficult to understand these realities, in every speech he can always find a story that manages to give a rational explanation, I especially like his approach to these issues in the first instance by placing the solution of the reaction in civil society, the idea of \u200b\u200bnot fill the belly but one day to teach him for life and in this specific project to teach those important figure for the new generations, teachers, a new constructive relationship alongside the children, because learning helps the growth of the individual as a whole.

This approach seems very intelligent and also the philosophy of interviews, not an end in themselves but aid routes and builds community support over time to grow and learn to stand alone.

Antonio has a good energy, is full of passion and do what he likes, not a lucky man, but a man who was able to tenaciously pursue its goals, bringing his expertise in international cooperation in many developing countries.

Typical house in rural Cambodian

arrival at the premises of another school tell us that is coming food for lunch with a second machine and I and we get Antonio to a Buddhist temple nearby, walking and talking of their projects and developments come to the center of the courtyard and we are meeting some of the monks in their orange uniform, some are very small.

One of them, maybe not a monaco, asks us to think of where we come in English, meets Antonio, but soon we realize that English was the only thing he knew, look at us and laugh, we laugh and we move further towards the temple glimpsed in the distance a temple made of wood, maybe it's the old one, take more pictures and then call us for lunch telling us that we were invited to the home of the director of a school, even if in fact the food is there with us.

arrive in the house and sit for land, the house is very particular in line with the newer homes in the area, particularly a carpet on which we sit and tell us who is seventy years, in fact, it seems that has not even one for the wear that presents, get some food and open containers in polystyrene and some thermos, there is a lot of things, but unfortunately they all have vegetables with meat or fish and there are some ribs and fried fish, I am almost tempted to eat a rib, thinking that the animal was taken from where did the path that I context of intensive farming, but it closes before the stomach and then armored thoughts, I can not get this compromise, the animal does not is plus my food, it still felt pain, I just laughed and smile because I think this is absolutely not a problem.

Finished with the rice I eat some bananas, very good, then I invite you to eat more, they are a bit disappointed because we had not said that I am a vegetarian, and then there was nothing for me, but thank you and I say that is not a problem, and meanwhile take the opportunity to eat another banana seen as good.

I walked out while they talk and I take a picture inside the well in the yard, I ponder and keep thinking about all the things we talked about me and Antonio so far, and I think the idea of \u200b\u200bgiving them the opportunity to solve the problems of their people, a solution to support the civil society that fascinates me and which I will also later.

Back to school where there will be a meeting to deal with the project among stakeholders, that Antonio will not stop the meeting is a greeting and then we prepare to leave, noticing something very special, the school bell is without obtaining an anti-tank missile (it seems to me) hanging from a tree that is beaten with a rod of iron, at least now, even if that object has utility to those who know the principle for which it was built is a little impression.

We climb on a jeep with license plate NGOs, with a thousand thoughts I continue to think of everything I saw and heard today, his ears full, the brain milling, in the heart and eyes and the smiles of children hope that this project can continue to make them smile because they can grow with a little more serenity.

Thanks to all donors to his interview and cooperating that lend themselves to monitor the effective development of projects financed, as far as I see it is genuine.

On the way back I fall asleep.

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