Keeping safe and well in Phnom Penh

Get the picture

Some of the traffic dangers!!

As I have a little post Christmas lull at work I thought that I would tell you dear bloggers a little bit about every day life in PP and the lengths I have to go to to remain safe and healthy [hope this is not tempting providence in any way fingers crossed]!
Firstly road safety a contradiction in terms here there is NO ROAD SAFETY it is a nightmare out there no one obeys any rules and where there has been an attempt to bring order like installing traffic lights they just seem to add to the chaos as some people adhere to them others don't so for the poor pedestrian like me you are left wondering what the heck to do and which way to go and if heaven for fend there is a policeman trying to direct traffic then forget it the chaos is tripled go home to bed is my advice.So my strategy for surviving PP traffic is
1. get yourself a trusty motto driver I have and he is wonderful and navigates these streets with skill we have had some near misses though
2.get yourself a local tuk tuk driver I have 2 they are great and get to know your regular haunts so getting lost is not such a regular habit no cabbies street tests here!!!!
3.When out walking never step on a manhole cover two of my pals have come a cropper doing that one ended up on crutches
4.Don't get distracted by what you see on the road and what is being carried on a motto my record sighting is 6 monks and yesterday I saw one motto carrying a double bed and two chairs but not to be outdone my friend said that she once saw a house being carried on a motto [me thinks she had one too many cocktails that day!]
5 I still cannot get over seeing babies and toddlers being held in one hand whilst their mums drive with the other with vehicles of all types including the Lexus menace coming at them from all angles it is amazing that there are not more accidents but not surprising that deaths from RTA's are rising here
6 By and large when crossing the road its a case of "He who dares wins" once committed then you have to keep going a hesitation confuses the Cambodians that's when disaster strikes as they tend to miss a moving target but stop suddenly and it can be curtains!!!
Next avoiding getting ill in particular getting bitten by the old mossies  There is no Malaria in PP so I have stopped taking anti Malarials they are now just taken when visiting out in  the Provinces but Dengue Fever is prevalent and to be avoided it is a nasty illness and spread by the day mossies I have pals who have had this illness and it is not nice at all so as they say prevention is better than cure every morning and any other time I am going out the old deet insect repellent has to go on this is now a part of my ablutions as washing my face not as pleasant though no perfume either as I don't want to attract the little blighters so all in all perfume less deodorant and constantly smelling of deet mossies are not the only thing being repelled!!!It also leaves an altogether very unflattering sheen on the skin not a good look in the mature woman.
I have had one or two nasty bites but of late they have not been too bad but just wait till the hot season......
Tummy bugs avoiding these is more tricky my hands are raw from washing and constant application of hand gel I have almost turned vegetarian too and only eat meat/fish in trusted places some of the best places to eat are veggie and cheap too we are advised to take worming pills every 3 months not done that yet so must sort that out!I never eat from street vendors although the food looks and smells good in the evenings here pavements come alive as street vendors just set out plastic chairs and tables and start cooking its amazing to see really.
At home it is a constant battle of wits between me and the ants they are cunning little devils and just appear from no where at the first splash of orange juice or grain of sugar I made the fatal mistake of not closing the lid of my muesli box the day I was going off to Mondulkiri for 4 days when I came back my shelves with all the dry good boxes were awash with black ants they were having a field day it was like something out of a Tom and Jerry cartoon as when I started throwing things away they formed an orderly line and marched up the wall and disappeared through the ceiling amazing.
A trip to the market for fresh fruit/veg is a task and a half as on return I wash and scrub every thing first with tap water then dry it and wrap and store in the fridge every thing that is except bananas they are kept on the shelf and the ants don't seem to bother them somehow [Why is that?] when I come to use the fruit and veg they get washed again in fresh/filtered water so it is quite a performance but at least I have running water and electricity[ most of the time].
I have pals who don't have these amenities these are the real heroes but they do have fresh air something that is in short supply in PP so can't wait to get out and see more of the countryside.
Kath

Meeting Midwives and a Mouse in My Mop!!!

As I have been talking about midwives quite a lot in this blog I thought that I would include this image from Angkor Watt of a woman giving birth

The last two weeks or so have been quite busy for me at work which made a great change as on the 16th and 17th of December it was CMA's annual conference for branch leaders and at least one member from each of the 24 Provinces plus some midwives working in NGO's and the training centres.
Before that though on the 15th I experienced my first executive team meeting. As the President had been in Brazil on a 3 week study tour I had asked her before she left if I should prepare the agenda for her which after a little thought she agreed to.
The meeting was scheduled for the whole day which I thought perhaps a little excessive however not so in the event it finished at almost 6pm having started at 8 which puts some of the SHA executive meetings in the shade!!The executive team are new they like the President were appointed in May and have only met once before.This I took into consideration whilst preparing the agenda which I did in English it was then  translated into K'mai very ably by my VA there were 4 accompanying papers all of which were colour coded to the items on the agenda and each member was given a pack as I knew that I would not have time to go through every thing with the President beforehand.
The only problem was no one followed the agenda despite lasting for 9 hours only half the items were covered. I learned a very valuable lesson that day and also got some great material for my future capacity building.
The executive team of 8 midwives though were very warm and friendly women who despite the language barrier did their best to make me feel welcome most were about my vintage several had quite good English and wanted to practice on me whilst I tried valiantly but not very successfully to speak in K'mai but as my VA tells me if I don't practice I will never get better
Despite only completing the conference agenda at 6pm on the night before the conference itself went really well and I got to meet midwives from all over Cambodia my presentation on why CMA is so important for Cambodia seemed to go down well and I did a little interactive session at the end of day one to help prepare them for the workshop on day two when we wanted their views ideas and opinions on what CMA can do to become stronger.
I had been warned that there could be some reticence in coming forward with ideas and views not so for Cambodia's midwives they came up with some excellent suggestions most I have to say accord with my own which made me feel a whole lot better and we now have a clear mandate in order to move forward.
Now all of this has to be translated for me and put into some kind of future plan which is great. at last I felt that I had been useful.
The President seemed very pleased with how things went as it was her first formal event it was important that it was a success she and her team did a great job in my view but it was a bit close to the wire for me but again perhaps I can help with that in future.
Since then I have been putting together CMA's annual report/Newsletter the first for some time and also I have been trying my best to network having visited colleagues in WHO/UNICEF/ UNFPA and NMMP whose advice has been very helpful.
So what else has happened well I was mugged (not literally) by a one legged monk! yes that's right I was in my street when I was approached by an elderly one legged monk who asked me for money in exchange for a bracelet made from wooden beads what does a well brought up girl do but pay up!! not convinced he was a bonefide monk though so will keep an eye out for him in future
The other big excitement was I have had a mouse take up residence in my mop which is a very fluffy affair and I dare say a big attraction to rodents mind you it got more of a shock than I did when it got tipped out onto my floor and was then chased by this mad woman all around the apartment until I had the wit to open the balcony door through which it fled for dear life straight over the balcony. I haven't seen it since!!!!!
So its all go in PP Christmas was much better than I thought it would be I really enjoyed the simplicity of it all just being with friends exchanging small gifts having a meal together (although no turkey)was enough the only sadness was not being with Sal and David but we did see each other on Christmas Day albeit through a grainy skpe screen.
On Friday I hope to be going to Kampong Speu with one of the midwives to do a training session on either "Free movement in labour" or "Family Planning" not quite sure which so will report back soon
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
Kath

Happy Khmer Christmas

How could I let this time of year go past without wishing all my blogging buddies a very happy Khmer Christmas I will try not to gloat as I apply the sun [and mossie cream so no where is perfect]and .
As Christmas Day is on a Saturday my fellow volunteers  and I do not have to use any annual leave to enjoy a Khmer Christmas.
Plans for the day so far:-
At about 8 with my pal Chris and a bucks fizz or two
12 00 Lunch at Khmer Surin with 12 or so other volunteers
1600 A river boat trip up the Mekong [Tonley Sap] to watch sunset
2100 SYKPE David and Sally celebrate with a drink or too
Hope my liver is up to all this!!
Thanks to every one who has sent me cards real and electronic and pressies particularly my old buddies at Y&H SHA who have pulled out all the stops to send me some Christmas cheer and I have to say they are the only parcels to make it through so far so at least I will have some thing from Father Christmas to open on Christmas morning Bless you especially Kim who organised it all and in the midst of yet another NHS reorganisation will we never learn!!!.
Special love and good wishes to Kath and Heather I am thinking of you both
Thank you to every one who is being so kind to David and Sal in my absence they are both still so supportive even though it is hard for them and I am really looking forward to seeing them in February.
I really hope that you all have a very Happy Christmas and New Year
See you in 2011 keep tuning in
Kath  

A Khmer Wedding

This is a picture of the modern part of the wedding which took place in the evening complete with banquet music and dancing [ALL PICTURES PUBLISHED ARE WITH KIND PERMISSION OF THE BRIDE AND GROOM] 





Traditional Khmer wedding attire made from beautiful Cambodian silk

Hello to all my blogging friends
I will just update you on the weather forecast here in Cambodia it is 32oC and the sun is burning t'thack off as we say in Yorkshire or some such thing as I go about my daily chores I still have sweat dripping off my nose [not a good look I grant you] but I have to say infinitely preferable to being thigh deep in snow and ice so my commiserations to all of you who have to brave the M1 and M62 and every other road by the sounds of things to get to work and other such pleasures. They say timing is every thing and I have to say my timing in taking my gap year so far has been brilliant.
A couple of weeks ago I got my first invitation to a Khmer wedding it is wedding season at the moment in Cambodia and they are taking place all over the city As is customary in our country there is a formal part to Khmer weddings and less formal parts with dancing taking a prominent role.

This is Pros and Sochivy accepting their blessings

The wedding was of a work colleague Pros and his very beautiful bride Sochivy they had a combined traditional and modern wedding. The weddings in Cambodia are very colourful and joyous affairs in the traditional part which usually takes place in the morning the two families meet up and gifts are brought and this is the time that wedding rings are exchanged and specific songs are sung. After that monks offer blessings to the couple after which a hair cutting ceremony takes place. This is only symbolic nowadays but it represents the couple preparing to make a fresh start in a life together family and friends all take part in this bit of the ceremony and again songs are sung afterwards. This is followed by a pairing ceremony where the bride and groom have their right and left wrists respectively tied with blessing strings and they receive praises from their well wishers for happiness good health and success followed once again by 4 songs this time.
After the traditional part of the wedding is over a party is held and my case I was treated to a veritable feast ne banquet at least 7 course I stopped counting after 5! it was fantastic
I was sat at a round table of 10 people all of whom were friendly and kind and I tried out my faltering K'mai to my delight and relief I found that I was sitting next to a lady who had studied accounting in the UK in the 1990's for a year so her English was very good and she explained every thing to me.
During the banquet people kept arriving throughout the evening and just got fed as they arrived during which time the bride and groom and parents welcomed new arrivals
During the entire evening they must have changed their clothes 4/5 times and for one of her out fits the bride wore a very beautiful white gown. Indeed all her clothes were stunning but my favourites were the Cambodian silk traditional dresses just amazing.

My new wedding outfit which will come in very handy for all other formal occasions

Of course getting this invitation gave me a dilemma one familiar to my husband 'I don't have a thing to where!' So to remedy this I hot footed it to the Russian market and ordered a very nice made to measure traditional Khmer number pure silk I hope that you like it here I am just before I set off for the wedding.

My Work with the Cambodian Midwives Association

I cannot start this post without first explaining a little bit about midwifery and how midwives are trained in Cambodia  so that there is some context to my role here.
Despite a lot of investment in maternal and child health services in Cambodia the maternal and infant mortality rates remain some of the highest within the region and maternal mortality have remained static for the past 10 years.MM 470/100,000 whilst Infant Mortality rates have reduced at 28/1,000 they are still unacceptably high.This is a great concern for the Royal Cambodian Government and for the Non Government Organisations (NGO's) working with it in this area.
26% of maternal deaths occur through unsafe abortion practices and investment in services in the area of safe abortion services and those for adolescent sexual health family planning or birth spacing as it is known here have been widely promoted.
The other main causes of maternal deaths are Post Partum Haemorrhage and Eclampsia both of which are preventable when there are sufficient numbers of well trained and skilled health professionals and resources in place.
It has now recognised that midwives are essential to the delivery of safe reproductive health services and that investment needs to be made in increasing their numbers ie by training more and by improving the clinical skills and competence of the existing workforce.
As with all professions because of Cambodia's past there are big gaps in the workforce which will take many more years to fill.
How Midwives are trained is both interesting and complex there are two types a bit like the UK used to have with the old Enrolled Nurse role there is a primary nurse/midwife these practitioners have done a years combined training in nursing and midwifery and they work to a national job description.They were introduced to address a shortage of midwives in the North East of the country which is largely rural but are now more distributed across the country.They have a restricted range of duties commensurate with their skills but can still be the sole care provider in many of the remote areas of Cambodia.
Secondary midwives are either nurses who have undertaken a years post basic training known as a 3+1 or more recently Cambodia has introduced a 3 year direct entry midwifery programme and this has almost doubled the numbers of midwives in training.
There are 5 public training centres 1 in PP the others at Regional Training Centres (RTC's) across the country.
Teaching and learning facilities and student support seems to vary in each centre. Some have received a lot of support from either the govt or NGO's whilst others less so what they do have in common though is a shortage of space and teachers to accommodate all the additional students.
This is also the case in clinical practice with a shortage of high quality placements [now where have I heard that before] Interestingly VSO and other NGO's are doing some great work in the RTC's on developing preceptor ship and other forms of student support with very little.
From what I have gathered so far non of the courses meet international standards so the Govt has commissioned a new 4 year bachelors level curriculum to be developed but this is at the very early stages of development.
Cambodia is also in the process of developing its regulatory framework for both nursing and midwifery laws have been passed to establish both a Nurses Council and The Cambodian Midwives Council this is a very exciting and essential development and I am really pleased to be sharing an office with the Cambodian Midwives Council as there is so much potential for collaboration between the CMA & CMC to strengthen the midwifery workforce.
The pay and reward schemes for public servants in Cambodia are going through reform so it is hard for me to understand exactly what midwives are paid here I have gleaned that they have recently had a pay rise and incentives added to their pay per hospital/health centre based deliveries they perform
In addition to the "approved" midwifery workforce there are also traditional birth attendants [TBA's] who have had little or no formal training but have been delivering babies within local communities for years and years. Many women and families either because of poverty/tradition or other factors still look to TBA's in preference to accessing mainstream services
My role with the Cambodian Midwives Association is to help build its capacity to work as strong voice for women in the area of reproductive health there is evidence which supports a strong correlation in countries which have effective professional midwifery associations and a reduction in maternal mortality rates.The CMA has been through some challenging changes over its 16 year history it now has a new elected President and executive team and it is my job over the next year to help and support these very committed midwives to strengthen membership and activity  in ways which helps to raise standards of midwifery practice and the personal and professional development of midwives for Cambodia.
We have a CMA conference in two weeks when I will get to meet over 70 midwives from all provinces in Cambodia and this is their opportunity to contribute to the future development of CMA as a democratic organisation. I will let you know how it goes and what I get up to in future.
Please feel free to comment on what I am doing help and advice is always welcomed
Kath         

Tragedy Hits Phnom Penh During Water Festival



Some of the magnificent boats at the start of the water festival




Me in my very baggy britches watching the boatrace from a very posh marquee



some of VSO's boat crew

Dear All
There is no way that I could start a new blog without making reference to the most horrendous incident to hit Phnom Penh for some time and particularly in view of the many texts and e mails enquiring about my safety it is really good and heartening to know that so many people care thanks to every one.
At the time of the bridge tragedy I was on a short break to Mondulkiri with 5 friends we had decided to leave the heat and crowds of the capital and head for cooler and quieter climes.
The first I heard about the incident was when David text me about the incident which was on the news in the UK before I got to hear about it.He knew that I was going away but wasn't sure for how long so I was able to reassure him that I was OK
I was then contacted by VSO's in country Director Alice who was verifying that all volunteers in Cambodia could be accounted for so thanks to her and the team too.
The Water Festival is Cambodia's most spectacular event which in effect is a very big boat race with varying size long boats some carrying as many as 60 men competing in different categories of races. The boats come from towns and Provinces all over Cambodia for the 3 day festival to race it is very prestigious for the winners. VSO has a boat much to the amusement of the locals but rarely if ever gets further than the first heat so I was in PP on the first day of the race which was Saturday.
It was the most fantastic day I watched some of the races including the VSO boat and cheered on my many pals who paddled their hearts out.
The atmosphere in the city was great and the crowds were well managed I even ventured out in the evening to watch the splendid fireworks over the river.The crowds were big though and I lost my friends but as I live near the river was able to make my way home.It was great to see families together having a good time so it was such a shock to learn of the tragic events 2 days later.
In Mondulkiri I was discussing the incident with a young waiter at the nature lodge he said it was like Khmer Rouge times which he doesn't remember and just goes to show that the past never goes away for these lovely people and it is such a shame that their main festival will be blighted possibly for years to come.
Well lets hope not but if you can please spare a thought for the 500 dead / injured here in Phnom Penh and their families.
In my next blog I will definitely be telling you about Midwives and my work here in Cambodia
"Lea Hei"
Kath   

Picture Gallery

Dear All just thought that I would post some pictures from my "doings" in Cambodia they are a little random as I have just downloaded them from my camera
In my next blog I am going to tell you all about my first few weeks at work in Cambodia and what I have found out about Midwifery training and practice here
I hope you enjoy looking at them

My washing and bedroom facilities at VSO programme office on arrival in Cambodia





This is Dave whom I have adopted now working in Kampot a super young man

This is Janet to the left next to her husband Dave they are now up in Ratinakiri Province and Thea and Jahn on the right now working in education in Stung Treng They are the best pals any one could have had.

This is the view of the National Museum which I have from my balcony

This is my loung apologies for the socks how did they get there and thanks Neesey for my new ones they were very welcome

My bedroom (rather stating the obvious)



 Kath

My Visit To The Seaside

Last weekend was yet another Khmer Public holiday to celebrate King Norodom Sihanouk's birthday we had the Friday and Monday off so along with 3 other VSO chums we spent 3 days at the coast in Kep. Chris our social secretary booked us into The Veranda an eco hotel which was located about a mile out of the centre in an idyllic setting half way up a mountain surrounded by lush green landscape and forest.
Chris and I shared accommodation a wood and bamboo cabin which was set in the grounds with great views of the landscape and the sea it was a tad on the small side particularly as we had to squeeze in a put me up bed but we are only volunteers and have to travel steerage but it was still wonderful.
When we arrived after a 4.5 hour bus journey which is an adventure in itself in Cambodia the sun was shining and the air was light and breezy what a joy after the stifling heat and humidity in PP so what can a body do but climb into the old "cossie" (2 sizes too big now!!) and christen the pool and that I am ashamed to say is where we stayed for the rest of the day.
Kep is the St Annes equivalent of Cambodia's coast line the next day was very cloudy and the sky a bit menacing however set off to explore Kep and planned to go to the beach and have a swim we did get to the beach at just the time the heavens opened so we migrated to one of the many crab shacks lining the coast.
This in itself was and interesting pass time watching the women fishing for crabs they go into the sea waist deep it looks both hard and dangerous. The crabs come straight out of the water and into the cooking pot or barbecue food does not come fresher than that and they are delicious
The weather unfortunately set in for the rest of our stay so we had to cancel our boat trip to rabbit island and our trek up a mountain which sadly means that we will just have to go back!!!!!
Talking of going back the bus journey back was another adventure the bus when it finally came was full despite having booked seats well in advance so what does one do when the bus is full? put up plastic chairs and fill the isle what else fortunately I was given the little seat belonging to the drivers mate who had to stand all the way to PP but it also meant that I saw all the near misses too scary or what!!!!
Bye for now my old buddies next week I will tell you all about work and how I am getting on with the Cambodian Midwives Association

Here are 3 of us just about to set off on our epic bus journey home  you can just about see the sea in the background

"Okun Charan Lea Hei"

Some Pictures

These are the two little boys from our home stay family playing with the bats and balls note their house is on the right.The family of 7 lived in a traditional rural wooden house on stilts with the cows (and motor bike ) underneath. The little calf in the picture seems to be enjoying the game too.
  

This is me before the dreaded lurgy I am much thinner now! in front of the mighty Mekong River

"Fever Floods and First Days"

"Sus a day" all my chums "soc sa bye tei"? well the language training is over and we are being launched into the great Cambodian public with the sounds of K'mai ringing in our ears I was secretly hoping that I would miraculously develop a gift for learning languages but sadly it was not to be I got the grammar and all that stuff in one respect K'mai is easy in that there are no tenses but a lot of words to the untrained ear sound alike and it is hard to differentiate but at the end of the day it was my memory which let me down as I struggled to remember all the words but I will keep trying
At the end of language training we went straight into home stay which was a 24 hour stay in a small village 45 km's from Kampong Cham although a bit apprehensive about this as sleeping outdoors or above cattle on a piece of rush matting has never been quite my thing never the less I was quite looking forward to it. I rather rashly said before I came out that I wanted to try every thing that was on offer but fete would have it that I was not to experience the home stay as the night before I was struck down with fever joint pains and other symptoms not mentionable in polite company so I was left in the hotel.
My room mate Vicky from the Philippines had to brave this alone taking with her all the things i had bought for the family which included bats and balls for the children biscuits and a jar of sweets.Vicky brought back some photos of the boys playing with the bats etc she said that they were thrilled with these but had to be taught how to play with them as they had never had them before their dad was particularly pleased so that made me feel a bit better I will try to post the photo's at a later date.
Because of my illness my return to PP was delayed and that meant I was way behind with moving into my new apartment I had just two days to buy enough stuff to get me up and running including basics like sheets towels cutlery et al as the apartment had non of these things quite a feat I can tell you particularly on wobbly legs!!Any way my new friend Chris came to my rescue she let me stay at her place so I didn't have to go back to VSO Joy and had some home comforts including baked beans I was in heaven  but I digress by Saturday and with Chris's help I had moved in and I love it
Yesterday was my first day at work getting to work was one of my biggest challenges as despite practising my bicycle riding skills in Kampong Cham I am still not confident enough to cycle around the city it may come in time but it is mad here on the roads and at present I just can't so I have arranged with one of the guards at VSO Saskya who doubles as a moto driver to pick me up both ways day two and its working well so far! he drives slowly and carefully.
My first day was memorable the office is situated at the Ministry for Health which lets CMA have a room in the basement which it shares with the fledgling Cambodian Midwives Council administration officer. The office was an absolute tip very dirty with rubbish everywhere so that was my first task to give it a tidy up as best i could.
The President a practising midwife in PP came in during the afternoon but my translator did not turn up so it was difficult to communicate (I learned afterwards that he does not work Mondays) which is helpful as that is the day she comes in however we got through she has set up a meeting on Thursday afternoon with the rest of the exec committee so that will be good and I can start to look at what needs to be done to strengthen the organisation so that it can improve midwifery practice and promote the profession there is a lot of empirical evidence to suggest that where there are strong professional associations standards improve and maternal and neonatal mortality rates improve
And the Floods well I woke up this morning to see my street under 4' of water!! how am I going to get to work this morning I thought no traffic was getting through but within half an hour it was clear now that's clever and that's Cambodia!!!    

Pictures of our boat trip

The villagers came out to talk with us about their lives we were very keen to try out our new language skills below ae some of the wonderful statues we saw at the "resort"



This is the village school the carts are removed before school starts



The bottom picture shows one of the many working house boats on the Mekong River

This is our boat and captain!

Another Great Day Out

On Saturday we had a day off school as it was Pchum Ben and so Thea organised another "Day Out" This time 11 of us set sail with the help of our trusty guide Gideon and his other brother friend whose name unfortunately has escaped me know to us as captain
It was a traditional long boat used to carry both cargo and people with an enclosed part and rush matting seating area at the rear  (first class). The boys of course chose to sit aloft the vessel until it became too hot and then they joined the cissies and had a snooze!
Our first port of call was to an l island inhabited by a small community of about 150 people of whom 25 were children they must have known we were coming as most of them were on the shore to welcome us the incentive to stay could have been the goodies we took with us as small gifts.
We had a short walk to the village most of the buildings were very simple wood and rush constructions on stilts which are traditional and very functional as protection from the river and rains In the past during the rainy season the villagers have to leave and take shelter in Kampong Cham until the floods have subsided however this year this has not happened the rains are very late and also the Chinese have been building dams on the Mekong which may also be having an impact.
The village elder was very pleased to tell us a little about their way of life and asked us to share it with others. The community has received help from The World Food Programme and there was lots of evidence of cultivation on the island with most homes having their own plant nurseries or as we would call them in the UK allotments. There seemed to be good grazing for the cattle which looked the healthiest cattle I have seen in Cambodia to date.
The village had a small elementary school which has one teacher the older children travel to the mainland to school they are currently trying to get enough money to build a new school which is in stilts but so far this is only partially constructed
The children were very lively and chatted away to us and in our very rudimentary kamai we were able to communicate.
Although clearly very poor with not a toy in sight they seemed healthy and happy.
After the village we continued up river to the Kampong Cham equivalent of Blackpool Pleasure Beach well not quite!
The "resort" as it is known is set around the temple we had to climb a very impressive 201 step staircase to reach it I was one of the last to get to the top as you can imagine!
After paying a $2 entrance fee ( a small fortune for poor volunteers) we had our pick nick with all 11 of us sharing what we had even branstone pickle
After that we wandered around the resort with Gideon giving us a commentary There were wonderful views from the top right across the Mekong and beyond there was also the remains of a 6th century wat   as well as the more modern versions.
After this we returned to the boat and enjoyed a leisurely trip back home having had another "great day out"
How I am going to miss all my pals when we go our separate ways in one weeks time
   

PChum Ben Festival

At the risk of looking as If I am having too much of a good time for a hard up overworked and deprived volunteer I just have to tell you about the last two days which once again have been full of rich experiences and a mix of emotions.
Firstly over the past few days Cambodia has been celebrating one of its many traditional Buddhist festivals namely Pchum Ben very briefly this is a time when families come together so all the city workers return home to the provinces and celebrate and remember their ancestors. This centres around the temples where people take food in abundance and it is offerred up to their ancestors through the monks and then to the people including all the poor from around the district the festival lasts for days and for many this is the time when they have enough to eat.
We were invited to attend the temple nearest to our school last Friday our teacher Dara explained that the ceremony was to celebrate the life of Buddha and how he became "The Enlightened One" after travelling for 40 years to try to discover the meaning of life and why people got sick etc he had been born a prince so did not need to encounter as much personal hardship and danger as he did on his travels eventually he came to rest under a Banyan Tree which is why you will always find one growing near a Buddhist temple any way I digress we were invited to partake of the feast although we all felt a bit uncomfortable about taking food that could have gone to poor people we were assured that this was a great honour.The monks ate first as they have to eat before noon and then we were invited to eat.
Our table was laden with different types of curry and vegetarian dishes  and there was a pot of rice that would have fed an army.The whole experience was very humbling particularly when the chief monk helped to serve us.He was a delightful man dressed only in his orange robes he had a big toothy smile and twinkly eyes.It was another experience that I will never forget   

House Hunting in Phnom Penh

I  was warned by a very good pal not to rush into finding accomodation in PP I now know how very wise that advice was.
VSO is a great help in many ways and recommends an estate agent who takes you around to view propeties  in Cambodia you don't go armed with a bunch of glossy brochures you hop on the back of a motor scooter and get shown all the properties no one else wants.
Yes... you heard correctly I had to hop on the back of a motor scooter I have never been so frightened in my life my legs were shaking so much the bike was bumping down the road however I soon got used to it after my ninth viewing !! I was jumping on and off like a young skcoprill.
Most  of the  properties I saw were dire some were very dirty smelly down dark alley ways or over noisy barsone was at the top of perpendicular stairway and worse still several had onle a spiral staircase as the only means of access.There does not seem to be any regard for any kind of fire or building regulations.
Then my luck changed my buddy recommended another estate agent and the first place he showed me was completely different it was in a popular tourist st above an art shop and is opposite PP's national museum which has the most beautiful ornate roof one of the few buildings to survive the ravages of war and Pol Pot. If I stand on tip toe I can see the Mekong river and also the top of the Royal Palace an added bonus is that there are some nice places to eat nearby.
The apartment is on the first floor so hopefully that will deter rodents and comprises a large kitchen area though completely bare except for a fridge and a double gas burner a large bedroom and lounge plus bathroom so not a palace but light and airy.The landlord who seems like a very nice man has agreed to give it a fresh coat of paint and get me a desk plus chair and a sofa so I should be very comfortable there.
The agent told me that he had another "single" Engish speaking lady client in the same block so I will seek her out when I have moved in.I get the keys on the 20th
Picture to follow when I am back in PP..................Kath
PS Thanks to all who have made comments on my blog reading them is almost as exciting as getting a letter!!!!     

Back in Phnom Penh for Placement Week

Last week I had to leave most of my new pals and sleepy peaceful Kampong Cham to return to the noise and chaos of Phnom Penh (PP) for my placement week on arrival the bus was mobbed by hundred's of tuk tuk drivers clamouring for our business and they had to be kept back by a security guy from the bus station who resorted to using a big stick somewhat alarming! and when I say bus station I use the term advisedly as it is just the corner of a very busy st. Public transport in Cambodia is not a high priority eventually I arrived somewhat dishevelled but unscathed at VSO's programme office where I stayed for the week.
The overall purpose of the week was to be introduced to my new work colleagues and for me I had a handover from Susan a volunteer who has been caretaking my post at the Cambodian Midwives Association (CMA) for the last few months and to find somewhere to live more of that later!
Looking smart for work was my first challenge how does one achieve this in 35+o heat and 80% + humidity? answers on a postcard please
I did my best to make a good first impression on my first day I went to see the President of CMA at her workplace which is a hospital for women and children built by the Japanese known locally as the Japanese hospital. It was very clean and clinical in the bits that I saw although there was no time to look around on this occasion. On first meeting I was very impressed with my new boss she was very welcoming and very committed to strengthening the CMA and the role of midwives
I will be sharing an office with the fledgling organisation CMC which is The Cambodian Midwives Council recently formed to bring in statutory regulation and registration of midwives so it is a time of great change for the profession but I hope that the two organisations can find common areas where we can work togetherEvery one I met last week including two very important people 
from The United Nations NGO UNFPA who are the main/only external source of funding for CMA  were extremely helpful so I am feeling very positive about things.
They say timing is every thing and less than two weeks from my start date CMA has organised a 3 day conference for 70 members to review how the organisation works and how it can be strengthened my job is to facilitate this and train at least 7 people to lead group work so if any one out there has any simple techniques that I could use let me know!!!!
My other big task last week was to find accommodation in PP simple you might think not so more of that tomorrow...............................................       

Pictures of "Our Great Day Out"

This is us setting off on our journey that's my arm

Here is a snake snack a barbecued river snake yummy!

This is Thea and me buying hand woven scarf material woven by the women of the village 

Our day Out

Sunday was our only day off from class so I decided to organise a day out. At 9am Gideon and his brother friend turned up on the dot of 9 with their two "tuk tuks" to take 8 of us Thea Johanne Leandra Andre' Dave Janet Vicky and me on a tour of Kompong Cham Province
We went over the mighty Mekong river taking the magnificent Kizuna Bridge or I should say spean Kizuna along road 7 over another bridge where we had our first pitstop.
By the roadside werefood stalls selling a huge range of river fish and river snakes.From the vantage point of the bridge we were able to see the fishermen at work whole families live on the water in boat houses.The river is full and Gideon told us that they just about make a living.
From there we travelled to a rubber plantation and met some of the workers there we tried out our very basic K'mai and they told Gideon that no foreigners had ever spoken to them in K'mai before. The work is hard they each look after/tap 500 trees each and they are paid according to how much/kilos of rubber they collect it is also dangerous work as the woods are full of deadly snakes like cobras so I was very careful where I stood!!! but the workers regarded them as their friends because if they caught a live one they could sell it for food for up to $40 a small fortune.
On then to the very smelly rubber factory where the manager talked us through the production process not much evidence of health and safety despite working with various substances including acid.
All the rubber is exported to China and Viet Nam for use in tyres and condoms so now you know.
After this we travelled through some particularly beautiful agricultural land growing rice peanuts and bannanas to name but a few the land is incredibly fertile after about 20 kms we turned into the small village of I think "detisserant" where we had the great privilege of meeting with some of the women and children involved in a local craft development scheme sponsored by an NGO. They were making hand woven cotton scarves which are in common use here as head and neck protection from the sun.This was another opportunity to try out our K'mai which made all the children giggle uncontrollably They are so happy despite being poor which made me reflect on whether we have got things so right in our country.
Wherever we went all the children would shout friendly greetings they are really gorgeous.We stopped for lunch at a road side cafe and sampled real Cambodian food I had river fish with ginger and soya beans and it was delicious.
On then to The Wooden Watt or to give it its proper title Mohaleap Monastairre Antique This magnificent temple is one of only two to survive the Khmer Rouge it is nearly 200 years old the icing on the cake though was being welcomed by a lady who was hosting a party in celebration of opening a family tomb but we were given drinks and sweet meats to eat and stayed there for some time listening to the Cambodian musicians it was magical.
The Watt itsself was very beautiful and spiritual it is a miracle that it is still there
On the way home we went through many villages and saw first hand what life in rural Cambodia is like where modern life and old customs are trying to co exist.
We also encountered some of the younger and more energetic members of our group who had decided to cycle to the wooden watt but were feeling the effects of not eating and the mid day sun so after ministering to them we made our way home stopping to have a drink and sample corn on the cob which is sold at the road side and was fantastic (much bigger and juicier than ours).
Our guide Gideon was clearly very proud rightly so of his country and keen for us to see more of the real Cambodia and the issues it faces. Both he and his brother friend gave us "A great Day Out".
        

Learning Khmer Language

"Sus'a'day" all my UK buddies week two of my language course and I have to say I am really enjoying it. We work Monday to Saturday 1:30 to 5 as I am in the afternoon class this means that I am cycling to school in the hottest part of the day it reached 39o C yesterday which I can assure you is quite hot enough for me.
The only part of language training I do not like is the cycle ride I am not good on a bike and have managed to fall off once already and to skittle two pedestrians I have been chased by a pack of wild dogs on the only day I decided to cycle on my own  but I will master it!!!
Here are a couple of pictures of our class and Dara our teacher who is brilliant
I would never have beleived that I would be able to make up short sentences and make myself understood in the market and restaurants in such a short time
I go to the same place for coffee/lunch every day and one of the young waiters there has taken me on (probably as a personal challenge) and speaks K'mai to me
Lei' Hei'  Kath

Next to me is Dave my surrogate son he is going to work in livelihood projects forestry and fishing Andre' behind and Daniel behind him he is a teacher from Uganda.Across from Daniel is John from Ireland who is doing a similar job to mine but with the Cambodian Teachers Association and on the front row Janet a head teacher and Dave her husband. 
Our teacher Dara at the front

Living and working in Cambodia

Here we are during our induction week I am sitting at the other side fortunately from left to right Gilly's leg (teacher) Ingran (doctor) Sochea VSO officer John (capacity building) Danny (teacher) David accompanying partner to Janet and then Janet herself (teacher) Tia accompanying partner for Johanne who is sitting next to her he is also a teacher.
During our induction we had talks on a range of topics including politics in Cambodia The history of Cambodia more details of that later. Cambodian culture VSO's work programmes in Health:Education and Livlihoods.
We also had presentations from a local Dr on how to stay healthy and got to visit the British embassy which was very interesting
The British Ambassador was a boy but very knowledgeable and charming!

Our VSO Welcome Reception

Here are some of my group at VSO's welcome reception held in the programme office.

Far left is Socheem who has just joined VSO next to him Danny a former head teaher based in PP I am sandwhiched between Linda and Katia also teachers the guy bending over is apaediatrician called Ingran from London The tall guy is Andre' he is from Holland he and his wife Leandra have just completed 2 years in China quite amazing!!! 

First impressions of Cambodia

This is the first opportunity I have had to provide an update since arriving in Cambodia so I will use this time to share with you my first impressions of this fascinating frustrating but wonderful country.
On arriving in Phnom Penh the first thing to hit you is the heat it is hot hot hot and very humid I am wet through most of the time not a pleasant sight I can assure you!
The next attack on the senses was the traffic coming at you from all sides and angles tuk tuk's moto dops (cycles to you and me) large Lexus 4x4's what a menace they are carts and lorries with no observance of any kind of highway code whatsoever. Its every man for himself rest assured there is no way that I will be riding a motor cycle around this city A bike may be a possibility but only very early on a Sunday morning
I have to say that I have suffered from homesickness but am much better now I have had fantastic support from my fellow volunteers there are 16 of us in total 4 of whom are accompanying partners. We hale form the UK Holland ,Ireland The Phillipines and Uganda most are teachers there are just 2 of us in health myself and a young paediatrician who will be working in Stung Treng province a super young man half way through his specialty training he will be a great asset to the women and children's health programme his skills are very much needed.
I will tell you about every one as the blog progresses and as I report our doings
VSO has been very good here in Cambodia they have provided accomodation not exactly the ritz but OK and we have had an excellent induction programme. There are some superb and very cheap restaurants here where you can eat well and safely even on a volunteer allowance
I have to find accomodation in PP in the next 3 weeks and for my first 6 months I would prefer to be somewhere near to other volunteers until I really find my feet so keep your fingers crossed.
I have met up with Susan who has been caretaking my post for the last few  months and she has given me an insight into the challenges more of these later as I have to close now
In my next post I will include photos of my group as well as some of the history of Cambodia to give you more context about the challenges this country faces
Bye for now
PS Thanks to Collen and Dianne for your comments it was great to read them .........Kath

Kath in Cambodia

I can hardly believe that it is only two days before I leave for Cambodia the last 9 months since I retired after 38 years in the NHS have just flown by in a haze of activity.
In December 2009 I applied to Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)  and after completing endless application forms assessment days  training, interviews ,medicals and more vaccinations than you can shake a stick at I am ready for my big adventure.
Oh and I forgot should have mentioned the fund raising! VSO is a charity and asks its volunteers to raise £900 easy peasy Thanks to all my pals at work in the NHS and Universities of Yorkshire I raised over £1,000 in lieu of retirement presents and a further £1000 was raised at my super duper garden party Buckingham Palace was nothing compared with mine.It was made very special by many of my pals and family who baked and brought cakes and goodies in addition to manning stalls and serving tea to silver service standard .
It was a beautiful day highlighted by the singing from Vocal Expressions women's choir I am very proud to be a member.
On the 1st of September I fly from Heathrow to Bangkok then on to Cambodia a 15 hour flight in total

CAMBODIA

Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in South East Asia and faces huge challenges related to poverty corruption and growing inequality.
Cambodia's troubled past has seen the destruction of all public sector infrastructure and services including health. After the Pol Pot regime less than 50 doctors remained alive in the whole country and no resources including drugs to support their practice
Some  health facts

• 35% of the population live below the poverty line
• Cambodian health indicators are amongst the poorest in SE Asia life expectancy for men and women is 58/64 respectively
• 1 in every 12 children dies before the age of 5
• 1 woman in every 212 giving birth dies

VSO in CAMBODIA

VSO has worked in Cambodia since 1990 VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers to fight global poverty and disadvantage its mantra is Sharing Skills Changing Lives
VSO is one of many volunteering and development organisations in Cambodia and it is working in 3 domains Health Education and Livelihood's.
To find out more about VSO go to http://www.vso.org.uk/

I will be working for the Cambodian Midwives Association (CMA) in a capacity building role.

I believe that Midwives are crucial to reducing the high infant and maternal mortality rates in Cambodia  which incidentally have not reduced since 2000. I will be based in the capital Phnom Penh the CMA office is situated in the Ministry for Health

As preparation I have visited the midwife led birthing unit at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and spent the day with Pam a community midwife in order to get a bit more orientated and I must thank Pam Kirsty,David Jo and Mary for their great hospitality and sharing their knowledge with me.
I have a great network of supporters now including the RCM ,RCN and Universities in Yorkshire and some senior midwives in practice who are willing to act as advisers and lets face it I am going to need all the help I can get. So thanks to every one.

Saying my goodbyes has been the most difficult part so far


Kath