The Villages

APCA sponsors 17 villages in close proximity to the orphanage. We were taken to visit two. The first one had about 30 pre-school children that we were to teach some basic skills. We gave the children construction paper and scissors to work with. Most of the children were unable to handle the scissors at all. We worked with them the best we could and ended up having them cut strips that we stapled together to make a chain. A few of the students caught on quickly and we made masks for them and the other children.
Many village children watch from outside the school house.

We left a few pairs of scissiors and some construction paper for the kids to practice with.

After the class a healthy lunch is served but only for the children who are in school and under five years old.

Many village children who are not under 5 watch the children eat. There may or may not be food at home for them.
A nun feeds a young child.

The second village.

At the second village APCA was giving a nutrition talk. Many women do not know how to prepare healthy food because traditions were not carried over from previous generations because so many people were killed in the genicide of the Khmer Rouge.

The village chief.

We were introduced and the women were very interested in how old we were and if we had children.

Then, one women said they would like a bathroom in the school house so the children do not have to run home and miss lessons. I asked the director of APCA how much a bathroom would cost. He said one without running water would cost $100 - One with running water and a sink for the students to wash their hands would be $300. Tamison and I looked at each other and thought the same thing. We were given a donation from the monks at Wat Buddhavana in Westford and we decided to use some of that money for the needed bathroom.

The APCA director made the announcement and the room was filled with a burst of clapping and big smiles. We all gathered for a photograph outside the school house.

It was a wonderful day for all of us.