So, I need to make a quick correction to a previous post. I found out today that Korsang actually means "to rebuild" in Khmer, although "using the old to make the new" is a good description as well. Grace, Brad and I went back to Korsang today for another outreach. This time we visited two sites, both also slums, in order to hand out more hygeine kits. We got to hear more of Big Head's story and thoughts on Cambodia, NGOs, drug users, the NBA playoffs, and pretty much everything else under the sun.
As we were driving around with the outreach team, I kept thinking what a great documentary the story of Korsang would make, perhaps for a show like The Passionate Eye or 60 Minutes. Well, when we got back to the Korsang headquarters and spoke with Holly, Korsang's director, we also met David, a filmmaker from Boston who, it turns out, is making a documentary about Korsang! We got to see a preview of the movie, and it looks amazing, although really intense. Apparently he already has 50 hours of footage filmed and is planning to film more in order to get a feature-length movie made, partially funded by the World Health Organization. Hopefully we will be able to see it in North America pretty soon.
A bunch of us also took a trip to a drop-in center and school for kids who live close to the Phnom Penh dump. Horrifically, there are a large number of people, including little kids, who live out at the dump and spend all day picking through the garbage looking for stuff to use or sell. We walked through the dump to see these people and I can honestly say I have never smelled anything as bad in my life, but to see people living out there was even harder to handle. I can't imagine getting up every morning knowing you will just be picking through trash all day, and knowing your kids are running around barefoot through the dump as well.
Luckily there are a number of NGOs who run schools and centers for the kids there. The kids are absolutely beautiful (I can see why Angelina Jolie adopted a child from here) and just begging for some attention and physical contact. We played with them for a little while yesterday and let them climb all over us, but it was pretty heartbreaking to leave them and to know there is only so much attention we can give each kid. Hopefully we will get the chance to go back there a few more times this summer.
Outside of work, we are headed to the beach this weekend! Tomorrow most of the interns are hopping on a bus to go to the little town of Sihanoukville, which apparently has some pretty nice beaches around it. Pictures and stories to come after the weekend.
Finally, we've got this going on....

Yep, apparently mustaches and aviator sunglasses are Cambodia Chic this summer...but don't worry Mom and Carly, the mustache will be gone by August.
2 comments:
Are you going to make the Angelina Jolie comment each time you talk about the kids? Come on O'Shea we need new material....
I'm surprised not to see more comments re: the stache. You'd think there'd be people warning you not post content that's bound to frighten small children.
Have fun at the beach!
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