October 12, 2011

Dear Friends and partners,

It’s been a hard week for all of us. Last week we were rejoicing how our families in Prey Veng were hoping to have a bumper crop of rice. The floods had hit Kompong Thom project a month ago and our families had lost all their rice but for some reason Prey Veng wasn’t flooded. This weekend the floods arrived – within hours everything was under water.

And yet – last year the fields were so very barren – year after year the fields turned into hard dry ground. Famine was always just a day’s meal away. The men were never home – a number of children had been sold in order to meet just daily needs – it was such a hard place to work.

Then we started putting in field wells – so much excitement – the men came home and planted and harvested – they earned enough to buy their children back – they were so very excited - life had so much promise. 2 weeks ago it looked like one of the best rice crops they ever had. It stretched as far as the eye can see – life was good. We were all praying that the floods wouldn’t come – it would have meant the first year of food security and income in remembered history.

The last Friday the floods arrived – there wasn’t much that anyone could do. The water rose chest high – roads disappeared – and then the houses that were just grass – houses built by volunteers became a refuge for a number of families -  they hold not just people but pigs and chickens as well. The water buffaloes wallow in the mud and children wade through chest high water. Life is hard.

And yet – there is hope – for once so many of our families know that the floods will recede and when they do – they will plant again. They know the hot summer months are coming and the flood will be hard, dusty earth – this year their fields will not lie fallow but grow life giving food.

A friend said to me – these people just never get a break, do they?  It would be easy to agree but that would be a lie – so many in Prey Veng, Kompong Thom, Banteay Meanchaey, Siem Reap, Pursat – they do have a break – they have a field well or pond that will bring renewal back to their lives when the floods recede. For our families who have not yet received that break – for them – we will work even harder to make ensure that their breaks will be in place for the next set of floods.

Thank you to so many of you who have given a “Break” – a well or a pond – to so very many who have had none. Help us to ensure that all our families get a break – so that the next set of floods – although harsh – do not result in famine and despair.

I thank my God for the privilege of standing with these people – I thank Him for all of you who enable us to do so.

Janne

Tabitha Cambodia
#239, St 51,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Ph: 023-721-238
email: Tabitha.janne@forum.org.kh