Like A Virgin

So...


As I mentioned last time, I now have to do independent monitoring visits, that is going to a food distribution without anyone holding my hand. The idea was originally that we were meant to accompany the field monitors as a bit of an anti-corruption thing and a quality assurance thing, but apparently the powers that be have decided against it. So trying to organise just me and a driver is a nightmare but I finally organised the first one.


So me and Pliep (the new driver) headed off to the town of Skun in Kampong Cham province, then would leave early in the morning for Chul Kiri. Along the way I realised we might have a problem when Pliep asked if I knew the way to Chul Kiri from Skun. I kind of always relied on the driver to know where he was going. So we arrived in Skun, settled into our shitty guesthouse and called a few people and we felt a little more confident. But then we ate an awful Suki Soup and things were looking a bit pessimistic again.


So after getting up at 3:30 we hopped in the car (after an appaling nights sleep due to the Karaoke next door) and headed off vaguely in the general direction. Almost the whole way we had to keep stopping and asking for directions (yes there are quite a few people out and about at that hour of the morning). It was driving me mad that I didn't recognise any of it because I had been here last year.

Eventually we popped out the 0ther end at Prey Kiri Village. Finding the first school, I suddenly had an epiphany, recognising where we were I confidently stated at the end of the road was a river. We get there and no river...what the hell was going on!

Dawn had broken when we got to the first school and after a few enquiries ascertained that the cook lived in the school. So we hollered outside this very basic house about ten metres above the ground. The cook poked his head out and invited us up. So we had to climb up the precariously steep ladder made of thin branches. Pliep of course had no problem, but being more heavyset that 90% of Cambodians the wood was creaking and bending underneath me as I climbed up. Thankfully God was merciful and I didn't destroy the poor cooks ladder. The guy was an amputee so the fact that I had trouble getting up and down was a little embarrasing.

Chulkiri is a strange area I have always thought. I can't decide if it is dirt poor or its head is just above water. There is plenty of water and the people can do second rice harvests but the quality of the housing and other things make it seem ver poor. Perhaps the they are sharecropping the land?

Another thing that amused me was the amount of goats. Goats everywhere! I mean you do see goats every now and then wherever you go but Chul Kiri was dripping in them! It reminded me of Mark's measure of poverty, the Goat-a-meter. The more goats, the poorer a place is.

Our final stop was a distribution of people living with HIV. Overall the distributions went well and I think I monitored them well, but I need a few tips on spotting diversions in schools.

As we were leaving I noticed a boat in the health centre and no water except for small ponds. And then it struck me. When I came here last most of the place was underwater in the wet season! Thats why I didn't recognise anything.

To illustrate the difference check out the tide marks on the school building. So overall I think it went well. It was a bit frustrating as Pliep didn't know much about the technical side of it so trying to explain concepts like home based care or food security was a bit hard. Which was entirely my fault for not speaking fluent Khmer but Pliep did well in the circumstances.

Haven't had a full weekend at my house in months so it is a bludge and rest weekend for me!