A little help in a flooded province
A little help in a flooded province
This was the headliner in the Cambodia Daily on 7th Oct.
I remember I read the article but forgot about it instantly, preparing for an upcoming trip to Indonesia and the possibility of floods in Phnom Penh itself were much more urgent.
So I went on the trip, returning on 15th to hear from friends that the situation in Prey Veng had worsened, in fact it was the worst effected area in the country with Kampong Cham.
After settling all there is to settle after a business trip, last Wednesday we started thinking about what we could do. As it was late already I sent out some emails and PMs to friends to see what would be in the inbox the next morning.
Thursday saw a couple of good suggestions coming in that I followed up by phone, finally deciding on contacting the village headman recommended by a guy who'd been recommended by someone from Choice Cambodia.
A whip- around netted close to 1000USD, most coming from my owner and our Viet partner.
From this we paid 60USD for a truck out to just before Neak Luong and down the Mekong a further 20km, 100USD for the boats and about 40USD for food and water for us, a group of 5. The rest was used to buy noodles (rice would have been better) and 'trey kapong', canned sardines in tomato sauce (protein, salt, sugar, indestructible). Not a bad ratio, 20% logistics, 80% emergency products.
Loading the truck.
Crossing the 'Vietnam' bridge.
The usual morning mayhem in Chbar Ampov.
Wouldn't that be nice? And free wifi too!
At the Caltex.
And finally in the open somewhere before or after Kien Svay.
These makeshift huts were everywhere, displaced people with their livestock (special effects courtesy of my camera!).
The schools and pagodas along the highway were dry (L'Imprevu was under about 2 inches though).
Then a short break for coffee (as we didn't stop at KFC). Only one TV on?
More and more cows on the road the closer we got to the Mekong.
And once we'd turned off at Spean Leuk Daek it started getting more and more crowded.
And there was more and more water. Flowing water.
Finally, around 10am, near the first ferry.
Then loading it for the first villagers.
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You're a good man, SunSan. My family once got caught in a flood and it was an incredibly unpleasant experience (and that was with insurance, a coast guard to rescue us and lots of friends to fall back on). I can't imagine how difficult it must be without all of those first-world luxuries.
The first distribution went well and became quite official.
They'd prepared the sala srok and the recipients were quite disciplined.
A small hiccup when we wanted to get on the small boat.
Heading out over the drowned rice fields.
Lunch stop in this village on an island. By this time we'd crossed the Mekong, this place was normally just 20 minutes from Neak Luong by moto.
The little market still had some goods, including fresh meat and vegetables, but prices had gone up because it came from the main road, an hour away by van and boat.
Main Street and some shops and the restaurant we had dinner.
They'd prepared the sala srok and the recipients were quite disciplined.
A small hiccup when we wanted to get on the small boat.
Heading out over the drowned rice fields.
Lunch stop in this village on an island. By this time we'd crossed the Mekong, this place was normally just 20 minutes from Neak Luong by moto.
The little market still had some goods, including fresh meat and vegetables, but prices had gone up because it came from the main road, an hour away by van and boat.
Main Street and some shops and the restaurant we had dinner.
Nice one!
Great photos.
I have not eaten tinned sardines for years!
Great photos.
I have not eaten tinned sardines for years!
After lunch back to the boat, over submerged land, to pick up the village chiefs of some villages further out.
Then we got to Peamro District, where the locals have been under water since Pchum Ben. The village chiefs called into the forest and the people came out one by one.
Finally the last village. It had been completely not only cut off but cut up by the water.
This guy could speako Frencho. Spent the war in Vietnam.
Too many people here that needed help.
Then back accross the Mekong, where we saw these two racing towards Chau Doc.
Dropped off the two headmen, in their flooded forest.
I wished them luck.
And back home.
Then we got to Peamro District, where the locals have been under water since Pchum Ben. The village chiefs called into the forest and the people came out one by one.
Finally the last village. It had been completely not only cut off but cut up by the water.
This guy could speako Frencho. Spent the war in Vietnam.
Too many people here that needed help.
Then back accross the Mekong, where we saw these two racing towards Chau Doc.
Dropped off the two headmen, in their flooded forest.
I wished them luck.
And back home.
The return trip.
This plaque sits at the junction, Ironman something or other bridge.
Afternoon session over.
Kien Svay.
Looked like a nice place for dinner.
And finally back in town.
We'd left at 7am, we got back in at 7pm.
This plaque sits at the junction, Ironman something or other bridge.
Afternoon session over.
Kien Svay.
Looked like a nice place for dinner.
And finally back in town.
We'd left at 7am, we got back in at 7pm.
To SS and all those that contributed !
I refuse to go out with nothing more than a whimper followed by a small farting sound and a shit stain on my bed sheets..
Just thought I'd share that with you.
Just thought I'd share that with you.
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Three cheers for SunSan.
Twitter: Not my circus, not my monkeys - I sold #K440
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Best compliments to you SunSan and your team, and a beautiful report.
That looks like an interesting area to visit some day.
That looks like an interesting area to visit some day.
"We want our country to develop step by step. But that is such a long way off . . . as far away as the stars."
Jobless father in documentary Cambodia: Country of Scars.
Jobless father in documentary Cambodia: Country of Scars.
Great stuff, SunSan!
I go out with CHOICE to the villages and it is shockingly bad. The 'school' (a tarpaulin sheet) has been flooded for weeks and some of the houses have collapsed. It's the worst they've ever seen it.
What's annoying me though about flood relief is that everyone is donating to Thailand, which although I know they're having serious trouble, so is Cambodia and it's rarely mentioned in the news reports.
I go out with CHOICE to the villages and it is shockingly bad. The 'school' (a tarpaulin sheet) has been flooded for weeks and some of the houses have collapsed. It's the worst they've ever seen it.
What's annoying me though about flood relief is that everyone is donating to Thailand, which although I know they're having serious trouble, so is Cambodia and it's rarely mentioned in the news reports.
Thanks for that, everybody.
And thanks to AndyinAsia, Giblet, Miss Tara and Violet who helped me with ideas on whom to contact.
Thanks to Rudi Smith from Choice, who gave us the final pointer.
What I come away with:
1. It's possible to give emergency help on short notice. Nothing sustainable but immediate relief. We were able to help 75 families for 4 days.
2. Establish contact with a headman who can identify the neediest.
3. Try and keep the cost of logistics down. We did that by staying in the region.
4. Identify what is needed. We swapped rice for noodles, wouldn't do that again.
5. Control the distribution.
6. Go out and do it if you can.
And thanks to AndyinAsia, Giblet, Miss Tara and Violet who helped me with ideas on whom to contact.
Thanks to Rudi Smith from Choice, who gave us the final pointer.
What I come away with:
1. It's possible to give emergency help on short notice. Nothing sustainable but immediate relief. We were able to help 75 families for 4 days.
2. Establish contact with a headman who can identify the neediest.
3. Try and keep the cost of logistics down. We did that by staying in the region.
4. Identify what is needed. We swapped rice for noodles, wouldn't do that again.
5. Control the distribution.
6. Go out and do it if you can.
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