Cambodia countdown

It´s only four weeks until I arrive in Phnom Pehn. Here is some infomation that I´ve compiled about the country and also about what I am going to be doing there.

Besos,

stevieg

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The Kingdom of 

Cambodia 

 

Capital city: Phnom Pehn, population 1,300,000 

Population: 15 million (2010) 

Religion: Most Cambodians (95%) today are Theravada Buddhists. This strict version of Buddhism became prevalent in Cambodia in the thirteenth century, displacing the combination of Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism that was practiced previously. 

Average monthly salary: £32  

Life Expectancy:  62 years (men) 65 years (women) 

The fate of Cambodia shocked the world when the radical communist Khmer Rouge under their leader Pol Pot seized power in 1975 after years of guerrilla warfare. 

An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died during the next three years, many from exhaustion or starvation. Others were tortured and executed. 

Today, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world and relies heavily on aid. Foreign donors have urged the government to clamp down on pervasive corruption. 

Cambodia is burdened with the legacy of decades of conflict; unexploded land mines - thought to number in the millions - continue to kill and maim civilians, despite an on-going de-mining drive. 

Historical Overview 

Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863 and it became part of French Indochina in 1887.  

Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh (the capital) and evacuated all cities and towns. 

At least 1.7 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT.  On December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war.  

UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders have been tried or are awaiting trial for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance.  

This photo shows a Cambodian child working and living in the landfill just outside of Phnom Penn, one of the most toxic environments in the world. Around 700 tons of waste arrives here each day (and burned), including used medical equipment.  HIV, hepatitis B, respiratory and skin diseases are rife. 

An extract from a report of a visit to Cambodia by Felisa Tibbitts, Director of Human Rights Education Associates. 

“Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Most children don't complete more than five years of education - if that - because their families need them to work on the farms. The priority is survival, in a country with limited health care and economic resources. At the national level, the problems loom even larger. Thousands of landmines are still unexploded and thousands of people are maimed or killed each year - thirty years after they were planted. The country is being deforested, affecting the environment in all of Southeast Asia. Sex trafficking is a huge, largely unchecked problem, along with HIV/AIDS. As one human rights worker told me, if you have any interest in human rights problems, just come to Cambodia. They are all here.”  – Notes from Cambodia,  Felisa Tibbitts

How am I going to help there?

• I will be responsible for creating new ways to promote and raise funds for the organization (SOLS 24/7) as well as gathering information and updating the newsletter and social networking sites and website. I will be working closely with corporations, multinationals and business people that support the SOLS 24/7 cause, education programs and social enterprises. And also I will be responsible for organizing formal and non-formal functions for the institute.  

• Additionally I will be using my knowledge and skills to give some media classes to students interested in entering that field of work. These classes will include the teaching of basic journalism ethics and laws, how to research and gather news and write a news/magazine story, how to conduct an interview, photojournalism skills and putting the work into practice. 

• Also, I will give a few special English classes such a Business English and Conversation Skills using the experience that I have gained over the past two years working as a teacher in Spain. 

• During my time at SOLS 24/7, I will be part of a very hardworking team who have a lot of responsibility to train and educate children and young adults 

• It is a non-paid position. I will be provided with accommodation and food. I will be sleeping in a shared dormitory with around 5-9 other people and sharing a bed. I will be provided with three meals a day - rice, rice and more rice ;)