Rithy Ann
The role of humanitarian work in improving the lot of Cambodians
The Guest Speaker Rithy Ann was introduced by Ian Ada
The talk opened with the comment that thirty minutes is not enough time to adequately cover a talk about Cambodia. The country has a fourteen point seven million population. At the time of the Khmer Rouge the population was seven million and one point seven million people were killed.
Cambodia is best known by Angkor Wat, which is a World Heritage Site and one of the wonders of the world with World Heritage Listing. Rithy Ann has lived through thirty war torn years in Cambodia. His parents died when he was four. His heart lead him to be charity tour guide where all the money raised goes back into the community.
Currently children in Cambodia do not have enough rice and are left by their parents with extended family while they go out and work. The parents often try to get into Thailand chasing better pay. They often do not come back alive after being chased at the border by authorities
A Buddhist monk raised Rithy Ann, however these days you have to pay for the same opportunity. Eighty five percent of population are farmers who earn a dollar thirty-six a day for eight to ten to 10 hours work
Children go to school with ten cents in their pockets to pay the teacher. If they do not pay they end up sitting in the back of class of sixty five to eighty five kids
Construction workers often ride twenty-five kilometres daily to work for eighty dollars a month
The general population owns little and it is typical for one family of five to live in a one room hut
Going forward, the first priority is to get the population properly fed then educate them. Go on a world of difference tour which is supported by district 9800! Money raised will go to the communities and not to resorts that are generally owned by multi nationals
Bronwyn mentioned proceeds of these tours have already funded four projects in the 9800 clusters