the best and the worst day

today was always going to be both fantastic and dreadful for me. On the one hand I was going to meet some people I had been conversing via email with for over a year, but on the other hand, I would see some of the issues which we usually only see on the news.

Today started with a visit to our friends at Cambodia World Family, our partners in our Smiles and Hopes appeal. After a quuick visit and a chance to meet the staff, we saw the dental clinic in the middle of a busy clinic. With 2 English dentists and 2 French volunteers the clinic was full and busy.

We then took a trip to see one of the orphanages in the Smiles and Hopes programme looking for funding. The building was flooded just over 2 weeks ago, with the water reaching half a metre up the lower floor. Luckily the home director saw it comming and ordered everything be moved, so they actually had little destroyed. The home was spacious and spottlessly clean - which they told me would not be the case once the 36 children got home from school!! We met a group of the children who were not at school this morning as they attended the afternoon sessions. We rounded the back of the building and saw 4 young boys weilding a rather large cleaver. Now I must stress, we were in no way alarmed for our own safety, but small boy + large knife = trip to hospital in our house. But the boys had simply decided to climb up and grab a few coconuts and prepare a drink to welcome us. (no boys were harmed in the making of this drink!)

After some pictures and a reading session with the younger children follwed by a hugging session which Janet would not have survived!! We were on our way to our afternnon appoinment.

I have to say at this point that believe it r not, the morning session with the orphans was always going to be the easy part of the day. The children may have had a hard start in live, but are now happy, well cared for and face an amazing future thanks to the home they live in. The same can't always be said for the children who lived on Cambodias rubbish dumps. Many of you will remember our appeal to provide a dental clinic for these families, and so it was a great opportunity to meet the staff and familied they help.

In an attempt to stop the dangerous practice of scavanging on the toxic dump, the government have decided to close the dump and relocate it. However all that this has achieved is that the people who once earned a meagre living, now have no income at all. They still spend time on the dump trying to find any last bits of metal or plastic they can sell, but most are now without any income at all. CCF not only provide accommodation, but food, medical care, training, schooling and with Dentaids help, free dental care very soon. The equipment has arrived and will be in place withing the next 6 weeks. This was a great visit, but walking around the village and witnessing the poverty that these families have no way of getting out of, made me appreciate the work done by our partners in CCF.

I would like to appologise if this blog is somewhat over sentlemental, but today I was touched by people who will never know the riches we take for granted, but were so gererous with their time and their smiles. I feel humble to have experienced today and would like to thank our frinds and partners for sharing their work with me.

I am now going to sign off for today and think a well deserved dinner with Partick from CCF is in order. However he is bringing some pictures and photos of the children, so think I better bring a box of tissues....just call me Janet!!