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Angkor Chum diary - April 2002
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 Today
was going to be rather different, as there was to be a formal opening of the
Charoka School at Angkor Chum. We had visited there
last summer, just after it
was completed. As we then noted, the local people had insisted on
calling it the “Yates family” School, and also that we needed to return. But
we did not yet realise the significance of either fact.
The
trip started with a short drive to the Siem Reap Provincial Education
Office, where we met Im Sethy and his group. Whilst we did not realise it
at the time, we had caused a bit of consternation – we were all very
casually dressed, and we had not expected that the day’s events were going
to be quite formal. As you can see from
the photo album,
most of the other participants were dressed
in formal shirt and ties – and suits in some cases.
 In
any event, there was a fleet of 7 white Land Cruisers lined up, complete
with an armed escort, and we set
off. We stopped for breakfast of
coffee and bread at Puok, on the main M6 highway which connects Phnom Penh
in the South with Sisophon in the West. Last year we had to go by motorbike
to Angkor Chum – but this year it was relatively easy by car. Easy, that
is, except for the thick dust thrown up by our little convoy. And easy,
because for many kilometres we left the road proper, and travelled on a well
worn track across dry paddy fields.
It
was a relatively short trip of about two hours in total, and everyone
enjoyed the conversation in the cars, and the beautiful blue skies.
 As
we approached Charoka, it was clear we had totally misunderstood the
significance of the "grand opening". All 600+ schoolchildren were lining up
at the entrance, and they were joined by (probably) 350 parents and 100
grandparents – not to mention the staff, the PEO, the local MP, Deputy
Provincial Governor, Commune leaders and all. The temperature was in the
high thirties, and our scarves were an essential item, not a fashion
accessory. |
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 The
ceremony started with a quite sombre Buddhist blessing received by Im Sethy
on behalf of the group. And then the speeches started. Tor Kimsean (the
PEO Director) led off, reporting on the quite dramatic progress of education
in the District, and in the Province as a whole. This was followed by
Sarath, who light heartedly embarrassed us by explaining the details of our
involvement, including the financial aspects!
Next,
Mick had to speak. It was really a touching moment. Many hundreds of
people had been waiting in the hot sun, some under umbrellas – so what does
one say? The Yates kids were pretty much fed up with Mick’s normal line of
bad-joke speech making, so it was time to be a little different, and in fact
rather serious. It was striking, once more, how much the parents and
grandparents were involved in the school. It was, in fact, far more than a
school. It was a centre for the community. That therefore became Mick’s
theme. |
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 It
was now Im Sethy’s turn. He discussed the Government’s “Education for All”
program, and went on to review the progress made in the Province. Charoka
was now seen as a model school for such development activities, not just for
Siem Reap but in fact for all Reconciliation Areas across Cambodia. In
that, it joined the School at Trapang Prasat to become one of two national
models.
Then
came the most surprising part of the ceremony. We had not been warned. Mick
and Ingrid were awarded Medals of National Construction by the Government.
Truthfully, we had very mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, like
any such award, there is a moment of pride. On the other hand, the hard work
had really been done by so many other people, and we were just symbols.
Hopefully it was in that latter vein that we accepted the medals. |
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“Royal Government of
Cambodia
The golden medal for
contribution to Nation Construction is offered to Mrs. Ingrid Yates, for
school construction in the Angkor Chum District, Siem Reap
Province. The Royal Government of Cambodia has awarded this medal as evidence of
thankfulness to her for the Country’s restoration and reconstruction.
Phnom Penh, 29 March
2002
Prime Minister, Hun Sen”
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The
most wonderful part of the entire ceremony, though, was yet to come. First,
all of our children were presented with gifts of appreciation (silk
scarves), as Im Sethy and the PEO realized how much a family program this
is. Second, we were all invited to cut the ribbon to open the school – with
Daniel, the first Yates to brandish the scissors carefully leaving several
inches of ribbon for the rest of us to cut!
And,
finally, after a tour of the school library and resource facilities, and the
obligatory TV interviews, we were all invited to plant trees in what was to
become the garden of the school. It was a very happy occasion for everyone
involved, and a lot of fun as water spilled from oversized watering cans.
In
any event, proceedings had to draw to a close. We said our goodbyes top the
children at the school, and to the staff, and then went into Angkor Chum for
lunch. Baked fish, rich, soup and fresh fruit – all accompanied by the
obligatory Tiger Beers – made for a much appreciated repast.
Im
Sethy now had to go in a different direction, to carry out yet more official
duties, and talk with various education officials. So we in turn said our
goodbyes, and headed north with the Save the Children folks.
 We
visited the new Beng mini-school, which now had over 150 children attending,
and was still growing. The building was a long way from the
grass-roofed structure which stood in its place previously.
It was terrific to see the smiles on the
kids faces - although it was clear that this area is still one of the
poorer ones - and we chatted with several of the parents that we had met
last summer, to try to better understand their situation and their future
needs. We also visited the Roumdoul
mini-school, but at that point it was getting late, and we turned around to
the south, to head back to Siem Reap. It was a pity, as we had hoped to keep
going north to Varin. That will have to wait for the next trip.
I
am always at a loss to sum up each trip, and this one was perhaps even
tougher to do. So I will simply say that it was a great few days for the
whole family, in one of our favourite places in the world. And we are both
pleased and humbled to be involved in this project. |
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Slide
Presentation to King Edward's School, Bath
- November 2002
Anlong
Veng & Trapang Prasat photos - March 3 2003
Angkor
Chum & Varin photos - March 4 2003
Svay
Leu photos - March 5 2003
Siem
Reap / Artisans d'Angkor - February 20 2004
Anlong
Veng & Trapang Prasat
- February 21 2004
Dangrek
Mountains & Preah Vihear
Temple - February
22 2004
Kulen
District & Koh Ker Temple - February 23 2004
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© yates family 2005
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