While visiting Cambodia this month, I had the opportunity to travel to Mondulkiri province with two of our indigenous students, Sreyneang Loek and Monyroth Srey. There was a national holiday for the “Water Festival” so everyone had 3 days off from November 24 – 26. Also joining us on the trip were another indigenous friend of Sreyneang’s, Sophea, and two of my friends, Susan Green and Paula Stromberg, both from Vancouver. Susan is a Law Professor at RULE where our CLEW students study and Paula is a film maker currently documenting the working conditions at the garment factories here.
Monyroth was recommended to CLEW by Sreyneang last year. She is currently in her second year studying Law. She is from a village that is being displaced because of dams being built on the Sesan branch of the Mekong River.
Please see my previous blog post from December 22, 2014 about Srey Monyroth and Prak Phuong's first day with CLEW: http://travelwithruth.weebly.com/blog/more-clew-magic-two-more-new-students
Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia
The indigenous people represent only about 1.5% of Cambodia’s population but there are 24 tribes, each with their own language and culture. Sadly, they have been targets of racism and victims of displacement from their ancestral lands because of the Government of Cambodia’s project development plan. During the Khmer Rouge regime in the 70s about half of the population in this province was killed and their land taken. Those who survived were forced into labour camps to grow rice.
Indigenous People's Hotel
Sreyneang's village, Pu Treng, of the Bunong Tribe
There was one primary school and one secondary school, a couple of stores and a wooden church. There were lots of farm animals wandering freely – pigs, chickens, ducks, dogs, cows as well as many fruit trees, vegetables and herbs in the gardens. I asked Sreyneang if the animals were communal but she said, no, everyone knew where they belonged.
We met Ly Sophan, the first woman to graduate from university, and Sreyneang is the second from this village. Sophan was home visiting her younger sister who got married 3 years ago and now has 3 kids. We also saw the local church which was built by Christian missionaries. There is a mix of Buddhists and Christians in the village. Sreyneang is Buddhist but she says the Christians go to church every Sunday.
Sreyneang's Family
Sreyneang’s mother gave us a demonstration of how she weaves scarves and then gave each of us a scarf that she had previously made. I then bought more scarves from her and from a neighbour to sell at our next fund raising event in Canada.
Sreyneang's family home
Bou Sra Waterfalls, Mondulkiri
Prak Phuong's village, Lam Mes
Please see my previous blog post from December 22, 2014 about Prak Phuong's first day with CLEW: http://travelwithruth.weebly.com/blog/more-clew-magic-two-more-new-students