Things are changing here in Chi Phat. Well, at least for us they are, I’m not sure if the locals are aware of it yet. Last week we received a visit from Yuval Limon, the manager and founder of IBC program. He wanted to check in, see how things are going, and where they should continue from here. Mostly, he came to help us figure out the answers to some of the major questions we have encountered during our time here.
Some background about Cambodia: it has a bloody history, as I’m sure you’re all aware. For this reason, NGOs have been operating heavily here for many years. For the most part, they come here, spend mammoth amounts of money on some ambitious project, and then (perhaps because of the Cambodian bureaucracy or the rampant corruption) disappear out of sight before having completed their goal. As a result, the people here are both dependent and cautious. Dependent on foreign organizations to do things for them, and thus unable to set their own goals and achieve them, and cautious because they have been carelessly let down innumerable times before. And here come us- a different kind of NGO. We say to them – we’re here to help you, but we cannot do your work for you. One of our core values states that we do not create anything, unless we know for sure that there is some local group or person who will continue what we have begun after we leave. We know that if we start something we cannot see through, we’ll be just like any other humanitarian disappointment.
But recently we have begun having doubts. Maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Maybe these guys aren’t ready for the kind of responsibility we’re trying to bestow upon them. Maybe they need to go through a social change before they can work together as a community. These are the questions that brought Yuval here.
During the course of many meetings here with the heads of the local community and other prominent figures, a solution was settled upon. We, IBC, agreed to give financial resources, and the time, effort and skills of our volunteers in order to build a new and improved community center for adults. All the community members have to do is show up and do the building.
It sounds so simple, but in effect, the local community’s ability to organize itself into a collective action is extremely lacking. So much so, in fact, that we decided that the crucial detail in the entire plan is whether or not they’ll show up. If they do, we guarantee to continue volunteering here for the time allotted in advance. If they don’t, we’ll have to reconsider our future plans.
So now we find ourselves, seven volunteers, working day and night on a somewhat absurd project: finding ways in which to lure the local community to help itself by attending the big construction day. We sit around day and night thinking up slogans and methods to attract the attention of the locals, while our free time is dedicated to writing signs and making plans. You may ask yourself: why do they do it? Why not leave it to the community to organize themselves? Well, if I were to answer from the intellect I’d tell you that the community won’t do it, so it’s up to us. But if I were to answer from the heart (which is, IMHO, where all the correct answers come from), I’d tell you that perhaps, just perhaps, at this point in time, and with all we’ve been through and all we imagine for the future, we want this even more than they do.
Some background about Cambodia: it has a bloody history, as I’m sure you’re all aware. For this reason, NGOs have been operating heavily here for many years. For the most part, they come here, spend mammoth amounts of money on some ambitious project, and then (perhaps because of the Cambodian bureaucracy or the rampant corruption) disappear out of sight before having completed their goal. As a result, the people here are both dependent and cautious. Dependent on foreign organizations to do things for them, and thus unable to set their own goals and achieve them, and cautious because they have been carelessly let down innumerable times before. And here come us- a different kind of NGO. We say to them – we’re here to help you, but we cannot do your work for you. One of our core values states that we do not create anything, unless we know for sure that there is some local group or person who will continue what we have begun after we leave. We know that if we start something we cannot see through, we’ll be just like any other humanitarian disappointment.
But recently we have begun having doubts. Maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Maybe these guys aren’t ready for the kind of responsibility we’re trying to bestow upon them. Maybe they need to go through a social change before they can work together as a community. These are the questions that brought Yuval here.
During the course of many meetings here with the heads of the local community and other prominent figures, a solution was settled upon. We, IBC, agreed to give financial resources, and the time, effort and skills of our volunteers in order to build a new and improved community center for adults. All the community members have to do is show up and do the building.
It sounds so simple, but in effect, the local community’s ability to organize itself into a collective action is extremely lacking. So much so, in fact, that we decided that the crucial detail in the entire plan is whether or not they’ll show up. If they do, we guarantee to continue volunteering here for the time allotted in advance. If they don’t, we’ll have to reconsider our future plans.
So now we find ourselves, seven volunteers, working day and night on a somewhat absurd project: finding ways in which to lure the local community to help itself by attending the big construction day. We sit around day and night thinking up slogans and methods to attract the attention of the locals, while our free time is dedicated to writing signs and making plans. You may ask yourself: why do they do it? Why not leave it to the community to organize themselves? Well, if I were to answer from the intellect I’d tell you that the community won’t do it, so it’s up to us. But if I were to answer from the heart (which is, IMHO, where all the correct answers come from), I’d tell you that perhaps, just perhaps, at this point in time, and with all we’ve been through and all we imagine for the future, we want this even more than they do.
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