Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Cambodia last year flooding, this year drought - 2012

Last year the flooding destroyed many crops of rice across Cambodia, causing hardship across the country. This year drought is threatening the harvest. The rainy season should have started in May but until now there is hardly any rain, 11 provinces are affected. My friend Nakry and his family rely on their crop. They have not got enough income to eat well without it. Another failed crop will cause a lot of hardship and malnourishment. I am including a link to a Food Security website with more detailed information about the situation in Cambodia right now. If anything reports like these underplay the seriousness. They are intended to provide factual information, I am concerned for my friends's wellbeing.
http://foodsecuritylink.net/cambodia/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&layout=category&task=category&id=1&Itemid=40

In september I will spend some time to try and collect a few modest donations once more. But this year I would like to help Nakry with the fees for a certified french language course. He can't afford it himself, but certificates of his french ability will help him secure better income and greater job security over time. This is something he lacks and wishes for. He hasn't asked me for it but I would like to offer.

If possible I would like to extend this to his 17 year old cousin who being a girl left school when money was tight in the family to work as day labourer on other people's fields. Through Nakry's position as a guide at the Silk Farm outside Siem Reap she might well be able to also get employed there if she can learn english and a second language.

I would like to extend these possibilities to as many of his family members as possible.

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the drought is also leaving 4.3 million people short of drinking water.

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