So, first week is over. The highlights are : meeting the great team at CCAF & surviving the 30 minute tuk tuk journey to and from work each day. The lowlights : still no computer, so no photos to upload, and a virus on my pen drive (ouch!).
Working with Accounting for International Development ( www.afid.org.uk), I am in Phnom Penh to assist, with all things financial, at a small NGO called the Cambodian Childrens Advocacy Fund (CCAF). CCAF provide assistance in the rural province of Kampot, aiming to help in the reduction of the root cause of poverty, through the provision of pre-schools and supporting community development. Pre-schools in remote areas allow children who have no means of transport to access education and whilst children are schooled this allows parents to farm chickens and crops with basic necessities and vocational training provided by CCAF. This is my paraphrasing so please check out their website for more information -www.ccaf-khmer.org
As Kampot is around 140 kilometres from Phenom Penh, there is only a small team in Phnom Penh, working in an office at the house of the CEO, where there is a small 2 person office and a large table in the garden. Sitting in the sunshine, with the families dogs at your feet in the peace and quiet is a great way to spend the working day. I'm not sure it would catch on in the UK though...
The first couple of days the CEO, Channarith, was in Kampot with one of their major donors and therefore I had chance to meet the rest of the team, the senior book keeper Leakhena, Programs Assistant Chandara and the Internal Auditor Sopheary. All were very welcoming and it gave me a great opportunity to start building my knowledge about the charity. The rest of the week was more knowledge gathering as the objectives agreed with the CEO are around review of the existing financial systems. This week has been, not so much a learning curve, more like vertical learning! However, Leakhena who I've worked closely with this week has been great - with a degree in accountancy and soon to have degree in English, my job has been made easy.
My Khmer is coming along nicely as I now have the basics such as hello, thank you etc and a full sentence of 'see you tomorrow'. I can now also give directions to tuk tuk drivers, although I suspect that my wild arm gestures help to reinforce my Khmer instructions.
Too jet lagged/lazy there has not been much venturing out on weeknights so far. Much research has been undertaken on the local beer and will continue to be researched throughout the stay I suspect. Saturday evening we went to a local nightclub to watch a performance of rap and breakdance by street kids who are taught by the NGO Tiny Toones, and they were excellent, much better than the aged american "rap star"" who was the headline act. Much fun was had people watching in the club that night, particularly the sugar daddies, manfully strutting their stuff, to impress their young cambodian ladies.
Anyway this entry is far too long - congratulations if you made it this far. So it's "leasenhai" from me, until next time.
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