Move and Be Moved

Arrived here last night, half an hour north of Phnom Penh at the FLOW orphanage, a beautiful haven in the middle of chaotic ugly suburbs. Some 200 children live here. They were lined up for lunch at 11 am. Impressive. It is strange to see so many children ( most of them are over 7) who are left to themselves, rely on each other for company and support, etc. It is hard to imagine what it's like. They shout and laugh and have this incredible khmer smile and I wonder what the suffering and the hardships have been. The older ones all speak of how grateful they are for what they have. One asked me what I thought of the fact that there were people who were so poor and others so rich. I didn't know what to say. I saw them sleeping on the floor behind mosquito nets, in packs of 3, 4, 5, as they do here. There are 3 buildings to host 200 kids. The program does not seek adoption for them, but feeds them three times a day, makes sure they go to school and gives English, computer and maths classes for the teenagers. They also support 6 who have become young adults to go to university. I am happy that I will come and work with them in February for a week. They have a life built around survival. Everything they do has to be useful: learning skills, making sure you get fed. Even the khmer dancing is for performance. I'm looking forward to offering them some space to just be and play. with much love Lucie