By Catherine Louise Geach | Founder
Dear Kind Donors,
We Thank you with all our Hearts for your wonderful support and constancy.
Often I write of how vital it is to keep the Light of Hope Shining, not to give up. That we all have the responsibility to bring Good into the world, even in the smallest things, that which nobody sees.
In January of this year, we were still recovering from the war with Thailand, and the arial bombardments and shelling that Thai forces conducted not only along the very long border, but inland, and also from the sea off Koh Kong, quite near our School in Kampot.
During these episodes of bombardments, schools, hospitals and temples were targeted and nearly one million Cambodians were displaced. Indeed we took into our School, one small family from the border.
Unfortunately, not only were there civilian deaths, but posionous gas was used on the civilian population by Thai forces. This gas after immediately affecting and posioning those in the vicinity, then accumulated into cloud formations and came down in the rain and contaminated water sources, far from the border. Villages from which our Blind Students come from, were affected and people fell ill after drinking rain water. Many of us had respiratory difficulties, infections and inflammation.
A Mother and friend, told me of her son, who had just enlisted in the Cambodian army, and aged but twenty, was sent to the border. His position was shelled, and he was blown into the air, dislocating his shoulder, some of his friends died in the blast. Immediately after, they were gassed. They fled with burning lungs to what would have been the nearest hospital, but it had been bombed and was a charred ruin. Travelling further, with damaged lungs, they arrived at another hospital, but there were so many wounded that the hospital was overflowing. Eventually, the armed forces rescued them and each injured soldier was sent to their home province and received hospital treatment there.
This is to help you all understand, what War is like on the ground. How quickly homes and lives are destroyed. And how it seems that more and more are ordinary people used as "cannon fodder" to be experimented upon by the Arms Industry and the Immoral, with new, unholy weapons.
We remember that during World War II, Thailand united with the Imperial Japanese Army, then allied with Hitler, and was privy to the Nangkin Massacre and other massacres conducted across Southeast Asia by occupying Japanese Forces. During that period, as a reward for their loyalty, Japan awarded Thailand, slices of territory in Laos, Myannmar and Cambodia. It is this latter also that was re-taken recently.
Now, a tentative Peace is here. Although the ancient, cherished 12th Temples of Preah Vihear and other sites, are in ruins, and still, some Thai forces occupy Cambodian land and homes. The economy has not recovered yet in Cambodia, and commerce accross the border, is still not in full flow. But we know that really, the people of Thailand and Cambodia deeply wish for Peace. May it be that the Hearts of Ordinary People who wish for Peace, overcome all challenges, and as one Thai Prime Minister once said in 1990, that both Countries become Gardens of Peace and Prosperity.
It is to this latter that we raise our hopes. A few days ago, we celebrated Khmer New Year, whilst Thailand celebrated their Songkran.
As is the custom, our School was decked with brightly coloured flags, a special table laid with fruits and offerings for the Angel of the New Year to come and Bless us all, and our Children and Staff Blessed by our local Buddhist Monks with holy water. Our Children played wonderful games and ate lovely food.
In the photographs you will see the Blessing of the Monks and the traditional games played. Photographed are of course our Blind Students, as they are ever together with all our Children.
Photographs courtesy KCDI - taken with the permission of our Staff and Children
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By Catherine Louise Geach | Founder
By Catherine Louise Geach | Founder
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