The folks in Ajen, a small village on the Mekong River in Cambodia, were being worked over. They were watching their traditional way of life being cut away. Precious stands of trees were being illegally razed and shipped to China and Vietnam. Illegal mining operations were dumping chemicals into their waterways. Violators were bringing in armed guards. Violence flared. And on top of this, schooling of the dozens of children in this village was sorely lacking...until a man showed up one day.
The man who came to the village that day was a staff person with a human rights organization. He visited Ajen and began helping local folks learn peaceful resistance and conflict resolution. While doing this, he also noticed the crying needs of the Ajen children. He saw the unfinished local elementary school building. He saw seventy five kids in grades 1-4, scrunched under a tin roof on poles. He saw no textbooks, workbook or supplies. He saw three government teachers sharing one teacher’s guide. So he went to work.
His oversight as well as the generosity of partners made some good things happen. Local volunteers installed walls, windows, and doors on the building. They crafted desks and tables. These precious children now had a place to read and write, a specific place designated for learning. All because of a man who came and intitally just observed. He saw a problem and he sought to fix it. And we certainly are grateful.
