It Takes a Village

Unfortunately, last night, the Chicago Cubs increased their World Series win drought to 1 year.

On the bright side, today, 155 families in rural Siem Reap, Cambodia received 50 kg (110 lb.) bags of rice to feed them for one month.  This was all done thanks to the incredible work of 6 visiting volunteers from southern Australia and the coordination of ABCs and Rice. 

It’s usually Feed a Kid Friday, but at ABCs and Rice on this Friday, we fed villages.  

A village family receives two 50 kg bags of rice

“Rice Day” is the term applied to the day that the 220 kids at ABCs take home 6 kg of rice to feed their families.  But, today, “Rice Day” was something much greater. Thanks to six amazing people from "Somewhere between Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia" and dozens of families and organizations who funded the project, 155 families from all around the rural areas of Siem Reap will be fed for at least one month.  I was fortunate just to be a part of the delivery team.

This morning, we all piled into the back of the ABCs school bus, or more aptly the Rice Delivery Mobile. Seated comfortably on stacks of rice bags, the Australians, Tammy, Huok, ABCs Project Manager, and I rode out to a village located off the beaten path toward Angkor Wat. Once we arrived, we soon realized the thoroughfare down to the village was too narrow for the school bus. 

We men said, “We got this!” 

Hauling a truck load of 50 kg (110 lb.) sacks of rice down the half-mile stretch of the road sounded easy enough.  Fortunately, we didn’t allow our egos to break our backs. 

As we began unloading the bags of rice, the villagers emerged from the forest wheeling their bicycles and motorbikes right up to the tailgate of the truck.  One by one, we loaded the hefty sacks onto the racks and seats of each bike.  Once they were loaded up, two by two, we wheeled the bikes down the dirt path and through the muddy forest.  

As we passed each little home, we carried the bags of rice through the mud and heaved them onto the front stoop.  It was like Christmas without the chimneys; each sack a gift for those most deserving!

This village was only our first stop, but it isn't just any village.  It is a colony for locals living with HIV and AIDS.  The residents are not only physically unable to work, they are cast out for their illness.  It takes community support like this just for them to survive.

After dropping off rice at several homes, we were all soaked in sweat and covered in mud. The Australians and the ABCs crew gathered in the village center to rest.  Suddenly, a man came down the steps of his home carrying what at first just looked like two pieces of wood. He stepped into our social circle and placed them down on the ground.  He signaled downward with his hands, the universal gesture for "Please, take a seat." He pressed his hands together as if praying, a sign of respect and appreciation in Cambodia, much like bowing in Japan or China. Each of the villagers around us followed suit. As we sat, catching our breath, we returned the humble gesture. 

I was offered a seat. It doesn't take much to show how thankful you are. 

All 165 bags of rice delivered today were donated by organizations, such as Rotary Club, and by dozens of families from around southern Australia.  Each bag came with a hand written message to the family receiving it.  As the families came out to say thank you and pose for photos, Tammy and Houk translated the messages from English to Khmer and delivered photos of the donors to each family. Each donor will get a photo of the family they supported in return. 

At one of the last homes in this village, only one man came out to say thank you and pose for the photo. At first I thought he lived alone, but Houk told me he was actually the father of 8 children.  Houk asked the man, "Can the rest of your family come out for the photo, too?" 

"The rest of my family are too sick from AIDS," the man said. 

After delivering rice to 12 families in that village, 13 families in another, we got back onto the empty truck to head back and reload.   

Over the course of two days, the visitors from Australia and the staff at ABCs and Rice delivered 194 bags of rice to families all around Siem Reap.

After day 2 of delivering almost 200 sacks of rice, which is almost 10 tonnes!

As they say, "It takes a village..." On this special Rice Day, a village of donors from Australia contributed to support 155 families in desperate need. 

Thanks to donations from people in villages around the world, ABCs and Rice feeds 220 children two meals per day, every day. 

To my village of friends and family back home, the cost of two beers at Wrigley Field, $20 (£15), is enough to purchase a 50 kg bag of rice.  This will feed an entire family in need, or 3 students at ABCs and Rice, for one month.  If you have the means, your support is greatly appreciated!

Click Here to Support ABCs and Rice!