Mission to Cambodia 2013
from Radha Patel
Today, we got to experience Phnom penh on our own. I woke up at 5:30, despite staying up to be with our Cambodian friends, to walk the streets of Cambodia and see the sun rise one last time. I got 4, if not less, hours of sleep. I find it to be the most peaceful place I’ve ever been. I’ve never felt more comfortable and at peace than I have in Cambodia. We walk along the main road where the Independence monument stands.
Our walk leads us to the Mekong River. Here we watch loads of people hurry off the boats at the dock. People come from afar just to work here. People, motos, tuk-tuks, and even cars filed off the boat. They were filled with adults and children. I couldn’t imagine having to load a boat just to travel to work. Everyday these people wake up early just for the opportunity to make money.While I stood there abd watched all of them get off the boat, I noticed an older man and a young boy behind me. They were bathing on the ground, semi-covered. The boy was brushing his teeth and the man was shampooing his hair. We saw that most people actually live and sleep where they work. Men slept in their tuk tuk even! After the boat was empty, we started to walk back. I noticed the same boy sleeping on a stone bench. I figured he was homeless because his clothes weren’t clothes at all. They were rags. As I got closer, I saw he had flies resting on his face. Two flies were sitting on his lips. I walk closer to shoo them off. This broke my heart to a million pieces. I wanted to scoop him up off the bench and take him back with me. I was disgusted, but more so saddened for this young boy.
Throughout the trip, we’ve done highs and lows at dinner. Today really reminded me of a reoccurring low of the trip. My low is seeing all of these Cambodians so weak and fatigued, whether it be from heat, dehydration, starvation, exhaustion, or illness. These people work so hard, day in and day out, everyday… But for what? To receive a salary or $15 a month? I can’t wrap my mind around that. One combo at one of the cheapest restaurants in America (McDonald’s) is 1/3 of their monthly salary if their job is to clean the streets. That’ll make you rethink how minimum our minimum wage is. These people work so hard but rarely receive promotion or advance. There’s an invisible ceiling. These people face a crude government. But the biggest takeaway from this trip is my ultimate high. My high is seeing the simplicity of these people. These people literally slave away. They have every reason to feel scared, nervous, angry, or depressed, BUT THEY’RE NOT. They’re joyous. Their smile shines from the inside out. And I wonder what is it that they have to smile about? I’m so inspired and so moved. Our mindset coming on this trip was to change lives of Cambodians, but it is them who has changed our lives in a more dramatic way than we could ever help them.