Knar School is located about one hour via tuk tuk from Siem Reap. PLF sponsors the primary school in this village, and it is often plagued with health problems, particularly injuries to the feet and infections caused from these injuries.
Entrance to Knar Primary School
Most of the children do not wear shoes. While PLF provides them with a pair each semester, the children are not used to wearing them, and the shoes often end up lost at some point, especially for the younger ones (we are working to break this....). The children also spend a lot of time in the rice fields. Running around in these fields causes cuts to their feet that are usually not properly treated. And lastly, the children in this village do not understand proper hygiene. They do not bathe regularly. They are the “grubbiest” of all of the children that PLF sponsors. And, if you are going to play with the kids make sure that your hair is up and you don’t touch a head and then your own hair…because you will come home with lice. The school leaders aren’t pushing a personal hygiene message, but it is necessary at this school for the children to be healthy.
Here I have included some photos of bathings at the school. About once a week Lori and others come out to the school, bathe the children’s feet and legs, and address any medical problems that have come up. Anything from foot injuries to pink eye to typhoid…
Lori and Tuk Tuk Driver Chamnan Treat a Child
I’m not going to lie…my first visit to this school was a little overwhelming, especially all of the injuries. I went with Lori after she returned from a two month absence, and there were a lot of feet to fix. I can be squeamish looking at blood, blisters, and such on my own feet. So, being around all of the children and their injuries had me a bit spooked. While Lori and our tuk tuk driver Pov jumped right in to bathing the kids and treating their injuries, I explored the school, spent time with some of the kids, and observed the whole process. It was a lot to take in.
Tuk Tuk Driver Pov Bathing Feet
My second trip to Knar, I was better prepared. As soon as we arrived, the kids started gathering for the bathing and feet treatment. I grabbed some gloves and set up my station. At first I was in charge of bathing feet. After a while I moved to the treatment station. Luckily Lori was there to tell me what to do, which medication to use, etc.
Nurse for the Day
So Many Children in Need of Assistance!
While my favorite memory of my time here will not be treating foot injuries, it is definitely one that I won’t forget. The look on the children’s faces when you bathe their feet for them…the way they cringe in pain when you first squirt hydrogen peroxide on their sores but end up with smiles on their faces at whatever color band aid they have picked out...the little boy who had to come back to me three times because my gauze-wrapping skills are not up to par, particularly when he doesn’t have shoes to wear…the missing toenails…the lack of shoes… It was a lot to take in, and something I won’t forget. One thing that has really meant a lot to me in my internship is that I have spent so much time in the field. I haven’t been cooped up in an office all day. I have been at the schools, I have seen the struggles, and while I am only here for a short amount of time, I feel that I have an understanding of the problems that these children are facing every day.
Bandaging a Foot
One moment that really struck a cord with me at Knar was when a little girl came to my bathing station with dried blood on her legs. I didn’t see a cut but let Lori know that there is blood coming from somewhere and to take a look at her at the treatment station. I’m not sure if this was the case with her or not, but oftentimes if a child is found with blood on her legs and no sores for it to come from, it means that she was raped. It is in situations like these that you just don’t know what to do. Here you have this tiny child who may have endured something so terrible. It’s hard to wrap your head around it, hard to know what to do, and hard to realize just how prevalent this problem is. In talking with Lori, she said that sexual abuse is very common in the children from Knar Village. While PLF may not be able to change the behavior of villagers, the Foundation can provide a safe place for children to come, play, and just be kids.
Treating a Student with a Bad Case of Pink Eye
I can’t begin to imagine what the school and these children’s lives would be like if PLF wasn’t there. The Foundation’s presence is making a difference in these children’s lives. Whether or not they can stop all bad things that happen, the children know that there is someone who cares about them out there. There is someone who will bring them food, someone who will clean their legs, someone who will play with them, and someone who will do anything to see their smile. I am so glad that I have been able to be a part of PLF’s work this summer.
Switching to a more positive side of things…
While there are a lot of issues at this school, it is one of my favorites to go to. I love the children at Knar. There is nothing more fun than spending an afternoon playing with the kindergartners. They are too cute! While most of the younger kids don’t know English (all you ever hear is: “hello…goodbye, hello…goodbye, hello…goodbye”), they are really a joy to be around. Play seems to have a universal language!
One of the kids who caught my attention at Knar School is Tien. He was abandoned on the side of the road at the school as a two year old. He was out there alone, naked, and with no one to take care of him. He ran wild and stuck around the school a while until one of the older girls took him home with her. He still came to school everyday (although he was not old enough to attend class), but he would never let anyone approach him, give him anything, etc. Eventually he grew to trust Lori. When he was old enough, he enrolled in kindergarten, and he is a star student today in the first grade. Lori said that the day he first got his school uniform is one she will always remember. For the first time, he had something brand new that was his. She said he looked so proud and looked at his reflection in every surface that he could. I can just imagine! He still always has his shirt tucked in. He is adorable and so much fun to play with. He loves to be chased around and get into mischief. Once he was old enough, he gave himself the name Tien, which means candle.
Tien Getting Ready for Lunch
Another one of my favorite people to visit at Knar is Ani. She is the first grade teacher at the school. She teaches at Knar in the mornings, goes to class in Siem Reap in the afternoons, and works at a bar in the Night Market in Siem Reap at everyday. She works so many jobs to support her family, including her siblings and parents. Her younger brother attends the English class held each evening for older students at Knar led by PLF volunteers Maggie and Daniel (you can read more here). Her days are long and her dedication is impressive. She is a really fun person to be around…always has a smile on her face and makes sure to say hello to me. We have even gone to visit her at work at the Island Bar here in Siem Reap.
While the kids are a bit grubby at Knar, the school itself is as well. The oldest of the buildings actually has chunks of the wall missing that have been stolen by those living around the school. It’s a site to see…30 – 40 kindergartners in a classroom with half of the wall missing. I don’t think the pictures will do it justice. But, at least the children have a building and do not have to have class under the tress or in grass huts. The kids who come to the night class are in these rooms as well. They use a car battery to light three florescent lights so they can see their desks and the white board. Lori calls it a “jungle class” because there are lizards, bugs, and all kinds of things flying across the battery-lit room. The kids’ dedication to learning is amazing!
Knar Primary School is also the site where a family who visit each year hosted a luncheon recently. There are 440 students at Knar, and PLF prepared lunch for all of them one afternoon. The kids ate and had a chance to play with the visitors. There was volleyball, soccer, basketball, hula hooping, and all kinds of fun going on. I even impressed some of the boys with my mad basketball skills! While I am not very coordinated at sports, I did teach the ten year old boys some new tricks. The one thing I learned from being on my church’s basketball team in the second grade is how to dribble through my legs. While I haven’t done it in years, somehow I still can do it. The boys were very impressed with this, and it gave me a lot of credibility. They spent the rest of the afternoon working on their dribbling skills!
Cooking the Noodles
Draining the Noodles
MMixing in the Vegetables and Beef
RReady for Lunch!
Eat Up!
DAs I finish this blog entry and re-read it, I realize how it has so many ups and downs. But, I guess that’s how life is when working in a developing country. Some days the challenges seem endless. Sometimes I just feel overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done. There are some problems where it seems there may not be a solution. But, then I remember the joy that I saw in the children as we ran in circles around the schoolyard. While their lives aren’t perfect and the work PLF does isn’t either, the Foundation does make a difference. Whether it be a mind full of knowledge, a tummy full of food, or a simple smile, the children’s lives are better with PLF around. While there will always be challenges and always be bad days where nothing seems to be working out, in the end we are caring for a child who may not have anyone else who cares. We are showing love to a child who may not have experienced it before. And, sometimes, just knowing that is enough.
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