August 2021: Pushing Ahead
PUSHING AHEAD
It’s hard to believe it’s already September. Yet here it is. That means Silent September has begun. You can still be involved in our work to help give an audible voice to so many who now struggle to make theirs heard. Here’s how to jump with us into this important month.
Covid restrictions have been somewhat lifted here in Siem Reap, although we still maintain every possible precaution. All our team is now fully vaccinated and, of course, we all wear our masks and feel like our hand sanitizer bottles are actual extensions of our hands.
The cafe has been able to reopen and we even have a brand new tin roof after some storm damage. This allows us to expand our outdoor dining, which is great these days. And, our pumpkin soup has established quite a soup-cult-like status. Maybe it’s because of the rainy days and what passes for chilly days in Siem Reap. Or just because it’s that delicious.
Our new cafe space
And our work goes on. We’ve been able to push ahead on some things that had been on hold for various reasons, primarily the Covid reason.
As most everyone knows, one of our primary aims is to help build livable, sustainable homes for as many families in need as we can. A few months back we began a new home for a family of six. Their house was, quite literally, falling down around them from termite damage.
The father, Jin Sivong, in pre-Covid times was part of a traditional dance troupe in one of the big nightly shows for the masses of tourists here visiting the temples. Of course, those days ended sixteen months ago, along with any reliable income. Especially enough income to build a solid, safe living space for his wife and children.
The Heartprint team worked with the family and was ready to start construction. All the materials were purchased and on-site. Then, the house right next door was officially quarantined with Covid infection, so it became too risky for our team to work in such close proximity. Then there were provincial lockdowns, then more Covid cases and quarantines. On and on it went. The family crammed into a small house with another family member. Until. Finally…. In the last week of August, it was raised, finished, and became a new family home.
Such happiness!
This is the second house we have built on the very same block and for the Heartprint team, house number 70. And, to answer your questions about future termites: We use steel and tin rather than wood, except for the timber floors installed inside. So the homes are safe and sustainable.
It is wonderful to be able to return, in this way, to a key Heartprint mission. But the harsh realities of Covid that have caused schools to be closed for some 200 days means we are still in the business of providing school packs. We hear schools might reopen in October. Fingers crossed.
The pandemic’s economic devastation also means we continue to provide supplemental food/supplies packs to families each month. This month that number was 92, but through some generous benefactors, nineteen more families will be added in September.
These food packs are meant to be supplemental, not a total month’s supply. Many families now are managing to grow their vegetables and some people fish to supply protein. Many find occasional work that enables them to buy other essentials in local markets. But, we thought you might be interested to know what goes in the baskets and why, so here’s a quick rundown of this month’s:
Sauces: Chili, Soy, and Fish. Why sauces? These are cooking staples here and add much-needed flavour to the ever-present rice.
Eggs: Extra protein source for when there is no fish.
Face Masks and soap.
20 Kilos of rice
Plus, this month, we introduced reusable shopping baskets to some of our families and will roll out the rest in September. In the future, our families will pack their own baskets, rather than having them pre-packed by our team. A bit of “line-shopping” rather than a simple “hand-out”.
Some families receive baby formula thanks to our Heart of Gold Club
With lockdown restrictions this month, some packs were delivered.
The introduction of baskets to the new families this month.
We can’t close out without mentioning the bikes. We love bikes. This month we were able to gift bikes to eleven more kids. Eleven more kids who will now have a much greater chance of getting to school when it opens, learning, graduating, and having a better future.
Our ultimate goal here at Heartprint.
Bikes mean not only can kids get to school they can take their siblings with them also
