Glossary of Terms

I have realised that for the people that have not had to endure my wittering on about Cambodia for the past three years, it might be useful to have a ‘glossary’ of who’s who and what’s what. So....

NHCC: New Hope for Cambodian Children, the name of the NGO I am working for.

‘The Village’: Not the 2004 film starring Joaquin Phoenix, but the purpose built orphanage in which I live, also home to 250 children and 90 staff, 15 dogs, a few hundred pigs and about 80,000 chickens. No running water and electricity for 3.5 hours a day. Located in the middle of nowhere in Kompong Speu province and called the village, (funnily enough) because it is set out like one. Houses are made up of 8-10 children who live with a Cambodian married couple. The woman looks after the children and the man works on the land. Houses are grouped in clusters, 3 houses and one kitchen/ eating area per cluster. Colour co-ordinated for those who get easily lost.  On site there is also a clinic, a library, a school, basketball court, volleyball court, a playground, vegetable gardens...... it’s BIGGG.

Happy Home: House in Takhmau, just south of Phnom Penh. This is where the babies live, as well as sick children who need to be in close proximity to the hospital.

New Hope House: Newly opened last month, this is a house in Phnom Penh where the older children live once they have finished high school. There are about 20 living there now, half attending university and half in vocational training.

Home Based Care: Most of the children under NHCC care live with their families and are under this programme. Each week they are visited by a field worker who counts their medication to check it is being taken right, checks their health, makes sure they are going to school and provides money for food.

John and Kathy: Gave up the high life in Texas to come over here and help people with HIV. When they got here in 2000 there was no medicine at all for children, so they set up the first ever HIV programme for children and John went to Thailand each month to get medication. They founded NHCC in 2006 and now support 40% of the children in Cambodia with HIV. AMAZING PEOPLE.

Megan: my partner in crime back when I was here for the year- sadly still at university, but coming out for Christmas. Thank goodness because I am getting sick of the children asking where she is. AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH?

Vutha: Village Chief, not in a feathered headdress sort of way though, has a dog called Clinton, named after Bill himself. 

Theary and Pa Heng: married couple, NHCC carers and my Cambodian bezzies. Pa Heng likes to call himself Bryan.

Mr Vuthy, Ms Many, Mr Phalla: the NHCC directors and general big dogs.