Milizlinx

Tuesday evening we got to visit one of the villages where literacy classes are being held. All programs begin in the mother tongue (here Krung) and transition into Khmer so the children can attend government schools successfully. It was exciting to finally be where "the rubber meets the road" and see our training in action!

A Krung house

The village is on a hillside, a ragged circle of houses around a longhouse in a large clearing. The Krung are slash-and-burn farmers, harvesting fruit, cashews, root vegetables, etc.

Evening bath time

Watching the evening's activities before the classes started revealed a very communal society. So far removed from Phnom Penh's high fences and gated yards with barbed wire and iron grills!

The classes for Krung literacy were packed, with kids and adults lining the walls as well as the rough benches. They had a late start as one class had trouble getting the light to stay on (a bulb connected to a car battery), another waiting for a late teacher, and the last for enough students (the Khmer literacy class is harder and only is attended by the truly eager students). We left well before the end, as the classes often go to 10 pm!