Subject: Tabita Cambodia

 

Author:  Anonymous

 

Dear Friends:

 

I am impressed with Tabita Cambodia and I would like

to share with you the executive director's view on Cambodia.

March 29, 2000, 3:30PM after my visit with the Women's

Media Centre of Cambodia, I walked to my cousin's home, which is about

two blocks away. Shortly after I turned onto road 294 ( Chrung You Hak

Road) toward Norodom Blvd, I saw a sign "Tabita Cambodia". It was quiet,

and I wanted to know more. Then I entered. It is a gift shop of Cambodian

handcrafts. They are patch works, stuffed animals, bed spreads of hand woven

silk, slippers, Christmas decorations, shippers, handbags of all kinds, bags, .. you name

it. They all are well designed, which I believe to be very  competitive in overseas

markets. The embroideries look exactly like paintings unless close up. Then,

I went to the second and third floors, and met women workers.

They all looked happy. They worked at their regular pace. There was no

sign of frustrations, nor boredom. A few of them had toddlers near by. They

played peacefully. One baby was sleeping in a hammock. I talked to one woman

who have worked there for almost five years. She is very happy. All of her

six children are able to go to school. This agency has taught all the workers

to do saving every week. She gets paid $ U.S. 60 dollars per week. After six

month work, she saved $250, which allowed her to buy a motorcycle for her

husband to work as a moto-taxi. Since then, there were two income generators in her household. She is very happy. Thanks to Tabita Cambodia. I scheduled to interview with the Director, Janne Ritskes (see attached)

   

You may want to know why I give priority to Tabita

Cambodia in my report. Before I left to Cambodia, many friends and relatives

expressed their concern on Cambodia, especially the negative ones due to the

past experiences. I replied to them that if we see only flaws and weakness

with pessimism, we cannot do anything.

For example, during the poor season, if we are choosy for the best apples,

we would throw them all away. But, if we take time to scoop only the good

pieces and put them together, we can have an apple pie for

the family. With that analogy, they accept my idea to go and find out what

we can do for our people.

    In Cambodia, during a picnic at my former

classmate, now a very important government official,

I talked about non-profit, humanitarian organization,

including service, administration, and organization

structure. It was an overview on our Khmer Women Alliance Foundation. They

listened carefully with the purpose to benefit from us. After we separated,

one man followed me, tried to be away from others to express his opinion.

He asked me how can I do in this country with corruption, selfishness, safety

issues, etc. I told him that I came from Minnesota, coldest state in the U.S.,

we do not complain, we do not blame somebody for that, we try to find ways to

live happily. In Texas, when it is hot, it almost unbearable hot. We do

not complain. We find way to adjust and to make life comfortable. He replied

that those are natural facts, we are pleased to live with them. But here is

man made, I cannot accept. I quit my job from the government. Now, I am

happy, pretty well off with my fish farm business.

My response was: "That is your mind. I would classify

that everything out of our control is natural fact. Can you take it as snow

in Minnesota or heat in the desert, and try to adjust and do whatever you

wish."  I cannot take it and I wish you luck.

I believe in that principle, you will succeed.

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