A Modest Proposal – 1

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Soi Dog
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Re: A Modest Proposal – 1

Post by Soi Dog »

phuketrichard wrote: Ever wonder why nearby countries Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, have so few NGO's devoted to taken care of the poor, homeless, kids, trafficked girls?
Because NGOs are needed less there? Because those countries did not have their societies, government institutions, cultures and traditions completely obliterated by the Khmer Rouge period? Vietnam and parts of Laos were devastated by the war but that only seemed to strengthen their society. The Khmer culture lost much of it's collective soul.

By no means do I blame that period for every social ill in Cambodia today, but I won't ignore it either.
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IraHayes
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Re: A Modest Proposal – 1

Post by IraHayes »

There are public toilets at Freedom Park and the small band of homeless families that live there make good use of them for washing themselves and their clothes.
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Re: A Modest Proposal – 1

Post by HotRecruiter »

Digg3r wrote:A dirty begger can make more money than a clean one. The one that looks like they REALLY need your money will get the tourist dollar.
What Digg3r and Ira Hayes says is true: public bathrooms (the size of a small bedroom for Khmers inside!I) are used by everyone: off-duty tuk-tuk drivers, indigent families on the riverside, occasional bums, tourists Western and Khmer, and it gets kept clean!

There are at least 3 spots I know of near the riverside. They DO NOT charge, for use/water/tissues or anything.

Good intentions ... Haha ...
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phuketrichard
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Re: A Modest Proposal – 1

Post by phuketrichard »

you might recall Vetanm was fucked for a decade
Laos had the shit blown out of it.

Why did they become stronger ?

Cambodia was fucked as well but the government ( HE) found that rather than do all the things a government should do invited NGO's ( an many are just plain shady) in to do it an take 20% off the top.
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
Soi Dog
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Re: A Modest Proposal – 1

Post by Soi Dog »

phuketrichard wrote:you might recall Vetanm was fucked for a decade
Laos had the shit blown out of it.

Why did they become stronger ?
Rallying around a common, outside enemy often makes a population stronger, just as Britain's will to fight became stronger during the blitz. The Vietnam war was a war against foreigner invaders, for the most part. The temporary, puppet regime in the south was never a real threat.

Apples and oranges, comparing that with the KR time in Cambodia, which was initially a popular, internal phenomenon for so many of the people. How do you rally together against yourselves?

But many unscrupulous people are milking the charity cow dry, no question. And it's not the needy.
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Re: A Modest Proposal – 1

Post by flying chicken »

Having NGOs is better than no NGOs. Having worked in the NGO sector, I aint no fan of them...ignore their vision and mission statement, ask the the man who is in charge of a particular place and simply ask them a straightforward question: What are you doing here? And take your answer from there.
EVERYONE BOW DOWN AND PAY EXTREME HOMAGE TO HIS MAJESTIES flying chicken©
Otis
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Re: A Modest Proposal – 1

Post by Otis »

To conclude, the need for a making a simple shower available is obvious. And should be obvious to the NGO's who are supposed to be, charitable organizations. Its a matter of human dignity. It ill-befits us to dismiss the matter by just calling the kids parents bums, which some may be.
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Re: A Modest Proposal – 1

Post by Rain Dog »

phuketrichard wrote:you might recall Vetanm was fucked for a decade
Laos had the shit blown out of it.

Why did they become stronger ?

Cambodia was fucked as well but the government ( HE) found that rather than do all the things a government should do invited NGO's ( an many are just plain shady) in to do it an take 20% off the top.
Or it could have been in part due to the fact the iternational community failed to recognize Cambodia until 1992.
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Re: A Modest Proposal – 1

Post by flying chicken »

I already shared this stuff with the mates. Me and the NGO story:

I couldn’t dig up my detail account of this organization from last year. I already moved on, but the psychological damage that this NGO had done onto me I find it hard to forgive. Since then, though through my observation there were few good NGOs but still got me distrust of any good intention.
Yesterday my wife beg me to let it go, hinting that they could hurt us, but after a long contemplation I just cannot.

Here is my story:


I spent 3 months of last year helping to organize this NGO alone so that they will be fully in operation. On their opening ceremony in June, they invited guests from 3 different continents on the expense of the donors’ money – from air flight tickets, 5 stars accommodation, and VIP tour of the ancient temples. All these were simply to show off ‘our base is better than yours.’
The managers often traveled to Europe for ‘conferences’ literally every 2 weeks with no or little notices leaving me running around trying to get the place organize. When they are back, the Khmer staff were most of the time used their personal servant – for example, opening toilet doors for them to take a piss or shit when the doors are slight jammed, and the managers’ room and toilet needed to be cleaned and up to their expectation because it is their PERSONAL bathroom. I, alone, stood up for myself and already had the feeling that my contract wont be renewed. Anyway, my primary jobs since then as a Communication Offer were to help load up their ‘going out’ photos in Madrid, the Netherlands and a few other European countries from their paid for Samsung Galaxy Note book onto their $1,500 paid for desktops and $1000 laptops. I received calls in the middle of the night from the landlord where, I again found the place and the best deal in town because of them and driving in NGO’s plate.

Pause, fast forward.

The signed contract says both parties needed to give 1 month notice before resigning. And I reminded them not once, but twice! But instead I got a 1 week notice. My wife was 4 months pregnant at that stage and expected to get my 2 weeks paycheck as they promised. I went to Phnom Penh for a week in search of employment exhausted most of my saving – I called to the office to inquire about the 2 weeks salary, but been told by the Khmer staff that they are in Europe for conference again and that they will be back in in 2 days. Called back 2 days later, they said the 5 years old laptop that they handed wasn’t in the same condition so I needed come back and sort it out. Back I came. I paid $5 of my own money to restore the operation system, somehow it got fucked in the process, it takes like 10 minutes to load. They withheld my salary, I logically explained to them that the 5 years old second hand Lenovo probably cost around $150 in the market, they agreed and deducted it out of my pay and promise to send me the payment next week, so that left roughly something $120
I
received a call from a workplace in PP for an interview. Back to PP again. I didn’t get job. Fine. So I stayed for further job hunting and awaiting for my salary. A week later, no payment receive, no email respond, phone calls “I am too busy.” So I ended sleeping on various streets of Phnom Penh for 2 weeks, starving to the skeleton, my now 5 months old baby while still in her mother’s womb and her month was in the same state.

An internet owner, feeling sorry for me he allowed me to use the computer. An Australian, whom I briefly met back in 2009, after I explained my situation he Western Unioned me $200. With that money, I immediately traveled back to Siem Reap and check out my wife – her physical condition was absolutely horrid, we both kept silence, the joy of seeing one another was just overwhelmed our hardship.

The owed payment was paid this time when I visited the office in person and with 5 other local friends waiting outside.
EVERYONE BOW DOWN AND PAY EXTREME HOMAGE TO HIS MAJESTIES flying chicken©
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Re: A Modest Proposal – 1

Post by Bitte_Kein_Lexus »

Soi Dog wrote:
phuketrichard wrote: Ever wonder why nearby countries Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, have so few NGO's devoted to taken care of the poor, homeless, kids, trafficked girls?
Because NGOs are needed less there? Because those countries did not have their societies, government institutions, cultures and traditions completely obliterated by the Khmer Rouge period? Vietnam and parts of Laos were devastated by the war but that only seemed to strengthen their society. The Khmer culture lost much of it's collective soul.

By no means do I blame that period for every social ill in Cambodia today, but I won't ignore it either.
That's not really an adequate answer and I think you know it...
Ex Bitteeinbit/LexusSchmexus
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