Mark spoke about Cambodia or Kampuchea as the Khmers prefer. Quite a few members of the club or other from Wagga have been on trips with him. He said that half the population is under 17 years old. How did that happen...and that was the essence of his talk. China used to have a saying..."As rich as Combodia". Cambodia was a wealthy country. They could feed all their people, however they were uneducated. During the Viet Nam war the Americans began bombing Cambodia. By 1973 more bombs had been dropped on Cambodia than had been dropped on Japan in WWII. Between the war in Viet Nam and a civil war in Cambodia and the bombings, the Khmer Rouge came to power and ordered people to flee to the country because the Americans are coming. The agrarian society that was their goal did not need urban educated westernized people. The answer was to execute anyone who wore glasses or was in any way related to city life. The result was that over the period of the Khmer Rouge 1975-78 2 million people were executed, the food production went down by two thirds and 50% of the women stopped menstrating and the country was in shambles. When aid finally came from the UN it did not make it to where it was needed. Corruption was one of the main factors preventing aid getting through. So this is why Cambodia is so poor and full of children. The funds that Mark and Chris and all the rest of the group have raised and contributed, has built a school /community center that is used practically all the time. They have set about educating students one by one throught sponsors in Wagga. Mark thanked all Wollundry Rotarians and said every dollar contributed goes to the kids. There is no administration costs. He welcomed members to join him on their next trip. |
Kevin Watts, former long time Wollundry Rotarian was also in the same hospital in Sydney having heart surgery. He is also doing well. 
