Perfect Storm - Perfect Giving - Perfect Timing

Brian McConaghy of Ratanak.org explained why he wanted to build an irrigation dam near Siem Reap, Cambodia to support 20,000 villagers.   Extremes in weather possibly caused by changes in global climate has made subsistence as farmers challenging.  The challenges of life in this region are an explanation of why young girls go missing, some taken or sold to child slavery.

"The need is real and we want to help these good people who are keen to get this built", says Brian.  With support from local donors of material, equipment and labour, the cash requirement is surprisingly low.  For what I suspect would cost over $ 1 million in Canada, the cash need here was less than 6 figures, an amount the Jack Gin Family Foundation could support.  And given this perfect storm of desire, cooperation, low cost and extreme need, we were happy to provide this cash to Ratanak.org to get this project done asap.

And ASAP must have been their modus operandi as work commenced in Spring 2013 and was completed by the end of September, just before the expected monsoons.

What was not expected was the severity of the storm that followed. An unrelenting rain in October brought floods to much of the country and caused the banks of the Mekong River to overflow.  At least 70 people have died and thousands of hectares of rice fields have been ruined.

So ... with what is now called the Faith Irrigation Dam, flood water has been controlled, and our village has been spared of death and destruction.  As it turned out, Faith Irrigation Dam was built to be a saving grace.

I am in awe of how we are utilized with such timeliness.   On October 12th, we begin our journey to Cambodia to make our planned visit.   My expectations have shifted.  No longer will I be inspecting a new dam and spillway, but rather a point of pride for the villagers who built a flood control system that has already protected them and their livelihood from destruction.

Before we begin, we are thankful.

Jack
9 Oct 2013

Jack
9 Oct 2013