Big Deal in Cambodia… Find out what Big Deal reporters Jo and Eileen got up to; travelling by tuk tuk, meeting young people in the capital Phnom Penh, and don’t miss the dancing at the Happy Happy School!

“ Just arrived! Looking a bit nervous… We were met (and blessed!) with these gorgeous garlands of flowers everywhere we went” (Jo’s on the left and Eileen’s on the right)

“ There’s no mistaking we’re in South-east Asia in the rainy season… It’s HOT and humid! We’re staying with friends in a hotel in Phnom Penh, but here there are 564 slum areas and 300,000 people live on less than 25p a day”

“ I’m showing pics of UK CAFOD staff to the people CAFOD works alongside at the Salvation Centre Cambodia. We also chatted with the Buddhist Monks here who are doing an HIV-prevention training programme, offering support for their community and working with young people.”

“ OK, so not at all embarrassing this one… We’re joining in the Happy Happy programme with orphans and vulnerable children, a chance for them to get some education, and have fun too.”

“ We met Tho Channa and her children (and their ducks and chickens!) They’ve bought the animals with a loan from the local organisation CAFOD supports. Tho’s now selling the birds and eggs to help feed the family. Her husband and her children’s dad sadly died because of AIDS five months ago. CAFOD-supported carers visited their home and sorted out the children’s school fees too.”

“ We visited a village called Puya where we chatted to these lovely girls and asked them some questions from young people in London – you can read about it on www.cafod.org.uk/bigdeal”

“ We saw these great cartoons in Puya village, showing how poor communities are pressured to sell land cheaply to investors, who sometimes force them off their land. Sometimes the military cut down the villagers’ trees without paying. It’s very unfair” !”

“ We met the village chief at a community meeting in Puya. He’s working to empower people to be able to live more sustainably and get land rights. Then they will be more secure and less likely to be forced off their land by investors. CAFOD supports these initiatives through a local organisation, which also trains communities to patrol forests and report illegal logging! We thought it’s sad and ironic that indigenous villagers have been living sustainably with their land for as long as they can remember, but they now have pressures from outside like this…” This t-shirt reads 'Land is a natural resource in the lives of indigenous people'

“… more snapshots of our time in this amazing country! Thanks to everyone who made friends with us there!” Eileen and Jo xx

For more about CAFOD and young people in Cambodia go to: www.cafod.org.uk/bigdeal