It has been 2 weeks now since the two ponds dug by the children have been filled with water. The happiness and the sense of fulfillment among the children was undeniable.
80 tilapia were put into the pond. Some of the female ones were pregnant at the time. Now there are hundreds, if not thousands. The multiplication indicates that the environment—such the weather and the water—are suitable for the fish. At feeding time the entire pond seems to be filled with fish. We hope that the ponds will go some way towards making the Children’s Home self-sustainable.
Thje pond is maintained by several of the older children working under the supervision of the home’s administrator.
On my visit to the Cambodia Goducate Children’s Home, each child left me a special memory that will continue to live in my mind. Three children that especially gave me deep impressions are Matthew and the twins, John and Jacob.
Matthew is such a little prankster. He loved teasing me about my smile every time someone was taking a picture of me. I do not show my teeth when I smile, and he thinks that that is not smiling. Each time a photo of me was taken, I would hear Matthew’s laugh and voice coming from behind the photographer, saying, “Smile, ma’am! Smile!” I would then playfully retort back, “Am I not smiling?” For some reasons, simple exchanges like these are etched deep inside my mind, and I can still see that cheeky smile of his right now.
However, Matthew is not merely a little joker. His other side was made clear to me when I saw how he looked wistfully at my DSLR camera. Knowing he probably wanted to try taking some photos, I slipped the neck strap over his head and taught him the right way to hold the camera. He was ecstatic and immediately started snapping away. I do not lie when I say some of the photos Matthew took were great; he’s a natural! Another time, when my sister was showing a girl how to write some Chinese characters, I saw Matthew listening intently by the side. Later, I showed him how to write the characters for his name, and he practiced diligently at perfecting the strokes. Matthew certainly is a boy full of potential and a desire to learn and progress.
The twins, John and Jacob, are one face that I will never forget. The first child that I truly got to talk to was John, and I was pleasantly surprised at his English-speaking ability. We talked about Singapore, and I showed him pictures on my camera. Soon, a group of children were gathered around me whereas before that they were shy and afraid. John opened up the way and cleared the awkward air between the other children and me.
The twins
I soon realised that there was another face in the crowd that was exactly the same as John’s. That was when I found out that John had a younger twin brother, Jacob. Jacob, even though a little quieter than his older brother, was still a huge blessing, especially when translating for the other children. These two brothers were a big encouragement to me. Their ever-present smile and laughter and desire to serve were things that made my heart happy, just seeing them live. Jacob even wrote my sister and I notes when we left. Mine, of course, had a colourful rainbow on it; and when I read what he had written, it brought tears to my eyes. I love you too, kid.
This trip to the Home opened up my perspective of the world, of children, and just of life itself. It proved to me that family is not confined to blood relation; it showed me what real servanthood meant, and it displayed to me what true joy is.
Tilapia raising is not the only livelihood project that the Goducate Children’s Home is embarking upon. Goat raising is also a good livelihood project. Different species of goats have to be raised for different purposes. Although we would like to raise various species, we are at present focusing on producing organic-meat goats.
To maintain success with this project, we have started seeding various kinds of legumes, to be able to provide the animals with a complete plant food. In about a year’s time we will buy several female goats and one male.
Chicken rearing is quite a difficult project that requires more care and monetary investment. However, our administrator’s experience with poultry has encouraged us to start breeding chickens as egg layers and as meat for sale.
