SFF 2: New Swing

When I first arrived to Wat Opot, on a hot July day last summer, it was on the swings outside of the dorm where I first sat and fell in love with the children.  The swings are an iconic part of Wat Opot.  A place to escape the hot sun, a place to sit and watch everyone at play.  Sitting with sad little ones who just want to be held, offering a comforting presence to teens while they ponder the old times with their families.  Like many volunteers before me, I sat on those swings and learned the kids names, heard their stories, and earned their trust.  I learned most of what little Khmer I know on those swings, and will never forget one night where I sat there for hours with Chihomi, a Japanese volunteer, and LongDy, Sambaht, and Pesei, three of the Khmer teens, as we tried to piece together a conversation using bits of four languages (there was a little French thrown in there too).  

These are some of my first pictures from Wat Opot on the swing when it was still in good condition:

Little Srey Nith the class clown in August 2010

Rith, Virak, and Wey on the swing last summer.  They've grown so much in one year!

With so much action, the swings slowly wore away.  Metal rods broke, the joints had rusted, and the paint chipped.  One side didn't have a bench at all, and the other was worn down so badly that only two people could sit on it or it would give way.  We decided to bring new life to the famous swings with the help of Cora Marshall and the Summer Fun Fund.  A man came out and welded new benches, fixed the joints, and gave both swings a fancy new coat of yellow paint.

Coming down the driveway, the swings are a visitors first view of Wat Opot

So pretty!

Mr. Chai approves!

Thank you again to all who donated to the Summer Fun Fund.  There are more updates coming along of all the other things we have done this summer with your generosity!  It's not too late to donate... my paypal is still accepting donations and can be found under the blog archives.  Thank you :)