One project the foundation wanted help with was cleaning out the foundation storeroom, which is off of the small community library, located above the Sala Song Saa (Song Saa School). In addition, the local librarian had to leave with the late stage of her pregnancy, so the library hasn't been open since before Christmas. We could open that up too.
The store room was like a neglected outdoor shed, full of too much unused STUFF. On our initial clean up one afternoon Geoff and Ceci came across an enormous spider as they moved things around. We didn't get to far that first day, feeling like some work gloves and pants and shoes might be a good idea.
A few days later we spent and entire day tackling that room. I couldn't capture the whole room with its piles of stuff, but here is a corner.
Big spiders are sort of my limit. Actually, small spiders are my limit, so Adele and I relegated the storeroom work to Geoff and Ceci who valiantly stuck it out for hours until the job was done. They wielded shovels, killing several large and fast spiders, a scorpion, several big cockroaches and accidentally a lizard's tale (wrong place at the wrong time...) It was outright heroic in my humble opinion.
Whenever we have been there the kids come streaming in. We set some books and art supplies out and they sprawl out all over the filthy board floor and spend hours coloring and reading and trying to sneak away with a few markers.
During our long day, Adele and I tackled bags and boxes of books, slimming down and sorting; we organized the art supplies; and Adele generally kept the kids busy when their being there was beginning to create a faster mess than we could contain. I think they were discovering all possibilities of what was contained in the back room as it was pulled out, and they wanted to try it all: balls, jump ropes, white boards and markers, puzzles and games. It was quite a job to keep it all contained, and Adele did an amazing job shepherding them all in her gentle, loving way. They love her. I didn't get any pictures of that messy day, but there was about 15-20 kids at any given time.
The kids stay after we leave and play around. One day some girls were playing "jacks" with small rocks. We figured out that they had an organized gambling game going on, passing small bills (like coins) to the winner! It has been fun to get to know the kid's personalities!
Some fellow guests at the Palm Beach Bungalows, from Australia, came to help us clean up for the last few hours of our long day, and boy did we welcome their help! We were able to finish the whole project. It was hot, humid and DIRTY work. But here is what six hours in one day will do!
We took the coastal waters home. Blessed coolness!
The other option is a 25ish minute walk along sand. I swear it is 200 degrees on that route! So water from now on (when the tide is low).
We'll get to go back and open the library a few more times before we leave!
The store room was like a neglected outdoor shed, full of too much unused STUFF. On our initial clean up one afternoon Geoff and Ceci came across an enormous spider as they moved things around. We didn't get to far that first day, feeling like some work gloves and pants and shoes might be a good idea.
A few days later we spent and entire day tackling that room. I couldn't capture the whole room with its piles of stuff, but here is a corner.
Big spiders are sort of my limit. Actually, small spiders are my limit, so Adele and I relegated the storeroom work to Geoff and Ceci who valiantly stuck it out for hours until the job was done. They wielded shovels, killing several large and fast spiders, a scorpion, several big cockroaches and accidentally a lizard's tale (wrong place at the wrong time...) It was outright heroic in my humble opinion.
Whenever we have been there the kids come streaming in. We set some books and art supplies out and they sprawl out all over the filthy board floor and spend hours coloring and reading and trying to sneak away with a few markers.
During our long day, Adele and I tackled bags and boxes of books, slimming down and sorting; we organized the art supplies; and Adele generally kept the kids busy when their being there was beginning to create a faster mess than we could contain. I think they were discovering all possibilities of what was contained in the back room as it was pulled out, and they wanted to try it all: balls, jump ropes, white boards and markers, puzzles and games. It was quite a job to keep it all contained, and Adele did an amazing job shepherding them all in her gentle, loving way. They love her. I didn't get any pictures of that messy day, but there was about 15-20 kids at any given time.
The kids stay after we leave and play around. One day some girls were playing "jacks" with small rocks. We figured out that they had an organized gambling game going on, passing small bills (like coins) to the winner! It has been fun to get to know the kid's personalities!
Some fellow guests at the Palm Beach Bungalows, from Australia, came to help us clean up for the last few hours of our long day, and boy did we welcome their help! We were able to finish the whole project. It was hot, humid and DIRTY work. But here is what six hours in one day will do!
We took the coastal waters home. Blessed coolness!
The other option is a 25ish minute walk along sand. I swear it is 200 degrees on that route! So water from now on (when the tide is low).
We'll get to go back and open the library a few more times before we leave!
I love creating order out of chaos!! Don't love vermin though and agree that Geoff and Ceci are true heroes! Way to go Adele and Darc for organizing the library and making it a delightfully usable space, all while a herd of kids get into everything! Takes serious patience to handle that and NOT kick everyone out (which I'm pretty certain I would have done...)!
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