From: Roger Garms
Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 4:10 PM
To: Kak; ktgarden; Stephanie Ward; Stephen Strange; Tom Watson; grayw tds.net; spinka.marek; Mary L. Grow; Sathin Ouk
Subject: Progress

Hi Everyone,

I just talked with Sarith and want to pass on his report. The water is still going down, enough so that he has been able to replant most of his rice. As the water recedes, fields in the village are also being planted and things look a little better there. The gardens at Poum Steung are being rebuilt and the Tampoeung garden has been enlarged.

JHP Skola now has electricity and internet. The interior has to be wired for the computers, but our Glorious Leader says not to worry, that this will be „no problem.“ The computers are in country with the volunteers. Sarith has hired a computer teacher after interviewing several candidates, most of whom wanted a much higher salary than we had budgeted. The teacher he hired is from a country village and has similar values to our own, very happy to be part of this. He will take a slightly smaller salary than we anticipated ($225 per month). In return, he will stay at the school and take some meals there, very much to his and our advantage. He knows how to respond to software problems, Sarith says, and he is a „good guy.“ He can read and write English.

Sarith will select the several students who have good enough English skills to work with the volunteers on setting up a Facebook page at JHP. They will later teach the other students how to use it as their English skills allow. The students will be starting an organic garden there as soon as some good dirt is brought in to place on top of the fill. Sopha, our school principal, has started and he will be with Sarith to work with the volunteers and help translate as we develop our capacity to use this resource.

We know that problems will develop as we continue, but it looks like we have a good start. We will be ready to host this first group of volunteers. These students from the university here in Madison are happy to help us get started on the internet and are each carrying a computer for JHP Skola. Anne Hansen, a professor at UW and an expert in Cambodian Buddhism, will bring another of the computers when she visits later in the month. Kathleen and I will both carry one when we go at the end of the month. So far, so good…

Best wishes to you all for a Happy New Year,

Roger