TheMekongRedDiary

When COVID-19 struck Cambodia, restrictions confined us to our homes. Like many, I worked online, staying connected through digital platforms. One hot April evening in 2021, in my small apartment in Phnom Penh, I joined a Zoom call with friends. As the call ended, one friend casually asked: “Would you join me in fundraising—to help families in desperate need during the lockdown?” That simple question carried me back to my childhood. In the early 1980s, growing up in a rural Cambodian village torn apart by civil war, hunger was a daily reality. A warm meal shared with my family was a rare joy. So when my friend asked, the answer was obvious. COVID had left me feeling powerless, but here was a chance to make a difference—to bring hope to those most affected. Together with 15 friends, we turned to Facebook for fundraising. Over six months, we raised $10,000 and delivered food packages to more than 2,000 people—women, sex workers, factory workers, garbage truck crews, and families strugg...

Last week, I volunteered with #Oxfam while being on my #SabaticalBreak To me, the personal sabbatical break should be something larger than just myself. Volunteering with Oxfam in this context isn’t just charity—it’s solidarity. I was on a financial assistance distribution to #780 Families affected by the #BorderConflict who continue to live in #makeshiftcamp in #SreySnom district, Siem Reap province. Their homes were in restricted area, currently under the #ThaiMilitary control which prevent all kind of access for these families to return homes. Each trip of #HumanitarianResponse to the people affected by the border conflict is a stark reminder that geopolitical decisions by the few powerful at the top of the government or corporation continue to affect lives of hundreds of thousand living on daily livelihoods. These peoples are paying a dear price to the cost of conflict, border tension they did not start, they did not provoke, they did not fuel. After nearly 100 days since ...