CNN Visits the Ponheary Ly Foundation for Filming of CNN Heroes

By Sotheara Ly June 6-7 2010

The group arrives at Boeng Mealea Temple

When the group got to the Boeng Mealea Temple, I followed and took their photos while the The PLF Team’s leader Ponheary worked with the CNN team. At this point, it almost felt like a cry or laugh for me. I was called to join with their trip, too, among my family. From the family came my mother, my sister Ponheary Ly, my brother Dara and me. We had taken two cars out to the temples, one for the CNN crew and one for the PLF team.

Ponheary Ly gives a tour at Boeng Mealea

When we all got out of car, I also got out with them, standing and turning around without understanding anything because I am deaf, so I did not know their plans at all. I accompanied them just as they walked around to watch their activities.

Suddenly, sister Lori gave me her camera, which meant “Go and take photos.” She pointed to two teams. I wanted to insist her that “I didn’t know how to use camera so I cannot exactly take photos” but I was not good at English conversation. So I took it reluctantly from her hand. She just advised me a little bit how to use her camera: “Just press this button and it’ll work at once.” She added with pride that her camera had “Anti-Vibration system. No problem.” Not to be lazy and talk too much, I darted after teams to catch them and take photos.

Here are my first photos from when my hands first touched the camera, which I shot while Ponheary was describing to the CNN team about the architecture in design, architects, Khmer culture, and traditions. The man in the white t-shirt is my brother, Dara, a guide and amateur cameraman.

I had a purpose to show people the beauty of Boeng Mealea Temple. Everything here is still in its original state, so visitors who reach Boeng Mealea Temple, besides getting the stories about temple’s history, can see the different natural interesting sights, to get great impression that they can hardly forget.

This woman in the uniform (on the right) was temple security. Besides guarding and taking care of the temple she was also an advisor if guests needed some help.  In that day, she assisted our teams. The PLF’s leader was explaining about different sights to the CNN team. Seeing Cambodian buffalo was very interesting for foreign visitors, though a common sight for the Cambodian visitors. Visitors can see buffalo or cows at Boeng Mealea Temple or at villages nearby. It is not rare animal in Cambodian country.

After filming and touring Boeng Mealea temple, we continued on to Koh Ker village, Preah Vihear Province, where the PLF team is working to help poor children to get education.

Koh Ker is an impoverished village in an active minefield

Poverty has a way of making everywhere seemed covered in junk. What will children who are the sprout of bamboo come to? If there are no shelters to escape from rain, sun, light, and wind?  Since they are in such a bad situation, would they even want to go to school?

This place was the shelter below the head village’s house. We started to ask questions from village leader, the man with walking-stick in his hand. Koh Ker village is an example of Cambodian people who live a sub-standard life caused by prolonged war, even if it was finished over ten years.  Cambodian livelihood is still not good enough.

Sister Ponheary Ly tried hard to lead the CNN team without caring about rain storm that had begun. She led the CNN team to an old house, which belonged to a village leader, both to connect him to CNN and escape from the rain, which isn't rare during this time of year.

This photo (left) shows a way to gather water. In the countryside people always use this way to gather rain water for different uses as they need because they have scarcity of water supply. In former times people rarely encountered this situation, but now are in a different situation because of the increased heat, so the rain is even decreased everyday.

This photo (right) shows simple kitchen at the countryside. People not from Cambodia would think that this looks rather unclean. In fact, however, it isn't so because the food that comes out from this kitchen is organic food and doesn't adversely affect health like city food.

Infrastructure at  Koh Ker village is in bad condition, without good and safe paths to walk. The village is in the middle of an active minefield, with cleared areas only in the center of the village and the primary school. Some houses are in areas of active

minefield. In Cambodia, we don’t care about the heavy rain but what we care about is high temperature that causes life on earth to have a lot of difficulties.

On Monday, The PLF team was starting to prepare the food for children. Lori, the family, and Loren (a PLF intern) were all busy in their work.

At 6:00 am a series of pupils arrived at school to clean the school yard. After that they washed their hands with clean water. Dr. Kim and my mother were washing vegetable at the pump well. children playing  Children enjoy with a simple game.

I was able to interview two students by writing. I read and knew that they were learning in grade 3, whose class was in the back of the school. They were the same age, 14, meaning that they were already old when they had started school.

The PLF team was cooking food, specifically fried beef and cabbage with rice, for lunch.

Ponheary teaching to a class of 5th graders

Finally, our food was ready to serve pupils. Taking some questions to Kohker teachers. My way is different from other reporters in the world in that  the tellers write about themselves, these are teachers. From those who are illiterate, I then can get no story.

Teacher March Bunthoeun is 24 years old. He teaches the third grade.	Ouy Sambiet is 26 years old. He is the principal of Koh Ker school. He finished his education after the 9th grade because of his family's poverty.	Teacher Hul Sunthara is 31 years old. He teaches the 4th grade.	Teacher Roeung Kal is 50 and has been a teacher for 10 years.

Doen Doeum is a forme Khmer Rouge soldier who has never gone to school. He is an amputee and illiterate.

This man is named Doem Doeun. He is 48 years old but has a more interesting background than most because was an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier operating along frontier line of Cambodia-Thailand. I wanted to get more information, but I did not have time. He is illiterate, but the principal wrote down about him briefly that “He is illiterate because he has never gone to school even once. He was born in middle of war so he must carry a gun instead of pen and book to school since he was a child until 1994, the year that Khmer Rouge rebels surrendered and confessed with the government. The urban war did not give him even a good result besides gave him a disabled life forever and become illiterate.”

The CNN team arrived at an old home; they have many children in their burden. The CNN team was interviewing this poor family, with a translator from Phnom Penh Post providing assistance.A young blacksmith of only 22 years could make a block of iron become what he needed with the very simple utensils. Our cameraman entered and asked some questions, too, knowing that he was illiterate and could not communicate with me by writing. He said that he used to go to school for grade 1 but had to stop studying to work for his poor family. 

He blamed his illiteracy on poverty caused by urban war. He added that in this village there were lot people, both adults and children, that could not read and write in Khmer. Illiteracy is a source of poverty.

Do any children whose home is in such a bad condition want to attend school? The PLF’s operation in this region encounters a lot of trouble if there is no help from others around the world.

I see these trees (right) as an example of handicap life in Cambodia: “Would you please, don’t

finish my life. Even if I am in such a weak condition I can bear at least 10 years or more to join with other to give some cold to our world that even increases high temperature of warmth relentless. Please don’t worry and be afraid that I’ll hurt you, well, you see I have 2-3 friends standing at the right side, holding, supporting me firmly. But that when there is strong wind don’t stand below me. I live in front of Koh Ker temple, whoever live on earth if they reach Koh Ker temple they’ll see me at once.

Such a strange nature is at Koh Ker temple. When you reach the temple even you like or not like the natural life you would get stun with the odd sightseeing at Koh Ker temple. Poverty gets impact to natural life.

As he is poor this young man (left) has no choice but search for different vegetations in the wood. In fact, this kind of vegetation is the rare one. they grow on big trees. They have beautiful flowers in different shapes and colors. Because of their beauty they become victims by starving people who gather them to exchange a little bit money for their families, which survive only one day by one day. The rare vegetations would be empty soon from the natural wood if they were not protected firmly and the CNN team who standing and watching, were really important witnesses in this event can broadcast the news to world wide so that the natural forest at Koh Ker region get help urgently. 

Srei is the official reporter for the Ponheary Ly foundation. She is Ponheary's sister and also survived the genocide of the Khmer Rouge, and learned English despite being deaf since the age of 14, which provides her with an unique perspective on Cambodia and its development. She interviews and communicates with people by writing down her questions and reading answers. This is her first story. 

Srei Ly interviews teachers and Village Chief of Koh Ker