Happy freedom picnics for ODA kids
LIVING WITH COVID Freedom never felt so good
Six kids brought Omicron home from school early April and Leng caught it from them. Happily all only had flu type symptoms and all recovered now. Just Leng experiencing some fatigue but feeling better every day. So this was a feel good day for them all.
Six kids brought Omicron home from school early April and Leng caught it from them. Happily all only had flu type symptoms and all recovered now. Just Leng experiencing some fatigue but feeling better every day. So this was a feel good day for them all.
Reudi treating them all to a special day out.
Coming upon a beautiful patch of wildflowers was a special bonus for them all.
KULEN MOUNTAIN PICNIC
Then two weeks later, Reudi from Switzerland who had been helping the kids paint ODA to freshen it up after the 2 year lockdown, decided they did such a great job with him that he took them all on a picnic up to Kulen Mountain. With great excitement they bundled into the Mini van and Leng’s utility, picnic food and kids all squashed in together and away they went singing happily.
These wildflowers they found along the way and excitedly explored the fields before moving on to swim and play in the river and waterfalls up the mountain. Many people had the same idea but they managed to stay a safe distance from the crowds and have such a fun time on a perfect day.
It's always special for them to visit Kulen Mountain and they love swimming and playing in the water together.
Thankfully with the Omicron variant only imposing mild flu/cold type symptoms and the now recovered students back to school again, Leng had decided it was safe to emerge from ODA’s residential school lockdown.
The residential students have been wonderful all through the last two worrying years and are just so glad that Leng and Sry On his wife, kept them all safe from the first very bad Covid infections. They all rallied around working the fish and hydroponic vegetable farm while all students were not allowed to attend school, which kept them busy and saved money producing healthy, fresh organic food around their online classes..
So they really deserved these two lovely Picnic ‘Escapes’
KHMER NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS AT ODA
Khmer New Year is a time for washing away the past year and welcoming the New Year. Houses are cleaned and made beautiful for the good spirits to visit and 'watch out' as water is doused everywhere and on everyone! They gather food and gifts for the spirits and pray for the next year to be healthy and happy for everyone.
Praying at their offering table is a loved custom for all the students.
The kids expertly make all the decorations from folded leaves and they are beautiful.
No matter where you try to hide they will gleefully 'clease you' with buckets or giant water guns.
It has been a wonderful month of April and making everyone feel optomistic for the coming year.
No one is spared, even Leng and Sry On are lathered up and doused with many buckets of water. There's no escaping!
