The plans are being made; we're going to Cambodia this summer. Many of my friends, colleagues and visiting researchers at the International Institute for Asian Studies have visited Cambodia and their stories roused a curiousity in me. Also, meeting several very interesting people from Cambodia at Asef (Asia-Europe Foundation - www.asef.org) events has made me long to go there.
What we've learned so far is that Cambodians refer to their own country as Kampuchea, which is derived from the words kambu-ja. The litteral meaning is; those who stem from Kambu, the mythical founder of Cambodia. The main industry in Cambodia is tourism. A favourite tourist attraction is Angkor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world according to the Guiness Book of Records.
Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Many people suffer from Aids and the figures of those infected with HIV keep rising. As a consequence many children are raised in special orphanages, because both parents passed away.
We are now looking for an organisation to work with. Last year, our cooperation with Flowgi contributed so much to the quality of our small contribution, that we seek help from 'insider out' again.
