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This week we hear from one of the Assistant Programme Directors in SIGBI, Barbara Dixon. Earlier this year she visited Cambodia in her professional capacity as a dentist. Here she shares her experiences - from the cities of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap to the rural villages.

When we think of extreme poverty, poor living conditions, lack of sanitation and clean water and lack of health facilities we nearly always think of areas in Africa or India and adjacent countries.

We seldom think of Cambodia, a country torn apart by years of conflict, where 1.7 million people died under the Pol Pot regime between 1975 and 1978. Add to that the abolition of money, the destruction of technology and machinery and the annihilation of most educated people and you have a recipe for disaster. I was fortunate to travel to Cambodia on a service mission in January of this year where a team of 18 people of mixed age and background went to work in remote villages, schools and also in the red light districts outside Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Svay Pak, near Phnom Penh is a shocking place where children as young as five are seen to be on offer to the “visitors”.

There was so much to do to alleviate the situation it was hard to know where to start. Many of the locals know that without the help of NGOs they would perish. School classes consist of over 50 children; schools are basic with no electricity, running water or sanitation for either sex. Education is by rote as there are no books, pens or educational materials.

Photos taken by Barbara during her visit

Food is basic, mainly boiled rice with fish or occasionally chicken or pork. Snacks are often sugar cane- the result is poor general health and rotten teeth. My role as the dentist on the team was dental health. In one centre I saw 30 patients in 4 hours and took out over 60 teeth, all in children under 10. Lice infestation was common and most had worms.

Many of the village schools we visited were over 2 hours drive away from a major city, healthcare was just not available. Women are not valued and many are simply seen as a source of income when sold to traffickers or into the brothels.

I am sure that there are many such situations around the world and it is up to us as Soroptimists to help where and when we can. I know that on my return from this visit my own club intends to make a difference.