I realized that i had nothing describing the project, for those who don't know what it is. I am a Minerva Fellow for Union College, working in conjunction with the Harpswell Foundation, and am in Cambodia from July 2009 through April 2010 to set up a co-operative motorbike repair shop. The goal is to provide jobs for several men from Tramung Chrum, a village that the Harpswell Foundation has worked with in the past. Any income beyond what is required to pay the workers and run the business will go to TC.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Brief update on the update

So today at the shop has been pretty frustrating. A kid came in to get his oil changed, which was good I guess, but when that was done Lee Him left,and I didn't know where he had gone. Also, Mr. Jiht kept going and coming, while Mr. Sovann is apprenticing at another shop. So for a while there were no TC guys in the shop.

Sai Ha told me that the guys are talking about moving the shop again, which I don't think is the right thing to do, as I have mentioned in the blog before. I think we just need to do a better job at the current location. This was reinforced by several occurences today. One was that a customer came to the shop while Mr. Jiht and Mr. Lee Him were gone. They left before Sai Ha was able to find Mr. Jiht. Sai Ha kept saying 'this is very bad'. I agree with him. The shop has a lot of problems right now.

Yesterday I spoke to Yousos, who works for the Harpswell Foundation, and he got pretty intense. He has seen the shop and is frustrated with what's going on. So he proposed that He, Leb Ke, and I all meet at the shop and talk to the TC guys and try to have a problem solving session. I think this is a very good idea, and told Yousos it would very good if we could make it happen before April.

That's what's up.

Ned.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Ned, Sorry to have been too tied up in end of term stuff to comment. You've been going through a very rough time, and your honesty is what makes the blog (and you) so appealing. You are doing your best, and the shop is in existence which it certainly wasn't before you arrived.
    I loved the photos in the last update, esp. the one of you with the candy cane headband.
    Thinking of you!

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