You really do feel welcome here. Thanks to the anonymous Christian donor. 50k riel to the kids. ($193.79 aud left) Contribute by becoming a member: / @troycambo Paypal: www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
You have pointed out the difference between Cambodian's and Vietnamese's mentality towards accepting donation. But here's another interesting thing that might also create this difference: Religion. Yes, Buddhism is predominant in both Vietnam and Cambodia, but much more so in Cambodian society. Accepting help (or alm as you mentioned in the video) is generally not looked down upon because you as the donnor will get merit in return for your help. If you offer a gift to an older person, you'll usually get blessings in return, and for many Cambodians, these blessings are very precious because no amount of money can buy that, only your good intention and good deed could get you that. When a Cambodian accepts a donation, they do so by giving you wishes in return, so it's like a win-win transaction, which is also why there's a cause for happiness not just for the people you help but also for the people who witness it. They're happy for the people that get helped and also for you who gets good karma, merit, blessings, well wishes.
Giving is ok but has no end you have to give forever. As the saying goes, Give someone a fish and they will eat for a day, but teach them to catch fish and they will feed themselves.
Growing up poor, I would have loved for a random stranger to pull up and just give a couple of bucks without asking anything in return. There was one time my brother and I wrestled a very inebriated wino for an empty gallon jug of wine because that bottle was worth fifty cents (note: in 1969, a gallon of gas only cost 36 cents, you could get a coke and a candy bar for a quarter, so, rummaging through trash cans for aluminum cans and certain wine bottles, we made about two bucks a week and often used that non junk food items-there is only so much oatmeal you can eat, so, a box of Captain Crunch was a treat).
Who Of... Ahh Troy.. Love Seeing Those Little Girls At A Time When We Should Be Giving So Much More For What Has Been Taken. Serious. Love From Australia, And Your Fans For Life. 🌷
It always good to see kids getting a little bit of help. I like how the noodle eating kid almost ran away without saying thanks but he backtracked to say thanks. hehe Keep up the good work, Troy!
The difference in recipient's attitudes between Vietnamese and Cambodians has to do with how those around them are going to view them. That comes down to economics. In Vietnam you have the rich and a growing middle class that can look down upon the poor and judge them for their poverty. In Cambodia the poverty is much more widespread so there will be less of that condescending. Of course looking down upon the poor is not restricted to Vietnam or any other country. Considering yourself superior to make yourself feel better about your life is part of the human condition. Going back to the French-Indochina war , Ho Chi Minh latched onto communism because it could gather people to his side to fight for independence. As a bonus he could get aid from Russia. But first and foremost he cared about the Vietnamese people and his main goal was the freedom of the Vietnamese people from French colonization. One of the tragedies of American foreign policy (there are so many) is that the U.S. didn't support Vietnam's bid for independence from the French after World War II. The U.S. supporting freedom around the globe is a myth. Why Vietnam was able to lift itself outside of poverty and Cambodia has not is simply because of governance. The leaders after Ho Chi Minh died still gave at least a bit of a damn about the people and the corruption is fairly minimal compared to elsewhere. That is where the big difference lies. Where you find overwhelming corruption you find deep poverty and Cambodia's government is about as corrupt as they come. You keep people in poverty it's much easier to hang onto control.
Great points! Not many people know about HCM's fierce desire for Vietnamese independence above all else. He risked his life in the USSR when it was found he deviated from some of the doctrines. Anyway it's sad that today's Vietnamese have basically been colonised in their minds even though the landmass is secured physically. HCM would be rolling in his grave..ahem, mausoleum.
