| | I wrote this after it happened but forgot to post it and stopped posting the rest of what I was doing.
I don't believe what just happened. An amazing Cambodian Organizer who was on his way to study law in the United States on Friday, was killed in a car crash yesterday.
Let me tell you a little about the past few weeks and meeting this amazing man. I arrived on a Thursday and went to the Center where I would be volunteering on Friday morning. I walked into their house (Most NGOs are located in old restored mansions) to a training and was welcomed by two men and about 20 women. They all said hello and tried to introduce themselves. After I was given an overview, an organizer I had heard about named Sethykun sat down next to me to translate. His translation was fantastic he even explained the situation of the labor parties in Cambodia. We got onto talking and he shared with me how he leaves in two weeks to go to study at the University of Michigan to get a Masters in Legal Studies. He already has a law degree from a University in Cambodia but hopes to continue onto a law school in the United States afterwards. He told me that we would hang out next week and he would show me Phnom Penh. He went home to Siem Riep for the weekend to hang out with his friends and family.
I want to tell you a little of what I know about him which is based only on two nights of getting to know him and meeting some of his family. His story is unique and has touched so many people's lives. He was born during Pol Pot's regime in the 1970's where over two million Cambodians died. His parents were farmers and are poor. With his commitment he was able to accomplish so much including: graduating secondary school, moving to Phnom Penh on what now would be $2.50 which was all the money his mother had to feed her other four children for the following two days, learned English, graduated from law school and passed the Bar, and he did all this while working in a casino to support himself and help his family. He then organized the casino where he worked. His time for working for at the American Center for International Labor Solidarity in Cambodia was coming to an end because he got a full scholarship to University of Michigan Graduate School in Legal Studies and was planning on going to Law School in Washington, D.C. the following year. The ironic and horrible truth about this is that he was leaving on Friday and while his immediate family came to see him off, he wanted to make a quick trip home to say goodbye to his friends and on the way there he was killed. He was humble but so proud to share his accomplishments with you. This is such a rare quality. His love for his family I saw first-hand when I met his father and his first nephew. He financially supported them, especially since his father had a stroke last year and physically can't move. He even bought them a house.
When I tell anyone where I am volunteering they ask me if I know Sethykun. Everyone knows him and he will be with us everywhere and in everything we do. I know this is a lot of detail about someone you don't know but I hope by sharing this he will inspire you too.
Every once in a while you cross someone's path that has inspired you and you know you will be changed forever for having met that person. I met that person my second day in Cambodia, Sethykun. The little time we spent together I came to admire him like everyone else. He died in a car accident yesterday. It is people like him that transform the world and everyone they meet. I am so happy to have met him.
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| | Posted 8/6/2005 11:19 PM - 58 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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