Lessons from the Library

Kimleng Chong is a YAMENer from Cambodia serving in Nicaragua with a project called “Generating Life” or in Spanish “Generando Vida”. The project works to improve the standard of living in a poor neighborhood by focusing on women and children, providing food for children and the elderly and lending small loans to women who want to start a business. Chong works in the project-supported library.

Before I came to Nicaragua, I was really nervous about learning a different language and working with children. I had no experience with children, and when I spent time with them, I would get impatient easily. However, I was looking forward to the library. I had worked at a library for four years. To me a library is very special: it is more than a place full of information- it feels like home. The library showed me love, care, and made me feel comfortable. I could not stop thinking about the library that I going work in during the coming year.

Kimleng serves lunches to neighborhood children.

The actual work was really as difficult as I had expected. Language was a large barrier, which prevented me from communicating with the children. All I could do was smile, listen to their main words, observe their actions, and analyse their ways of speaking in order to understand. Fortunately, I got a lot of help from the other librarian. However, language is not the only challenge that I face: spending my time every day with the children is a big deal! They are uncontrollable, never listen, scream, run around, break things and some of them do not respect the librarians who are there to help. I was so angry with them, and I did not know what to do. I wanted to send them out of the library, but I knew that was not the solution.

Thanks to this challenge, I have been reflecting on my own experiences, in order to understand the problem.

I was born in a family where my parents had to work hard in order to send my siblings and me to school. Our neighbours admired my parents for their love, care, and sacrifice.. However, I could not understand their perspective, because what I saw was a business that felt like a trade between my parents’ hard work and my hard work at school. I did not even know if my parents loved me or not. I felt empty and lonely. All I ever wanted was to be loved and cared for without condition. I would do anything to earn it.

The library. Kimleng Chong.

I know that some of the students at the library face the same problem. They experience loneliness and emptiness, so they will do anything, no matter right or wrong, in order to get attention, care, friends, love and get away from suffering. They also deal with tons of other problems every single day. Some kids receive the help of others around them such as teachers, friends, neighbours, organizations, churches, and in my case, the library. Unfortunately, some kids do not get help to fight these problems and become miserable, and in the worst case scenarios become thieves, gang members, and drug users. Understanding this gives me the strength to continue my work with a humble heart, with peace, and patience. I used to think that I was unable to work with children, but now I realize that it was an excuse to avoid headaches. Now, thanks to the children, I am motivated to work harder and fight against the language barrier.

Kimleng Chong.

A library has a positive impact on children for several reasons. First of all, it provides them with information and education. It is a place to focusing on self-study, reading and learning. It is a good place for safe fun and relationship building between friends and siblings. More than that, the library provides kids with great memories and protects them from dangers such as drugs, alcohol, violence, and teen pregnancy. Last but not least, it is a place to cheer up those who have a hard time at school, who want to go home but can not because of family conflict, those who are bullied because of who they are, and for those who are hopeless and stressed. A library is a place of resting and encouragement for those in need.

Thanks to the grace of God, I have experienced some of these during my short time here. When I see kids pick up a book and smile while trying to find a place to sit, when they hold their brothers’ or sisters’ hands coming to the library, and when they pretend to read books even though they cannot, it makes me have an awesome day. Those smiles are full of hope, confidence, excitement, joy and peace. I am sure that they are having a good time!

The library. Kimleng Chong.

When I see all these good things, I want to copy and paste them. I thought:

How cool would it be if there were more projects like “Generating Life” in Cambodia and all around the world? How awesome would it be, if there were a place with free food for kids and those in need, so that they could have a break from worrying, and focus on building their lives and studying?

When people have food they will let their children study, increasing opportunities to go to school and lessening child labor. Children will get more rest and have more time to play and learn. Therefore, I want to see the same or even greater things happen in every place where it is needed, in places where children are often victims both physically and emotionally.

Now that I have some images in mind, I believe that doing something effective for those in need is not really complicated. I can start by offering food, something not to feel hungry, and a quiet place to focus on studying and homework. If they share their problems or happiness, I could listen to them, cheer them up, understand, encourage, and give them suggestions. Over time, the project will grow even bigger, and people will be blessed. It might sound easy, but I know it is not going to be so smooth in real life. However, I believe that the reason God put me in a library for more than four years must have something to do with this idea. I am going to share this idea with others in Cambodia so that they can pray or be involved. I hope that more children will be able to have a great experience in life, and not a nightmare of a childhood. I pray that they will feel loved and learn to share that love.

Finally, I’m so glad that there are libraries all around the world. I’m just so glad!

The library. Kimleng Chong.