A kitchen for 70

Two blocks from our place, Bophal manages a orphanage of 65 children and one tiny wee new baby. With their few staff, that makes some 70 people living out of an old 2-storey house that has a bit of a courtyard. The place just buzzes - shining little faces, two classrooms to teach up to grade 4 downstairs, and always washing hanging out to dry.

The Kelly's introduced us to this orphanage when we visited Cambodia last September - and finally I've got back there to visit.

The kitchen is a little basic. 150kg of firewood go thru the 'stoves' every month. There is no servery and the cook is hotter than a pig on a spit in her daily work.

Patrick and Bophal in the kitchen (above) and the fire stoves (top)

Bophal is a treasure. I asked her to consider what she would like the kitchen to become; talk it over with the cook and I would be back in 2 days. They had plans drawn up - an L-shaped servery; two gas cookers - simple but great. Now she is getting a couple of quotes and we'll get the job done - dedicated to a fine kiwi couple who put some $ from a property sale into blessing children in Cambodia.

I had in mind to get Donald Scott and his two sons, from Christchurch, to put this together when they arrive here next month. However, the concrete-built benches and tile tops are not really a hammer and 4-inch nail job. The boys will be thrown into English classes instead - and I'll get Donald wrapping Christmas pressies for 65 little ones :-)