The Sound of the River

I remember when the rice paddies here, near Battambang, were a mirror of the Sangker River – a vibrant, endless green. They breathed with the river’s flow, a lifeblood for our village. Now, that green has faded, stolen by the relentless march of deforestation and dams. The river, once so generous, now struggles to give life, leaving the land thirsty and cracked. The laughter of children, once echoing through the fields, is replaced by a heavy silence. So many of our young people have left, drawn away by the promise of work elsewhere, leaving a hole in the heart of our community.