Cambodia & Tribute: The grandmother who lived through 105 rainy seasons

Chroniqueur
14 hours ago
2 min read

In Cambodia, certain faces become silent witnesses to history. Yeay, ‘Grandmother’ Chhorng Samorn, was one of them. One hundred and five rainy seasons marked her life, a life of struggle, loss and resilience. Through her, a whole century of tragedies and hopes of the Cambodian people is embodied, right up to her last smile, fragile but luminous, like a legacy of dignity and courage.

Her name was simply Yeay, ‘grandmother,’ as elders are affectionately called in Cambodia. One hundred and five years of life, one hundred and five years of suffering and resilience. She had lived through all the wars her country had known: the American bombings, the dark years of the Khmer Rouge, the Vietnamese occupation, the endless civil war, and border clashes. Her existence had been nothing but a succession of fight, mourning, and survival.

When our son Jean met her during a humanitarian mission at the Pagoda of 5,000 Banyan Trees camp, he was deeply moved by her dignity in the face of such misery. She had nothing, not even a roof over her head, just a few tarpaulins to shelter her in her final days. Jean insisted on introducing her to us, and we too fell under the spell of her toothless smile, so bright despite so much pain.

We then tried, in our own modest way, to offer her some comfort: a few vitamins to help her regain her strength, a new tarpaulin to protect her family from the rain, and a phone for her grandson so she could stay in touch. We planned to take her home soon and offer her some respite. A little embarrassed, she apologised in advance for the state of her house, which was almost as precarious as the tent in the camp... Just yesterday, we sent a small donation to help her get by.

But the barbarity of men decided otherwise. The grandmother passed away last night in destitution, taken away in this makeshift camp, the last witness to a Cambodia martyred by history.

We are left with her smile. A fragile and luminous smile that sums up the strength of a people who have been wounded but remain standing.