Arrived in Phnom Penh Cambodia. 4th August, 2012
International Volunteer HeadQuarters
Cambodia Volunteer Foundation.
Placement, Joy Day Care Centre, Phnom Penh.
Settled into Volunteer house on Saturday. Friendly staff made me feel at home. The other volunteers, welcoming. I think I am going to enjoy this experience immensely!!
Sunday 5th Aug 2012.
Cambodian hospital visit.
I have just got back to the volunteer house after a day out with a few of
the volunteers. A young lady from Italy, Vishnu, a young guy from America,
Daniel and a young couple from Canada, Todd and Kristen.
We went to a local hospital and met up with a Cambodian lady by the name of
Sopheavy. Being the small world that it is, I also met an older guy from no
other than Ourimbah NSW. Serious! He lives in the old Ourimbah fire
station.
All of the meeting and greeting was the nicer part of the day.
The hospital visit was something I never thought I would ever witness. Hot
humid, filthy rooms with some patients having to depend on volunteers to bring
them basic supplies like fresh drinking water. I'm sure the beds are remnants of
the 1920's and the facilities not much different.
The saddest cases are the burns victims. One woman who has burns to most of
her body, the father with burns to his legs and arms. They lost their 4 year old
daughter in the explosion.
Three burns victims all from the same cause. Cooking with little gas
burners in their homes. Too poor to get the little gas bottles replaced, only
being able to afford to have them refilled over and over, with no safety rules
or regulations in place, and so many accidents are caused by the same thing. One
man was so seriously burned he was begging his mother to let him die. It took
the Doctors 3 days to treat him. In fact it was the volunteers that helped clean
him up and bandage him. I don't know how he isn't dead already.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I seen. Surprisingly, I handled it
all pretty well, but I'm not sure if I can go there too often. I like to think I
could if I thought I could be of some help, but I guess I can only spread myself
so far, and it is the kids that I'm here to help.
After the hospital we took an hour tuk tuk ride to a small village to look
at a house that Sopheavy had built in just two days with the help of some of the
local people from the village. Talk about off the beaten track, across the Tonie
Sap river on a ferry, and through some very rough terrain to the village. Some
of the poorest conditions I have ever seen. However, I also met some of the
sweetest friendly people and children who live there, unaware of anything
different. No sadness on their faces, just a welcoming smile!
Well, that was my first day in Phnom Penh.
Now for a little reward in the form of a nice cold beer! 50 cents a can
from the little store across the road ;)
Orientation day 1, 6th Aug and 7th Aug.
Informative and good social interaction. Highlight being the tour of some of Phnom Penh's landmarks. S21, very difficult to take in. Emotional tour. A history lesson.
8th Aug 2012
My second day of work today, and happy to say I'm settling in well.
The class I'm teaching ranges in ages from 3-7 years old with faces and personalities that melt my heart.
The class I'm teaching ranges in ages from 3-7 years old with faces and personalities that melt my heart.
The children all live on the fringes of Phnom Penh in the slums. They are
picked up from their homes at 7am and
arrive at school around 9am. Their
parents can't afford to send them to school, barely able to feed them, they are
so poor.
The parents scrounge through the local rubbish tip collecting bottles, cans
and plastics to sell for recycling. Often making a meagre $1.00 a week. Before
the centre was established, the children would accompany their parents to work,
their playground being the dump. Some children are still spending their days
like this with their parents.
When the kids arrive at school we bath them, feed them, wash their clothes
and dress them in a uniform. The pride they show on their faces once in a school
uniform is magic.
The classroom is basic, with very few facilities and equipment. On my
lunch break today, me and another volunteer that I am working with, Asha, went
shopping for craft materials, flash cards, subject and predicate cards and some
Alphabet posters for the classroom. Paper, pencils and books, and didn't spend
much more than $30.00 each.
Some of the children are very smart and are like sponges soaking up every
piece of information they can. Some are just happy to be there, some not so
interested in learning, but it beats the alternative.
We teach them the ABC, counting, and some basic English language. We sing
nursery rhymes, dance, do crafts and play games.
They have a 2 hour break after lunch, most of them rest, sleep, or just
play around and disturb the other children trying to sleep ;-)
After their rest period, it's back into the classroom for another hour and
a half. Then they are changed back into their home clothes which have been
washed by the staff at the centre. At 3.30, they all pile into a mini van, and
off they go home. Their bright faces pressed against the glass windows grinning
from ear to ear and waving bye bye!
Today I took some clothes for them, some second hand that belonged to my
grandkids, and some new ones given to me by a good friend before I left home.
One particular little girl took a liking to an old pair of denim shorts that
belonged to Aceah my granddaughter. This little girl did not want to put her
uniform skirt on, instead insisting on wearing her'new denim shorts, showing
them off to anyone who cared to pay attention. The new clothes were also a hit!
For some, likely the first time they have ever worn something brand new in their
young life.
Hi all
Sua Sday!!
Just arrived home from another weekend in Siem Reap. Visiting temples,
again, shopping yes again, and eating! Oh and a few beverages, at 50cents for a
can of beer or $3 cocktails!
I had a great weekend... Now feeling a little exhausted from another long
bus trip back to Phnom Penh not to mention the hours of trekking the temples
around Siem Reap, and a very heavy night on Friday
night. A lot of fun.
A good group of people, a few of them particularly so. One of the benefits
of this experience, is the beautiful, fun and diverse range of people I have
met. The different personalities, experiences and nationalities.
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It is now late Sunday
night, home ( as i have come to call it ) I am contemplating the next weeks
work and the serious side to why I am here, and the real reason. To give some of
my time and energy, life skills and experience, gaining so much more reward and
experience in return.
This week I begin with gathering information for the goal I have set. It
can all be a little overwhelming, and you want to achieve so much, making a
difference in such a short space of time. But where to start, and what to focus
on? I want to know I have made a positive ongoing difference to the beautiful
children and people of Cambodia. I have been here long enough to ascertain what
it is I really want to do whilst I'm here and how I can make a difference. The
village where my children live ( called 'my children' as in my class) is very
poor and isolated. No public transport, even if their parents could pay for it.
Consequently, none of the children over the age of 6 go to school. Education is
reasonably inexpensive, however it is the transport that makes it almost
impossible for these children to attend school. Their parents cannot afford to
feed them most days, so paying for transport is out of the question. Without an
education, these children don't stand very much chance of breaking out of the
poverty cycle they now live in. They won't have much chance of getting
employment or opportunities for a better life. These kids need an education and
learn how to speak basic English to be able to break out of this cycle. Being
able to speak some basic English is almost a prerequisite for most job
applications or UE. Some kids in the village are aged between 7 and 15 and have
never been to school. I hate to think that these children hold little hope of
living a better life, and their children and so on. They don't have any land to
harvest, or any chance of living off the land. Their home is literally a rubbish
dump. This is their backyard!
My goal is to get 25 kids to school!! How to do this is the challenge. Last Thursday I had a meeting with the director of Transform Asia, an American charity with placements all over Asia. The centre where I work is funded by Transform Asia. I have suggested a fundraiser and donations to fund a van to transport the children to a public school. This would also involve employing a driver, which in turn supports another family's income. He suggests a private school, which provides transport food and clothing for the children. Of course, private schooling here is no where near as expensive as Australia. However it does involve a lot more ongoing costs than the smaller ongoing costs of a van for the kids. And of course, raising the funds and making sure it is sustainable.
The next few weeks I will be be working out the costs, pro's and con's of both options. Wish me luck ;)
My goal is to get 25 kids to school!! How to do this is the challenge. Last Thursday I had a meeting with the director of Transform Asia, an American charity with placements all over Asia. The centre where I work is funded by Transform Asia. I have suggested a fundraiser and donations to fund a van to transport the children to a public school. This would also involve employing a driver, which in turn supports another family's income. He suggests a private school, which provides transport food and clothing for the children. Of course, private schooling here is no where near as expensive as Australia. However it does involve a lot more ongoing costs than the smaller ongoing costs of a van for the kids. And of course, raising the funds and making sure it is sustainable.
The next few weeks I will be be working out the costs, pro's and con's of both options. Wish me luck ;)
Well it is certainly the wet season here, although nothing like the 'wet few years' we had at home. Here, it is really hot! All the time!! Generally it rains in the afternoon, mostly a heavy downpour, sometimes only briefly, sometimes a few hours. It's tolerable and cooling.
Now Tuesday, and I still haven't sent this blog!! So much to do.....
Take care everyone!!
Hello all!!
Time is going by so fast, and I am now only here for another five short
weeks. I already know that I will be leaving a part of my heart in Cambodia. I
haven't travelled the world, but I have been to many places, and Cambodia has
captured me in so many different ways, like nowhere else I have been. I dare say
I will be back many times in the future, and don't be surprised if one day I
make it my short term home away from home.
Back to my main priority...
Well, I have been busy gathering information from the children's families
to have them enrolled in school. Appointments with the accountant at Transfom
Asia, and we now have the ball well and truly rolling. 42 children from a very
poor village, will now start school on the 1st of October. If nothing else, they
will be occupied in a much better environment than the dump where they live.
Working with their parents, scrounging for recyclables.
However, I have witnessed how smart and clever most of these children are,
so I dare say they stand a good chance of obtaining a good education, and the
hope of a better future.
At first,I placed a limit on the amount of children I thought I would be
able to enrol, 25, to begin with. However, upon visiting the village for
information on the children to enrol, I had children and their parents begging
me to send them to school. They aren't begging for money or food, they beg to go
to school. How can I say yes to one, and not to the others that are so keen, and
want to go to school to learn. They told me they want to get abetter job when
they grow up.
One little boy told me ( through translator) that if I help him
go to school he will promise to make his parents very proud and he promised one
day he will write to me and tell me about his job and also make me proud! I
could tell by the look on his face as he said these words, he has determination.
I wanted to cry, instead, I give him a high five and smiled!!
One little boy told me ( through translator) that if I help him
go to school he will promise to make his parents very proud and he promised one
day he will write to me and tell me about his job and also make me proud! I
could tell by the look on his face as he said these words, he has determination.
I wanted to cry, instead, I give him a high five and smiled!!
Education is cheap here, the only costs are their uniforms, basic needs
such as a few books and pencils, the expense lays in the transport. Arrangements
have also been made for the school to be provided with a small amount of money
each week to feed the children, as it is unlikely they will get fed at home
before going to school. Their families only being able to afford one small meal
a day.
These costs will be covered by myself and a few very giving and helpful
people, friends and family at home in aussie. I am not asking for anything from
anyone, but if you would like to help these children with a small monthly
donation, even $10 a month can do so much. The children, their families and I
would be most grateful. I will be placing a blog with details on my wall in the
very near future. I can guarantee that every dollar raised will help these
children, and give them hope for a much better future. It's a long way from
home, but I have witnessed how just a little can go so far, and the rewards are
tenfold.
A bank account has been set up with Transform Asia. This is a separate
account from any other, and I can access the details of expenses etc, from
Internet banking. I insisted on transparency, and wanted to be able to make sure
all the money goes to the purpose of sending the kids to school. This has now
been established.
To begin with, we have to hire transport, eventually, when enough money has
been raised, a small bus will be purchased as a more permanent option to take
the kids to school. More on this in the next blog.
On the second day of starting school, the van broke down ( one of many times in the first month)
Mr See arranged for two tuk tuk's for us to get the kids to school.
Last weekend, I visited a place called Kep, on the coast of Cambodia. A peaceful seaside town that is famous for its fresh seafood, particularly crab. I have to say it was the best I have ever had, along with the prawns and the fresh fish. I also enjoyed a weekend of doing very little else other than eating, swimming, walking and sleeping. It was nice to spend a few days on my own away from Phnom Penh and its hustle bustle of everyday. Fresh air replaced the pollution, the heat replaced by a cool sea breeze. A truly laid back picture postcard seaside retreat. I hired a moto for the weekend, the ride taking almost 4hrs, leaving me with a very numb bum by the time I arrived. The countryside here is nothing short of beautiful, and to see the local people working in their rice fields, or lazing in a hammock under a tree, paints a picture of a very peaceful life in a tourists eyes. Look a little closer, and you see them struggle to make ends meet for all their hard work and effort. Yet they smile. Little huts along the road side selling cold drinks from Esky's, the welcoming service and a smile is free.
My return trip back to Phnom Penh on Sunday started out with sunshine, then
rain, then sunshine, then torrential rain. Soaked to the skin by the time I
reached Phnom Penh 6 hrs later!
Still, I love Cambodia!! Deciding to come to this country to volunteer, has
been the best choice I have made for a very long time.
Take care everyone
Hello all!
Wow! What a week! Highs and lows like a roller coaster ride of emotions,
breakthroughs and brick walls! Many times coming close to breaking down, wearing
out, and even the thoughts of "I just can't do this" have crossed my
mind....momentarily.
My search for transport to get the kids to school was futile. Many
transport companies charging exorbitant prices, catering mainly for the tourists
and not for a reduced price of transporting children to school. This left me
with no other option other than to try and raise some money to buy a small van
and pay a driver to drive the kids ourselves. So the hunt was on. We found a van
that was cheap enough, and out of my own pocket and some donations from some
very giving volunteers and their families we purchased a van and employed our
trusty Mr C, to drive the kids to school. Of course, buying a cheap van came
with its own dilemmas. Breakdowns and repairs have hindered our progress
throughout the week. A new fan, belts, service, power steering repairs and a new
alternator. At first inspection of the van, the tyres looked in reasonable
condition, but after the front left hand tyre blew out, I decided to go the
extra cost and buy 4 new tyres. After all, we are transporting precious cargo,
and safety is more important than reliability. Now it appears we are all set to
go with our own independent transport for the kids, which will save money in the
long run.
The next hurdle was enrolling the kids at a school close enough to the
village where they live. Just to get these kids enrolled took some effort, and
many hours of frustrations and hurdles. Collecting all their information from
their parents, taking individual photos for their paperwork, purchasing
uniforms, books, bags and other necessary items the kids will need. This is not
only expensive, although very cheap in our dollar terms, it was very time
consuming when your enrolling 44 children! Back and forward to the school with
one set back or another. We had intended to enrol the kids and have them ready
to start at the beginning of the term here, on the 1st of Oct. These plans were
delayed due to transport reasons, lack of information on some of the children
and the procrastination of the staff at the school. On the morning planned for
the kids to go to school, I arrived to find all the children dressed in their
uniforms, backpacks on and the biggest smiles and excitement written on their
beautiful faces. This soon turned to disappointment and sadness when they were
told it will be another week....and it almost brought me to tears. It certainly
brought a few of the children to tears. This then made me even more determined
to not give up on them, to keep going, and to try harder.
Teachers here earn very little per month, so when enrolling so many
children at once, setting up a classroom can also incur expense. We agreed to
subsidise the teachers income, paying an extra $50 a month, on top of her meagre
$50 a month salary. The children also need to be fed, so we discussed paying the
canteen 1500 riel a day for each child (roughly 38 cents in our dollar) we were
told it would be paid for each child daily regardless of how many attended
school, so if we enrolled 40, we would pay for 40 everyday, even if some didn't
attend school. Our driver and very good friend, Mr C, later suggested that he
give the children their 1500 riel each morning, to pay for their own lunch, and
to be able to have choices other than just rice for their meal. He will monitor
their spending and I have no doubt, the children will not only eat, it will also
give them some empowerment and a choice. Something they have for too long been
lacking.
Then another bombshell! The vice principal wanted $50 a month to 'arrange
and organise the class'....!! WTF.... Dragging her across the desk and slapping
her stupid wasn't an option, but it did cross my mind. This was negotiated and
terms were set for $15 a month, with her having responsibility for reporting and
monitoring the children's progress.
Finally, Friday last week we managed to get 44 children enrolled to start
school on Monday! For the first time in their short lives, these children will
attend school. This is the right of every child in our world, regardless of
their wealth or impoverished conditions. These children now stand a chance of
breaking the poverty cycle they live in, to have hope for a better future, to
gain employment. These children aren't slow or stupid, they are smart,
intelligent and very bright, it is the poverty that holds them back from having
an education and achieving their goals. Some may not complete an education, some
may go on to successful careers, in turn being able to not only help their
families and communities, but their beautiful country of Cambodia.
Morning Class
Morning Class
Can I give you a brief history of this country's past. When the Khmer
rouge took power in the mid 70's, they set about creating an agrarian and
totalian society, and communism. They tortured and murdered millions of their
people, especially the academics and educated men and women. Teachers, lawyers,
monks and peasants alike. Poverty and famine followed on for many years and is
still obvious today. Although peace has come to this country, a lot of greed and
corruption at the higher levels of Cambodian politics and society still exist.
The rich get richer and the poor stay poor. With education, that can
change.
Fifty per cent of the population are under 21. Only fifty one per cent of
the children attend school. Education is a huge advantage for these children,
and I believe a key factor to change. I can't and don't aspire to saving the
world, but helping as little as 44 children have an education is certainly
something that many lives can benefit. Their are many people just like me doing
and wanting the same, and that is to help the children, give them hope and faith
that they can look forward to a brighter future.
Sorry if I'm rambling.... You guessed it, I am passionate about this
country, it's people and especially the children.
On behalf of these children who now attend school, I would like to ask
for some help, to continue supporting their education. Many of you have already
asked how you can help? And here is how. A one off donation would be greatly
appreciated, however a monthly donation set up through a direct debit would help
us to ensure these children will have a chance, a future, and to be able to
continue their education. All donations go into an account set up by Transform
Asia and myself. This account is only for the cause of sending these children to
school, every cent goes towards this cause with no administration fees paid to
anyone other than the people directly involved in educating the children. Such
as the driver and other costs involved such as fuel and maintenance on the van,
the payment to the teachers, and a little to buy the children their breakfast
and/ or lunch. Even a small amount makes a big difference. I am working on
setting up a fundraiser through youcaring.com, to be able to buy a more
suitable form of transport for the future. However, for now, I would like to
focus on the day to day, week to week, month to month expenses on supporting
these kids. A very big THANK YOU in advance!! From the children!!
Another way of helping would be to pass this message on to your friends and
so on. These children really need your help.
If you would like to help, here is how you can donate.
Details of fund and account:
ACLEDA Bank Plc, Head Office Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Swift code: ACLBKHPP (if needed)
CHIPS CODE: 415637 (if needed )
Account name: Transform Asia
Account number: 00010123760318
Take care everyone xxx
And, THANK YOU!!!
Every little bit helps!!
Lenore xxx
