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Let me start by saying that from beginning to end, my 4 months in Cambodia have been the
most inspiring, challenging and incredible of my life. In terms of being useful I am going
to keep this evaluation focussed on the positive and negative aspects of my experience
which I think could be taken into account for the future. However I don't want anything I
say in the following paragraphs to detract from the fact that I have had the most wonderful
time imaginable.
Outreach in the UK
From the beginning I was impressed by the method which Outreach use to select their
volunteers. The interview process and numerous follow up phone calls reassured me that not
only were Outreach ensuring that the people they placed on projects were competent and
responsible, but also that they were making an assessment of whether the project was right
for the person. As a lawyer I had initially applied for the 'Legal support for women and
children' position. After chatting to James however, it became clear in my head that I
really needed to be wherever my skills were most needed. The final decision was the street
children project, and I am so glad it was! The only point I would make about the interview
process is that Bristol is perhaps not the most convenient place for most people to get to,
especially midweek. Perhaps London would be better.
Outreach in Cambodia
Upon arriving at Phnom Penh airport I was greeted by Hannah, who had waited there for my
redirected flight for several hours and yet was still full of bags of enthusiasm about
Cambodia and especially about my project. The level of input which Hannah had into my
experience could not have been pitched better. She was there to organise any administrative
problems, yet she did not try to impose her own version of Cambodia upon me, which I would
have hated!
The Outreach house is wonderful. Many happy hours were spent sitting on the balcony
writing diary notes and listening to the world go by. It was also fantastic to have a
kitchen to cook in, although one small point to note is that there really is not enough
fridge space for 7 people! It also needs to be made extremely clear that you are not
guaranteed your own room.
My Project
I could not have asked for a more wonderful project the one I ended up with. It is very
much a Khmer run organisation, meaning that its working practices and bureacracy are very
different to those in the UK. I worked extremely closely with the Program Manager Prumden,
a 26 year old, extremely bright Khmer woman. The relationship we developed was essential in
order to achieve anything. She acted as my interpreter, source of contacts, job delegator
and encyclopaedia on all things about the project. The biggest thing to grasp when entering
a Khmer organisation is that respect for existing practices and attitudes is expected and
necessary. Until you gain the trust of those who have, after all, being running things for
many years, it is impossible to inject any western values or practices, no matter how
obviously beneficial they may be. This is in many ways the most frustrating aspect of the
job as it takes time out of a 4 or 6 month placement to build that trust. Everything seems
to move at an extremely slow pace and juggling a multitude of tasks becomes an acquired
skill as you stop and start with each individual project depending on the availability of
information, staff or indeed electricity!
I was presented with a very open job profile. For me this was great as I also had gone to
the role with an extremely open mind as to how my skills may best be used. The project is
extremely under funded and so my primary role became sponsor liaison and fundraiser. This
entailed updating reports and newsletters in an attempt to raise awareness of the project in
general and of the specific projects which desperately needed funding. Selling the
organisation was not a hard task! Each day I was impressed by the dedication of the staff
and the way in which they touches the lives not only of the 220 odd children who live or
go to school there, but also of the wider community. And as for the children! I can't
describe how sad I am to leave such wonderful, spirited little people. No matter what the
frustrations of the day, their smiles would light me up inside and no matter how slowly
work was progressing, the knowledge that I might be able to help them out would inspire me
to keep persevering.
One event which was especially successful was the 'Christmas Drive' in which we appealed
to the generous Christmas time natures of Brits, Australians, Belgians and more in order to
raise more than $5000. This culminated in a Christmas party at which we were able to present
them with a lot of different equipment for the orphanage and give small gifts to each of
the children. Another extremely successful challenge has been the Educational Development
project which we were able to start up after successfully applying for funds from Dutch
funding body. As well as providing us with various educational resources, desks and
computers etc, they will fund the employment of an Educational Leader, who, having taught
teacher training in Mith Samlanh and elsewhere, will work with the teachers to optimise the
way in which they deliver lessons.
When something comes through and you discover that you have been successful in finding
funds, or people from other NGOs are being extremely supportive, it is the most rewarding
feeling in the world. On days like this I would sit on the back of my moto into town, just
as the sun was beginning to dip at 5pm, and breathe a deep, satisfied breath, trying to
absorb and capture how elated I felt. On other days I found myself exercising the world's
greatest feat of self restraint to stop myself biting someone’s head off in frustration.
Learning to take the highs with the lows has been a great character building exercise and to
be honest I wouldn't want to alter my experience in any way shape or form.
Cambodia
Cambodia, especially Phnom Penh, is no longer a war ravaged, desolate place. It is,
however very much a developing country, with all of the problems which that status entails.
Corruption is a major problem which affects even grass roots organisations. It is fatal to
begin to think of your input on a macro scale, as the plight of a country which is
currently ranked in the lowest 30 world on the UNDPs human development index, cannot be
solved on a 4 month placement. When researching the input of the government into assisting
the same communities with which this project works, including those who have been trafficked
or displaced, I would sometimes be so appalled that I would think 'what is the point'. This
in itself has been a great learning experience in terms of focussing on the task in hand
and realising the value in touching a small number of people's lives.
In terms of living in Cambodia, I was extremely surprised by the level of comfort. Pretty
much all of the products which we use at home are available from the large chain
supermarkets or pharmacies in Phnom Penh. There are an abundance of restaurants at which
you can eat a far wider variety than rice and noodles (although the Khmer belief that rice
is as essential a substance as water is quite funny) Hygiene standards are variable. In most
restaurants, especially in Phnom Penh, there is a relatively high level of cleanliness.
This is in comparison to my toilets at work which are shared with the 220 odd children.
I have found the Khmer people fantastically warm and welcoming. I am also astounded by
their grasp of the English sense of humour: they understand sarcasm!
Travelling around Cambodia has been a major part of my experience here. I feel that
Cambodia cannot be fully understood by seeing Phnom Penh alone. Many of the provincial
towns including Kratie and Battambang, offer a different perspective on how the majority
of Khmer people live and whizzing through the countryside on the back of a moto is an
unforgettable experience.
All in all I have had an unforgettable experience which will stay with me for the rest
of my life. My final word, as I sit here getting ready to reluctantly return to England,
is on the length of projects. I feel that I still have so much to do and 4 months is not
long enough. It is impossible to predict that this is how you will feel before you have
been here, but in a way I wish that 6 months had been the minimum stay so that I had been
forced to commit to longer. I just don't want to leave!
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