Cambodia

Articles / Volunteer Evaluations

	I was at the orphange for the first time today. It's quite poor and a lot of the children have hygiene issues bad teeth and lice. The school building itself has a lot of dampness. It doubles up as the orphanage. The children don't have beds instead they sleep on mats on the ground (supposedly this is the done thing in Cambodia). When it's lesson time they just roll them up. The facilities which they eat in are outside, sheltered under a big shed. The toilets are worse than anything I've seen at T in the Park – just a hole in the ground. There are only 4 among 84 children and helpers. I was really shocked at how happy the children especially when they have absolutely nothing. The children loved the teddies Miss Kerr made for them. They vanished in about 2 seconds. The children are beautiful and so affectionate towards me – lot's of kisses and cuddles when they heard I was going to be their teacher. I do believe the pencils and stationary will go far here as they're much in need. Lydia (the head administrator) and I talked about what to do with the money. She feels the children could do with lots of arts and crafts, sports and music equipment. She has already found it difficult getting her hands on paint however I have now heard from Philip and Eva (another outreach volunteer) that they sell them at the Russian Market. I'm also thinking of having the children helping me design murals to brighten the place up a bit. Lydia told me something today that really made me laugh, she warned me not to use the body creams as many of them have bleach in them so Cambodians can get skin that looks more like the Westerners! What can I say – the grass is greener on the other side. Visited the genocide museum today and just about vomited. It was the biggest prison during the revolution and it's horrific. There were rows and rows of people's photos all of whom had been murdered there and many in very brutal ways. It didn't matter who you were – doctors, teachers, women, soldiers, children all perished under the hands of monsters like Pol Pot. I felt so sick, especially seeing human skulls in display cabinets like ornaments, piled up for all to see. I can't understand it. The people here couldn't be friendlier, always smiles on their faces. They've been through so much. Last night we attended the orphange to watch the children put on dance performances. Every Saturday the children demonstrate some local Khmer dance to raise funds for the orphanage. They all really enjoy it and are very talented. They aren't made to do it and are always are rewarded with a feast in which the audience usually share. Both boys and girls take part and they also have their own band. After eating we all joined in a massive game of hokey-cokey with the children, backpackers and other NGOs and ex-pats that came to watch. Our mode of transport back into town was a sheep lorry. 40 people had to squeeze into it, standing up feeling like we were going to the slaughter house! It was so funny. We went to watch the football over a relaxing drink and I'm glad to say England lost. I'm surrounded by the English and its nice not to have them gloating in my face. Of course I pretended to show my support and then be gutted for the British team. Otherwise I might have been mauled. France won too. I should have put a bet on them winning. I moved into my new house today. It's rather nice and spacious and in a quiet part of town. Also fridge, TV, hot shower and en-suite included. Yeeha!

• Evaluation by Catrin Jeans

	So at the orphanage, things are going really well, with 3 fabulous new outreach teachers (plus two we have already) there are loads of people around to help the kids out. I'm really happy with the way that it is going. All the kids are getting taught in much smaller classes than i was first able to manage, and it means they can play with them lots too. They are all getting one hour a day and some of then more advanced students, or those that are perhaps a little behind, are getting one on one or one on two tuition. There are now 7 students on scholarship at prestigious ACE school and i just found out (this weekend) that 8 more students have funding to join the 4 already attending Banana school (funny name, good school). so they can get some extra help with their studies with all the teachers around. Today is a bank holiday (just like as in UK) so I gave the hardworking recruits an afternoon off. They appear to have settled in fine, and i'm hoping they are all happy with what they are doing. The kids recently danced at the closing ceremony of the US embassy building and have been invited to dance at the Indolence Day service for the Israeli Embassy later this month. They also continue to have dance and music lessons several times a week and play football against local teams. 2 weeks ago was new year and about 70 of the 80-something kids went to visit their families. Although they have no parents, the family structure as it is in Cambodia, is that there are a lot of family members taking care of the children somewhere, although some can ill afford it. It made the children happy to be out of the centre though. And I'm more than happy to take care of the 'kids' while Hannah is away. Its perfect actually as I know what its like to be an Outreachee but from my time in Cambodia, I hopefully know what to do if anything happens. Fingers Crossed it wont! Anyway, thanks for your support, and hope this update was enough. I'll be in touch if anything happens in the next few weeks, but let me know if you need anything more.

• Evaluation by Lydia Sparrow

	It has been a long time now since i left cambodia, but that's not to say i've forgotten it, i find myself thinking about the place fairly often, trying not to forget what i learned out there and devising strategies to get me back out there as soon as possible. I plan to send a goodie pack out to the kids this christmas and am still in contact with the other vols (we maybe having a reunion over xmas if i can get it sorted). Just finished a very enjoyable first term at university (assisted by what i have learned out in cambodia), but going to have too pay for the extravagant social life over the holidays with some hard work! Joined a number of green and charitable societies, as i think after experiencing cambodia i would like to get involved in 3rd world development when i've finished my degree and maybe set up or work for an NGO (any advice you could supply me on this subject would be very useful). Anyway, thanks again for allowing me to enjoy the best 3 months of my life out in Kampuchea. p.s. missing that asian sunshine especially at the moment!

• Evaluation by Sam Walker

	I cannot believe we only have one month left, i am so upset to leave, i am loving the project but unfortunately it took both me and georgie alot longer than imagine to settle in, partly due to the fact that the kids were not expecting us to stick around. i think that they are more used to people popping in and out which i don't agree with because its selfless as the kids gain nothing. i even think that 3 months is too short. i have debated staying longer but it would mean letting down alot of people and to be honest, i know NFC will always be there with space for me if i want to return! the kids really are incredible, we are teaching a wide range. i help the uni kids with their extra work (mainly pronnunciation) and i also teach the a/b/c/ class which i LOVE. i am so lucky to have the younger kids as there are very few of them. there are 5 and we have almost all finished their first alphabet booklet! they make me so happy every day and yesterday i bought them disney folders to file their work which i cannot tell you how schocked they were about. (and of course the older kids were furious/jealous) but i explained that the younger kids get no attention or teaching before. i will be honest... the first month was difficult but it has worked out so well and its much better that we struggled because now i appreciate everything much more. i do agree that its impossible for you to organise because the culture is so unorganised/relaxed that nothing is as you think and you MUST just get on with the bush schedule. The house is amazing and we love our room. also we love being on the top floor with ruth and anna. we get on so well. simon has been SO helpful and dealt with our sink blocking etc so well! also the induction at the beginning was amazing and so kind with the group supper etc. we have been so lucky! we leave on the 3rd April... which will be so sad and not easy! but the kids all have facebook which is histerical! we then travel to vietnam/thailand and laos and stay with Helen (from the house) in Hong Kong.

• Evaluation by Floss Millingen

	In Cambodia, organization was very good. I feel that having the Outreach coordinator picking volunteers up from the airport and taking them to the guest house is important, and provides stability after a long flight with a bunch of almost-strangers. It also meant we could take in lots of information from the coordinator that seemed immediately relevant in Cambodia that perhaps hadn't back in England. The phones provided by Outreach were extremely useful- it was really good that we could contact each other and getting lost no longer seemed such a problem! The helmets are also a good idea, especially in that I think much fewer volunteers would wear them if they weren't given to them straight away. The outreach house is excellent. We were told nothing about the house and I expected it to be a lot more basic, which was a nice surprise!. I felt productive throughout my placement and often this was through playing with the children and talking to them, which with the younger children can be more productive than a lesson where they can't sit still for the hour's lesson and rarely have books! I liked that children I didn't teach would come and ask for help with their homework, so I felt I could help more people than just those I have lessons with. Lesson times were badly organized, as a result of school hours changing monthly and them trying to find time to come to the lesson in between apprenticeships, Khmer school or computer class. - this is when it is important to have materials for other things like sport or music. I think to volunteer at the orphange you have to have the right balance between being laid back enough to accept the fact lessons, children, everything isn't perfectly organized and having the motivation to really want to be active and involved. I think it would be easy to do the minimum there in such a relaxed atmosphere so to make the most of it you have to be proactive. I would advise a future volunteer to take out textbooks and cassettes for the younger children, a book of game ideas (clapping/nursery rhymes are very popular!) and photos. A typical day would be getting into the orphange at 8 o'clock, having lessons between 8 and 12, the rest of that time spent playing with the children or helping with homework. Lunch break is one hour, a lot of this taken up with requests of bike rides up and down the street outside! From 1 until 4 you would have 2 or 3 one hour lessons, again the free time in between would be spent watching 'variety performances' that the smaller children always need an audience for, talking or playing volleyball. During my placement I feel I achieved a lot. There is a huge sense of satisfaction at the end of your placement when you remember first starting and many of the children in my younger classes could only say 'teachaaar!' and now can hold conversations. The same goes for shyer children who have grown in confidence massively by being able to speak more English and having had the attention they need. I have had a brilliant experience and the kindness of the children and their humour and way of seeing things have made them extremely fond to me. I will be so sad to leave them and the other volunteers who have also made the experience one I won't forget in a hurry.

• Evaluation by Chloe Hicks