Cambodia

Articles / Volunteer Evaluations

	I went out to Cambodia, looking for something different and exciting and I definitely got what I was looking for! As a newly graduated occupational therapist, I was ready and raring to get stuck in on my project. I was at the Kien Khleang centre for my first 6 weeks and then rotated to the Prey Veng centre in the province for the rest of my time. I appreciated the opportunity to work both in Phnom Penh and in the province as it gave me an excellent insight into the two sides of life in Cambodia. KK was busy, with more patients and staff with years of experience in treating a wide range of disabilities. PV was very quiet and slow moving (it was harvest season), with younger physios but nevertheless, dedicated and eager to learn. I spent this time mostly observing physio treatment and talking to staff and patients, developing an information leaflet on CP, occasionally treating a patient but most importantly trying to learn and understand how the centre worked and how the Cambodian work culture impacted on work ethics. I don't think I could have even anticipated working in a place more different than the NHS! The work pace is generally more relaxed and informal than you would get in the UK (and hour and half for lunch when most staff take a nap!). Patients came from far and wide to receive treatment at KK, some with appointments and some without. Appointments would be made for either the morning or the afternoon - no specified time -but even then it wouldn't guarantee a patient turning up, especially as it was rainy season and transport from the province can be difficult. This tested my ability to be flexible! I'm not really a person for rigid rules, regulations and protocols (especially when it's for management purposes rather than for the care of the patient) so I found myself thriving in an organisation where you were expected to be proactive, assertive and think outside the box. At times, I would find it difficult as I felt the need to be busy but I eventually came to adapt to the relaxed Cambodian work pace. Working in Prey Veng was a completely different experience but just as enjoyable. With a smaller team, I felt instantly welcomed and included within the centre. I found that the patient population at PV was similar to KK but with a lesser influx of patients which were mainly people with amputations or congenital deformities. However, there tended to be more patients staying for longer stints of rehab compared to KK, i.e. TBI and stroke, and I was able to be involved in some of their treatment. My role as an OT here was limited due to a variety of reasons and I found myself taking on other roles as the centre like developing teaching sessions for the physios with another volunteer physio and helping to write patient biographies for the website. My biggest challenge when working with the project was not patient related at all! I was given the opportunity to be one of four speakers at the 9th Congress of Cambodian Physical Therapists. I was hesitant at first but then decided to do it – when would a new grad be ever be able to do this in the UK??! I spent months with another volunteer OT, Becky Lambert, developing a presentation which would give an introduction to OT as a profession and also how physios could use some basic OT techniques in their treatments. Unfortunately for us, we were told that this presentation was too complicated and I had three days to re-write it! I had to give up on the idea of explicitly trying to promote my profession as this was not what they wanted to hear! Instead I presented a simple guide to housing adaptations and I think it went ok! It was during this congress that I learnt the reason why the Khmer physios struggled to understand OT as a separate profession. This is because they are expected to do most types of therapy (including treatment which in the UK we would classify as OT) under the vast umbrella term of 'physiotherapy'. Overall, I found working at the project an unforgettable experience. I have so much respect for the staff who were hard working despite the upcoming changes that will arise when the project is handed over to the government. As an OT, it was always going to be a challenge to work in an NGO that specializes in physiotherapy and prosthetics and orthotics. Depending on what you want from your placement, whether it's to experience working in a different culture or if it's to promote OT as a profession will affect the amount of time you should spend in Cambodia. For me it was both and three months wasn't long enough (especially with the rotation)! I learnt to accept that I was learning more than I was giving but hopefully somewhere in the three months I helped someone in some way. The Volunteer House As a person who was living independently before coming to live in the volunteer house, I was really apprehensive about how I was going to find living with other people who I didn't know, let alone share a room! But things settled down pretty quickly, everyone bonded really well in the unfamiliarity of Phnom Penh and sharing a room didn’t seem so bad after all. The house is well located in the south of the city, not too far from anything (I didn't expect PP to be so small!). It felt really safe with a guard sleeping downstairs at night. If you wanted to get around, most of the time there were the tuk tuk and moto drivers hanging around outside and speak good English. I tended to use these guys until I felt my sense of direction and ability to say 'turn right/left' and 'stop' in Khmer meant I could use other random drivers! Outreach Co-ordinator – Simon Power I only have very good things to say about Simon! Prior to arriving in Cambodia, I wasn't expecting to have much contact with my co-ordinator and thought that I'd be more or less fending for myself on a day to day basis. I quickly came realize that he would be someone you could truly rely on if you were ever in need. Simon and all his knowledge of PP and Cambodia as a whole made my experience that little bit easier – from advice on the small things like where would be good to eat, how to top up your phone credit, how much to pay for a moto journey, to the bigger issues like problems with placements, medical ailments and what to do when your favorite club gets towed away! In a place as crazy and bizarre as PP, it was comforting to know that Simon was always at the end of the phone. A genuinely caring and sensitive person, he's a real asset to Outreach.

• Evaluation by Alison Vargas

	To sum up my time in Cambodia, the words 'loved it' suffice! To be a little bit more helpful, though, I will try and give you a short breakdown on both the project itself and the organisation. This way I can pick out the true highs and pinpoint a few of the less satisfactory moments, both of which have contributed towards such an enriching experience. The benefits of going through an organisation like Outreach Overall I am pleased with my decision to take the project with Outreach International. Firstly, it might be worth considering my reasons for choosing to volunteer through an organisation, rather than just arriving in the country and finding a project myself: As a trained physiotherapist I had specialist skills that I wished to offer. Previous experience has shown that working with an organisation provides support in times of ill health. Finding a project in-country may prove to be a much cheaper option, but it is also more time consuming. Working full time in a busy hospital in London left no time to organise a whole project from start to finish. I wouldn't have left the UK for at least another year if I'd been doing it all myself. Raising money for an unknown entity is even harder work. Kind donors are understandably more reluctant to hand over their well earned cash if they are not fully assured of the legitimacy of the cause. On all the above points, taking the project with Outreach International was the perfect option for me. I was able to volunteer my specialist skills and it was a validated project that was organised for me to start at a pre-determined date. 'All’ I had to do was raise the money and turn up! Project training in the UK The UK project training was very useful, offering lots of valuable information and enlightening reports from previous volunteers. The Director, James Chapman, was extremely flexible in offering a separate evening for two of us that could not make it down to Bristol for the group training. Although quite a journey from London for just one night, heading down to Somerset to meet a fellow volunteer with whom one could discuss fears and aspirations with was well worth it. I would recommend trying to make it to the group training though if possible, as the benefits that I have mentioned are multiplied tenfold! I commend James on his interview technique, and this is a point that was agreed upon by us all. We all felt that making it as daunting as it was, James had ensured that anyone who was not 100% committed would seriously start to doubt their suitability. It was made clear that we were agreeing to go to Cambodia to work for our respective organisations and not to go over for a holiday. (This was a problem that the project, my host organisation, came across several years previously, and having lost their trust in volunteers it wasn't worth taking them on for some time after.) Outreach in Cambodia I feel that the Outreach representative has found a great balance in her role as in-country support. It is apparent that she has learnt a lot over her time in the job and she is able to handle issues with experience and understanding. She listens to any moans, but resists from jumping in and taking over; she is able to advise and let you move your project forward yourself. If she is out of ideas and unable to advise, she lends you a valuable piece of advice: "It's just Cambodia!" At the start of everyone's project she puts in a lot of time, but as you settle she steps back and lets you have your experience. One is reassured, however, that she is always there at the end of the mobile phone line (kindly provided by Outreach) and a weekly catch up over a meal or drink often provides a great forum for discussion. However, any personal issues are discussed in private without any concerns over confidentiality. Hannah never appears to tire of sharing her well established knowledge and experience with each new intake. She was inspirational with her fluent (she claims not but to the ignorant ear it sounds AMAZING!) Khmer and her perfect mimicking of several entertaining Khmer habits! She juggles her full time work with her disability dance company amazingly well with her side job of managing 11+ volunteers in a new country. Living in Cambodia was not what I was expecting. This is mainly due to my ignorance of what to expect of Phnom Penh. Like any other city, it's busy, crowded, fun and significantly more expensive than in the provinces! A warning to all new volunteers though.. .city life is the same everywhere, there are temptations! Though it was too far to cycle to and from work every day, the three Outreach bikes were invaluable. So nice to have your own wheels, not have to barter and be able to stop/start whenever, but I am going to miss my moto rides! They can be the most hair-raising experience or the most chilled (not so usual in the city!) but always such a good way to see local life go past – better than just staring out of your local Starbucks window! The Project Amazing! Beautiful staff, gorgeous students and an amazingly well run international Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) school. Being thrown in at the deep end provided me with an enormously challenging but extremely rewarding experience. I have learnt that I love teaching but that I hate marking. I am not designed to sit in front of a computer preparing lectures for days on end but I have also learnt that when needed I can do it - a revelation! The staff and students here are what made it for me. Despite my restlessness at the computer, I still loved being in the office and I loved giving lectures, especially doing practical sessions. Working with international students and staff has been fascinating and highly educational. The students were the most impressive. They leave home, often for the first time, to come live and study in Cambodia for 3 years. All living together in the very basic student accommodation above the school, all having to work extremely hard at their course... it was amazing to see such a diversity of cultures, beliefs, ages and levels of education work together so effectively and so supportively. (Student pranks seem to be universal too!) Hard work is what the school is about and everyone puts the hours in, but they are professional socialisers as well! Graduation, weddings, anyone's birthday, anyone leaving, new students starting, old students leaving... anything and everything was celebrated and usually by staff and students together. Such a great rapport was built between them. Conclusion I had a great time! I have learnt SO much and can only hope that I have been able to give back at least half of what I am taking away from this experience. I would recommend it to anyone and would love to do it all again.

• Evaluation by Kirsty - Physiotherapy Lecturer