In Cambodia, my favourite memory is working with the kids at the orphanage. They were some of the most wonderful children I’ve ever met, and always happy to see new people.

I was surprised that….
people in Vietnam were so welcoming and so willing to help me with anything I needed. the kids at the orphanage in Cambodia had so much energy and were so happy all the time.

The most difficult thing I experienced was….
finding clothes that fit in Vietnam! (I’m pretty tall.) I wasn’t allowed to try on clothes in some shops because the shopkeepers were afraid I’d stretch them out. One storekeeper actually kicked me out of the store because she said I was “too big” for everything! the lonliness I felt during my first couple of weeks in Cambodia. I had come from a big house full of volunteers in Vietnam and was now living with a host family who didn’t speak much English. They were wonderful, but it took me some time to adjust to the change.

My best received lesson…
I learned that there are so many ways to communicate other than just through language! My host mother and I had some great (and hilarious) conversations using gestures and drawing pictures! And the children at all my placements didn’t care whether you spoke their language or not, they just wanted to play with you!

Tip for future volunteers… (Clothing, travel, personal items, donations, sightseeing etc)
I think the best advice I can give is to pack light! I thought I WAS packing light, and I ended up giving away clothes in each country. You’ll want to have room for any souvenirs you pick up, and you don’t want to be lugging around too much if you plan to travel afterwards.

Also, as tempting as it may be, it’s not a good idea to give money to anybody who begs for it (including children) on the street. Doing so encourages them to keep doing it as a way to make money.

Personal Paragraph (Testimonial)
I ended up having an amazing time in Vietnam and Cambodia, and am still in touch with the people I met while there. I felt like I was well taken care of by the staff on site, and really appreciated that Sarah checked in with me during my time in each country to see if I was all right and if there was anything I needed. Both countries ended up feeling like home by the end of my time there, and it was really difficult to leave! I’m already planning another volunteer trip for next year!

Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?
Absolutely!

My Favorite Memory:
There are so many memories, but one of my favourites is volunteering at SFODA and on our last day we gave 2 water pistols to the older kids. Inevitably, a water fight broke out and the younger ones all started using drink bottles with holes punched through the lids! By the end of it we were all absolutely saturated and exhausted, but it was loads of fun!

I was surprised that….
Almost everyone over there was so amazing at art!! And also at how quickly I became so familiar with the city – it actually felt like home.

The most difficult thing I experienced was….
Eating the same food every day and not being able to help ourselves to the cupboard if we were hungry

My best received lesson…
That travelling isn’t as much about what you see and volunteering isn’t as much about what you aim to impart or how you try to help, as it is simply about your own learning and growth because of the places you see and the people you meet/help.

Tip for future volunteers… (Clothing, travel, personal items, donations, sightseeing etc)
It really is like we were told before we left – you HAVE to be able to deal with change and try not to have any expectations because it’s always going to be different. Also try not to get too annoyed at tuk-tuk/moto drivers.. the ride is always more fun if you’re on good terms with them.

Personal Paragraph (Testimonial)
A friend and I spent 7 weeks volunteering in 2 orphanages teaching English and caring for the kids. I found that I preferred the caring part more than teaching, especially because when we were caring we got to look after little kids, whereas we were teaching grade 7-9. I’m glad we did teach – it was really good being able to build relationships with the older kids and really get to know them, whereas it was harder to do that with the younger ones simply because they couldn’t speak english due to their age (other than to call ‘teacher’ or ‘cha’ when they wanted your attention..) It was amazing being at SFODA where the lifestyle was totally different to anything I’ve ever seen before. They treated the babies so roughly and yet they were fine. It gave a whole new perspective on how they just live in a different way – and that’s ok.

Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?
Yes

Tip for future volunteers… (Clothing, travel, personal items, donations, sightseeing etc)

Try to find and bring good beginners English books. You can bring one copy and make 5-6 copies (for the kids to share) when you get there (they’re pros at copying books there). The crappy, photo copied books you can get in the markets are outdated and useless. I feel like I could’ve helped so much more with good books. And come with loose lesson plans (or ideas) for teaching English to different age groups. I would’ve felt a lot more prepared armed with more ideas.
Keep all your valuables on you (duh). I would leave my purse in the open office in the orphanage and got $20 stolen from my bag.

Be very thoughtful about giving out money. It can be hard to know if the cash you give them is going 100% towards the kids. If you can bring supplies (tooth paste, laundry soap, rice, etc…) rather than give them cash so you know its being used properly.

Personal Paragraph (Testimonial)

Here are some posts from my blog~

CPCDO

I made it to Phnom Penh safely and have just started my second week at the orphanage. Let me just say these kids are AMAZING. The first day I walked in the gate 3 little ones ran up with hellos and hugs which was so cute made me feel so welcomed.

There are 71 kids at CPCDO ranging from about 4 months to 17 years old. Typically I teach English to a young group for an hour, then an hour to an older group in the morning, play for an hour, then a 2 hour lunch break, and then I repeat the same in the afternoon with a different group of kids. It’s funny as I didn’t get any guidance really- on my first day they said, “here you go, now teach some English!” But it’s great cuz you could do just about anything and the kids are happy- they’re very eager to learn English and just love the interaction. We talked about body parts one day and we ended class by doing the hokey-pokie. They had never done it before and thought it was hilarious- “…you put your nose in and you shake it all about…”

Their living conditions are hard to see. They only have 2 toilets for all of them (although they’re in the process of building 2 more); the kids sleep on wooden bunk beds with no mattress or padding; the building isn’t fully enclosed, so when it rains hard the whole place floods; many of the kids wear the same dirty clothes days on end; there is no soap for them to wash their hands; no diapers so the babies run/crawl around without bottoms and wee/poo wherever they are; and on and on… It was a bit disturbing at first, but I’m  starting to realize that these are living conditions for many of the population here in Cambodia anyways, not just the orphans.

I have 2 especially special little boys there who I really want to take home with me. One is probably about 1 and the other about 3 or 4 years old. They follow me around everywhere and want me to hold them all the time. When I have to put one of them down to go to the bathroom, they will usually stand there and cry at the door till I come back out. It is one of the most incredible feelings to walk in in the morning and watch their faces light up and raise their arms to me to pick them up. It brings tears to my eyes to think about having to leave them at the end of the week.  I’ve taught them duck-duck-goose, some “Sound of Music” songs (Do, a deer a female dear… and, raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…) and they really seem to love playing hangman. The stickers, books (thanks Margaret & Anita!), balloons, crayons, coloring books and bouncy-balls have been a big hit! I also bought some new school books with the money some of you donated already!

I feel very lucky to be here and definitely feel this has been the most intense, challenging experience so far, but of course the most eye-opening and fulfilling. I had my first wave of homesickness after my first day, but am feeling better now. I have to say though, as much as I’m enjoying my travels, I will be happy to come home!

I heart Cambodia

Another amazing week with the kids! One day we talked about colors and the verb “to want”. I had a bag of balloons and we took turns asking “Do you want a yellow balloon?” They would reply with “Yes, I want a yellow balloon” or “No, I want a blue balloon”. I love to see how excited they get about small things like that and just the enthusiasm and silliness of kids in general.  It’s unfortunate to realize that there isn’t a whole lot of consistency to their English studies- when a new teacher comes in, there is no guidelines to what needs to be done next, what the kids know already- no sort of organization. I wish I could’ve been there longer to help come up with some sort of system. Maybe next time…

On my last day we played games- “What time is it Mr. Fox”, limbo, duck-duck-goose and sang songs. They love to sing! I went to the gas station and bought popsicles for everyone which was exciting.  The kids love seeing pictures and videos of themselves. We spend many hours taking photos and videos on my camera, looking at the pictures. Often they would take off with my camera to take pictures and would come back with all sorts of funny pictures.

A new volunteer (from another organization) came in that week and she has initiated getting some of the kids medical attention. She was actually able to get a doctor to come into the center and check out the kids who were having some issues and get treatment for different things as well as HIV tests. I gave her $100 because she was paying for everything out of her pocket. I also gave the center $80 to finish the 2 new bathrooms they just built- to make doors and add plumbing to run water to the bathrooms. They were very appreciative. My mom, sister and my friends Margaret and Lynne have offered donations and I will be arranging supplies like tooth brush/paste, detergent, rice, etc… for the center. Thank you for your support!

One of the babies had an abscess on his bottom that had to be lanced and the doctor had to clean it out the next day because of course it had gotten infected. Later he was in the babies room just crying by himself (as he often is) and I was able to pick him up  and calm him down. I cuddled him for about an hour, him leaning forward on my chest so as not to have to sit on his tender bottom and even got him laughing at one point. It is so tragic to me that a little one like that who is in pain doesn’t have a mama to baby him when he’s sick. I wish I could’ve stayed another week just to take care of the little guy.

It was tough to say goodbye to everyone, but I am so thankful for the experience.  I hope to be able to do it again for a longer period of time someday. I hope to do some similar work in the States as there is a huge need there as well for community development and support for the poor.

My Cambodian Family

I forgot to tell you how great my host family was while in Phnom Penh. Living there are the parents, one daughter and 2 sons (all in their 20’s) and the grandmother. They have another daughter who is married with a son that lives close by. Traditionally you live with your parents till you get married there. The oldest son was my age. The grandmother was a bit senile, so she seemed a little confused when I walked in the door each time, but when I would stop to say hello she would grab my hands and tell me how beautful I was.

They had a lovely 4-story house (a typical style for middle class) and I had the entire 3rd floor to myself with a patio in the front and the back. I had a big empty front room to do yoga in the mornings. They cooked me loads of delicious Cambodian food and packed me lunch on work days. Fresh fruit (many of which I’ve never seen/had before-yum!) and cold water all the time.

The daughters were so sweet- took me out on several occasions, one of them invited me to a wedding of her husband’s cousin, the other took me to the S-21 museum on the weekend. I experienced my first 3-person scooter ride and a small scooter crash with each of the sisters. It’s not a true Cambodian experience without either of those events it seems. The youngest son drove me to work and picked me up every day. Only the daughters and the oldest son spoke limited English, so I couldn’t really communicate with the parents or the grandmother, but so much can be said with a smile and a bow.

The mother gave me a beautiful blue silk scarf with the traditional Cambodian checker print. She must’ve asked her daughter how to say “A souvenir for you” as she handed it to me. There were some tears when I parted and I hope I will see them again. Maybe I can come back when Pheap (the youngest daughter) gets married.