Day 3 in Cambodia… 6.10.11
Today was a big day… we got up early and made the 40 minute drive out to our school at the Military Handicap Development Centre. We arrived in the administration area where we were greeted by a range of Military men who worked and participated in the Centre. We sat there for a while, talking and being translated too… it was a crazy experience but overall made us even more excited to start our teaching and meet the children. We then visited a few homes within the centre and met some amazing survivors and their families. The Centre is absolutely AMAZING. The rice fields, the mountain, the people, the land and the overall feel of this place blew me away… I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh…But needless to say, it’s amazing. After, we had lunch at one of the locals’ huts where we were treated like kings and queens, served the most amazing foods and man was there a lot of it. We tried their local fruits, similar to an orange but MASSIVE, very tasty.
Throughout our 2 hour lunch break we were lucky enough to strike a rather deep conversation with Dayvy and Vanarith about the war and everything that has happened because of the Khmer Rouge. Only in the last 10 years has the war began to cease. Cambodia went from 20 million people to 14 million people because of the war. Many people died, people who had a greater education, those who were educating people, anyone who seemed to be a ‘threat’ to ‘outdo’ the Khmer people were murdered in a mass genocide… Vanarith told us of his mother being caught in the heart of the Khmer Rouge and having to ‘pretend to be dumb’ in order not to be killed. Dayvy told us of having to grab her 4 siblings in the middle of the night to run to safety out of their home because the Khmer Rouge were bombing their streets… I could go on for hours on their history and the amazing things that we were told, heart breaking tales of death and destruction as well as heart warming ones of survival and the way in which a country that has been so devastated, now flourishes and their amazing strength, hope and love for their country, their people and their culture, allows them to be the resilient people they are today. I feel privileged to be apart of such a close country where I have now become a member of their family and they have become part of mine.
After lunch we went to look at the classrooms and drive around the 500 ha of land they reside on. Beautiful land where the people are self sufficient, no electricity, they live off the land completely and have been given this gift, the gift of life basically. This centre, only a year old, has done so much for these people and continues to do so.
We sat down to work out our schedule for the next 3 weeks at the school. We were shocked to learn that these students do not have anything. They simply come to school with clothes on their bodies, no pencil, no books. After learning this we decided we would buy some of these for the students and then donate them to the school once we leave. We bought $100 worth of stuff and this will give the 184 students at the school enough resources for 6 months.
I will be teaching up to 60 students at one time in the middle school ages. I am nervous but also very excited to meet them and begin my first lot of teaching. We have got some fun activities to get to know them and begin teaching them our very difficult and confusing language of English.
After this we went for dinner… 50% off dinner = $3 meals (SO GOOD), then caught our first Tuk Tuk to the night markets… Such an amazing place, people are a lot more friendly in this particular market and we grabbed a few more goodies for ourselves and others. I must say, I am definitely not good at bartering with people, but Ericka and Karina, well… so I leave it to them to do for me. Maybe I will get better by the time I leave. As for now… I must dash because I am SUPER tired and have a massive day. Tomorrow I will have loads to tell you so keep an eye out.
Kim xx
No comments:
Post a Comment