Schools out in Cambodia! This video is cute, of all the kids leaving school for the day on their bicycles!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A73ukWekXK0
Monday, May 18, 2009
Kampung Phluk Village, Cambodia
So, I have been telling you all about this amazing village I visited in Cambodia. Well, my friend Emily, who was also on the trek with me, got a great video and interview with our tour guide, Kim. I hope you watch it as we describes what every day life is like in this rural village!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIjKObiVWQs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIjKObiVWQs
Cambodia Pictures!
Finally I was able to upload all of my pictures from Cambodia! Check out my album below!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Our First Room to Read site visit in Cambodia
Monday morning we hopped on our green bus that would take us all over the country for the week. This morning it headed to the country office so we could meet more of our in-country staff and also see the office. It was pretty cool to see. Volunteering for a non-profit and raising funds is difficult when all you really have to go by when representing Room to Read is information and pictures that our global office provides us with. But seeing everything in person and meeting many of our country staff was really great for me to see. It validated Room to Read’s professionalism a
nd my confidence in them as an organization. We also got some awakening statistics about Cambodia’s education system. So in Cambodia, there is a public school system that is mandatory for children to attend through grade 6, however, it is very loosely enforced. The reality is, most families are truly living on less than $1 a day and rely heavily on child labor. And even though school is free, there are other costs associated with sending your child to school, like uniforms, shoes, school supplies and transportation. So while the majority are enrolled in primary school, their attendance is very inconsistent (which is also due to the weather conditions paired with lack of developed and paved roads). And once the kids finish primary school, the majority do not continue onto secondary school. The number of secondary schools also drop off and if children do wish to continue and their parent’s agree, they must trek even farther to get to that school, in most cases, many many kilometers. This information was really great to hear at the beginning of our trek, but it really made all the difference seeing these facts with my own eyes as the week went on.
So after our presentation b
y the staff, we headed off to see our first Room to Read project, a library Room to Read built at the Dangkor Primary and Secondary School. As the bus pulled up one by one we stepped onto the school grounds and entered the welcoming line of students that began at the beginning of the school gate to the front office. Over 100 students welcomed us to their school with leis made with gardenia and enormous smiles. It was breathtaking. And like all other trekkers who also were experiencing this type of welcome from the kids and headmasters for the first time, I cried tears of joy, tears of pure joy that Room to Read is doing amazing work with the money that is being donated. Reality hit me that these kids are truly thankful for being able to have access to books, a library, a space to read, explore, learn, create, and do. I felt honored that I got to represent Room to Read and receive the appreciation from the educators as well. I was torn by videotaping the entrance or just being present in the moment and experiencing the joy as I walked through the line of students. I walked with the camera off and tried to make eye contact and smile at each and every one of those students. In my mind, that smile was my way of saying Thank you for showing up to school today and learning. Thank you for riding your bicycle 45 minutes each way to and from work so that you can learn today. Thank you for being brave and fighting for your own education even when your family may be suffering financially because they need you to work in the rice fields or at the temple selling scarves. Thank you.
We didn’t get to interact too much with the kids that day as our visit was cut short by the school bell dismissing the students for the day at 11am. Oh yes, 11am. In Cambodia, school is only in session for half day, but 6 days a week. From what I gathered from our tour guide and our Cambodia staff, it’s because the families can’t afford to have their children gone all day. They need their children’s help each day at the home or making money. While it may not sit well with us here, it needs to happen in Cambodia for families to survive. Child labor is a necessity for families here. We did have a few kids meandering around us after the bell rang, and we got to take some photos of and with them, but it was difficult to interact with them. I knew that we would visit other projects throughout the week and I hoped that we would get that chance. While we were there, we did get to see the library the Room to Read, and the local community built in 2006. It was nice and clean, with open windows, lots of natural lighting and most importantly lots of local language books for the kids to read. All those pictures I’ve been looking at have now come to life!
nd my confidence in them as an organization. We also got some awakening statistics about Cambodia’s education system. So in Cambodia, there is a public school system that is mandatory for children to attend through grade 6, however, it is very loosely enforced. The reality is, most families are truly living on less than $1 a day and rely heavily on child labor. And even though school is free, there are other costs associated with sending your child to school, like uniforms, shoes, school supplies and transportation. So while the majority are enrolled in primary school, their attendance is very inconsistent (which is also due to the weather conditions paired with lack of developed and paved roads). And once the kids finish primary school, the majority do not continue onto secondary school. The number of secondary schools also drop off and if children do wish to continue and their parent’s agree, they must trek even farther to get to that school, in most cases, many many kilometers. This information was really great to hear at the beginning of our trek, but it really made all the difference seeing these facts with my own eyes as the week went on.So after our presentation b
y the staff, we headed off to see our first Room to Read project, a library Room to Read built at the Dangkor Primary and Secondary School. As the bus pulled up one by one we stepped onto the school grounds and entered the welcoming line of students that began at the beginning of the school gate to the front office. Over 100 students welcomed us to their school with leis made with gardenia and enormous smiles. It was breathtaking. And like all other trekkers who also were experiencing this type of welcome from the kids and headmasters for the first time, I cried tears of joy, tears of pure joy that Room to Read is doing amazing work with the money that is being donated. Reality hit me that these kids are truly thankful for being able to have access to books, a library, a space to read, explore, learn, create, and do. I felt honored that I got to represent Room to Read and receive the appreciation from the educators as well. I was torn by videotaping the entrance or just being present in the moment and experiencing the joy as I walked through the line of students. I walked with the camera off and tried to make eye contact and smile at each and every one of those students. In my mind, that smile was my way of saying Thank you for showing up to school today and learning. Thank you for riding your bicycle 45 minutes each way to and from work so that you can learn today. Thank you for being brave and fighting for your own education even when your family may be suffering financially because they need you to work in the rice fields or at the temple selling scarves. Thank you.We didn’t get to interact too much with the kids that day as our visit was cut short by the school bell dismissing the students for the day at 11am. Oh yes, 11am. In Cambodia, school is only in session for half day, but 6 days a week. From what I gathered from our tour guide and our Cambodia staff, it’s because the families can’t afford to have their children gone all day. They need their children’s help each day at the home or making money. While it may not sit well with us here, it needs to happen in Cambodia for families to survive. Child labor is a necessity for families here. We did have a few kids meandering around us after the bell rang, and we got to take some photos of and with them, but it was difficult to interact with them. I knew that we would visit other projects throughout the week and I hoped that we would get that chance. While we were there, we did get to see the library the Room to Read, and the local community built in 2006. It was nice and clean, with open windows, lots of natural lighting and most importantly lots of local language books for the kids to read. All those pictures I’ve been looking at have now come to life!
The Arrival to Cambodia,continued
As you can tell by my previous blog entries, it’s been difficult for me to grasp that beauty and poverty aren’t mutually exclusive. In Cambodia, they both exist simultaneously. So, continuing my journey in Cambodia and our walk around Phnom Penh, Steph and I decided to head back to the hotel. It was getting really hot outside and thought we would visit the hotel pool and cool off before our cocktail reception and dinner with the rest of the trekkers. My first experience of Cambodian food was Sunday night (May 3rd) and it was so tasty. I was at first a little nervous after visiting the open market and seeing all of the raw meat, fruit and vegetables in very unsanitary conditions to any country’s standards but surprisingly the food at the Bopha Phnom Penh Restaurant was amazing! I particularly liked the Fish Amok served in a cup made of banana leaves. On addition to the food, it was a joy to sit with our Room to Read Cambodia in country staff. At my table of 4, all 3 others were from our country staff. What did that mean? Well, let’s just say that Cambodians don’t eat very much…there was lots of extra food left for me! Marco did you tip off Room to Read and tell them to pair me up in this foursome? Jokes aside, it was very nice to get to know the staff that Room to Read has hired in country on a more personal level. I am glad I got the opportunity to sit with them and also learn more about Cambodia. I didn’t know much about the country until I read the Lonely Planet travel guide on the flight here. But it’s always better to find out more first hand. My night ended back at the hotel but not before the country director, Mr. Kall, took a few of us out for some drinks and Phnom Penh nightlife. There really wasn’t much but that was okay. We shared a few beers, some stories and headed back to the hotel on a tuk tuk. Monday was scheduled to be a busy day!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Back to Seoul
I am here in Seoul again, this time with a 9 hour layover! Luckily Asiana Airlines (the BEST airline ever!) has a lounge for us with beds, showers, and free Internet computers. I am not able to post more pictures or video from Cambodia but will be doing that soon. I figured, since I have such a long layover, I would do a city bus tour of Seoul and be back in time to board my plane. I am a little nervous about it since, in order to even get to this bus tour, I have to take bus #something to another stop to another bus to finally the ticket booth across the street from the blue sign...etc.. you get my point. I'll let you know how it goes!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Kids of the Kingdom of Cambodia
And if the previous entry doesnt come close to your heart... check out these pictures....
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