Fri, Jun 11, 2010By Yuslina Aziz
AsiaOne
I remember hugging my parents before walking through the immigration gates at Changi Airport, thinking to myself, "How am I going to survive the next fourteen days in Cambodia?"
In retrospect, I felt silly for lacking the confidence and belief that I could serve and volunteer in Cambodia wholeheartedly - for it was me who ended up unwilling to leave the country at the end of my fourteen-day volunteering stint.
Together with twenty-three other team-mates of mine from Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Hall of Residence 12, I embarked on this inspiring journey, not knowing what to expect but coming out of it with an experience of a lifetime.
We spent a good proportion of our voluntary expedition tutoring Cambodian youths in the English language at the Boys' Brigade Learning Centre (BBLC) in Proyouth Village, Puok District. It was uplifting to discover that over a 6-day period of tutoring; the children absorbed our lessons and even put in the extra effort to practise the phrases and basic terms we taught them through simple games and question-and-answer sessions.
Interacting with these youths also changed my perspective on the value of education and I truly admire them for trying so hard to excel academically and to better themselves in a bid to carve out a brighter future for their families and themselves.
Besides tutoring, we also tried our hand at road-building and it certainly was no easy feat!
Day after day, we toiled under the hot sun, shovelling sand and stones to build the road within Proyouth Village.
It just amazed me that under such circumstances, none of us muttered a single complaint or voiced any forms of discomfort despite our laborious tasks. I only heard words of concern for each other, and the camaraderie we forged over road-building in the village was a highly invigorating affair.
Personally, the highlight of this expedition was our participation in the Rice-Soup Service Programme at Khana Thmey where we played with village children and served bowls of porridge to them.
As English is only taught in schools at the secondary level, most, if not all, the children we interacted with at Khana Thmey spoke no English.
The language barrier proved not to be a problem as all these children wanted was a companion and for someone to hug them and play with them, not worrying if they have food to eat for the day.
All they needed was to feel safe, something we take for granted back at home.
The fourteen days spent in Cambodia was inspiring and uplifting, at best, and not for a moment did I regret my decision to go on this expedition. In fact, you may even see me back in Cambodia next year leading a new batch of undergraduates on another trip.
In retrospect, I felt silly for lacking the confidence and belief that I could serve and volunteer in Cambodia wholeheartedly - for it was me who ended up unwilling to leave the country at the end of my fourteen-day volunteering stint.
Together with twenty-three other team-mates of mine from Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Hall of Residence 12, I embarked on this inspiring journey, not knowing what to expect but coming out of it with an experience of a lifetime.
We spent a good proportion of our voluntary expedition tutoring Cambodian youths in the English language at the Boys' Brigade Learning Centre (BBLC) in Proyouth Village, Puok District. It was uplifting to discover that over a 6-day period of tutoring; the children absorbed our lessons and even put in the extra effort to practise the phrases and basic terms we taught them through simple games and question-and-answer sessions.
Interacting with these youths also changed my perspective on the value of education and I truly admire them for trying so hard to excel academically and to better themselves in a bid to carve out a brighter future for their families and themselves.
Besides tutoring, we also tried our hand at road-building and it certainly was no easy feat!
Day after day, we toiled under the hot sun, shovelling sand and stones to build the road within Proyouth Village.
It just amazed me that under such circumstances, none of us muttered a single complaint or voiced any forms of discomfort despite our laborious tasks. I only heard words of concern for each other, and the camaraderie we forged over road-building in the village was a highly invigorating affair.
Personally, the highlight of this expedition was our participation in the Rice-Soup Service Programme at Khana Thmey where we played with village children and served bowls of porridge to them.
As English is only taught in schools at the secondary level, most, if not all, the children we interacted with at Khana Thmey spoke no English.
The language barrier proved not to be a problem as all these children wanted was a companion and for someone to hug them and play with them, not worrying if they have food to eat for the day.
All they needed was to feel safe, something we take for granted back at home.
The fourteen days spent in Cambodia was inspiring and uplifting, at best, and not for a moment did I regret my decision to go on this expedition. In fact, you may even see me back in Cambodia next year leading a new batch of undergraduates on another trip.
7 comments:
Please, don't be troubled, they are not Chinese, loatian nor Yuon, they really are Cambodian with or without Khmer gene descendant. Dark skin Cambodians are not necessarely Khmer either..
10:56pm,
Nanyang University is in Singapore. Are these kids Singaporean?
I'm waiting for the day where Cambodian Buddhist Association oversea students, if one even exited, would organize a volunteer team like this.
Then again it is not within Buddhism midset to volunteer.
That day may never come.
why people tend to associate dark skin people to be khmer? it is so outdated to label a race of khmer like this because nowadays, khmer people and citizens come in all colors, shapes and sizes, etc... that's why law is required so people can't be judged by the color or their skin or how they look, instead, it should be on their good merit, education, background, etc... that's how it should be. the skin tone thing is so outdated, maybe true once upon a time, but in this day and age? it is questionable is blurred by inbreeding, mixed marriages, citizenry, etc... khmer people and citizens are those who truly and honestly and genuinely love everything about khmer and cambodia. who so cared about cambodia and love to learn everything about khmer history, khmer language, khmer geography, khmer everything, you know. the color thing is so backward and outdated, really!
for me, if someone or anyone who can speak fluent khmer and know a lot about khmer culture, etc. is a khmer regardless of background, national origin, looks, or what have you and so so, really!
what's more important is loving, caring and knowing all all khmer, especially khmer language, culture, custom and etiquette, food, tradition, etc.. and try to teach others and the world about khmer is a real khmer citizen, i think. that's how it should be. a person's color, look, national origin, etc is irrelevant in this day and age. look to america, almost everybody in the world are american now because they are educated in america, speak english as second language, and love the american way, etc... i think cambodia should be like america in many ways, really! god bless cambodia.
i remembered Ah Trou Krorp hun sen ban king sin si sa mouth's song And queen roserey sothear's osng in 07/01/1979 to please his grand father le duan.
11:33 PM, you're sure you don't confuse Khmer and Cambodian ?
Wish Singapore stop killing Khmer and others countries environment!
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