Volunteering at an orphanage in siem reap-Cambodia

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This is real Cambodia please make the time to visit!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/CambodiaUnderprivileged



So my story begins sad but i ask you to please keep reading on.

After splitting up with my boyfriend in Vietnam I began traveling a lone, I was violently attacked in a place called hue which resulted in me spending several nights in hospital. My family and friends wanted me to go home, also did a huge part of me want to. However anyone who knows me reading this will know just how hard I worked to go traveling. I had to make a decision I had been through a frightening ordeal, so I decided to go back to Cambodia a country I had already been to and loved very much. I felt extremely safe when I was in cambodia last, i had also wanted to volunteer. My friends Carly and mike recommended an orphanage that they both volunteered. Cambodia has a lot of orphanages that exploit children, knowing Carly had recommended it it seemed the right place to go.

I contacted Mara wara (Facebook) search Cambodia. He arranged for a tuk tuk to collect me and two girls kerry and indie who were interested in coming out for a day, however I planned to stay and teach english. the drive was an hour out of siem reap a very beautiful drive . This was real cambodia , locals shouting hello and frantically waving as we drove through. Immediately I felt at ease. When we arrived Adam a guy from Blackburn u.k greeted us and showed us around, we walked up to the lake which would be our swimming pool. We took a while to embrace our surroundings it was beautiful and so peaceful. After we headed back to where the school is and the family of hon's house. We were offered breakfast of noodles and like a mild thai green curry sauce which was very nice, this would be my breakfast for a while. After we ate we sat chatting about what goes on and how Adam a typical beer loving Brit had came to volunteer, Adam was not the children loving type before this experience. Lunch came around very quickly which consisted of rice with pork and ginger this dish was one of my favourites that hon's triplets aged 13 cooked (they cooked all our meals during our stay and they were amazing). lunch was over and the children were outside they always arrive at least 30 minutes before class is due to start as I would find out the following day. We were greeted by so many eager happy children. "hello barang , how are you today." Barang meaning foreigner. Adam chucked me straight in to teaching I was a little scared at first as I had no idea what they had been learning, I have worked in schools before so not as daunting as it would be for some People. Lesson went well the children were so keen to learn and ask me questions.

The classroom is one big shed with two classes taking place at the same time, no walls separating the two classes. As you can image around 30 children at one time it's pretty tough going to try and keep yourself concentrating let a lone the children to. After class had finished all the pupils ran up to hi 5 me I would soon find out this is standard once class is finished. We all had some photographs taken together and chatted to the children. Kerry and Linnie were leaving to go back to the city, I said my goodbyes to them and wished them well. I spent the afternoon getting myself sorted in my new home I was lucky I had been offered to stay in the library which was a concrete room, and a bam boo mate for a bed. There was a Cambodian house I could of stayed in with beds but I was willing to give the floor in the library a go. the floor was actually really comfortable but being woken up very early was going to take some getting used to. the cockerel begins shouting his beak off around 4am and continues til ur wide a wake then 5am hon's children are out playing. Later that evening I got to know everyone, instantly fell in love with mr chai he was 5 yrs old an orphan he was adorable with a dodgy hair cut that looked real cute. Hon and his wife had many children who they had adopted I cant pronounce neither remember most of them with all the pupils names to , that part I found the hardest remembering names. Lol

My days ahead would begn waking between 4am - 5am , teach my first class at 7am til 9am break until 11:45am then teach agai at 12-1pm break until 4:30pm then teach 4:30pm til 6pm. The last lesson of the day was always much harder to teach as it became dark pretty quickly so i would have to get my camera out for light do the pupils could copy down what was wrote on the board. There is no electricity in the village, when it gets dark its dark!!!

I found it difficult to graspe that the classes i was teachng were such a mixture of ages, i would stress to the Cambodian teacher that the young lad who turnd up one day couldn't of been no older than 5yrs old. I had adults i my class, i explained that he is not going to learn anything as everyone is so much more older and advanced in there educational studies. The teacher would stress that he wants to learn, i began expressing how damaging it is. The teacher then went on to say that the boy has to work he goes out to fish if he does not fish he cannot eat, and this was the only class he could attend. Reality stinks in!!!!! Wthout this little lad fishing each day the family would starve. Most of the children would turn up in flithy clothing, these children really were from poor families.

The next morning i got up nice and early and decided to go for a run through the village and the fields surrounding. Whilst i was out running i was greeted by several of my pupils wo were out working hurrding cows, working in the rice fields etc..... Most of these children were as young as 7yrs old all up and working before attending class at 7am. again reality sinks in!!!!

To be continued........

If you only have one day to visit please visit just for the day, however if you can spare more time please do. These people will enlighten your hearts.

https://www.facebook.com/CambodiaUnderprivileged

Suppose the point of my story is that i had lost faith in humanity and these people restored this for me, with there kindness and happiness. whatever they had they would give to everyone. This is real Cambodia real innocent Cambodian people.

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