Welcome

Senior students from the Canadian International School participated in a community service trip to Cambodia between Friday, April 22nd, 2011 and Saturday, April 30th, 2011.  This blog documents the unique experiences of the group and all of the enriched learning opportunities they participated in, as they all the while provided help to some of the marginalized people of Cambodia.

To view the experiences of the trip in chronological order, please refer to the fourteen blog posts listed under the heading April in the table to the right.

Day 9 - Happy Football, New Hope & Au Revoir

On our final day, we woke up bright and early and by 7:00 a.m. we were walking to a local soccer pitch to meet up with the group from Happy Football Cambodia Australia.  HFCA works with marginalized youth and teaches them soccer skills and instills a pride in them that comes with being a member of team.  We provided HFCA with a financial donation to support their club as well as soccer balls, uniforms, shin guards etc. and after the formal introductions, presentations and a traditional Khmer dance, we had ourselves a little 'friendly'.

The first match of the day pitted the CIS boys vs. a boys team from HFCA.  Our guys got off to a quick start and scored first, but our hosts clawed their way back for a 2-1 victory in a good, competitive match.

The second match saw our girls take on the HFCA girls' team and in another high spirited game, we once again came out on the short end, this time by a score of 2-0.

The scores were entirely irrelevant though, as these matches were more about building camaraderie and mutual support and there was plenty of that to go around.   Players would help one another up off the pitch if there were any collisions or spills and handshakes and group photos abounded after the matches.

We returned the hotel for a shower and some breakfast and checked out of the hotel around 10:30 a.m.

With all of our belongings on the bus, including a substantial amount of additional donations, we headed out into the countryside to a place called New Hope for Cambodian Children or NHCC.   "Our Village", as it is also known, is a charitable organization that provides for orphaned or abandoned children infected with HIV/Aids.  While we were there, we learned how NHCC meets the medical, nutritional, educational needs of the residents, who number close to 200.  We spent the entire afternoon at "Our Village" playing many of the games we had brought with the children and providing memories that would last a long time for everyone involved. 

We said our goodbyes to NHCC and parted for the airport, just in time for our late afternoon departure from Phnom Penh and our return to Singapore.  In nine days, the entire group had seen most everything that Cambodia has to offer and in return we offered our time and commitment to making a difference in the lives of everyone we touched, either directly or indirectly, through our tireless efforts and donations.

Au revoir, Cambodia. 

Akun (Thank you)

Day 8 - Yoga & Tiny Toones

Another day and more great experiences.  After our ambitious housebuilding project yesterday,  we got off to a rather leisurely start (9:30 a.m., as planned) this morning and made our way to a Kundalini yoga studio to work out some sore muscles and learn about how yoga is being used to make a difference in Cambodia.

After making our way to the rooftop studio, the instructors provided us with some background knowledge about what Kundalini yoga is and how it is being used to help people throughout Cambodia recover from a number of maladies, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

Then it was time to get down to work.  What followed was a one hour class where we worked on breathing and stretching, all the while performing mantras or chants.  Everyone did a great job of participating even though it was a little outside of our comfort zones.

Mrs. Shepherdson  was our resident expert and modelled the poses for us and reminded us of our posture and the importance of straightening our spine.

We then went to lunch before before giving the students an opportunity to work on their negotiating skills at the Russian Market.

The next stop on the magical mystery tour was at an NGO called Tiny Toones, which uses hip-hop music and dance to reach out to the youth of Phnom Penh.  We had a tour of the facility and learned about their music, recording and dance studios where students perform and record their own music.  Tiny Toones also has a computer lab and classrooms where students participate in more traditional learning. 

At the end of the visit, the group congregated around their indoor/outdoor stage where we were entertained by the b-boy and b-girl dance moves of Jamil, Z, Ms. Potosky and Mrs. Shepherdson.

Both of today's learning opportunities were very special and helped us to see how our fundraising and donations were helping people in Cambodia in very unique, meaningful ways.

Day 7 - Housebuilding

The big day had finally arrived and we were up bright and early and ready to go.   We had breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and were on the road by 7:00 a.m., bound for Kandal Province and the village of Prek Sleng.  Wearing our Team Cambodia 2011 shirts, we arrived one hour later. We were eager to get started and wasted little time getting down to work.

With eight houses to build, we decided that we would collectively work on house number one for a little team building and some on-the-job-training.  After everyone was comfortable in their assigned role, we broke into our teams and tackled a couple of homes at a time.  A strong work ethic and outstanding carpentry skills enabled us to complete our first four houses in about 3 hours.

We took a break for lunch and ravenously ate baguette with peanut butter, jam, Nutella and honey.  After a break of about 20 minutes, a number of people were eager to get back down to work and so that's what we did.









We originally thought that there might be a lull in our level of enthusiasm after a lunch break, but this simply was not the case.  The entire group attacked the project with the same vigor they had demonstrated earlier in the day.  Consequently, instead of finishing the project at 4:30 p.m. or later as we had predicted, we were finished at 2:30 p.m.  It was an astounding result that had us all giving ourselves a little pat on the back.

We then assembled in front of two of the completed homes and held a 'handover' presentation where we presented each family with a blanket as a housewarming gift and then posed for a group picture.

And while the families had been quiet and reserved throughout the day, they simply could not contain their smiles at the presentation ceremony.  It was an emotional moment that the students felt good about and was the greatest reward for their hard work.

 

As we loaded into the vans and drove away, the people of the village and in particular the children, waved goodbye and thanked us for a job well done.

Mrs. Shepherdson, Ms. Potosky and Mr. Little all agreed that the students had put forth an outstanding effort and had shown grit, determination and perseverance to complete the project. 

Congratulations CIS!

Day 6 - Tabitha and Friends-International

Tabitha founder Janne Ritskes addresses the group

We visited the Tabitha organization this morning for our housebuilding orientation meeting.  Upon arrival, we were met by Janne Ritskes, Tabitha's founder.  Janne provided us with some background information about the recent history of Cambodia through her innate storytelling ability, which had us all captivated.

Following this, we learned about our housebuilding project in detail.  We would be building 8 houses in the village of Prek Sleng in Kandal province.   Janne discussed appropriate dress and behaviour with us to ensure we did not offend any of our hosts during our trip to their village.  The most important thing Janne emphasized with us was the fact that our day of house building was not about us.  It was about the people we were going to help.  She explained to us that there would be times during the day when we would be hot and tired and in these moments, it was more important than ever to remind ourselves why we were there.

When she asked us whether we could do this, the group responded emphatically and on cue that, "Yes, we can!"

Mrs. Shepherdson presents our donation to Int'l Coordinator
 James Sutherland 

In the afternoon, we visited Friends-International, a organization focused on building futures for marginalized children and youth around the world.  We learned about the various projects they offer including Mith Samlanh, which provides support, education, medicine and accommodation to 2 000 children every day.  We also learned  about their efforts to reduce donor dependency through income generating initiatives like their restaurant and retail store which are also used to provide training to street youth  in developing skills the skills required in the food, beverage and retail sales sector.

Back at the hotel later that afternoon, we broke up into our teams and strategized about the upcoming building project.  We also discussed the importance of staying hydrated and personal safety issues that everyone needed to be aware of.    I sensed some nervous apprehension within my group and reminded them that as daunting as their task may have seemed, that the building project would be an enjoyable and rewarding experience that they would never forget.

After a team dinner at the Khmer Surin Restaurant, everyone turned in early, so that we would be well rested for the following day.

DAY 5 - PIO Schools and Cheoung Ek

Day 5 of our trip was a day full of the most incredible highs and also some emotional lows.

We spent the morning visiting two schools that were built and are run by the People Improvement Organization and their founder, CNN hero Noun Phymean.

Two-thirds of the students went to the dump site school called Stung Mean Chey and one-third of the students went to the slum school known as Borey Keila. In both cases, our groups were warmly greeted by the staff and students of the respective schools.

The CIS students broke up into groups of 4-6 and went into different classrooms where they worked directly with the PIO students through lessons, activities and games they had prepared in advance. Talk about an incredible experience. The PIO students were so excited to learn from us that the school was literally buzzing with excitement.

The CIS students who had gone to Borey Keila joined the others at Stung Mean Chey and we were treated to a talent show by the PIO students. We watched in awe as we were entertained by both traditional Khmer dance routines as well as break dancing and other modern styles of dance. Those PIO students who were not in the performance were quite often seen in the audience holding the hands of our students or sitting on their laps. The culmination of the show occurred when the CIS students were pulled from the audience and joined the others on stage for a celebration dance.

After we had said goodbye to the students at the school, we paid a short visit to the nearby PIO orphanage where 55 of the students live. We participated in a group sing-a-long before boarding the buses. As we left, Jack(or was it Marco?) said, "that was the highlight of the trip so far!". But as they will see shortly when they do the housebuilding, the best has yet to come...

Choeung Ek

After such an emotional high in the morning , our post-lunch trip to the killing fields at Choeung Ek brought us right back down to earth and helped us to understand why the country is in its current level of under-development.

What happened? Well, during the period from 1975-1979, almost 2 million people lost their lives either directly or in-directly at the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. This tragedy was perpetrated due to a combination of an extremist ideology, ethnic animosity, and a disregard for human life. The killing fields at Choeung Ek were just one of hundreds of extermination camps in which murder was carried out on a massive scale. Students and teachers alike listened intently and respectfully as they learned from or guide, a genocide survivor himself, how the horrific killings were carried out.

Back on the bright side again, now that we have developed an understanding of the past, it's time to work on building a future for Cambodians. To this end, we will prepare for our house building project by visiting Janne Ritskes at Tabitha tomorrow for an orientation meeting prior to the 'big build'. Can't wait!

Day 4 - Phnom Penh & Tuol Sleng

We woke up to a torrential downpour that may have been a precursor to the oncoming monsoon season that will begin next month in Cambodia.  The rain was coming down quite hard and was partially flooding some lower level areas as we pulled out of Siem Reap.  But as we drove along the five and a half hour journey to Phnom Penh, the rains slowly dissipated and eventually stopped.  It  proved to be a pretty quiet and uneventful trip as the group rested following a busy two days in Siem Reap.

At one point in the trip, we were slowed due to an Angkor beer truck that had rolled over in the ditch at the side of the highway.  The odd thing about this was that exactly two weeks ago, Ms. Potosky and myself were in Cambodia and saw another beer truck rolled over on the same stretch of  highway.  We wondered whether there was a relationship between the location of the roll-overs and the hometown of the delivery drivers as the beer strewn in the ditch certainly made a nice gift to the villagers in the community.

When we stopped  for a break, a number of vendors were selling the typical roadside fare like water and tropical fruit.  But, this stopped offered a little bit more.  A couple of vendors were selling fried crickets, frogs and spiders.  Big Spiders! 

Jamil, Marco, Jack, Z and Cody made a proposition that if I would buy the spiders, they would eat them!  It didn't take me long to pull out my wallet.  With cameras rolling, the guys didn't hesitate to indulge in the Cambodian delicacies.

A few hours later we checked into the Frangipani Villas and immediately departed for Tuol Sleng Prison. Also known as S-21 and now a genocide museum, Tuol Sleng Prison was a converted high school which was used as an interrogation centre during the Khmer Rouge's regime between 1975 and 1979.  It was used to extract confessions, most of which were false,  from prisoners who were routinely tortured and then taken to the killing fields of Choeung Ek to be murdered.

The students had already learned about S-21 through classroom presentations made prior to our departure, but seeing the prison, walking the grounds, and learning from the guides who had all survived the reign of the Khmer Rouge, made it very real. 

We gathered in the courtyard of the prison following our tour, talked about what we had seen and heard and encouraged students to reflect on their experience through a journal entry.

Reflections

Joanna and Deepa said:

After the tour we felt very emotional especially since our tour guides and their families were victimized by the Khmer Rouge. They explained to us about how they lost many of their family members during the revolution and how they managed to escape and survived it. There are many things that happened in this world that many of us are not aware of, like how the prisoners were tortured and killed for information. Overall, we learnt a lot about the history of how Cambodians suffered during the reign of the Khmer Rouge.

Day 3 - Angkor Temples Pt. Deux

With our trip yesterday offering an introduction to Angkor Wat, our visits to a number of different temples today helped us to understand the size and breadth of the Angkor Wat temple complex.

Our first stop of the day was at Ta Prohm, a temple made famous for its use in the movie, ''Tomb Raider''. 

Located in a dense jungle, the temple is a blend of natural and man- made beauty with the  roots of  400 hundred year old trees gripped tightly around the temples like a claw grabbing its prey.  This location allowed for some fantastic photo ops and was best described by Hooney who said the best way to describe this place is,"......WOW!".  The group agreed that he had summed up the experience quite eloquently. 

A very short distance away was Angkor Thom. The name translates to ''Great City'' and it certainly lived up to its reputation.  At 9 km squared or 900 hectares, Angkor Thom is considerably larger than Angkor Wat, so much so that we needed to get off our highway coach and board smaller buses that could fit through the gates of the walled city/temple and drive us the 1.5km to the centre of the complex. There we visited the Terrace of the Leper King and the Bayon Temple, complete with its 214 smiling faces on the towers.  

At Bayon, many of  the group took turns "kissing the Buddha"  and got some other great pics as well.

We took a break for lunch and after we all sat down to eat, we realized that fatigue had set in and a change of plans was required.  Instead of proceeding on to our next temple, we decided to return to the hotel for a couple of hours of  ''R and R" so that we would be ready for our trek to the summit of  Bakheng Hill Temple to see the evening sunset.

Back on the buses at 5 p.m., we arrived at the base of  Bakheng Hill and after walking through the gauntlet of street vendors, we made the winding trek to the top of Bakheng Hill, where we then climbed the steep stairs to the temple.  All this walking was well worth the effort as we were offered a panoramic view of all of Angkor Wat and witnessed a beautiful sunset.

This concluded the sight seeing portion of our trip.  Bright and early tomorrow morning we will set out for Phnom Penh.

Day 2 - Angkor Wat

This was our first full day and we didn’t waste any time getting busy.  After a nice buffet breakfast at the hotel, we boarded the buses at 8:30 and headed to visit the Angkor National Museum.  A modern, state of the art museum, it effectively displayed the history and culture of the three key periods of Cambodian History.  There was so much information to take in that many of us started to suffer a little from information and sensory overload and agreed it was a destination you could certainly visit more than once in order to digest everything.

A few hours later, we departed for Angkor Wat, accompanied by our three tour guides, who would be bringing the temples to life for us by sharing historical facts, unique perspectives and interesting stories.  Shortly after stepping off the bus, what started off as a rather pleasant, overcast day quickly changed to a steam bath when the skies cleared and the temperature and humidity spiked rather dramatically.  All the warnings that Mrs. Shepherdson gave everyone about making sure they were taking enough liquids, very quickly became understandable. 

Thankfully, we were well prepared and the warnings were heeded by all, so we enjoyed the beauty of the temples of Angkor Wat at least partially oblivious of the heat.  After a couple of hours though, we had had enough.  We  took a break for lunch at a restaurant opposite the temple and after a very satisfying lunch, we boarded the bus again for the 45 minute trip to Banteay Srey temple. Two-thirds of the way into the trip, we were dealt a bit of a curve ball when the skies opened up and it rained and rained and rained.  Nonetheless, we continued on with our trip and once we arrived, we made the best of some rather soggy conditions and enjoyed the intricately carved pink sandstone of this very unique temple.  All the while, some of the group began to murmur a few chords of discontent at the weather.  These were of course the same individuals who were complaining about the heat earlier.  The problem now was the cool weather and rain.  However, these moments of discomfort were short lived and once we boarded the bus for our next destination, all of these earlier problems were quickly forgotten.

The Landmine Museum was our last stop of the day.  Created by the former Khmer Rouge childhood soldier, Aki Ra, the museum provides information on the extent of landmines in Cambodia and how much work has been done to de-mine the country.  Unfortunately, it also points out how much there is left to do.  The museum is also a relief centre or orphanage which is partially funded through museum admissions.  Our last gesture of the day was to provide a donation from our fundraising to support the centre.

Later that evening, we headed out for dinner in a restaurant district of Siem Reap known as Pub Street.  Had some great food (including bbq frog) and then hit the night market for some shopping, manicures and foot massages.

We’ll certainly have to remember to reflect on these moments of self-indulgence before we dare complain about the heat during our house building in a few days.

Day 1 - Departure

The big day finally arrived and we were ready to let the journey begin.  We met at the Jurong East campus of CIS at 1:30 p.m. to load the buses and to head to the airport.  

In addition to loading ourselves and our luggage onto the bus, we loaded up boxes of donated goods that we will be providing to the various organizations we will visit during our trip.

In total we had 37 boxes of donated items.  Way to go CIS!

On our way to the airport, we got word that our flight had been delayed for an hour.   Not a problem though, as it gave us more time for the group check in. 

 At the airport, we were greeted by Mr. Cowan who came to see us off. 
With 28 people arriving for check in with their personal belongings and 37 boxes of donations, you would think that the check-in staff would have been overwhelmed.  Not the case. The staff at Silk Air were friendly and very accommodating and made the process very easy.  

Note: the school has been doing this trip for a number of years now and Silk Air has been very supportive of our efforts in Cambodia by not charging us for the additional freight.  So, here's a big shout out to Silk Air for their support.

We arrived in Siem Reap and after a short delay, we boarded the bus for the Prum Bayon Hotel.  The hotel manager accompanied us on the bus and gave us a brief overview of Siem Reap on our way to the hotel. 


Using some previously made contacts, Ms.  Potosky and Mr. Little arranged for eight tuk tuk drivers to take us out to dinner at a place called the Dead Fish.  A rather eclectic looking place, Mrs. Shepherdson informed us that the restaurant looks different every time she goes there.  A multi-tiered place, the decor was kind of part tree house and part nouveau barn chic.  Interesting, to say the least.

We loaded ourselves back into the Tuk Tuks and returned to the hotel around 11:00 p.m.

Off to bed and ready to visit the temples of Angkor Wat tomorrow.

A great first day. 

Final Preparations

 We are on the eve of our big trip to Cambodia and the group was busy today making final preparations.  No doubt, many of the students will be scrambling around tonight, packing their belongings and checking them against the packing list.  A planning form was provided to assist all students in preparing for the trip and is available on-line at the Cambodia 2011 web site.  There are a number of resources available on the site including the student itinerary.

Our last task as a group prior to departure was the final packing and organization of all donated items.  For approximately the last month, donations of  shoes, clothing and personal hygiene products have been pouring into the school.  We worked together as a group to box these items and prepared them for loading onto the bus tomorrow. 

The day that so long ago seemed it would never come, has finally arrived.  The endless fundraising and donation appeals have ended. The weekly Friday afternoon meetings are done.  The research and multi-media presentations about the various NGOs we will work with are fresh in our minds, but complete.  All of our theoretical learning is finished.  Time to learn in the real world.  Time to visit Cambodia.

Casual Day

The Canadian International School held a Casual Day on Wednesday, March 30th in support of the Cambodia trip. 

Prior to the Casual Day , two assemblies were held to raise awareness about the community service component of the trip and to make an appeal for donations.  The Cambodia team made a presentation about the situation in Cambodia and how the Tabitha Foundation is making a difference through a number of programs they have developed and support.  The team went on to explain the house building project and their goal of raising $18 500 and building eight houses.  The assembly concluded with a stirring video presentation that left the audience  emotionally aware of how their contributions would be making a difference .

The Casual Day was very well supported and we raised $3199.30!

Thank you to the CIS Community for their support!

Sports Day and Carnival

By far and away, the largest and most successful fundraiser of the year was the Sports Day and Carnival held in January.  The event was organized through the coordinated efforts of many faculty, students, administration and support staff of CIS.    As always, the CIS community came out in full force to enjoy themselves at a great family event.  We were blessed with great weather which bolstered our attendance and our bottom line.... we raised $10 000 from this event alone!  Thanks to everyone for their support!