27122010 to 10012011 - Volunteer stint at the orphanage

Day 1 : 27/12

 Arrived at the orphanage in the early afternoon after Pinh picked me up from the guesthouse. After lunch I went straight to the English lesson classroom which was the main scope of my volunteering stint - to teach English. I have absolute zero experience and was actually concerned that I would be more bane than boon for the kids. It was slightly awkward to have everyone staring at me like I’m Frankenstein. When I addressed them and introduced myself they just sat there and looked at me poker faced. It kinda made me wonder if they had any idea what I was talking about. By then I still had not adjusted to speaking very slowly and as basic as possible. I think they were not used to my accent or pronunciation. 

guys' bathroom

my humble crib at the volunteer house

Toured around the compound and saw that they grow their own food. Rice, vegetables, beans, mushrooms, corn and they have poultry like pig, chicken, ducks and a couple of fish ponds. To a certain extent they are being self sufficient which is good because there are charities which wholly depend on donations to buy food. Mr pean who is the founder and director also told me that some of the things they grow are sold and the profits are kept for the kids’ education in the future.

There are a total of 34 children living in the orphanage between the ages of 7-17. it was founded in 2005 and registered only in 2006. Mr Pean had inherited the piece of land from his parents and he told his parents that he would turn it into an orphanage and that was how he gathered the kids in the village and community where he grew up in to the orphanage. I also learnt from Mr Pean that many of these kids lost their parents through HIV and landmines as the surrounding areas are dominantly rice fields. The orphanage conducts maths, khmer literature and English lessons free of charge for needy students from the public school as well. 

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Day 2 : 28/12

Today’s English lesson began with the topic of “what is your new year’s resolution?” Actually I myself don’t really believe in NY res because if something is important to be a resolution, why wait for the new year? I set goals when I deem fit. It was funny to have some boys saying they want to get married. They are only 14-15 yrs old. Most of these kids have very common goals which is for their family to do better and get out of poverty more. Not that they starve like many Africans do but many have only enough to eat and parents struggle to provide for education. These people work so they could eat. While back home we work to attain that material goal that we’ve always wanted. Like a new car, ipad or fancy clothes. It’s absurd because these things you don’t need and people buy them to impress people they don’t even like. See any logic in it? No? Yea me neither.

In the day there was an Australian couple and a Cambodian family from Australia who came to pay a visit. The family brought many gifts and left some spare money for Mr Pean. Sometimes I wonder when people do charity like this by leaving gifts and leave hastily after that, do they do it for the sake of making themselves feel better knowing that they’ve done a good deed or do they do it sincerely from the bottom of their heart? I think it could also be both but it’s a pretty thin line here. Not that I’m judging their goodwill but it’s just food for thought.

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Day 3 : 29/12

Visited Pinh’s mum after lesson today at her home near the orphanage as she had fell ill. We were talking casually when I learnt from him that most of the aid that comes to Cambodia is from overseas. He said that in Cambodia is not as poor as the rest of the world thinks it is as there are actually many rich people around. Some of these rich locals don’t even contribute a single cent because they were not rich before and they are afraid of being poor again after giving. That came as a little shocking revelation to me because I assumed that these people knows what it feels like to be poor and when they become well to do, they would be the ones in the frontline helping their own countrymen.

Pinh and his mum

her more than basic shelter. bedroom/kitchen/
storeroom/living room

The local teachers in public school can earn between 200-500usd /month whereas for Pinh who is currently volunteering as the English teacher and 2ic of the orphanage, only draw a measly 80usd from Mr Pean. Normally he wakes up everyday between 4-5am everyday, lessons from 7-8am, 8-9, 9-10, 10- 1040, 1pm -3pm, 3-4pm. He goes to university at 5pm for lessons from 6-10pm. He comes back at about 11pm after that and it’s the same routine in a couple of hours. He is currently doing his bachelor in English lit in a local uni which is fully sponsored by a german couple. He does this 23-25days a week as the kids come to the orphanage for lessons during Saturdays as well. Yes I believe that many teachers in Singapore are a little overworked sometimes. However the salary and bonuses that they receive should make them grateful if they know what Pinh gets every month.

During dinner Mr Pean got a few large jackfruits out which he said had been given by one of the villagers. It struck me then that despite being poor, these people are one of the most generous people around. It’s not about how much you give but rather the amount you give from the little that you have. Unlike in the cosmo world where people have a lot but yet when asked to give they are hesitant or reluctant to do so. Sometimes I’m guilty as charged as well. Who do we blame? Can we blame it on the society that has shaped us? Yes it does play a part considering the mandatory costs that it demands from us but ultimately it’s us who make the decisions.

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Day 4 : 30/12

There were no lessons for the day as today is help-out-in-the-garden day. It was dirty work but the kids don’t mind a single bit at all. From raking the soil, to uprooting the weeds, to shoveling and pouring buckets cow manure on the plants which I did too. Actually it is not really very bad smelling once the manure has dried up to a certain extent. Given that cows only eat grass and we humans eat a shitload of junk. But of course we must attribute some part of global warming to them because of the methane gas they expel.

In the evening I took a group of young monks, few policemen and the orphanage’s 64 year old guardian for lesson. They were just beginning their ABC’s and speech lessons. It was a nice experience as the monks are actually quite funny and cheeky. They are between the ages of 13-19 except they do not have a routine like we normal folks do.   

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Day 5 : 31/12

 Tonight we had a party to usher in the New Year. Mr. Pean bought some beers for the staffs and I and about 4 dozen cokes for the kids. We went to the ponds and we dove in to round up all the big fishes with the net. My shirt went in white but came out dark brown and I found that a few small fishes had made their way into the pockets of my shorts. It was dirty and fun as hell at the same time.

it does tastes better if you grow and catch it yourself

We merried through the night with Khmer karaoke and traditional dance. Not to forget the potent 50% alcohol – rice whiskey. The tradition is that if a local guy toasts with you and he drinks 1 cup you have to drink 1 as well. If he downs 5 you got to do the same. Of course as the “distinguished guest” of the orphanage, many of the male staffs were taking turns to “welcome” me with a toast. Mind you I’m not being obnoxious but I am a really good drinker. But this rice whiskey concoction does live up to its reputation. In no time I was making quite a fool out of myself trying to follow the dance steps of the Khmer traditional dance with the kids.

I also learnt a introductory phrase from the kids:

“soo-s’day”

“kh’nyom ch’muah Ben.”

“niak aig how kh’nyom lok songha!”  

It means “Hi, I am Ben. You can call me Mr. Handsome!”


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Day 6 : 01/01

2011 began on a low when I woke up this morning and realized that the left side of my chaco sandals was missing. I found it 10 min later all chewed up and boy I was angry and both myself and the dogs. At myself for foolishly leaving it at the bottom of the steps because I didn’t want to dirty the room too much and at the dogs because I always fed them during meal times!! Men’s best friend all right…

It was the weekend and on weekends, the kids in the orphanage do not attend lessons but rather do whatever is needed within the orphanage. There were huge sacks of rice weighing about 150kg each waiting to e emptied and stored in the rice mill for sale and consumption during the rainy season. I went over to add some muscles and at one time one of the boys got his face smeared by chicken dung which was on the sack.  Everyone just stopped and ROFL-ed. Aha! So the acronym is true after all. Went over to the ponds and dug some earthworms and from the ground and it was time for fishing with bamboo rods. It’s as basic as it can get.

Teamwork

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Day 11 : 06/01

No lessons today as all the kids were asked to help out in the garden. So I took a bicycle and cycled 5km out to the ricefields and catch the sunset. I saw some kids there and a thought came to my mind.

“How would they look at theirsimple life they grew up in after they had a taste of what living in a modern and cosmopolitan city is like?”