Whatta wow voluntary work day it was! We went to Kep today – Kep is the beach town of Cambodia, two hours from Takeo. A British couple who had been volunteering here a couple of years back had raised some money, and they had organised a trip to cheer the kids up. The kids were very excited! Some of them hadn’t been sleeping at all before we hit the road with an old karaoke bus early in the morning.
The atmosphere in the bus was cheerful and the kids were great at singing. All of them! Too bad, I didn’t have a clue what they were singing. Besides their beautiful voice, I was enjoying the scenery. Cambodia is beauuutiful. The only thing is that the people throw so much trash in nature! I don’t get it! I’m planning to prepare some environmental education lesson, so that they would realise what is the situation here on Earth. Now I was just my mouth wide open when I saw one of the kids first opening a plastic wrap, handing the water bottles to each and then throwing the plastic wrap out from the window. WTF kid!?
At our beach destination, I was teaching them to do some strokes right and had some good chats. We had the whole day lying in the hammocks and chatting. What I’m still a bit shocked about is how much work children’s life involves here. During the day before school or on the school breaks many helps their parents and work in the rice fields – in a very hot and humid weather. One seventeen-year-old girl told me she is baking cakes every morning from 3AM! To 6 AM! that her grandmother then sells on the market while she is in the state school. Her grandmother will then support her studies. The dream job would be to be a doctor. This means expensive university studies in Phnom Penh. I hope she makes it!
All the families are poor here. In fact, some of the parents can’t take care of their kids and here are orphans as well. But you can’t tell who is an orphan or that none of them have extra because they are so happy! Just happy, lovely kids.
They take life as it comes here. On a way back I was following from my bus seat how a mother drove a moped with a newborn baby in her armpit. That about the baby seat! I also ate a delicious corn, like everyone else, did. Whatta authentic experience to ape the locals and live among them!
This trip inspired me to try to do some fundraising as well. The smallest coins are well needed here and the happiness it provides just amazing to look at. The orphanage uses 20 US dollars per day for food (they eat mostly pure rice here, can you imagine!). 100 US dollars per month to water and electricity. And then there is the rent, the small salaries of the local workforce and teachers (I work here for free, I am a volunteer). There is also equipment that would help a normal life – when it comes to hygiene, living, school and hobbies. If you are interested in doing a small but significant act, you have an amazing chance to act now since I’m here. Contact me and I’ll tell you how to send love in a form of a couple of dollars. Thanks and have a peaceful Sunday!
If even ten percent of people did something meaningful, happiness rate would be a hundred somewhere! I SAY
