Day 2 in Cambodia

5D4N Overseas Service Learning Programme

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

~30 May to 3 June 2012~

 

Reflections by pupils (Thursday, 31 May 2012):

 

Sub-group 1A

"The weather was good today and we could visit all the places we wanted. We went to the Girls' Brigade after a hearty breakfast to help pack rice into bags and sort out what we had collected in school. It was tiring to scoop the rice into the plastic bags but the process was fun. We sorted out the donated items meant for the bazaar. After lunch, my group headed to the Central Market. I bought a hair rubberband and a hand-painted portrait of Angkor Wat. As we walked around the market, I felt upset as I did not see any suitable souvenirs for my parents. We went back to the hotel after that. We rested for a while in the hotel room, and went for a stroll at the Riverside which was right in front of the Royal Palace. There are many flags of different countries flying high along the river bank." ~Adrielle, 4 Compassion

Sub-group 1B

 "I woke up very early in the morning and went down to the hotel lobby for breakfast. We went to the GB HQ to pack rice and goody bags for the bazaar the next day. There were pencils, rulers, erasers, sharpeners and a notebook packed into the goody bag. During the process of packing, I thought to myself that I was very fortunate to have all the stationery items while the Cambodian children treated these items like much-treasured possessions. I must appreciate whatever I have in life." ~Sharlene Tou, 5 Integrity

 

Sub-group 2A

"Today was an exciting day. We had to pack stationery at the Singapore GB HQ. We were either tasked to pack stationery or rice. I know that the pupils who we will be seeing tomorrow are poor and unfortunate. This makes me feel blessed. At the Central Market, I bought many things and I also saw interesting things like fried spiders, cockroaches, lizards and frogs. I also enjoyed bargainning with the stall holders. Mr Koh said that tomorrow is going to be a long day and I can hardly wait." ~ Betts Leeah, 5 Compassion

 

Sub-group 3A

"Today, I woke up with my room mates, Jolin and Ashley, at 5.57am. At 6am, we received a morning wake-up call. After breakfast, we first headed to GB HQ. We packed a lot of things that we are going to bring to the bazaar tomorrow. After lunch, we went to the Central Market and I bought seven items. I thought that the shopping was very fun. We had some rest in the hotel after the shopping trip. We brought our ponchos along for the Riverwalk as it was going to rain. Fortunately, it did not and we then proceeded for dinner. I felt sad because I realised the pupils that we are visiting tomorrow need only very basic things like stationery and rice to make them happy. I am fortunate." ~ Avryl Chaar, 4 Integrity

 

Sub-group 3B

"Today, when I first woke up, I knew it was going to be a tiring day. The first thing we did after breakfast was to pack all the things we needed for the bazaar and for the donation drive. First, we had to unpack all the things from the bags we had brought from Singapore and sort them out. After that, I was assigned to pack the rice into packets. After I was done, I looked at the number of rice packets and goodie bags we had packed. To me, I see a pack of rice but to them, the people at the village, they see thousands of grains. To me also, the stationery is just simple stuff which I can purchase from my local bookshop but to them, the stationery is valuable. I have learnt to treasure things and also to appreciate their existence. I feel that I should not take things for granted as some of the Cambodian children do not even have enough money to buy them. At the central market, all of us had to stick together to avoid anyone getting lost. Through this, I have learnt that teamwork is important.” ~Bernadette, 5 Perseverance

Reflections by teachers (Wednesday, 30 May 2012):

"The visit to Central Market was an eye-opening experience for pupils. It is very similar to Thailand's Chatuchuk Weekend Market. The pupils were very sweet and thoughtful, and all that was constantly on their minds was, 'What should I get for my family?'. However, it was a good form of exposure for them as many were shopping on their own for the very first time. This can be part of 'Financial Literacy' as the pupils have to decide the optimal use of their money. I was very heartened to see them showing patience as they waited for their fellow group members to select their souvenirs. Many were shy and unsure how to bargain, but by watching the teachers 'bargain', it was a good learning experience too. Peer influence also played a role during meal times. The group of girls I sat down together with for meals encouraged one another to 'eat more' and finish up their 'greens'. This is very encouraging and positive! The Riverside Stroll before dinner was a cool and relaxing one. It was a vibrant and colourful sight with many street peddlars selling fruits, snacks, toys, balloons and many more. We even posed for photographs in front of the Singapore flag!" ~ Ms Oh Bee Ling

"Over at the Girls’ Brigade Headquarter this morning, I was truly pleased to see the pupils looking forward to packing the things we have brought from Singapore. They then worked endlessly to pack approximately three hundred goodie bags for the poor children in Kadanha School and three hundred and three bags of rice for the poor villagers in Phnom Penh. Despite working in a condition that was hot and stuffy, there was, proud to say, not a word of complaint from the pupils. They seemed to have understood the real meanings of compassion and perseverance. At the end of the rice-packing session, the pupils had wanted to throw the rice grains which had spilled onto the floor away. However, they were enlightened when my colleagues and I told them that the littlest amount of rice was precious to the poor Cambodians. I am glad when the pupils finally understood that the rice grains on the floor could be washed and consumed eventually.

On another note, I had my first experience of carrying a sack of rice weighing fifty kilograms today for a distance of up to five centimetres. Honestly speaking, I could hardly move the sack at all. Before that, two men had continuously unloaded twenty sacks of rice weighing fifty kilograms per sack from their truck and carrying each of the sacks on their shoulders into the building. For many years in Singapore, I have never seen anyone carrying such large sacks of rice manually. It really makes me wonder whether the two men’s shoulders ached and whether they put on any pain-relief patches after the delivery.

When we were at Riverside Stroll, it was good to see the patriotism in the pupils towards their country as they rushed to look for the Singapore flag. Soon after a photo of them standing with the flag was taken, it was my colleagues’ and my turn to pose for the camera with the flag. We had a pleasant surprise when more than three quarters of the pupils quickly took their cameras out and tried to have snapshots of us too. For once in my life, I felt as though I was a celebrity. I would like to thank the pupils for making me feel special today.

I guess that through every service-learning trip, every person will learn and mature from it. This is evident among the pupils. My colleagues and I were in for another wonderful surprise from them when several of them offered to serve dinner to all of us. This meant that the pupil volunteers had to be in charge of scooping rice and the dishes and distributing the cutlery to every one of us.

Despite being warned several times about the arduous journey awaiting them tomorrow, the pupils seem undaunted and fearless. That’s the way to go, girls! I hope that you will bear your mission for this trip in mind when you feel like giving up: bringing smiles and hope to many poor Cambodian people." ~Ms Gan Hui Teng