Tacky tourists, tie-dying and trapped frogs

We’re now enjoying our last week in Tonle Bati, and we certainly welcomed it in with a bang! Saturday was Helen’s birthday and at last we were all healthy and ready to make the most of Phnom Penh.  The day got off to an ideal start with a trip to the market where we bought waffles and bananas before setting up camp in the best ice-cream shop in town.  Our theme for the evening was ‘tacky tourists’ so an expedition back to the Russian market was in order to buy a selection of very embarrassing (or amazing, depending on your point of view) tourist shirts.  With all of our new personas perfected, socks pulled right up and sandals firmly strapped on, we were ready to make an entrance. Somehow we managed to surprise Helen with a birthday cake which went down a treat, there’s not a lot of cake around here! Through the night we managed to develop some level of fame in the area – on more than one occasion we were approached by people asking if we were the tacky tourists they had heard about.

Sunday already and we piled into Muoy’s sweat-mobile for the very last time.  Despite the normal anti-mosquito routine and the fact that most of us had our faces pressed into someone else’s sweaty shoulder we were all pretty sad to begin to say our first goodbyes to life here.  It’s now Wednesday evening and the week has been going well – it’s been pretty encouraging to see that the children have actually remembered what we have been teaching them.  Lessons are building on each other and it’s so rewarding to hear them improve!  Still every day is eventful – just today we moved on from chicks falling into the pond to having a child wander straight in.  Another student was so keen he turned up to class on a drip while this afternoon saw 30 highly competitive 16-25 year olds rampage the school on a large scale treasure hunt to help them remember vocabulary and places. A big house clean also showed us that Gabby had been holding a frog captive in her bag for the past 3 days.  Every morning we chat about how loud the frogs are, and how it sounds like they are camped out in our beds at night – the unfortunate frog must have snuck in one morning but it had certainly been calling to be let out for a while!

As I write Sophie is cooking rice over an open fire, some of the group are tie-dying clothes, some are playing down at the lake, there is an intense papier-mâché exercise going on and Kat is trying to learn how to ask for 6 eggs in Khmer ahead of a trip to the shop.  We really are settled in here and it’s going to be with mixed feelings that we head off to the beautiful Siem Reap early on Monday morning.  

A day in the life of a Tonle Bati teacher

After the original chaos of all the children turning up, we’ve found it very easy to fall into a comfortable routine here.  Our days are full, varied and always entertaining!

We wake up pretty early – gradually pulled out of sleep by the increasingly insistent cockerel and, occasionally, by a chicken who has successfully found a way to sneak into our room.  The three on breakfast duty are up by 5.45 to put the hot water on, lay out fruit and start grilling bread.  It’s not long before the rest of us begin to spill out into our outside living area – a room which changes continuously throughout the day – one moment it is a bedroom, then a sitting room, then a kitchen, then a classroom.  Usually we are clutching a pile of papers and bright pens, ready to continue drawing our teaching aids for the day. It’s not long before the really keen kids start arriving – many are here before 7am to the distinctly unprofessional sight of their teachers still in their pyjamas spitting toothpaste out of a room soon to be their classroom while the rest of the school continues to be built around them.  The start of school has really cut into the times in which the builders can do noisy work, so any time there is not teaching the builders leap into action around us.   Last minute planning continues to a backing track of frantic drilling right up until the beginning of class at 8.00.

In the morning we run three different classes of 17 students – those aged 5-8, 9-11, 12-14.  All classes follow a fairly similar structure in order to allow the students to practise amongst themselves, the younger ones just don’t go into as much depth.  Muoy has encouraged us to teach around central question words – something that actually makes a lot of sense. Once you can ask a question you have opened communication and answers are often available from your surroundings.  It is really working – as I write we have been teaching for just over a week and the difference in the children is amazing.  The other major change this week is the difference in how the groups interact as a unit.  One of the really good things about Seametrey is that it offers such a high quality education which attracts students from all walks of life.  At the beginning of teaching there was a very evident difference in the learning speeds of those more used to structured education and teacher-student interaction, and those who are not. The space of a week and a half has made the most amazing difference – the children are all interacting well together and have grown in confidence every day meaning there is a more equal contribution from the students in class. 

By 11.00am we are all ready to collapse.  Morning classes end and we are looking forward to lunch.  Muoy arrives bringing the most delicious food and our lovely cook, Srey. We eat at a lot of restaurants whilst in Phnom Penh but we all agree that the best food we have had since we’ve been here has been in Tonle Bati.  Our lunch time lasts until 2pm. Although this seems like a long time, we’re all busy planning for the next lessons, washing our limited wardrobes and catching up on much needed sleep. It’s also a good time for reading and diary writing – things that don’t involve much moving – because we’ve all (just about) learnt to avoid the midday sun.

Between 2pm to 5:30pm another three classes run. At 2pm a class of fifteen 13-20 year olds start and at 3pm a similar class of 14-25 year olds arrives – both last two hours. These classes concentrate on pronunciation errors, sentence structure and furthering their vocabulary. Everyone in these lessons has been learning English for quite some time but never with a native speaker and never with much opportunity for speaking.  This means that we are a very positive addition, helping them transform all the vocabulary they know into useful communication.  At 4pm an hour long lesson starts with seven builders. The aim of the lesson is shared learning and making each other laugh after a long day, so whilst the builders learn useful everyday vocabulary (which they scribble down in their exercise books), they also attempt to teach us the Khmer words. These lessons have really helped create a community atmosphere – the builders have begun to greet us in English day to day and we often exchange the Khmer/English words for things around us!

Once the last student rides off on their moto, we all return to our living area ready to start preparing dinner and tying up any loose ends left over from lunch time. Depending on how smoothly our days go, bedtime can start any time from 7pm – no one lasts much past 8pm though! The main bedtime activity involves zapping the many bugs that have hidden in our mosquito nets throughout the day to ensure a bite free sleep.  Once we’re all confident we’re safe from creepy crawlies we snuggle down with our teddies (seriously, there’s a significant collection) for a long deserved sleep, ready for another 6am start tomorrow.

Preparations, Prime Ministerial Elections and plenty of students!

Apologies for the break in posts! We’ve had one week with little to report, and plenty of time, followed by a week with so much to say and no time to say it!

We spent Week 4 getting our home looking less like a building site and more like a school.  From the 22^nd of July to the 26^th, we were digging flower beds and grouting the upstairs classroom. (We’re practically grouting professionals these days.) Not much else to report from this week of preparations, other than an extremely tense table tennis tournament was held. As is the way in Cambodia, we enjoyed the break, knowing that there would be something hectic around the corner. We were right.

The weekend hit, and after much lesson planning, we all crammed ourselves into Muoy’s sweaty, air-conditioning free car, armed with lists of things we wanted from Phnom Penh for our first week of structured teaching. We were sitting Khmer style, four on seats fit for three, some on the floor, (mercifully none on the roof). The journey did not go smoothly. We definitely weigh more than your average Khmer person and it soon became obvious that Muoy’s  car was struggling to carry ten westerners who have been enjoying (almost) all of the delights Cambodian cuisine has to offer. Things got more interesting as we approached the city; campaigners were lining the streets ahead of the weekend’s general election. The final straw came when we discovered our route home was closed, blocked by campaigners. The car just wasn't going to survive anymore detours so we parked and piled out ready to make the rest of our journey on foot, as darkness came. Luckily we stumbled across some tuk-tuks which meant we arrived back at our hostel, and the welcome luxuries of air conditioning, running water and a flushing toilet, relatively quickly.

The Cambodian general election was a big deal; campaigning has been impressive and widespread. Motor bike rallies of hundreds of people filled city streets, and even in our rural village, flags, posters and a constant stream of projected music made it very clear that this election was important.  Discussions with the locals taught us that the outcome was inevitable: the incumbent party would win.  But the youth of Cambodia want change, and despite the ruling party’s control of all national media, Facebook has allowed mobilisation and a spread of information like never before. There are always things to learn from travel, and one is this; democracy is an exciting thing, and we shouldn't take it for granted. Also, the internet is a fantastic, powerful resource, and Facebook can be for so much more than selfies and procrastination. All of the campaigning, the energy, the hope, was a refreshing difference to the often stagnant politics of the UK.

 The evening of the results turned out to be quite eventful in Tonle Bati. As we began to get ready for bed, we heard the sound of vehicles pulling up.  To vote in Cambodia, you must go to your home province (Nativity style). Through much confusion, we established that our translator Sophorn’s family had been returning to Phnom Penh after voting, but hadn’t been able to get into the city because a small riot had started and people were burning cars. In the dark, it all seemed very dramatic. We gave them food, shelter, and waited as news began to filter through. It turned out that while the ruling party had inevitably won, it had not been by the sweeping majority expected.  The opposition, who are widely considered progressive and far less corrupt, had won a large minority. Progression in action, and a proud day for Cambodia. 

Monday 29^th July was Day One of our English Language Summer School. Expected class sizes had been creeping up throughout our time here, but we never anticipated the onslaught of eager faces and neat uniforms that greeted us that first morning.  The register had been filled, overflowed and even more kids just turned up. We eventually managed to divide all those that we could into five classes, each of 15-17 students. This still meant turning quite a few kids away. (Lesson number two, education is not to be taken for granted.  Anyone watching the disappointed few who hadn't enrolled early enough be turned away couldn't help feel guilty for the odd missed lecture). This enthusiasm is a great sign, as we’re just a free taster session. When Seametrey opens its doors in October properly, they should have no problem finding students.

We’re happily into a routine now, teaching from 8am to 5pm. Our youngest pupil is 5 and our oldest is too old to ask (we’re teaching an adult class!) For a week and a half, we've been kept incredibly busy by the masses of children waiting on our doorstep every morning before we have even finished brushing our teeth.  We’re very lucky to have drawn such a crowd, and kids and students alike are having an excellent time.

The next post will be a day in the life of a teacher at Seametrey English Summer School, so details on what all the students (and teachers) have been learning are on their way!

A little something extra!

Summer Camp sent us a little crazy...

Rounders, Rain and Emergency Rice

Our first week in Tonle Bati has been a busy one, since our last post we have done a lot more activities with the kids, from singing and reading to sports and paddle boarding.  Rounders seemed to be particularly popular with the children as pleas to play circulated the air from 7am. Throughout the week we have also been in charge of helping the children to make a variety Khmer treats, as a group we found some very tasty such as the waffles and barbequed bananas however the 'snowballs' and cupcakes with chives in were met with less excitement. 

We've been experiencing a lot more of rainy season this week, especially on Thursday where we found ourselves urgently relocating all our beds to the middle of the room as water took over our bedroom. Our great teamwork skills came into use as we created a chain for sweeping out the water as quickly as possible. We're all used to rain halting our plans in England so we adopted the traditional rainy day plan and put on a range of short Pixar films to keep the children entertained.

Friday marked the end of our first week of Summer Camp, to say goodbye to the children we had a party where we displayed all of our handmade decorations, played a final game of rounders and some traditional English party games such as musical statues and pass the parcel - with our own in house band consisting of Helen on guitar, Kat on recorder and Lucy on the bongos. As a group we were given the intimidating task of catering for 30, after a trip to the market to gather as many ingredients as possible a meal of bean burgers, salsa, coleslaw and potato wedges was created with Banoffee Pie to finish. We all broke off in to teams to create the meal with the aid of some children, most of whom looked concerned by what they were about to try and confused by the lack of rice. The rice wasn't far off though as we spied emergency rice being secretly cooked as a back up. The food went down well with most children, the biggest hit being the potato wedges and the most questionable being the Banoffee pie which according to one child was 'too sweet'.

Saturday morning we said big goodbyes to all of the children with promises to visit again and headed off to Kep on the coast of Cambodia. Our dreams of sunbathing on the sandy beaches of Rabbit Island were quickly shattered by the large amounts of rain so instead we found ourselves comfort eating with large plates of delicious fresh crab at $5 a piece! The rain however didn't completely dampen our spirits as we all enjoyed a dip in the Cambodian sea. If anything, it made us all feel closer to home and memories of British wet beach weekends.  We've arrived back in Tonle Bati to a week of more grouting and preparations for the final three weeks of Summer Camp which looks set to be a busy one with over 60 children wanting to sign up! 

Moving in, Mosquitoes and Mad Chickens

It’s day two here at Tonle Bati: I am writing this from our newly constructed bamboo home and it’s all fairly idyllic, it must be said the grouted floors are looking particularly spectacular.  Although we love our new home already, I think our squeals last night as we tried to escape the onslaught of mosquitos, bugs and enormous beetles provided a fair bit of entertainment for the builders.   That’s not to mention our group expeditions to the toilet which 25 of us share, equipped with head torches and buckets of rain water to flush.   Once safely in bed though (8.30pm seems pretty late these days) we are in a fairy canapé of white mosquito veils and bamboo bed frames.  

6.30 starts mean that we are able to do some sport with the children before it gets too hot, but even that wasn’t considered early enough this morning as we brushed our teeth in front of expectant faces and cries of ‘How much longer teacher?’ There’s talk of 5.00am tomorrow which sounds fairly intimidating but the resident cockerel is easily confused and lets out raucous half-formed crows just outside our room long before the sun rises. We hope the resident cockerel will be appearing in one of our meals someday soon.  Our first activity this morning was rounders, something that the children have all taken to straight away, although we have had some difficulty explaining why they have to always run around the outside of the posts. A narrow victory was awarded to Team Dragon, who quickly developed a knack for hitting the ball directly into the ditch making it fairly tricky to retrieve. 

News of our presence here must have spread quickly, as at lunch time a few local children turned up to find out what all the fuss was about and have been included in English lessons already.  The register for when the school opens officially in August is filling up fast and we have three full classes already!  Summer camp with the Seametrey children gives us a great chance to practise some of the activities that we have planned with kids who already speak quite good English and are accustomed to the Montessori method before we start fresh with the new school year. 

As I write, the rest of the volunteers are helping the children write diaries recording everything that they have been doing here, both to help them practise their writing and so that they will have something to take away with them at the end of the week. Our summer camp tie-dye T-shirts are currently drying out in the sun, although it seems like us volunteers are even more excited to see how they will turn out than the children!

I realise that this blog leaves a gap over the weekend but our main activity was a visit to the killing fields and genocide museum which we think deserves it’s own blog post that will follow shortly. 

Grouting, Gritted Teeth and Great News.

Team Leader Sophie here, reporting on what could only be called a ‘messy’ sort of week. After the excitement of week one with all the cultural excursions, kids and beard making, this week has been a little less engaging. Despite caution, some group members found themselves struck by fairly inevitable stomach bugs. You’ve all heard of Delhi Belly… well unfortunately we had a bout of the Phnom Penh P**s. Nothing serious, but equally, not very fun.

So the week saw the group split, with some staying back at our hostel, soaking up the air con and battling their bugs and boredom. Some intense games of scrabble have been played, and the local coffee shop frequented. Not how we’d hoped to start the trip off, but everyone has gritted their teeth and got on with getting better. The weekend is in sight, and everyone is up and nearly well, which is excellent to see! 

The real troopers of the week have been those who have been well. We started volunteering this week, and this meant building. The new school where we will be living and running activities was lacking some essentials (e.g. floor, roof, walls… you know, the little things). To get it ready for our arrival it was all hands on deck, with the healthy volunteers sorting tiles, nailing trellises, and generally pitching in. They've been commuting back and forth from Phnom Penh, and suffering some pretty early starts. The biggest achievement is the tiled floor which has been completed by our wonderful team. First major skill learnt on this trip? Grouting. The group’s enthusiasm and energy has been impressive, and I’ve been very proud. The amount of building they’ve done is more than they expected, but there have been no grumbles. We have even managed to do some English lessons with the Khmer building team. Nothing quite like seeing a group of grown men doing heads, shoulders, knees and toes!  

The positive attitudes have paid off, as the week ended with some great news. Due to the volunteers’ hard work, we’ve finished some of the building ahead of schedule. So, not only will we be moving to the new school on Monday, but so will nine kids. The kids are from the city school, and will be staying with as we run a week long activity camp for them. This is truly what we came here to do, and everyone is excited; the perfect way to end a fairly grim week. Roll on Monday! 

Football, fake beards and forced alliteration

So it’s been a while since our last post and a lot has happened since then! Sorry for the time lag on the updates, but we've been pretty busy!  

We’ve been spending time at Seametrey School here in Phnom Penh, which has been a great way to really find out what we are working towards in Tonle Bati. All the children were a bit shy at first but the ice was quickly broken as they helped us make our name badges.  We even learnt how to write the phonetics of our names in Khmer!  Before we knew it Charlotte had four children hanging off her and Kat was giving piggy back rides all over the place. Football was a massive cause of excitement –the children came in extra early, some in Chelsea football colours, ready to walk to a nearby park as the school doesn’t have a lot of space.  The number of volunteers at the school decides how many children can safely go, so we were a very welcome addition.  Football under the sweltering sun was a challenge for all, but everyone came away happy with a strict rule of no crying if your team loses, and very ready for nap time!

It’s the end of term here, which means one thing – the school play!  As if English and Khmer aren’t enough, the children are also learning French so this term the play was ‘Astrix and Obelix’.  Rehearsals have been going on intensely since we got here, often with us in the background making props (newfound team skill: beard making).  Friday was the big day, and the kids seemed mostly more excited than nervous and with good reason – their performance was great.  Muoy spoke at the end, reintroducing some of her staff and students who had recently won sponsorship to study abroad.  One of the focuses of Seametrey is to qualify Khmer staff, and so we were able to welcome one teacher back from gaining a Montessori qualification in America and wish another good luck. We were also able to congratulate a student on being talent spotted for guitar playing and being sent to study in Paris for the summer, with another studying in America! 

Everyone got pretty emotional, as all the kids cheered each of their teachers and peers successes; team leader Sophie failing spectacularly at keeping it together and crying at the happiness of it all. All a little humbling, and a good reminder at how lucky we are at the relative ease of our trip to Cambodia. The reverse, Cambodians working in the UK and elsewhere, is a genuinely life changing experience and a rare one at that. All in all, a very proud moment for Seametrey and a testimony to Muoy’s excellent work.

This weekend some of us have been a bit unwell, so we’ve been taking it easy but most of the group are currently Tonle Bati helping set up the new school! More info soon!

PS Check out our flicker for all the pictures! http://www.flickr.com/photos/98326534@N02/ 

Sun, Sweat and second stomachs

Hey all! This is the Camfam's first blog post, after three days we all feel like it has been a week and we've barely had time to update on the super-slow hostel internet...enjoy!

Camfam are feeling pretty hot. And not in a good way, there is so much sweat. We finally touched down after a gruelling journey (36 hours for Kirsten!) to be greeted by a wave of sticky heat, an incredibly overly excited Sophie and some very welcomed cold water. We dumped our stuff in our hostel before heading straight to the nearest bar to celerbrate the start of our Cambodian adventure. Khmer people go to bed pretty early so most restaurants were closed - our first meal in Cambodia therefore consisted of pringles and rambutan - a hairy, spikey fruit with a sweet centre a bit like a lychee.

Our first real Khmer food was breakfast - Khmer porridge, which seemed suspiciously like undrained rice with eggs that been basking in salt for too long. It didn't go down a treat. First on our agenda was visiting Wat Phnom, the traditional centre of a city. As beautiful as it was, we were all a bit surprised to see raw rashers of Bacon dangling from the mouths of the stone lions. Next we headed off to our Khmer Culture Class - essentially the longest game of charades ever played - a two hour extraveganza where not a single word of English was spoken. Highlights included fake monk dressing, a full funeral possession and culinary treats including tarantula, grasshopper and cockroach. Helen stole the show managing most of an enormous spider.

In the evening we all enjoyed the cheapest meal we have ever had - with the most amazing dishes averaging $2.50! Jet lag seemed to be setting in as certain members of the group could be fooled into believing that the long fabled cake stomach really exists. A deet induced coma soon followed ready for an early start at Seametry School.

Read all about it!

Gabriella, one of our team, has made the news!

Read about her coverage here: http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/bajan-brit-heads-to-cambodia-to-teach/

Well done Gabby! Keep up the good work!

The Ethics of Volunteering: Projects Abroad pull out of Cambodia

 
This project has always been very conscious & mindful of the ethics of international volunteering and international development. Individuals like Daniela Papi (whose fantastic TED talk, which our volunteers studied and reflected on during our training sessions, can be found here) have been working tirelessly to raise awareness on the growing culture of 'voluntourism' and the ethical pitfalls which stem from the industry.

Voluntourism is the intersection of volunteering and tourism, It is

“the practice of individuals going on a working holiday, volunteering their labour for worthy causes” ^[2] such as “aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society; the restoration of certain specific environments or research into aspects of society or environment”, “for various reasons”, “in an organised way” ^[3], “alongside touristic activities”. ^[4] 
 
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation's (UNWTO) 1995 definition, any work which includes remuneration is excluded, as it does not qualify as volunteering. Whilst voluntourism usually involves a fee paid to a travel company, these costs tend to cover the travel and activities of the volunteers, rather than qualifying as remuneration for work. What's clear is that voluntourism is difficult to define, which is why it is difficult to regulate and police. Put most simply, voluntourism is a trip with a volunteering and a touristic component attached.

Voluntourism, and the companies that adminstrate voluntourism, have increasingly come under-fire as organisations and academics scrutinise the practice. There are fears that it engenders actively unhelpful idealism, and seeks temporary solutions geared around pleasing the market (the volunteers), rather than the countries they seek to help. Furthermore, voluntourism often creates a misplaced idealism aimed at selling a touristic product, rather than creating an atmosphere for meaningful change. There are also worrying signs that destinations which receive voluntourists adapt their economies and infrastructure to actively encourage this industry; orphanages in Africa and SE Asia have been found, worryingly, to have children whose parents are alive and in contact, for example.

Following this scrutiny, and an investigation by French Television, 'Projects Abroad', a company who offer international volunteering projects, have decided to pull all projects out of Cambodian orphanages, over fear of endemic corruption. On their facebook page they state:

"Projects Abroad has already sent an investigation team to assess the situation of corruption in some orphanages. We have also consulted with the NGO Friends International, responsible for child protection and recognised internationally for their work, to help us to improve our work in the field based on its expertise. The result of our investigation left some outstanding concerns and therefore Projects Abroad has decided to cease sending volunteers to orphanages in Cambodia. By the end of 2013, Projects Abroad will no longer work with any orphanage in Cambodia."

Whilst this problem is certainly one that needs to be addressed, and we support Projects Abroad's decision to investigate and make changes, we do not support a blanket pull-out from Cambodia, or any stable developing nation. Curtailing the harmful effects of voluntourism can be achieved without the withdrawal of vital support and human resources, and without sending a political message with may disincentive other organisations from working in a country which still needs international support. We refuse to believe that there are no orphanages in Cambodia who are worth working with, and we point to NGOs such as Seametrey who are doing fantastic work in Cambodia, and who deserve the support of international organisations. We suggest that all international organisations amp-up their vetting procedures in an effort to ensure they lend support to ethical organisations, rather than simply pulling out altogether.  

More importantly, this measure will not solve the fundamental issue at hand, which is the industry of voluntourism itself. So long as organisations have a financial incentive to 'sell' these projects, the focus will always shift far too close to incentivising uptake, rather than creating meaningful change. 

Our volunteers, from day one, were made aware of the positive, and negatives impacts they can make as volunteers, and were also frankly made aware of the limited impact they can make as individuals, but the large impact they can make by being part of an ethical voluntereing movement. Moreover we sought to support an organisation with a sustainable model for change, ensuring that resources are diverted to organisations which are focused upon creating change, side-stepping one of the most noxious effects of voluntourism. Travelling as an international volunteer, and a tourist, need not be mutually exclusive, and it need not create the problems it does, but it requires organisations to look inward and ensure that the primary focus of every project is the destination country and the creation of positive, substantive long-term change.

We are incredibly proud to work with an organisation like Seametrey, who are doing genuinely innovative and powerful work in Cambodia's education sector, and we are proud to have a team of volunteers who are aware of both the positive and negative impacts they can make, and how they go about ensuring they err towards positive change. Whilst it, undoubtedly, was time & resource consuming to ensure we had this in place, it's an investment we feel is fully worth it, and we'd encourage all organisations to endeavour create ethical projects in the face of problems like corruption, rather than simply withdraw projects.

We'd encourage all international organisations and individuals thinking of volunteering internationally to be mindful of the ethics of volountourism, and to help spread awareness, so that the third sector can continue to evolve and adapt as new challenges to global equality emerge.

Thank you to this blog post (http://volunteertourismviews.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/what-is-voluntourism/) whose content features heavily in this post, as it is one of the most helpful introductions to voluntourism on the internet.
 
 
 
 
1. Clemmons D., 2012, Voluntourism: ‘A new future for aid’2. Tomazos, K., 2009, Volunteer Tourism, an ambiguous phenomenon: An analysis of the demand and supply for the volunteer tourism market3. Wearing, S. 2007, p.1, Swimming Against the Mainstream – Volunteering for Tourism4. Hesdin, 2012, The Evolution of Voluntourism
 

Aaaaaannnnddd they're off!

The team safely through check-in and security awaiting their flight to Phnom Penh!

Safely through security, and now just 23 hours worth of flights, 2 stop-offs, and tuk-tuk ride away from arriving at their destination! Thanks to TD Travel Group for helping us plan the journey and for kindly waiving the administration fees in the name of a good cause, and thanks to all the volunteers' parents for shepherding them to London Heathrow!

Our volunteers will arrive late on Monday night (about 2am our time), where Sophie will greet them at the airport, from there the project begins, and the impressive array of in-flight entertainment ends.

Volunteer Profile: Harriet Jackson

Name: Harriet Jackson
Degree Programme: English Language and Literature
Year of Study: Final Year

Hometown: Abergavenny

1. So, what made you apply for the Cambodia trip?

I’ve just finished my degree course and had been looking for something like this for quite a while. When I heard about this through a friend it just seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up!

2. Have you ever done anything like this before?

Not even a little bit. This is such a new experience for me, which makes it both more nerve-racking and more exciting.

3. What's the one thing you’re looking forward to the most?

The culture! I’ve not spent a lot of time outside Europe and I’m so excited to learn more about Cambodian people and their way of life. Also the food. Always the food.

4. Is there anything you're worried about? Anything you're dreading?

Getting a bit carried away by the whole thing and having to ring up my parents to tell them I have decided to move to Cambodia…

What will you and your team do on a day-to-day basis?

I’m in the ‘sports and games hub’, but truth be told I have the hand-eye coordination of a three year old child and all the speed of a sloth. So I’m really hoping to be mostly involved in the games part of the things and spend a lot of my time playing hide and seek and stuck in the mud. I’m trying to think of games which incorporate some English language learning too!

6. Tell us a fun fact about yourself

I have an unusually large head 

7. What's the one thing about the UK you'll miss the most whilst you're out there?

Probably cheddar cheese

Volunteer Profile: Kathryn Dowell

Name: Kathryn Dowell
Degree Programme: Music
Year of Study: First Year
Hometown: Hinckley

1. So, what made you apply for the Cambodia trip?

It’s a great opportunity to travel and see the parts of the world which I might not get the chance to go to again with a fantastic group of people. There is so much to learn about the culture and I’m excited to get involved with learning the language. I’m really excited about sharing my skills with the children at the school and hopefully getting them enthused about music and learning!

2. Have you ever done anything like this before?

I spent two weeks in Cuernavaca, Mexico at a guiding world centre where I ran sports activities and songs. I’ve never done a prolonged stay like this with so much responsibility though.

3. What's the one thing you’re looking forward to the most?

 
I am really looking forward to getting involved with Cambodian life and culture. Trying out some of the interesting food is going to be really good. I would say I’m most excited about teaching children the Spice Girls on recorder though!

4. Is there anything you're worried about? Anything you're dreading?
 

I’m not overly worried about anything- I quite like being sweaty and smelly. To be honest, the only thing that worries me is that I won’t want to come back. It’s going to be such an adventure. There isn't anything i'm dreading, the only thing im worried about is the mosquitos and being able to sleep.

What will you and your team do on a day-to-day basis?

I am in the Music and Arts team and we have got lots of exciting activities planned. We are going to be teaching silly campfire style songs, making tie dye shirts, bracelets, school bags. We will be basically be doing anything really messy and fun, as well as teaching them how to play the recorder and how to read music.

6. Tell us a fun fact about yourself

 

I believed that unicorns were real until I was about 15 (no joke).

7. What's the one thing about the UK you'll miss the most whilst you're out there?

I’m really going to miss playing my Clarinet while I am there, and my friends and family of course.

 

Volunteer Profile: Charlotte Humphrey

 
 
Name: Charlotte Humphrey
Degree Programme: Biological Sciences
Year of Study: First Year
Hometown: Llangollen

1. So, what made you apply for the Cambodia trip?

When reading about the project all aspects of it appealed to me, I've been wanting to do something like this for so long, this was the perfect opportunity for me to do it. I love experiencing new cultures and seeing different parts of the world, also being able to volunteer at the school and work with the children will be a great opportunity.
 

2. Have you ever done anything like this before?
 

I've never done anything like this before which makes the Project that much more exciting!
 

3. What's the one thing you’re looking forward to the most?

 

The thing i'm looking forward to the most is being able to work with the children, seeing them learn new things and just being able to help the school.
 

4. Is there anything you're worried about? Anything you're dreading?

There isn't anything i'm dreading, the only thing im worried about is the mosquitos and being able to sleep!
 

5. What will you and your team do on a day-to-day basis?

I am part of the sports and games hub so we will be running various activities with the children doing different sports and games
 

6. Tell us a fun fact about yourself

When I was a baby I never had a dummy.

 

7. What's the one thing about the UK you'll miss the most whilst you're out there?
 

Definitely friends and family.

Volunteer Profile: Gabriella Belgrave

Name: Gabriella Belgrave
Degree Programme: Mathematics & Finance
Year of Study: Second Year
Hometown: London

1. So, what made you apply for the Cambodia trip?

When I caught wind of this programme via a friend of mine I thought it was a perfect opportunity, I love teaching and travelling, so I thought why not! It is such a great cause and also a chance to see a completely different part of the world in the process.

2. Have you ever done anything like this before?

I was in Ghana last year teaching Mathematics but I have never done anything for this length of time before.

3. What's the one thing you’re looking forward to the most?

I would say interacting with the children, being able to teach them something while they also teach me something. It would be great if everybody left with skills they never had at the beginning of summer.

4. Is there anything you're worried about? Anything you're dreading?

Probably getting ill and being attacked by mosquitos! I'm packing all kinds of concotions to scare them off though.

5. What will you and your team do on a day-to-day basis?

As the head of teaching hub I will be overseeing what goes on in the classroom, the team will be providing lessons in the evenings to the children, however we have tried not to journey out there with a strict day-to-day lesson plan as we will be catering to their needs which will be easier to do once we know their strengths and weaknesses.

6. Tell us a fun fact about yourself

Riding a camel is my favourite mode of transport.

7. What's the one thing about the UK you'll miss the most whilst you're out there?

Being able to call my family and friends whenever I want to, especially when something exciting happens! 

Volunteer Profile: Chloe Lewis

Name: Chloe Lewis
Degree Programme: Childhood Studies
Year of Study: Final Year
Hometown: Surbiton

1. So, what made you apply for the Cambodia trip?

I have now finished my university degree and it seemed like this trip would be the perfect way to round off my university journey and to do something with my summer which utilised what I have learnt throughout my course and that was beneficial to others.

2. Have you ever done anything like this before?

I’m completely new to this! However volunteering and travelling have been things I’ve been thinking about for a very long time so I’m excited to finally getting the ball rolling.

3. What's the one thing you’re looking forward to the most?

I’m really looking forward to learning about a new culture and seeing all the beautiful temples.

4. Is there anything you're worried about? Anything you're dreading?

I'm actually a really nervous flyer so I can’t say I’m massively excited about the idea of three different flights to reach our destination!

5. What will you and your team do on a day-to-day basis?

I’m part of the ‘teaching hub’ where we will aim to broaden the children’s knowledge of the English language. We hope to do this in the most interactive way possible through the use of games, teamwork and play.

6. Tell us a fun fact about yourself

I once danced ‘the time warp’ with Davina Mccall

7. What's the one thing about the UK you'll miss the most whilst you're out there?

Marmite! And maybe my friends and family…

Volunteer Profile: Helen Hobson

Name: Helen Hobson
Degree Programme: History and Philosophy
Year of Study: Second Year
Hometown: Putney, London

1. So, what made you apply for the Cambodia trip?

The prospect of an exciting new adventure in a far off land I have never been to before, yet always wanted to go to. Volunteering and being part of a great group of people, knowing that it will be a fantastic way to spend my summer.

2. Have you ever done anything like this before?

I have been to Borneo before on a similar trip, but it was no where near as long and the volunteer aspect was mainly physical - building part of a sun bear board walk for example.

3. What's the one thing you’re looking forward to the most?

Meeting many new people, and taking in a new culture.

4. Is there anything you're worried about? Anything you're dreading?

Dreading the mosquitos (hoping my deet pays off) and I'm only worried about getting sick from food or water.

5. What will you and your team do on a day-to-day basis?

We'll be working in Seametrey School helping to educate some of the children, my role revolves around music and art, so hopefully bringing lots of fun to the kids.

6. Tell us a fun fact about yourself

I love to play the ukulele.

 

7. What's the one thing about the UK you'll miss the most whilst you're out there?

 

My friends and family for sure.

Fundraising

With the deadline looming, and the all important £700 totals nearly completed, it's about time we looked back at all the hard work our volunteers have been putting on over the last 12 weeks. Our amazing team of 9 volunteers, with the guidance of our team leader, have had just 8 weeks to fund-raise a total of £4500 between them (£700 each). It was a huge ask from students who were entering their exam periods and balancing all their other commitments, and they've done absolutely fantastia. It's even more impressive when you take into account the kind of fund raising each volunteer has undertaken, in the name of ethical volunteering, only £100 will go towards their upkeep, £600 will go directly to Seametrey, and all other personal costs (flights, equipment, train tickets, insurance, ect.) will all be funded from their own accounts.

They've been bucket shaking in onesies, waiting tables for friends, singing, dancing, spacehopper-ing, event managing and generally badgering everyone they know in the name a good cause.

Helen Hobson, Kathryn Dowell and Lucy Anderson spent the entire day on spacehoppers, meeting challenges which included consuming fiery chillies.

Here's some pictures of them looking thoroughly unimpressed - all in the name of charity! That's what you get for mixing onion, milk and cinnamon. 







Harriet Jackson has swum the length of the English Channel in the edge, proving all of her doubters (me) wrong and finishing a fantastic feat in the name of the trip.

Harriet, Kirsten and Kat were at it again, this time holding an acoustic night at LS6, which went down fantastically. As well as organising the event, and braiding hair, the girls promoted the trip and the turnout was fantastic, raising a great sum of money and raising awareness of the trip. Kat even found time to perform! Is there anything this girl can't do? 

Thanks to our volunteers, well over £6500 will go towards Seametrey Residential and Bilingual School. As well as going over and working on the space itself, and offering their valuable support and teaching as the school begins to open its doors to the local community, they've also brought in a fantastic sum of money. The donation goes towards an organisation with a sustainable model for improving education in Cambodia, and we're so proud of the girls for all their hard work and fundraising.

If anyone would still like to make a donation, email s.a.imbriano@leeds.ac.uk, to find out more.

Volunteer Profile: Lucy Anderson

Name: Lucy Anderson
Degree Programme: Psychology
Year of Study: First Year
Hometown: Chobham

1. So, what made you apply for the Cambodia trip?

I was looking through the Leeds for Life website when I came across the opportunity. The project really appealed to me as I had missed out on doing a gap year and going traveling which I had always wanted to do. I saw it as a chance to travel and experience a new culture while also helping the community and giving something back.

2. Have you ever done anything like this before?

No, I have never been to this part of the world or been this far away from home before, but it just adds to the excitement.

3. What's the one thing you’re looking forward to the most?

The chance to help and make a difference; I love watching children grow and learn and to be a part of improving education in Cambodia is a privilege.

4. Is there anything you're worried about? Anything you're dreading?

 
I have never done the whole backpacking experience and I am a bit worried about the sleeping arrangements. I love my bed so I think I will struggle at first to get used to sleeping in the heat and around the mosquitos. At the same time I’m sure it will be a humbling experience and it will make me appreciate what I have at home!

5. What will you and your team do on a day-to-day basis?

I am in the Arts and Music Hub so we will be responsible for the creative side of the children’s education. I hope we can really get stuck in and get the children involved in a range of activities from painting, drawing, singing and dancing. We also plan to get the children to work on costumes and songs and then to put on a carnival at the end of our trip. It will be something to work towards and a good way to wrap up our time there.

6. Tell us a fun fact about yourself

I have Grade 7 in singing and I’ve been Sandy in Grease twice.

7. What's the one thing about the UK you'll miss the most whilst you're out there?

My family and friends, I went to boarding school so I hope being home sick won’t be too much of a problem, but at the same time I know that it’s inevitable that there will be times when I will miss everyone at home a lot. But you know what they say; distance makes the heart grow fonder!

And so it begins

Our team Leader Sophie jetted of to Cambodia on Monday, ready to acclimatise and make the final arrangements for our team of volunteers!

Sophie is an experienced international volunteer, she has fundraised thousands of pounds for a project in India on behalf of the Girl Guides, and has worked in Cambodia for a year, volunteering at Seametrey Children's Village in Phnom Penh. Sophie has a great working relationship with Muoy You and the Seametrey NGO, and so was the perfect choice to lead our volunteers out to work on Seametrey's new project, the Seametrey Residential and Bilingual School (SRBS).

Sophie has just completed the second year of her English and Philosophy degree, and is about to embark on a year out before her third year to live and work in Paris. She has been working as a Leeds for Life ambassador since September, and is has also been heavily involved in the Leeds Debating Union, of which she is the outgoing Director of Membership. Fun fact about Sophie: she's still a fan of S Club 7.

Bon voyage Sophie! We'll see you out there.