Things
have been a bit quiet on the writing front for a few months but we now feel
that we have settled into a sustainable and enjoyable lifestyle here in Kep.
The irony of having achieved a work-life balance precisely when paid work is not necessary is not
lost on me.
Not
the first but not the least of the reasons Cambodia was the choice for our
trial retirement was that we thought we possessed a skill set, that would
enable us to contribute to the local community in an area where there was a
need.
Having
spent the first six months of this year in travel and holiday mode we arrived
in Kep ready to put down roots and test that theory. The urgent business of
finding suitable accommodation and getting ourselves established took
precedence at first but the pressing need to do something productive and engage
gave rise to making the effort to put ourselves out there and research the
possibilities for volunteering in the local community.
On
the very first visit to Kep Gardens Association the vibe felt right.
Coincidently the owners, Janine and Andrew are Adelaidians and have almost ten
years of experience. They have a proven track record with volunteers in all
kinds of capacities and offer a wide range of training and education programs. Janine
was quick to see exactly what we would be able to do within the framework of
her English teaching program and took us up on our offer to volunteer
immediately. By the second visit we had established starting times and doubled
our commitment as she had realised the kind of assistance we could provide.
Starting
at the beginning of November, when she had no other volunteers arriving, gave
us the time we needed to make a flying trip to Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
Therefore now, for the first time since leaving Thimphu in January we have all
our possessions either stored in Adelaide or with us, not scattered across
several countries. It also gave us time to mentally prepare for the fact that
after almost ten months we were heading back to work, albeit in a nonpaid
capacity.
We
cycle out of town in the worst heat of the day to arrive at Kep Gardens for a
1:30pm start on Mondays and Wednesdays. The place is alive with the sounds of
kids playing and learning well into the evening and we make the small
contribution of listening to individuals read aloud and providing them with
opportunities to build their confidence in communicating orally. The final
class of the day includes older and more capable high school students and
adults and we attempt to facilitate conversation and assist with preparing them
for debating.
Of
course we have also found other ways to contribute and have already supplied
photos for what will become a regular monthly display showcasing Kep Gardens
events and activities. Perhaps less successfully we have also contributed food
for the newly established canteen struggling to instill environmentally
friendly eating practices and make a profit.
By
8.15pm we are ensconced in a tuk-tuk with our bikes tied to the back and
heading home. The routine is still new and we still marvel at how different
everything looks after dark. Lights illuminate the roadside stalls and
community gatherings abound and we get a glimpse into an aspect of Cambodian
culture we would otherwise not be privy to.
You
can find out more about the programs on offer and the opportunities to
volunteer at – http://kepgardens.com
At
about the same time as we had confirmed our yearlong commitment at Kep Gardens
to Janine another exciting project presented itself to us. The owner of the beautiful
Bamboo House, where we lived for the first three months, arrived terribly
excited one afternoon with a request. Madam Yary has become a friend and she is
both visionary and tireless in her effort to help less fortunate
Cambodians.
She
is a benefactor of many local projects and she had come directly from a very
poor monastery in a fishing village outside of Kep. She had that morning
decided to fund a well digging operation and several other projects at this
“pagoda” as they call them here. She wanted us to visit the monastery- no I
can’t bring myself to call it a pagoda, the next day and commit to teaching the
young monks English.
We
agreed almost instantly and actually meeting the young monks on a rare festive
occasion the following day sealed our fate.
Despite
having no resources at all and no real concept of exactly how to teach a group
of monks of widely divergent ages and with no shared language, we were hooked.
Thus our quick trip to the capital en route to Bangkok became a mission to find
and purchase books, flashcards, posters and as many other resources as
possible.
Now
we also have our own personal project. Unlike most other overseas teaching
positions we have filled, we were completely on our own with this. It’s
somewhat daunting given that we know little or nothing about the Cambodian
education system or the protocol of how to behave in the ‘temple’ or interact
with monks, somewhat challenging in that the need is great and the funds non
existent and somewhat exhilarating in that having never approached anything
like it before both we and the little monks are having so much fun together.
We
returned from the capital loaded with all we thought we might need with one
notable exception – a whiteboard or blackboard. We thought the latter would be
more appropriate, cheaper and less likely to be damaged but that meant we had
to construct it. Once again, Yary to the rescue. When we next saw her she was
keen to find out how our project was going and immediately stated that we
needed to do a quick sketch then and there so that her carpenters could make us
a board.
Due
to their religious duties our little monks- I try not to call them monkeys
tempting as it is, are also scheduled for afternoon classes, so Tuesdays and
Wednesdays involve cycling off in the heat of the day and along another well
rutted and dusty unsealed back road. We chose to begin with Kep Gardens in
November since once we start consistency is essential. Now after a grand total of just three sessions
we can see the beginnings of writing and recognizing the alphabet and a few
simple words, counting confidently to ten and several simple rejoinder
conversations that they are able to retain.
We
know so little about early childhood education that it is a trial and error
process but we are eager to do what we can and they are delighted with the
writing, chorusing and attention generally. Sleepy little faces emerge as soon
as we dismount and they start setting up low tables and mats just as we did on
the first session. It is the active learning activities, with cards, relay
running and balls that they love the most. I wonder if they even have play
time.
They
have amazing powers of concentration and attention given that they do not eat
after twelve noon and we arrive mid afternoon. Their earnest little faces and
endearing mannerisms have already won our hearts and inspired us to do as much
as possible to help.
Janine
has been generous with the resources she has accumulated over the years and we
have a growing client relationship with a local print shop due to the volume of
material we print.
This
seems to have become an epic update but I will end with a few anecdotes from
the first few classes:-
1. One of the youngest among them was painstakingly
tracing and writing the letter “d” while muttering under his breath “Here you
are. Thank you” like he was a chanting a prayer. We had been doing that just
before the letters and he obviously wanted to remember.
2. Another of the older boys was colouring with such care and
attention and repeating to himself “good boy, good boy” in exactly the tone I
use.
3. After having lined up all the cards and realia they can
recognise at the opposite end of the room, Ian and I tried to demonstrate the
idea of hearing the word and racing to get the object nominated. As we took of
running they ALL did too and returned with every single item!!
It would help to be able to explain and give instructions in a
language they already know but we are getting by and its all part of the fun.