AY1718 CAS Trip to Cambodia – Our Reflections
First day in the Village
by Katie Lor (DP1A) and Alison Yip (DP1B)
“We were then introduced to the toilet building process by Mr Sopheareak and Ian from LC. Then, while waiting for dinner to arrive, we played with the kids in the village for a while and gave them piggyback rides. It was an exhausting but fulfilling experience. We had a nice dinner and a reflection session with lots of insects and finally, we showered and prepared for the next day. For tomorrow, the group will split up to cook, build toilets and teach in the nearby school.”
Teaching in the Village
by Christopher Yeu DP1
“There were 2 classes – grade 1 and grade 4 – which each group took turns to teach. Even though the condition of the classrooms may be primitive, the children learned quickly through our entertaining presentation skills and assistance in translation from our local guides and schoolteachers. Besides learning vocabulary in the classrooms, we took the kids out to the field and played some interactive games. In the end, they learned a lot of English phrases, including numbers, colours, body parts etc. The experience with kids being able to obtain knowledge from us was both fulfilling and rewarding.”
Cooking and Food
by Nathan Luk DP1 and Glenn Goh DP1
“We had noodles with vegetables and chicken for lunch. Afterwards, we spent some time playing with the kids in the village before the other two groups went to build toilets at 3. The remaining stayed back to prepare dinner. After building a total of 4 toilets, we returned and soon had dinner. The dishes consisted of pork, veggies, omelette and rice for dinner.”
Toilet Building
by Christopher Yeu DP1
“Even though our work was undoubtedly tough, especially under the blazing sun, the local kids swarmed around us to give us courage and boost our morale throughout our work. Eventually, my group finished building 2 toilets in less than 2 hours. Building toilets to improve the sanitation is a true sense of accomplishment for us, knowing we have helped to change the lives of families in the village.”
Cultural night – the last night in the village
by Griff Law DP1 and Ellena Chen DP1
“There was then a performance by the kindergarten kids and our dance item as part of the cultural exchange. Afterwards, we moved onto a scrumptious meal consisting of a diverse array of food. We then finally wrapped up the long day by spending time with the village kids we’ve grown to love, and doing a group reflection on the many things we have learnt from the lives of the villagers and this fruitful journey as a whole.”
