December 17th, 2010
It is my last day at Self Help Community Centre. I’m sitting in Classroom “D”, one of the five classrooms at the Centre. I have been here for only one week but I already feel attached to it, well I suppose mostly to the people within it.
Self Help Community Centre is a learning centre in a small village about 2 kilometres outside of the city centre of Siem Reap. It was established by Sambath 3 years ago, now 25 years old, who had come back to his village after finishing university and wanted to do something to help his village. The centre offers free education and social services to Cambodians. It is run entirely by volunteers, both Cambodian and foreign. As with everything, especially in Southeast Asia, things aren’t so organized or efficient, things could run a lot smoother and clearer, and things could be much better in general, but despite all of that it gets the job done and it’s a place full of smiles.
I was lucky (and a little unlucky) to be there for their 3 year anniversary. Lucky because I got to celebrate with everyone whose lives are touched by SHCC, join in on decorating the classrooms, and help out in preparations for a fundraiser. Unlucky because it meant that the normal scheduling was in complete disarray and no one knew their own name half the time, so I feel like had I been there during a normal time I could have been more useful in terms of teaching and everything within its scope. However, it was just not meant to be, I was meant to keep the kids safe and happy while people were running around like chickens with their heads cut off preparing for the big event at the end of the week.
When the day everyone had been anticipating for a solid month finally rolled along, things went off a lot smoother than all of us thought (us being the western volunteers). The handmade decorations were bright and cheery, adding the necessary punch of colour to the white and brown walls of the kinder classrooms. Children were playing games in every room and spilling outside of the classrooms. The stage set up on the dirt field where the students usually have their gym class was manned by two of the Cambodian volunteer teachers acting as the MC’s for the festivities. At all times the stage was full of students and volunteers singing, playing games, or having competitions. The field in front of the stage had a great audience cheering on their peers and teachers, and dancing during breaks in competitions. There was face painting and balloons flying everywhere.
The days leading up to the party a team of volunteers from Singapore had been teaching the Waka Waka dance (by Shakira) to whomever wanted to learn (which of course also meant me). It was a really fun and interactive activity for the kids, who all seemed to really enjoy it, and we even had a night practice back at Mary’s house (who we were all staying with). On the day of the party, the group of volunteers from Singapore, myself, some of the Cambodian volunteers, and of course the students performed the dance in front of the stage. It was such a hit that it was also performed not once, but twice, at the fundraising event that followed two days later.
The day of the fundraiser and my last day is today. It’s pretty hectic around here, we’re frantically making crafts with the kids to sell tonight. We’re all heading into the city centre around 5 o’clock, we’re holding the fundraiser at Jasmine Lodge, the alternative place to stay while volunteering at SHCC if you don’t want to stay with a family in the village. So far I am really enjoying today, showing the students how to do some crafts, and them showing us how to do some (that in many cases are far better than ours…or mine at least), watching their creative juices flow and their smiles grow after completing their craft…truly beautiful.
People say that volunteers touch the hearts of those they help, speak to, play with, and teach, but the thing I’ve learned while volunteering in each country that I have is that it is my heart that is touched by children, my heart that is forever changed by the other volunteers, and my heart that is filled with so much joy from all the smiling faces and toothy grins I receive. So thank you SHCC for allowing me to be a part of your team, it was a blessing.
