Day 7: Angkor Wat and Home!

Time has passed really fast, just in a blink of an eye, we have come to the end of the trip. The past 6 days had been filled with laughter, tears and deep reflections for the students. It is heartening to witness the changes in the students as the days go by. They were more appreciative of the things given to them, more understanding towards others and more passionate to contribute back to the society.




Finally on the last day, the students got the chance to visit the 7th wonder of the world---Angkor Wat. The aged temple is magnificent and impressive. It definitely allowed the students to enter into the history and culture of Cambodia back in the 13th century. Around us, there were groups of tourists who have come from different places all around the world to view the famous architecture beauty.

After the visit, it marks the end of our service learning trip. The students had mixed feelings, they long to be home again with the loved ones, yet at the same time, it is hard to say goodbye to the wonderful team who had created irreplaceable memories in the 7 days of their Sec 3 lives. Hope this trip is not an end to service learning for the students, but rather a beginning that leads to greater things in the future.

Day 6: Long ride to Siem Reap & the ACODO performance

We finally reached Siem Reap after a long 8 hours bus ride. It was a bumpy ride as there are many bumps and holes on the road. Along the way, we were able to catch a glimpse of the living conditions of the Cambodians. There were wooden houses on one side of the road and the other side were all the agriculture fields, such as rice paddies. There were also small and closely packed shops along the road as well. Young children can be seen selling fruits and souvenirs to the tourists at the stopover areas. It was certainly an eye-opener for the students who are fortunate to live in such a developed country like Singapore.

 In the evening, the students reached at ACODO orphanage (Assisting Cambodian Orphans & Disabled Organization). The children there ranged from the age of 2 to 17 years old. Most of them are orphans, some came from poor and big family and some were disabled. The orphanage took them in and takes care of their lives every day. They also provide formal education for the children. The children are taught life skills and vocational skills. The children are also very talented in performing arts. They performed Cambodian traditional music and dance for us and it was a truly impressive performance.

After the performance, the students took the opportunity to interact with the children and the short interaction had left memories for the students. They learnt to appreciate what they have and always have the heart to contribute back to society in whatever ways they can. The night was short and we have to say goodbyes to the children. As we sat in the bus and watched the children stood outside the gate and waved to us, our hearts were touched and may this night be a turning point to the students.

Quotes of the day:
"I saw animals along the road. One side of the road is weeds, another side is residential houses. The ACODO performance was amazing. I am surprised that even though they are orphans, they still put up a beautiful performance. Despite their sad background, they still put up smiles."              -Thivagar, 3N2

"On the way to Siem Reap, I saw kids showering in the muddy water, it was their swimming pool. The ACODO kids have put up a good show, and I’m grateful for the show. Our bus driver is very responsible by horning to warn the people to be careful about the traffic. I wonder if I can be a responsible person in the future."                                                                                                                       -Dominic, 3N3

"Along the way, I saw many village houses. I think the Cambodian culture is interesting, and the ACODO kids were enjoying themselves while performing. Cambodia is a relaxing and peaceful environment, and this made me more interested in the Cambodia culture."                                                      - Farhanah, 3A                       

"The bus ride to Siem Reap was bumpy. At the ACODO performance, the kids were very friendly. They were dressed in traditional clothing and danced their traditional dance."          -Dorcas, 3A

Day 5: Visit to the Killing Field and S21 Prison

Today, the students had the chance to visit the Killing Field used by the Khmer Rouge to execute the prisoners. It was disturbing for the students to see the mass graves, the tree where the babies were smashed, and the skeletons of the victims. Through the visit, the students understood the Cambodia history much better. The 5 years of Khmer Rouge had caused tremendous pain and trauma for the Cambodians, even up til today. The Cambodians are in fact suffering the consequences of this cruel civil war of their country.  

Besides the Killing Field, the students also visited the S21 prison, in which thousands of prisoners were detained and tortured before sending to the killing field to be executed. In the prison cells, there was one bed  on which the prisoner was handcuffed to and tortured cruelly. Pictures of the bodies of the prisoners were hanged up on the walls of the cells. The Cambodian guide who was one of the survivors during the Khmer Rouge showed us around and explained to us how the prisoners were tortured. It was heartbreaking to hear how brutal and ruthless Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, was towards his fellow Cambodians.

We were fortunate to be able to see one of the survivors who was tortured at the S21 prison. He was an old man who has truly gone through lots of pain and suffering during the Khmer Rouge.

The visit certainly has left a deep impression on the students. They have learnt to appreciate the leaders back in Singapore. Not only that, they also have learnt the importance of being a leader with values.

Quotes of the day:

"Pol Pot regime was very cruel. Khmer rouge killed their own people and were very ruthless."  - Kelvin, 3C

"I am thankful that Singapore is not like this because it is not corrupted." -Thivagar, 3N2

"Pol Pot is a good leader but in the wrong way. He did not have values."    -Cong Lin, 3C

"Women and kids dumped at killing fields after being tortured. They should not kill fellow Cambodians.  Fellow Cambodians gathered many of the remains and created a memorial for them. This shows propriety as they are doing a responsible act by caring for the fellow Cambodians."     -Nabila, 3T1

"The captured Cambodians were deprived of hygiene as they were only allowed to bathe twice a month. I can realize how difficult it must have been to survive then. I wonder if I can endure the torture if I am the one captured."                  -Jocelyn, 3B

Day 4: Teaching & Hygiene Day @ Dumpsite

Finally, the day has come for the students to carry out their well-prepared mission at the dumpsite. There were two sessions for the children, the morning and the afternoon session. In each session, the students were split up into two groups, one group was in charge of Hygiene, the other group was in charge of Teaching.  

The students helped to wash, dry and comb the hair of the children. It is the students' first time experience and it is certainly humbling and unforgettable. All these are what we do every day without giving much thought, but it is a luxury for the children at the dumpsite. From the smiles on their faces, we can see how eager and happy they are to get themselves clean up.

Besides hair service, the students also offered nail-cutting service to the children. The students were very careful so as not to hurt the children. The children took turns orderly to get their nails cut by the students. While cutting the nails, the students also took the chance to interact with the children.

At the same time, the other group was conducting lessons with the other children. They have prepared much for the lessons, with thorough planning, well-designed teaching aids and worksheets, engaging games, repeated rehearsals... all these helped them to run the lessons smooth. But certainly all these happened with the active participation from the children and timely help from the local teachers.

 The children were very much engaged in the activities planned by the students. Although we have limited space, the children had great fun. Their laughter literally echoed in the T-house and continue to echo in the hearts of the students. From their tears and their truthful reflections, it is evident that the children have left a great impact on the students and the life-lessons they have learnt today will bring them far in their lives.

It is always hard to say goodbye, but we know we have to keep the fond memories deep in our hearts and move on. The students teared when the children sang them farewell songs and waved goodbye to them. Although it is just a few hours, it had certainly left a great impact on the students. The students must admit that it is the children who are the teachers at the end of the day, as they have taught the students many valuable lessons, such as the school value of propriety, righteousness and self-respect. The children's passion for learning also touched the students' hearts and truly made their day. May all these lessons deeply etch in their hearts and continue to transform their thinking and attitude towards life.

Quotes of the day:

"I finally realized the truth of once in a life opportunity. We have been living a
 very comfortable life, with advanced technology, but we have not seen the
 meaning of being thankful for everything we have.When the Cambodian 
children have a chance, they will immediately take it, because they took it as
their once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s really an eye-opener for me. At first, 
I was wondering how could they really live in such a bad living condition. 
Now I realized that there are so many people suffering, while we are neglecting 

things we have, like our parents’ love and the things we have back at home."              
 - Natasha, 3C

"The kids are proactive and takes initiative. the kids helped each other to
understand the instructions, so that everyone is on the same page.They are 
not influenced by Singapore society, they are not afraid to approach us, in 
Singapore it is very hard to say hi to strangers.The children's hands are hard 
and rough, they might already been doing rough chores. In comparison, we 
are not as hard working."       
 - Khai, 3N2

"No matter how bad the conditions are, the children are still learning and studying 
well. The children are intelligent, although they don’t know English, they still 
tried to understand and pronounce the words. It’s fun teaching them as all of 
them are very understanding and able to catch up very fast.They appreciate what 
we gave them. Even though it's just bread and condensed milk, they still appreciate it."        
 - Ida, 3T1

"I have learnt a lot from the children, they participated actively and listened 
attentively. They did not answer because of the prize, but because they are proud 
of themselves knowing the answers. They also questioned the teacher when they 
don't understand, instead of talking among themselves. We must change our 
attitude in class, such as stop using handphones and sleeping in class. Also in 
CCAs, we have competitions and in which we treat opponent as rivals, but here 
when the children lost, they were still very happy. Our lessons were successful 
because we have gone through a lot of preparation, preparing the materials 
properly, going through all the rehearsals. The children were also very attentive 
and the teachers in the T house helped us to translate. Suggestions from other 
groups also helped us how to react and what to improve."  
 -Rebacca, 3B 

Day 3: It's raining!

Although it's raining the whole day, it did not dampen our spirits. The students gathered at the sheltered space and made the best out of the time they had. They took time to discuss about the plans for tomorrow's Teaching and Hygiene Day. The students also spent time to learn Khmer language from our local guide. They listened attentively, wrote down the pronunciations and practiced pronouncing the foreign words.  The four groups also rehearsed their lessons for the teaching day.

There were a few village children who joined us throughout the process. The students took the opportunity to interact with the children, communicating with them in Khmer, playing with them, taking photos with them...


Quotes of the day:

"Even though it’s raining, the children over there were playing with the puddles of water,  they are very optimistic, despite the weather. Though we could not carry out our original plans, there are still other things to do so that time will not be wasted."                                                                                 - Si Le, 3B

"Children here are cheerful and having fun in everything they can find, with just paper and pen, sunglasses...The people here lead a happy and simple lifestyle as compared to the complicated Singapore lifestyle.Today we also learnt Khmer language, we should show respect to the Cambodia country by putting in effort to learn their language."                                                                                      - Farhanah, 3A

"There are puddles along the roadside, and the children used it to entertain themselves. Rain is also their source of water supply, they are grateful for the rain. Most of us puts in effort to learn and pronounce the Khmer language."                                                                                                           - Thivagah, 3N2

"The places are flooded with water, there is no sewage system like Singapore. The children are playing and the parents just let them be, I think that they should not do that as they might get sick."
                                                                                                                                     - Cong Lin, 3C

Day 2: Sun, Sweat and Smiles!

Setting off for a day of hard work! We arrived at a village that's one and a half hours away from the city area. It is a village that has poor living conditions, with houses made of bamboo and palm leaves, children with no clothes and shoes, drinking water that's collected from rain, adults who earn their living from farming... It is certainly an eye-opener for the students. 

After receiving instructions on how to build the houses, the students went out under the hot sun and started their work for the day! They were separated into two groups and started building the walls of the houses. Clueless at first, the students were willing to try their best and contribute their parts,with no complaints. 

Our hard work paid off, as we completed two walls, with the help of the experienced villagers. Despite a whole 5 hours of physical work, we still had our moments of fun and laughter, thanks to the adorable distractions around us - the kittens, chicks, dogs and lovely children!

Catch the unusual sights...

And the big smiles!

Quotes of the day:

"We shared our duties and contributed an equal share of work in building the walls. The children in village wear their uniform proudly, being a student is an honor to them. They seldom get education and that’s why they are happy about it."                                                                                            -Rebecca, 3B

"Living conditions are very different in the village. They made me think about the construction workers building houses for us in Singapore. We should study hard to make living condition better for our family."                                                                                                                                     -Syafiqah, 3N2

"The villagers are friendly because they wave as we wave, unlike Singaporeans."  -Zahirah, 3N2

Day 1: Cambodia here we come!

We are departing for Cambodia FINALLY! After saying goodbyes to family and friends, we are ready to set off for the long awaited life-changing experience. The students do not only bring along their personal luggage, but also the blessings from their loved ones and the great expectation from the school. May it be a fruitful service learning trip that is able to leave long-lasting impact on the students.

After nearly 2 hours of flight and 1 hour of bus ride, it's time for some local delights that tasted like HOME! The students volunteered to serve their friends and everyone was able to enjoy their first dinner at Cambodia. After settling down in the hotel, the students started their final preparations for the teaching day. Each one of them had different parts to play and they were able to work together for a common goal. Reflection time was given to allow the students to consolidate their thoughts and feelings over the past few hours in the foreign land. From their sharing, Cambodia has certainly shed some different lights into their comfortable lives.

Phnom Penh City Map

From Day 1 to Day 5, we will be in Phnom Penh City for our activities. The map shows the places we will be going during our trip. 

Pre-Trip Trainings

The pre-trip trainings were a great time of bonding, brainstorming, discussion and rehearsals. The students worked in their respective groups to design their lesson plans for the Teaching and Hygiene Day at the Dumpsite with the Cambodian Children. The groups have come out with interesting and meaningful activities for the children. Through the rehearsals, the students improved and refined their projects with the constructive feedback from both the peers and the teachers.

Group 1 with their version of "Three Little Pig" tale and simple Maths lessons 

Group 2 with their lively Macarena dance, teachings of the basics and the Five Stones

Group 3 with their ABCs, animal masks and Pass the Hula hoop game

Group 4 with their teachings of the numbers, objects, colours and paper ball games

Cambodia VIA Trip 2013

Details:

Date: 5th - 11th Nov 2013
Who: 27 Sec 3 students, 4 teachers, 1 coach and 1 local guide
Where: Phnom Penh & Siem Reap

Objectives:

礼 Propriety

•Demonstrate exemplary behaviour at all times

义 Righteousness

•Demonstrate perseverance in doing what is right for the benefit of the greater good

廉 Integrity

•Demonstrate honesty & fairness in sharing duties

耻 Self-Respect  

•Demonstrate behaviours that will not cause shame to self, school & country

Activities we will be doing:

Day 1: Final preparations for the project
Day 2-3: Community Development Project at Roong---House Repair
Day 4: Community Development Project at Dumpsite--- Teaching/Interaction & Hygiene day
Day 5: Visit to Killing Field, S21 & Central Market
Day 6: Travel to Siem Reap, viewing of the ACODO Cultural Performance
Day 7: Visit to Angkor Wat, Return to Singapore