Thursday, January 29, 2015

January 29, 2015: Reflections on Lessons Learned

Today I really learned what solidarity is.  It is being a friend and not a savior; working side by side to improve our world.  It really hit me today that just because I am privileged, in every way possible, does not mean that I am better or above anyone, anywhere.  Seeing the workplace, the market, and the school - seeing how they were all part of the global community - really changed my perspective.  Today is the most meaningful day of my life because I have realized that I have come to love the people I have been alongside for the past few days so much that leaving them makes me really sad.  But, leaving has also given me a purpose to come back!

Mariana Salazar
DWC Volunteer Participant
Cambodia.  January 29, 2015.  

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

January 28, 2015: Creating Lasting Change


Today was our last day at the work site in Kep.  I worked mostly by laying bricks and cementing down things.  Quite an adventure, I'd have to say!  I worked closely with a local that I nicknamed "The Laughing Man" because he laughed constantly and was smiling every second that he could.  I want to be the type of person that deserves a nickname like that.  The laughing man taught me about being the best kind of person in the world by doing nothing but being himself.  I am so glad I went on this trip because now I will never be a tourist again.  People go on vacation, do their thing, see some sights, eat some food, and then leave.  The city and country go on like they were never there.  The work we have done makes a change.  It will help people for years to come.  Kep district will remember DWC.

Julia Giraudi
DWC Volunteer Participant
Cambodia.  January 28, 2015

January 28: Living on a Dollar

Today, I woke up, had breakfast, and then the kids who were working on the latrines got to go to the market.  Many people in Cambodia live on less than a dollar a day.  My group was given one dollar in the market to buy food for two meals.  The market was extremely different from all the grocery stores and markets in Canada.  All the food was fresh and there were even live chickens.  The market was crowded with little huts of Cambodians selling food.  Flies were everywhere, swarming over the raw meat.  It was interesting to see how different our culture is from Cambodian culture.


Trying to buy food at the market with only one dollar was very hard!!  Things were expensive.  We tried bargaining with the women but they couldn't understand us.  It was challenging.  Half way through the market, I began to think about the people in Cambodia that actually live on a dollar a day.  It made me sad, especially when I realized how hard it really is to do.  This was an experience I will never forget.

Alexandria Collymore
DWC Volunteer Participant
Cambodia.  January 28, 2015.

January 28, 2015: Smile and the World Smiles Back!

Today I woke up and my whole body was sore from the work I did the day before.  The group started to build a watergate in a rural place in Kep.  It is amazing to see the difference with only 20 minutes of driving how we can go from a tourist area to a non-paved road with tattered houses; the difference really hit us all greatly.  The reality about the level of poverty in the world is something that those from Canada are not usually exposed to, but from this experience we can see how the majority of the world lives their lives. 

 
From working in the rural area I was able to interact with local people living in the area.  I've never regretted something in my life so much as not learning the language of Khmer.  The language barrier is such a big thing that I never noticed before, but being here, I feel sad that I couldn't communicate properly.  Although we cannot understand one another, the people here are so nice and welcoming that we just get by with gestures or actions.  When the locals, including the kids and adults, smile, I can't do anything but smile back because their smiles are so beautiful and warm.  All of the people here are happy and nothing how I expected them to be.  Just being with them and interacting with them has been a life changing experience.  My whole perspective on life has changed in a matter of days, and I want to change as a person but there is so much to take in right now that I am only confused. 

Momo Sakudo
DWC Volunteer Participant
Cambodia.  January 28, 2015.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

January 27, 2015: If you can't beat the heat...join 'em!

Today was a hot day in my books.  Drenched in sweat and sunburned like crazy, I finally experienced a "slightly warm" day in Cambodia.  At the worksite today I met Tim.  He teaches English at the school and is great at speaking it.  He wants me to come back tomorrow and teach him all the English slang words I know.  Throughout the day, I waved and smiled at every person I drove past or walked past.  What truly made me amazed was how every person, young or old, smiled and waved back.  It didn't matter what conditions they were in, they gave a genuine smile and welcomed you.  I guess the only person that didn't wave back was the young boy that shook his bum at us and laughed as we drove past.  He was very pleased with himself!


The day was long but gratifying because I made real connections and the work I did is for a great cause.  Tim quizzed us on our voting system but he dodged our comments about his own government with an embarrassed laugh.  It will be interesting going forward to see the political views of Cambodian people.

Christopher Kearney
DWC Volunteer Participant
Cambodia. January 27, 20105.

January 27, 2015: The Kindest Side of Humanity

I just want to start off by saying that the people are amazing in this country.  While we work on the projects, the people just showed us the kindest side of humanity I have ever seen.  Whenever you try to say a word in Khmer, their faces light up and they love that you're trying to speak to them.  The projects we are here to work on are to build 2 bathroom/latrines and 2 water gates.  I love working on these projects because they will actually have an impact on the farmers in the area in a positive way.  So many people's lives will be changed forever!

Victor Castro
DWC Volunteer Participant
Cambodia.  January, 27, 2015.

Monday, January 26, 2015

January 26, 2015: Arrival to Phnom Penh


Phnom Penh was nothing like anyone expected.  All the stores in the main area were all so Canadianized with English words.  We then later realized that kids are taught in school the English language.  It's very hard for people to find a job if they don't know how to speak English.  Yet it is so expensive to go to school for the children.  You're forced to buy the uniform, the supplies, snacks and on top of that, teachers make next to nothing so they make students pay for their textbooks and stuff.  You can't blame the teachers though because they do what they have to to pay the bills and support their families.   It hurts to see how happy everyone is when they have nothing.  But nothing is enough for them and that's what people don't realize.  We who live in Canada have everything compared to them.  We have no right to complain or be sad about what we don't have.  To wrap everything up from the first day, it was shocking.  I just hope that we can get a chance to find out more about the politics.

Kaitlin Mitchell and Yvonne Seles
DWC Volunteer Participants
Cambodia.  January, 2015.