Day Eight

It was our last full day in Sisaphon today and there were mixed emotions as we left the hotel this morning. It was the hottest of all the days we have had so far and, while everyone was excited to work with some of the kids we had met before, there was a general air of weariness.

It was a short, 30 minute drive to the school, Pchet, and when we arrived we were greeted by both staff and students. All members of the school, as well as police and community members had come to line the driveway, bearing gifts to give us a true Cambodian welcome. It was such a humbling and joyful way to begin our day and made everyone so excited to begin working.

As we walked through the tunnel of Cambodian people we were gifted with Leis, flower bouquets, love notes and drawings. Once we got inside the school grounds, we were then given coconuts to drink as we watched some traditional dances from the locals. Some of us even joined in which was a fantastic way to connect with the people we were working with and energise us.  

The team then split themselves into three small groups, based on talents and interests to determine who would be working in the different areas of the school for the day. A small group of our more creative students went into one of the classrooms and began sketching the outline for a mural. A group of the boys chose to help break up dirt and shovel it into flowerbeds nearby. The final group were given the task of entertaining the students with ball games and the like.

The mural was created based on the requests of the school students. The group of girls had decided to make a picture that spanned across 3 of the classroom’s walls, which depicted a typical Cambodian village. The image wrapped around the walls and finished with an ocean scene filled with dolphins, fish and other sea life. Most of the team from Rouse Hill popped in and contributed to different sections of the image, under the gentle instruction of Jasmine Isherwood. With the help of everyone, the mural was completed by about 3pm and looked absolutely incredible. It was a really rewarding way to leave a visible impact on the school and it’s learning environment.

“I spent the entire day at the school mixing paints and painting the mural. Kids came in and were fascinated to watch us paint, so we gave them colouring sheets to join in with us. It was awesome to see everyone join in and paint part of the mural, even if their strengths aren’t found in art.”

Hayley Chan

 

The students who helped to complete the flower beds worked incredible hard. Many of the boys had blisters all over their hands, but continued to work tirelessly despite the pain and heat. As a result of their commitment and teamwork, it took less than an hour to fill the beds with dirt. After lunch, the boys went back and planted some flowers and greenery to liven up the garden and help add to the beauty of the school.

“As much as I’ve enjoyed working with the children this trip, today was a welcome change for me. I appreciated the tasks that involved manual labour, both the gardening and digging as well as painting a mural. Personally, I love being able to watch a creation come together in a physical sense, with my own personal involvement only increasing this satisfaction.  ”  

Blake Allen

Team members who were not painting or planting were given the opportunity to play with the local students. We had brought with us some soccer and AFL balls, Frisbees and a parachute and crocheted balls. The team really enjoyed teaching the local children how to use each piece of equipment, and playing alongside them. There was so much joy around the school and you could hear the laughter wherever you went.

Towards the end of the afternoon, one of the teachers from Pchet brought out a large speaker and began to play some English music. The students from both Rouse Hill and Pchet instantly responded with dancing and singing. The music switched between English and Cambodian songs but, regardless of the language, everyone kept dancing with what seemed like increasing energy. It was so much fun that students were able to ignore the heat and continued dancing for well-over an hour.

“Today was my favourite day, I absolutely loved it. I spent all day outside playing with the children from Pchet Primary School. It was so rewarding to be able to spend a day with such beautiful children who were so happy and grateful. It was so cool to be able to create connections with kids who didn’t even speak the same language as me. I played soccer, AFL, had a dance party and met new kids every time. The realisation kicked in when we were leaving, I realised that I would never see these precious kids again and it made me quite emotional. When coming on the trip I never thought these kids would have such an effect on me personally, playing with these kids today, as well as every other day, has really changed me and my perspective on life for the better. I have learnt to appreciate what I have in life.”

Amelia Perring

 

We finished our last full day in Sisaphon with dinner at our regular restaurant. After returning, we had a debrief as a team and spent some time encouraging each other with ways we had seen service, commitment or selflessness. Although not everybody was mentioned by name, the entire team has done an incredible job at embracing Cambodian culture, accepting and caring for one another, and pushing themselves for the sake of service.

Our final service element of the trip will be tomorrow morning, where we will divide into two teams to build and install bio-sand filters. We are all incredibly excited for the final days but are also not-quite ready to head home.