LEARNING JOURNEYS
Camp Beng Pae , Cambodia Out of the six days spent in Cambodia , we spent the first half of the trip in a rural village , sleeping in longhouses , eating in a hut with a straw roof , and cooking our own breakfast .
The villagers have limited access to clean water , so our main job was to help build wells . We hauled buckets of dirt out of a four-metre-deep well using a pulley supported only by cut branches , and lowered large concrete rings into the well . We dug trenches , made our own cement , and tried our hand at bricklaying . It was backbreaking work , but we had our friends to back us up - the bonds we forged and the laughter we enjoyed got us through the hard work . We left with aching muscles , but also fond memories .
We had the chance to interact with the villagers ; playing two football matches with them , giving out clothes to villagers we met on the way , and going to the school to give out stationeries , clothes , and toys . We had a village tour where we visited households and witnessed the fruits of labour from the previous groups who visited the villagers . We also received a water blessing from two monks aged only 14 and 15 at the temple , and learnt about the Cambodian greetings and culture .
The second half of our trip was spent at Siem Reap . Angkor Wat itself is a sight to behold - built entirely out of stone , its size and the intricate carvings on the stone walls offer an insight into the painstaking effort taken to build it .
Our experience at the village was humbling . We discovered how hard the Cambodians work to get food and shelter . What we did for only two days , they have to do for their entire lives . The little that the Cambodians have , the immense gratitude that the villagers and children showed us when we gave them donations , and the heart-wrenching experience of having no more to give to expectant children was a reminder of how prosperity is not guaranteed , and how we need to treasure what we have .
US with some of the children after the campfire
JOSEPHIAN ANNUAL 2018 75