The First Two Days

Saturday, June 16^th began with a very helpful and greatly appreciated Khmer Language lesson from Meng, our incredible translator. After, we piled into two tuk tuks and were exposed to the busy city of Phom Penh. When arriving the previous night, we witnessed Cambodia as a relatively calm city where only a few people drove down the narrow streets. However, the tuk tuk ride proved that Phom Penh was anything but tranquil. The traffic of many motos and other tuk tuks combined with the many little shops lined up directly on the side of the road showed us the rush of the city that comes with a developing city.

We then came to first of three stops for the day, the S-21 Prison. This historic site was where Pol Pot tortured 12,000 people, leaving only seven survivors. As we walked through each building, pictures, torture weapons, and small cells told the story of the vicious acts committed by Pol Pot during the Khmer Rouge Genocide. Actually standing where innocent individuals were tortured caused my stomach to turn, making me feel sick. To my surprise, one of the seven followers was at S-21prison and encouraged us to take pictures with him and read his book. He himself spoke with the CIA and helped the world comprehend what really happened in the years 1975- 1979.

Our second stop was the Killing Fields. After being tortured in the prison, prisoners were brought to these fields and were buried in mass graves. The women were often killed naked as the children and infants were swung against trees. It was nerve racking to walk through both the prison and the killing fields. Hearing what happened to the many innocent people is both terrifying and aggravating. Learning about the history of Cambodia and the genocide, however, is very important. The “revolution” that took place not too long ago is the reason for the breaks in the family lineages, intense poverty; and can be used as a contributing factors as to why there are so many orphanages here in Cambodia.

The third stop of the day was a much more positive, uplifting visit. This stop was the orphanage. As planned, many of the orphans would be in school and we would have tour of the orphanage. We were incorrect, for we were instead greeted and embraced by all of the orphans. As the tuk tuks approached the orphanage, children poured out of the doors and onto the street, welcoming us with beautiful laughs and precious hugs. The rest of the afternoon, we were able to meet the kids and give them well deserved love.

As an individual, I didn’t expect the orphanage to be so welcoming. The children were so grateful and gave us immediate acceptance and love the second we arrived. It is not what I expected, but instead so much better. Their English is amazing and the boys were excited to teach us more of the Khmer language. Pictures from last year’s groups hung on the wall, and were presented to us by the orphans. When hearing that we were close friends with the volunteers from last year, their faces lit up and they wanted to hear more. I had the opportunity to talk to most of the children today, meeting them and learning their names. They asked us to play games with them and encouraged us to tell them more about ourselves. It was an extremely rewarding, informative first day.

Sunday, June 16^th was a memorable day. Today, we had the opportunity to spend the whole day at the orphanage where we thoroughly met the kids, began cleaning the orphanage, and deloused every single child.

The cleaning consisted of sweeping the floor, scrubbing the bathrooms, and organizing the cubbies that each child occupies. Ben Maslan, a fellow volunteer, and I were assigned to clean the cubbies. Although we found a few disgusting things, it was really incredible to see how little each child had, but how much they valued their few possessions. The children took pride in markers that no longer worked and shoes that weren’t in pairs. This alone illustrated how the simplicity and extreme poverty of a developing country allows the kids to appreciate each and every experience they encounter. This showed me that we must be mindful and utterly grateful for the things we have, while living every day to its fullest.

We also deloused every head and gave most of the girls and a few of the boys miniature manicures. As each child was cleaned, you could see the immediate change in character. The children automatically grew happier as they were deloused and washed. As the day at the orphanage drew to an end, we were able to play with the kids. This included making bracelets, playing exhausting games of tag, and teaching the kids some English in return for some Khmer.

Today and yesterday were both extraordinary, eye opening experiences in which prepared us for the trip and introduced us to the country and orphanage. I am excited to see what comes next and how we can further impact and change the lives of the orphans.