Finding True Happiness in Cambodia

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Education and Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Divya Jamdagni

To sum up, teaching at PIO has been a life changing experience. After getting off the plane 4 weeks ago I never would have guessed what was waiting for me on this exciting journey. Being the first time I had been travelling, by myself, overseas this adventure has been greatly rewarding.

For a person travelling for the first time, alone, and to a country overseas, Antipodeans is definitely a rewarding and exhilarating opportunity. Not only to engage in a great international volunteering experience but also for personal growth. With trips where you are thrown into a situation with no other option but to adapt, the end result is eye-opening and full of memorable moments. These moments (if you’re as lucky as I have been) are shared memories with the other travellers in your group that you will never forget. Not only do you get to meet like-minded people with travellers wanderlust and a passion for volunteering, but also you will find a new group of friends who you probably never would have met if it hadn’t been for the Antipodeans program.

The group of 6 girls that I’ve gotten to meet and share stories with has definitely been a highlight for this trip. If it hadn’t been for them this program definitely would have lacked a particular element of fun that could only be made possible by the craziness of Balpreet, Isabelle, Julia, Nami and Sunny.

I’ve never felt so glad to have meshed so well with a group of girls in such a short period of time. Special shout out to my teaching partner Isabelle, couldn’t have asked for anyone better! Antipodeans has provided me with an international volunteer opportunity that has definitely let me learn so much about myself while also creating a new perspective from which I am able to view the world.

Just by watching and participating in simple school activities such as sports and life skills, I have gained a new appreciation as to what it means to live your life simply, savour every moment, and treasure what you have. The fact that the PIO school has emerged from a former dump site is astounding, the progress that they have made shows the dedication of the school and is definitely a motivator for volunteers to continue wanting to work with the children. The overflowing happiness of the children is also overwhelming.

The true happiness that radiates through them when they see you, learn something new or get something correct is absolutely worth every bad feeling of ‘funny tummy’ that you experience on your trip.
Despite some illness, mosquito bites and the constant question of “lady you want tuk-tuk” you are gifted the chance to see some spectacular sights and true happiness in the eyes of children who have so little but have so much to offer the world. Antipodeans has given me wonderful chance to broaden my horizons and I would definitely encourage others to grab onto this opportunity with both hands and never let go!

5 must do's In Palampur

COUNTRY: Peru
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Healthcare
WRITTEN BY: Shannon Hickey

Top 5 ‘must-dos’ when volunteering in Palampur


- A long weekend trip to Manali – Have dinner at Johnsons and spend a day at Solang Valley. Don’t pass up the horse ride to the temple; for 500 rupees it’ll be a definite highlight of the entire trip.

- Buy a big box of mixed sweets at Gobind Sweets – The Gulab Jamun and Coconut Burfi were crowd favourites. While you’re there grab a few samosas as well!

- Market shopping at Dharamsala – The scarves are particularly beautiful but don’t forget to barter! A walk to the waterfall while you’re there is well worth the effort for the magnificent photo opportunities.

- Hang out on the rooftop of the volunteer house – When the sky is clear grab a yoga mat and your camera to practice your downward dog with a Himalayan backdrop.

- Embrace everything as a learning experience – It’s really easy to get stressed by how different life is in Palampur to Australia and many of us found our expectations quite different to the reality. The most essential ‘must-do’ of all while you are here is to leave your expectations at home and enjoy India for everything that it is, rather than becoming fixated on what you had thought it would be.

Settling In To Working Life In Timor Leste

 COUNTRY: Timor-Leste
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health Science
WRITTEN BY: Talita, Jocelyn and Alice - University of Queensland

Saturday
After an emotional morning farewell (Ruth didn’t believe we would get up for her – we love you Ruth!), the CNR bus arrived at our hotel for an adventure to Maubara. Little did we know, the treacherous nature of the roads that we would face in the 17 seater bus - the CNR staff played on our emotions as they encouraged us to get photos of the cliff that was less than a metre away. Despite this, they treated us to a fantastic day at the beach (pigs and all) as well as a wander through the local markets, an exhilarating 4WD competition and topped it off with a visit to Pope John Paul for sunset. We can’t move on without a massive shout out to Bec’s husband, Kane, who filled his carry-on for the weekend full of muesli bars and vegemite chocolate – you do not know what this means to us!

Sunday
We slept in. After an action packed few weeks, we revelled in the opportunity to relax for a bit and get some work done on the presentations that we are to present next week. We fit in a morning stroll to Santa Cruz cemetery – a sombre moment amongst the hustle and bustle as we gained a greater understanding of the sad history and suffering of the community.

Monday
The Occupational Therapy students had the opportunity to accompany the CNR Community Based Rehabilitation team staff to clients’ homes in the Dili region. This valuable experience provided a better understanding of the home environment of our clients to help guide our planning of therapy and goals. We were warmly welcomed into the homes, but it was a sad moment to learn that one of the clients does not leave her room due to disability and spends her days sitting. We recognised several areas in which therapy could help her and encouraged the CBR staff to get her to CNR for treatment. Monday night, it was time to break out the Vegemite chocolate, and to our surprise, it wasn’t half bad. At least it was almost as good as the mung bean muesli bars the Speechies decided were fabulous (definitely give these a go!).

Tuesday
Everyone is starting to relax and become more comfortable with each other, which is a good and bad thing. The good is that the teams are working well and we are becoming a fully functional IP team (/BFFs 4eva). The flip side is that pranks have started, and certain members of our team are one up, as another member returned home to find they could not reach their bed as their floor was covered in water filled saucepans. Retribution has not yet been received.

Wednesday
After a generally positive morning, we had an emotional afternoon. After giving a modified chopping board to a very grateful patient, we had a teary goodbye as she’d been treated at CNR for the last 5 years. This was followed by an upsetting realisation about the differences in medical treatments here compared to back home in Australia. A young teenager had a severely displaced femur that had not been operated on, and presented at CNR for physiotherapy. Unfortunately, the recommended management is surgery, and in the absence of that, there was very little we could do. This awakening to the reality of developing countries was upsetting to most, as it was probably the first scenario where we felt utterly helpless.

Thursday
Everyone was really upset that NSW didn’t win Origin, but had enjoyed the mid-week break at a restaurant watching the footy. The last clinic day for the week was spent working with clients and finalising the program for our presentations next week. The presentations revolve around areas of our professions that the staff at CNR had requested information about. These include: cerebral palsy, safe feeding, stages of play and gait retraining. We are very much looking forward to passing on this information in a more formal setting.

Friday
A district visit was again planned for today, where we attended a private NGO funded health clinic in Hera; a short drive East of Dili. We were taken through the clinic, and spoke to the Cuban doctor about the challenges he faces. Some of these challenges included the lack of resources, the isolation, the large number of people that he services (177 families), and the fact that whenever it rains and the river flows, they get flooded in. Paulo then took us to his composting centre, the first, and only, of its kind in Timor. Throughout the drive, we experienced our first attempted hitchhiker trying to join us in the mikrolet; the Timorese are very competent in stepping into moving vehicles.
Tonight will be a quite night as we prepare for our 60km, 6 hour journey to climb Mt Ramelau on Sunday morning.

ECU Nursing Students Conduct Eye Clinics in Indonesia

COUNTRY: Indonesia
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Nursing
WRITTEN BY: Casey Samiotis, Edith Cowan University

Life changing interventions amongst the most breathtaking backdrops: A different side to Bali life than most of us have seen as tourists and a unique and privileged opportunity.

The first morning after a late night arrival, we met our attentive and dedicated guide "Little Wayan" and our trusty support crew Dian, Anom & Rosa (3 nursing students from Stikes University to act as our translators) as well as our in country support Gonsalo & Wiwi.



The first 3 days were spent in Siangan village, approx. 45 minutes drive from our hotel. As we entered the village we were met with inquisitive and welcoming faces. Locals welcomed us in to their homes, where Wayan introduced us to the traditional Balinese way of living.

Experienced staff were conducting eye screenings for up to 300 people, and providing glasses and cataract assessments all free of charge. The first few days involved assisting John Fawcett Foundation (JFF) staff with eye tests and observing fascinating and almost unbelievable cataract surgeries from the bus-turned-mini-operating-theatre. Having undergone cataract surgery the previous day, some patients even rode their scooters in for their post-op assessment. Each day we have enjoyed delicious traditional food cooked and personally delivered by Wayan's wife. One of these days we were invited to eat in the family home of the chief of the community.

We also had the opportunity to work alongside a large group of Stikes University students conducting general health checks for local people from another small village. We hit the ground running quickly, learning the variations in assessment techniques.

We visited the JFF office where we were lucky enough to meet CEO, LeRoy Hollenbeck and founder John Fawcett. Here we learnt more about the foundation's history and proposals for the future. We were told that there was an increase in locals presenting for assessments after word got out that there were foreign nurses coming to the village. Everybody, from local students to the policeman, wanted our photo to remember the occasion.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be involved in such admirable work for such deserving people. As John Fawcett explained, there are not many interventions that can be as affordable, fast, effective and life changing as cataract surgery.

We are looking forward to a weekend break and heading in to the next part of the adventure at Wangaya government hospital.

Link below to the JFF video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLeQYbTjp3E&feature=youtu.be

Griffith University Nursing Students Provide Valuable Healthcare and Promotion in Laos

COUNTRY: Laos
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Nursing, Health Promotion
WRITTEN BY: Amy Bennett, Griffith University

The day had finally arrived! The third and final group of nursing students from Griffith University were ready to travel over 13, 000 km to Laos to conduct health clinics and health education in the villages along the Seaung River Valley. After 10 hours of travel, our group of 16 students and 4 teachers met up with our wonderful guides at Luang Prabang airport where we were packed into tuk tuks and whisked away to our first stop of the trip, where we met up with group B!

We spent the weekend in Luang Prabang relaxing and taking in the sites. Sunday morning saw us packing the tuk tuks and beginning the 4 hour ride to our village homestay, which was nestled right on the river and surrounded by beautiful, lush mountains! We received a warm welcome from the children of the village and the chief who were all overjoyed to see us!


After settling in to our homestays, exploring our home of the next 6 days and working out the squat toilets, it was time to get down to the business of sorting through our clinic items and donation bags, ready to begin our work with villages who have had little or no access to healthcare.

The 5 clinic days saw us learning, educating and delivering basic health care to an overwhelming number of people and experiencing how the majority of the world lives first hand!

The end of week 1 saw us saying goodbye to our village homestay and saying hello to our home in Pak Xeng for the next 5 days. Our home in Pak Xeng saw us delivering clinics and health promotion to a number of remote villages along the river and up into the mountains!

On our first day in Pak Xeng, the team was woken up to the loudest wedding in history! Pak Xeng was bustling with guests and visitors and our team of 20 as we explored the town. The weather, which we were becoming accustomed to, was refreshingly cool in the morning and warm during the day which made for the perfect day to relax and prepare for the next 4 days of clinics. Tuesday was one of our busiest days at clinic with the assessment teams assessing and treating 104 patients and conducting health checks on an unknown number of infants, children and extended family members. Wednesday saw our group travel up into the mountains to reach the villages of Nong Kham, Nad Kham and Houay Wat.

The trip into these villages took over an hour in the mornings, which meant early starts for the group. Although it was early, the drive up into the mountains was amazingly picturesque! We travelled up above the level of the clouds and often caught the sunrise on the way up. The roads and weather proved challenging for our experienced tuk tuk drivers with one breaking down twice on the way up the mountains! These drives up the mountain were when we experienced some seriously cold weather with temperatures nearing single digits! The four clinics saw us assessing, health-checking and treating over 400 local people which was an amazing effort from our team of students, facilitators, interpreters and health care workers!

Our third week began by returning to Pak Xeng after a wonderful 3 days relaxing, shopping and doing the ‘tourist thing’ in Luang Prabang. With two clinics left, the group was beginning to realize it was coming to an end. Monday’s clinic saw us returning to the mountains in bitterly cold weather to the highest village on the trip.

The clinic was conducted in a one-room hall, which was bustling, loud and at times chaotic. The return to Pak Xeng in the mid-afternoon saw the group being invited to Pak Xeng High school to be guests at a cultural event and dance. The students graciously danced with us and taught us a number of Lao dances. The night also saw our group singing and dancing for the students with our rendition of the national anthem and the Macarena.

We returned to the high school the next day, with half of our group conducting sexual education sessions, and the remaining students conducting the clinics. Before we began, we were welcomed by the students, teachers and the director of Pak Xeng high school. We were presented with certificates of appreciation and in turn, we presented the students with three donation bags for the students who spend the week living in the ‘dormitory’ accommodation at the school.

Our Final Memories in Cambodia

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: University of Newcastle Nursing Placement
WRITTEN BY: Justine Nicholson and Nikki Smith

Our group spent the weekend in Siem Reap, which was a new and exciting experience for all of us. Temples, temples and more temples! We watched the sunrise at Angkor Wat, which was well worth the early start and the wait for the sun to come up through the clouds. This was followed by climbing the stairs of Angkor Wat for a majestic view and exploring the city of Angkor Thom and its three temples. It was also great to spend the afternoon in Ta Prohm, which placed us right in the middle of Tomb Raider. Equally as spectacular was the sunset at Angkor Wat which some of the group got to enjoy. We flew back to Phnom Penh on Sunday ready for our second round of health assessments at a new venue.

Day 16
We travelled to a different part of town where our next placement was situated. We all got a shock as we walked down the alley toward where we would be spending the next 4 days. We were introduced to the co-ordinator who educated us about the organisation and its aims to help the surrounding community to stop child sex trafficking and educate those in need. Their objectives also include education for work and improving living standards of the surrounding community.

On the first day, we were told we would be seeing around 50 kids in the morning and 50 in the afternoon. As the day went by it became clear that the differences in health needs for this community were much different to our first placement. We also had the opportunity to undertake health care assessments on women as old as 97 and babies as young as 2 months old. The reality of the poor health in this community made us grateful for the healthcare in Australia by comparison.

For Australia Day we organised with our hotel to have a BBQ. We invited our new Cambodian friends, who were our interpreters, to join our fun. This was the first time they had experienced an Australia Day celebration. We enjoyed the BBQ with fresh prawns, BBQ beef, pork and vegetables and Cambodian beer. We also made lamingtons with the ingredients we had access to and some very creative chefs! A great night was had by all and it was a great opportunity to show another culture how we celebrate our beautiful country.

Day 17 and 18
We continued our work, learning some valuable lessons about paediatric care, as well as the value of our limited resources to a community with reduced health care opportunities. In addition to our general health checks, some of the team also provided excellent oral and hand hygiene and baby washing education sessions for all ages. We are finding the work quite liberating. Together we are battling the heat, different emotions, varied health issues coming to our door, and the challenging opportunities to provide some treatment for these beautiful Cambodian people.

On Wednesday night we had our final group dinner. Here we presented our in-country partner, Linda, with her first ever bunch of flowers, and all of the interpreters with a group photo of our entire team from Australia Day.

Day 19
With some of the money fundraised within the team, we were able to provide the organisation with a new fridge, medicine cabinet, various medical equipment, 30 tetanus and 3 rabies vaccinations, and money to fund transportation of sick children to the hospital. The happiness of all the staff and community was overwhelming for all of us. We were also been able to finalise our donations and sponsorships to various organisations after speaking with founders and directors earlier this week.

We all got to enjoy our last night out in Phnom Penh. We savoured our last taste of traditional Khmer food, and many ventured to the local theme park for some fun!

Day 20

The final day was bitter sweet. Many of us left for home, with the exception of a few adventurers. However, none of us are quite ready to leave this amazing country and our amazing new friends! All of the interpreters woke up bright and early to give the most heart-warming send off - right up to the entry of the airport! After this experience we are all heading home feeling proud and with a sense of achievement for making an impact on the lives of so many deserving people.

WE WILL MISS YOU CAMBODIA!

Update from Newcastle Uni students in Cambodia

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: University of Newcastle Nursing Placement
WRITTEN BY: Justine Nicholson and Nikki Smith

After a long hard week last week we all enjoyed a weekend relaxing and going on tours and of course doing some shopping. It was back to work on Monday though, we were eager to continue the health checks on the children at the school.

During the afternoon we needed to collect the data and put it into the database the school had provided for us to analyse. We all enjoyed the afternoon sitting around the pool and entering data for a few hours (Cambodian time). Not all the data was able to be entered in one go as we had already seen over 800 students, but we planned to finish it the following day as we only had one more class to visit.

Tuesday was our last day at the school. It was bitter sweet. Our last class were kindergarten, the kids of which were incredibly cute, sweet and trusting. After this we enjoyed walking around and playing with the children and discovering more places around the school. During the afternoon we were able to enter the rest of the data and enjoy a dinner out together at a Japanese buffet (with a Cambodian twist!). This dinner has left quite an impression on us all and we would love to find them in Australia.

On Wednesday we were able to enjoy a day off to regroup and relax before going to the Russian hospital on Thursday. We had a tour around the hospital which really made us appreciate the health care system we have at home. In saying this, it was also good to see the difference between the health care systems and even be slightly surprised at their level of cleanliness and professionalism. After this we were privileged enough to visit the Technical School of Medical Science which is one of our interpreters previous schools. We got to meet current students and teachers to discuss the difference between education in Cambodia and Australia.

Tomorrow we are all very excited to be heading to Siem Reap for our long weekend to enjoy the historical sight of Angkor Wat and its surroundings.

This week has been much more relaxed but we are all still learning and developing skills and knowledge of health abroad everyday, enjoying the experiences of Cambodia.

Week 2 in Siem Reap for JCU volunteers

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Education
WRITTEN BY: Delia Koelman, James Cook University

Week Two in Siem Reap has been just as full on and exciting as week one, with lots of new adventures while still working hard at school. The girls were privileged to be given the opportunity to visit the homes of some students as part of the photobook project.

“Going into the homes of the students was a great experience. Their homes are simple but the people are humble and content. Every home we went to we were welcomed into, and we were offered to share in what little people had. It was good to learn more about the lives of our students, which helped us in building working relationships with them.”

On Wednesday a couple of us were also treated to some local Khmer food, made by the staff at the school. It was nice to share the time and food with the staff at the school.
The rest of the girls worked on getting to know their students and teachers, and were challenged with planning their lessons for the topic for each class. Many of the older students at the school were excited to go on an outing to buy soccer boots with a donation made by another volunteer at the school. Now the boys each have their own pair of brand new boots to wear for their Sunday soccer games. Next week the students are looking forward to a visit from people from the landmine museum, and a puppet play to be put on by some of the students.

This weekend was filled with lots more exciting adventures. Alana set off for Laos on Friday afternoon, and spent her weekend elephant riding, hiking and exploring lots of beautiful waterfalls. Back in Siem Reap, the girls went quad bike riding, which was exhilarating and also a great opportunity to see some of the more remote villages in countryside Siem Reap. Other exciting events from the week included horse riding, visiting the floating villages, and going to see the incredible circus which was a trip highlight for many people.

Griffith University team wrap up in Laos

COUNTRY: Laos
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Nursing, Health Promotion
WRITTEN BY: Jourdan Lofthouse, Griffith University

All good things come to an end, right? Well in our case, that's half correct. Group A have now left Laos leaving Group B to pick up where we left off. Group B will go deeper into the mountains and brave the cold.

Group A saw a total of 1350 villagers in some 10 villages. The most common complaint was back and neck pain (from farming for hours on end). We saw around 40 pregnant mothers and gave a month supply of folic acid and iron. Jess, midwifery student was able to perfect her auscultation skills without the mod cons we are normally afforded in Australia. I know you are wondering about the two patients we sent to Luang Prabang to get treated. Well so are we! The hernia repair and cataract removal have been completed but yet to know of the recovery process.

Group B will be following this closely and providing further assistance in the form of medication and pain relief when they arrive. The goodbye and bhasee ceremony was an incredible spiritual journey of health and happiness well wishes. It was sad to say goodbye but so rewarding to know we made such a huge impact.

On reflection, we learnt the correlation between education and health is strongly linked. It is our dream that one day each and every villager will have access to primary healthcare. It is a basic human right that is so easily forgotten when living in such a fortunate country. Although our impact was small, it won't ever be forgotten.

Thank you Laos for your hospitality and kindness, we look forward to returning when we are fully fledged Registered Nurses!

Jourdan and the Griffith University team

Griffith University in Laos

COUNTRY: Laos
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Nursing, Health Promotion
WRITTEN BY: Jourdan Lofthouse, Griffith University

The day finally arrived, the day we were all waiting and planning for: the day our journey began. There was excitement, tears, laughter, joy and nerves as we went down the departure escalator at Brisbane International Airport. We made it to Bangkok on the very first day of the Kings Birthday celebrations. The night sky was filled with an array of beautiful night lights and the streets were buzzing with life. After a good nights rest we were on our way to Luang Prabang, Laos. The descent amongst the mountains and rice fields was truly magical. It was a touchdown, our home for the next three weeks.

We were greeted with open arms by Chipsing, Kk and Kl our interpreters. The open-air trucks were stocked with our bags, clinic supplies and donations before departing to the city centre. We were given a city tour and visited a local temple built in the 1500s. Kk myth busted the pronunciation of Laos as we learnt that the S is in fact not silent. Lao people and language is pronounced without the S.

It was our last chance to use a Western toilet and a hot shower. We were just two hours away from our first week of placement in Pak Xeng village. Face masks and scarves in hand, we began our journey along the windy, dusty road. It was teeming with life as we passed through the many villages. We saw children lining up in the distance as they prepared for our arrival. We walked through a welcome line of flowers and songs as the village cheered our arrival. The chief and healthcare workers welcomed and thanked us for supporting them over the past 6 years.

We were then placed in our home stays and given our beds on the ground. A few toss and turns worked a treat before exhaustion kicked in. Our first day of clinic saw our language abilities quickly improve. The word 'jip' meaning pain became a commonly used word. We gave analgesics for manual handling related injuries as the farmers worked hard to harvest their crops. Health promotion on the importance of pre-stretching and correct body position were also shown.

A young 8 year old girl with a peculiar white right eye lens was sent to Luang Prabang with donation money. After a few attempts at getting her on a local tuk tuk into town (they fill to the brim!) and blood tests we were told that she would have to wait until next week. It appears to be a cataract that can be treated for around $400. We are also sending a chief of a village with a hernia to be repaired next week. We'll know the outcomes next week and I hope to be the bearer of great news when they come!

Week 2 has seen our amazing group cumulatively treat 500 people! This nursing placement is all about learning, right? We've learnt some important new clinical skills, as well as how to live by the chilled 'Laos time'. Our group also learnt that Laos was once the land of a million elephants. We went on a day trip and discovered that elephants really like water and will dunk you at any chosen time! We saw incredible waterfalls and rode on elephants in their natural habitat. Yesterday saw us rafting down the white waters of the Mekong Delta on bamboo slabs. Luckily, we had locals steering us or I'm sure we would have ended up in the South China Sea! We will head out for our last week of placement this afternoon after one last hot shower and Western toilet.

Apoh village is around 3 hours by open air tuk tuk from the city and apparently quite the picture. We look forward to sharing our last blog with you next week.

Until then, soktee!

Jourdan and the Griffith University team

A short but sweet update from Nepal

COUNTRY: Nepal - Pokhara
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Community Healthcare, Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Katrina Beck Harris

Namaste!

Our third week in Nepal has been eventful! Last weekend we took a three-hour bus ride to Trishuli River, where the group went white water rafting. The rafting itself was daring (there was a slightly traumatic capsizing incident!), but was set alongside some beautiful mountainous scenery. The rest of the weekend was spent in Lakeside going swimming to cool down as well as more soccer with the Tashi Ling girls. The group has well and truly settled in to the community and are now making frequent trips to the lovely Tibetan jewellery and antique stands.

The teaching placements have been steady. Those who have taught this week have continued to focus on Australian culture and work on English vocabulary. At the hospital, the radiography students have continued to have full on, interesting days. The nursing students had good feedback from their presentations but the reality of actually implementing change is confronting. This week we go into our final few days of placement and two of the nurses are heading to Kathmandu this week to work in a hospital, which is very exciting!

This past weekend has been spent at Chitwan National Park. There we did a HEAP of things, including: seeing a culture show, going on canoe rides, jungle walks, having a bath with the elephants, and a jeep safari! The next day we had an early morning elephant ride before heading back home. We were lucky that the weather was really nice for the trip. A few of the group then hiked up to the Peace Pagoda (top photo), which is the Buddhist temple. It was a stunning view of the mountains and Pokhara. We sadly only have a few days left in Tashi Ling before we explore Kathmandu for the last couple of days.

Until next time,

Katrina

Volunteering in Cambodia

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Healthcare
WRITTEN BY: Amy Kay

Last week was very busy on placement! The girls on home visits did a brilliant job of collating all the information collected by the previous group into tables and lists, then buying everything from the local market or pharmacy and packing items to be distributed to each household. With money that has been fundraised we had been able to provide everyone in the MHDC community (153 houses) with a toothbrush and soap per person, a tube of toothpaste per 3 people and either a blanket, mat or mosquito net. More items such as water filtration systems (a terracotta pot in a bucket) wheelchairs, walking frames, extra clothes and baby formula have been bought for those families that need them.

We rotated groups at the end of the week, so some of us had the privilege of beginning delivery on Friday. The gratitude shown by these amazing families is incomparable. One man saw us and immediately tried to set up chairs for us all! Another young disabled boy was given a new wheelchair and his smile and silent amazement was a beautiful thing to witness. The people are so generous and have the biggest hearts with the little that they have.

Volunteering at the village school has been challenging but amazing. The feeling of standing in front of a class of 50 kids so eager to learn, with nothing to hide behind (as lesson plans go completely out the window!) is scary, but incredible. I know that everyone would agree that even with a teaching degree behind you, nothing prepares you for the flexibility and spontaneity required to teach over here.

We have now begun prepping the classroom for painting, which is very exciting. The girls teaching at the school have asked the kids to draw some pictures so they can be involved in the process too.

On Wednesday we had dinner at Soria Moria with the translators and Dayvy. Every dish and drink is $1! That night, Morgan, Meg, Ella and Lauren took the bus to Sihanoukville, where they spent hours in the ocean on beautiful beaches, relaxing and restoring energy for the week ahead. At the end of the week Vara from Antipodeans came to see us on placement and then we had dinner with her at Angkor Amazon. It was great to be able to talk and share our experiences with her.

On the weekend we went to Battambang, which was lots of fun! We rode on a bamboo train which literally consists of a narrow train track, a set of two steel wheels and a bamboo platform! We also climbed 300 steps up to Wat Banan Temple, which was absolutely beautiful. Sunday was spent recuperating and resting for our final week of placement!