Volunteering among rice fields

After my arrival to the school and sleeping through all day because of food poisoning I woke up the next day into a beautiful morning.

Kim the teacher welcomed me in his house which is the school at the same time. There has been another 3 guys. Bim from Sri Lanka, Jerome from Holland and Jorice from France. All of them were super friendly and nice people.

First day we have been working on a garden. To make compost area and to plant some vegetables.

The palce was full of animals. Cows, dogs, cats, chickens, chiks, roosters, insect, geckos and sometimes you could catch a frog or a crab.

The place was a small village in the middle of rice fields and jungle.

Classes are almost everyday excluding a weekend and the kids are regurarly coming to learn new things. Any volunteer can teach the kids english. Animals, hours, human body, clothes, etc. Any topic you want. Kids have been put in age categories. Age 8-11 was having lessons before lunch and kids 11-16 after lunch.

During a day it was place for school. During a night it was a bedroom for cows.

Some days we were playing games with the children. Football, badminton and other fun games.

When there was enough laptops they could learn to write in Word or just how to paint.

Volunteers were still coming and leaving. During my time there another 6 girls came. 3 from Spain. Those left after 2 days and 2 girls from Hungary. They left after another 3 days. 1 girl stayed all week. She was from Germany. Respect to her.

This is Jorice with his dreadlocks.

Next 3 days we have been building a house for a poor family in that village. They have been sleeping for years just in a shelter that could barely be called a hut.

In that shelter was a dad and his daughter and 2 sons. Small kids from 3 to 7 years. Terrible view to see. I felt sick after seing that. I could not imagine how hard their life must be.

But after few days we managed to build a skeleton of a house.

I left shortly after this. But what I know is that the house is already completed and they live inside now.

Almost every night I was savagely attacked by these 3 kittens who made their bed on the top of my body.

And there is a glimpse of other animals.

There was a small lake about a 5 minute walk from the house. So we swam a lot.

On the last day I have decided to take a bike and head to the mountains to visit some pagodas a get a good view over the city. It was about 1,5 hour journey. Under the heating sun of 35°C. What a great idea! But I thought what the hell... just get some more experience. So I did.

On the way back my bike broke down twice. First time I managed to fix loose chain easily. For the second time it was really bad and I could not ride anymore. So as I way pushing my borrowed bike 3 ladies stopped me and told me to go to their house that they will fix my bike. I had troubles to believe it but it really happened. They pulled up some tools and started repairs. After 10 mins it was done. And addition to that they gave me some fruits for my travels. Ahhh... I love Cambodia!

After coming back. I just wanted to relax and to see my last sunset over there. Can't believe they are so beautiful. So I was sitting among rice fields looking at a sunset listening to some music when Kania with her little sister came to watch it with me. It was so nice. I hope I will never forget it.