We visited two different orphanages in the past couple of days, PIO and SFODA. Both of these orphanages are located right in the city and are completely different then CPO which is located on the country side - 40 minutes from the city. CPO is where we spend most of our time, however we visit orphanages like PIO and SFODA so that we can donate needed supplies and see a different view of their lives in Cambodia!
Our day started off with a trip to the famous market I have always talked about. It has an intense smell, interesting items for purchase, and major lack of organization. The look on my groups faces as they walked in was priceless! They had a look of fear, shock, and excitement all at once. Ha! So we were off, no turning back with our group of eleven all getting their chance at bargaining for an items such as pork, vegetables, fruits, etc.. It is not easy but for Cambodia Team 2's first time, they did awesome!
After we purchased our neccessary amount of food for the SFODA orphanage we headed in our tuk-tuks across town to meet these smiling faces and give them the donated supplies and the food we had purchased. It is always exciting when your tuk-tuk pulls up to a new orphanage with "goods" in hand - meaning your supplies but more importantly ourselves who are ready to love - and is greeted with hands, hugs, and questions from the children. The feeling that you receive is incredible! All my hard work and all the support from you at home is finally coming to fruition now. Wow! How cool is that?
SFODA has in terms of orphanage, great living conditons. Great living conditions at an orphanage in Cambodia, in my mind, is when each child living at the orphanage has a bed to themselves, has three meals a day, has a stable person running it, water, schooling, sanitary ways of living, and the ability to use the resources and support that volunteer's like us give them! I mean I never want to say living at orphanage is anything close to great but with the material things and the important things such as love coming from the heart - SFODA has everything. Thank you SFODA children and directors for allowing us to spend sometime with you!
Later in the day after going through the market once again to find more food and supplies for the orphanage to go along with our donated supplies, we headed to PIO. PIO is also located in the city but is not as glamorous as it sounds. To get to this orphanage I have to travel through a massive, overflowing trash dump to get here. Take one step off the trash, dirt, and water filled cracks, and you walk into a happy, talented, and love filled place. I mean despite it's unfortunate surroundings, this place is apsoluelty incredible. Their artistic skills, their abilty to dance - boys and girls, and their kindness is very enjoyable to be around. Some of the children great English some not, but as I have found not only at this orphanage but the others as well, that really there is no language barrier when you are smiling, nodding, and being open to love. Thank you PIO children/directors for opening your home to my friends and I and letting me dance until I had nothing left!!
As I mentioned before, hard work is something that really pays off here. Working hard before we get here allows us to do the things we do yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So, when we get the chance to do projects I am always all over it - especially here in Cambodia. When you work hard at something here around the children, it is like instant reaction and the need to help from them. Therefore, when they see us planting the garden or washing their clothes or taking the time to de-louse and show them personal hygeine skills they want to be apart of it. This is great because after we leave we will not be here to enforce it so we hope that they take the time and realize the importance so that the efforts are continued. Yes....another goal of CGA accomplished, teaching children to be self-sustainable. Check!!!!
Everything we are doing here is because we have great support back home! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! You are with me everyday during my work!!
xoxo
Anna
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