JM – Goducate … Go And Educate!

2011-02-252011-03-01

A glimpse into histories of kids at Goducate Children’s Home

Children have a unique way of showing their love. They come showing love with such simple purity. The children that we met at Goducate Children’s Home in Cambodia filled our hearts with their love. I went not knowing what to expect, not knowing what I could offer– and really I didn’t have much to offer! I had love and a few ideas of things to do with the children but not a whole lot else. I walked away
from my visit with my heart overflowing.

I saw faces of children and their outward appearance but I wanted to know who they were as a person. Obviously five days is not enough time to genuinely get to know people–but it does provide time to get a glimpse into their world.

Some friends encouraged us to take along a simple but fun activity for the children which involved team work and fun adventures around the compound. I started planning soon after arrival—what would we play, what equipment was available, how would I organize teams. The “Cambodian Challenge” was to be held the next day. So planning I did. I asked the leadership for help with names of children and ages—andthat helped me get to know names and ages and helped me to organize teams.

The event went really well, different from what we expected but the children had fun and that is what matters.

The Twins — Twins - Jacob & John, 14 years old

When helping in the schoolhouse, I saw twins and imagined that they were about 10 years old. I looked at my paper for the teams for the activity and thought wow, this says they are 14. Sure enough, they are 14.

I couldn’t understand how they could be so small, so thin, so little, but many factors must have contributed to this. Probably malnutrition when they were young brought them to this point.

Another boy, Mark was very similar. Looking like a 4 year old, we were stunned to find out that he is 8. Though the boys look small, they surely do not act small. In an arm-wrestling competition, the twins were difficult tobeat.

A girl whom I had the chance to talk with on a more personal level shared with me how she is the youngest of 13 children. Her father had passed away some time ago and her mother is helping at the Goducate center. Her older brother also lives at the Children’s Home. She told me that due to Pol Pot’s regime in the 1970s, 6 of her siblings died of starvation. You hear of starvation but when you meet someone who never had the chance to meet half of her family due to it,it becomes more personal. Things like this happen because of an evil man, following his evil pursuits.

Our time was brief at the Home but we walked away with hearts full, thankful for our glimpse into their lives of the children there and their world.

2011-02-23

Needles and thread: simple things but invaluable

I grew up learning to be resourceful. My mother was a fan of crafting and I inherited that gene. I learnt how to sew when I was young and have continued sewing for most of my life. I’ve found it to be an invaluable skill at times. It’s enjoyable to effortlessly re-attach that friend’s button to her blouse, or fix that hole in your brother’s sweater, or repair your own clothing.

In a mainstream society where clothes with holes are regarded as useless, it’s hard to imagine people actually taking the time to mend their clothes. However, during my recent visit to the Goducate Children’s Home in Cambodia, things were a bit different. I had picked up a few sewing kits during my travels and knew that there were enough needles to teach any who were interested.

LR-2145731 — What is he having fun sewing up?

LR-2145745 — Pleasure at having fixed his own pants

There I was, announcing to the children that we’d have a sewing class, and the boys and girls were already running to their dorms to get something to practise on—a treasure of theirs that had a hole and desperately needed fixing. Some of the items that the children brought seemed childish for their ages but we realized that these were probably a source of comfort for them. I was surprised by the boys’ response to this activity—they were more than eager to fix their “broken clothes” as they called them. Even the oldest boy brought a pile of pants that needed mending.

Once I had issued needles and thread, showed them how to tie the knot and make some starter stitches, they were off and did an excellent job. Many had seen their mothers mending clothes, but just needed reminders of how to do it. One 14-year-old boy fixed at least two pairs of pants. Job, a boy with a sweet personality fixed his sport coat that he wears nearly 24/7. There was joy on the children’s faces to see that they had accomplished something simple but something so special. Their precious possessions that had seemed broken, useless, even ruined, were now repaired and ready to be used again. This simple lesson not only brought joy to the children, but also a new skill that they can use whenever the need arises.

2011-02-21

Developing into independent individuals at Goducate Children’s Home in Cambodia

It was a Thursday morning, sleep was either not had or very minimal. We departed to the airport and left for Cambodia. A land I wished to visit for the past several years—the dream was surreal and coming true. We landed in a dry and weary land—poor and run-down could describe it. Upon arrival, we visited the Killing Fields—which gave us a glimpse of Cambodia’s not to distant past.

If you’ve never heard of the Killing Fields, take a moment to do some research to see what happened in the late 70s. The horrific events have severely wounded this country, and even after 30 years of rebuilding there are miles to go.

We headed out on a 4 hour drive to the Goducate Children’s home and as we bumped up the drive to our final destination, we all inhaled and gave a happy sigh, we’re here! Children came running to greet these foreigners that they had never met but would quickly get to know.

We unloaded a surplus of items that we carried for the home then got settled into the girls’ dorm, where we stayed for the next few days. We toured around the cozy campus seeing the different dorms, the dining facility, the learning center, and of course the playground area.

Throughout our stay there we had the opportunity to get to know some of the children, lead activities for them, and observe how the center works. One of the most striking elements of the home was the children’s behavior. I have never seen such well-behaved children in such numbers. The children were respectful, helpful, and eager to be there. The older children worked in harmony with the younger ones. They played together well, they studied hard, they displayed their love for life and their love for being at the Goducate Children’s Home.

Because a wall had recently been built around the compound, the children can roam around the compound during their free time. We were even given many exotic fruits that the children managed to pick for us. It was encouraging to see the children freely developing to be individuals, not a number, not trying to fit into a mold that had been created—they are each developing into independent individuals.

In time these children will grow to be the next generation of Cambodia. Through the nurturing environment of the Goducate Children’s Home I believe each child can reach his or her full potential to go and impact their hometown areas of Cambodia.