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.
