Written by Levi, Southeast Asia Semester student
In collaboration with our non-profit partner Carpe Mundi
This last week, we traded our cushy, air-conditioned rooms in Siem Reap for cozy cabin beds with bug nets in (near?) Battambang. We stayed at Pteu Teuk Dong (PTD), a school that is part of a NGO focused on international education access and community development. We were welcomed and introduced to the program by program director, Rith, and teachers Hou and Visal, who spent the afternoon telling us about the organization, orienting us to the school, and planning our class involvement. We spent the week teaching and connecting with students and teachers in kindergarten, primary, and special needs classes and painting a mural near the entrance to the schoolyard, as well as enjoying a tour of the village and PTD’s nearby farm guided by Rith and Hou.
We also had an opportunity to tour and learn about Phare Ponleu Selpak, a NGO school/circus centered around the arts and making sure young creative minds are encouraged to pursue their goals regardless of their financial situation. We returned that evening to see their circus performance about a ghost woman (breathtaking, astounding!). We also had the privilege of touring a nearby temple and killing field, learning about the significance of the Well of Shadows and hearing firsthand memories of the Khmer Rouge from Bout La, a local tuktuk driver who was a very engaging and knowledgeable guide throughout the day. The day began with a little train ride and ended with a visit to a bat cave where we watched countless bats flow into the skies in a mesmerizing formation as the sun set.
The morning of march 10 was an emotional one, as we gave (somewhat tearful) goodbyes, loaded ourselves and our packs into tuktuks, and headed for the boats that would take us to our next home. While I’m excited to move on to our next adventure, I know I’m not the only one thats going to miss everyone at PTD.
Our Top Highlights of the Week:
🎶 Getting to see Jolly fulfill his dream of international music collaboration by partnering with local artists and young performers at Phare to film a music video for his original song “Ponleu.”
🕺🏽 Spontaneous dance parties and karaoke, and eating amazing food every day provided by the generous and accommodating kitchen staff at PTD, who we just can’t thank enough ❤️
But transformation always comes with opportunities for growth: What were our main challenges this week?
We faced some challenges in the classroom with a sudden jump into teaching (and a lack of knowledge about lesson planning) and while painting with unfamiliar supplies and some unclear instructions. We overcame these challenges as a group of artists in different specialties and got creative to come up with lesson plans and activities in class. We improvised some of the mural to get it all done on time.
A little gratitude this week: Something I’m very grateful for this week was the opportunity to connect more with the community when I was asked to collaborate with Hou and Sopor (the main teacher for and curator of the Special Needs Education program) to host a presentation and Q & A interview session for local families of children with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities. While the process of creating and engaging in the presentation was very involved and took up much of my time and energy, there were lots of side conversations with Hou and Sopor that taught me a lot about family, love, community, and perseverance on behalf of those most in need. I’m so grateful to have gotten to connect with so many amazing kids and engage with incredibly dedicated teachers and staff and see how much intention, thought, and love goes into developing and operating the most caring and development-centered SNE program I’ve experienced, at a school that shows how much community care can change and create positive outcomes for so many families. I think we’ve all learned a lot while teaching, painting, and exploring the community.
Until next time! ❤️ Spring 2023 Southeast Asia Semester
This semester’s cohort is brought to you by our non-profit partner, Carpe Mundi. Carpe Mundi works to empower low-income college students to embrace their full potential through international learning experiences and mentorship. Learn more here!
