Volunteers Stories
Mike and Linda Stuart
In July 2009 we arrived in Siem Reap for a one-week vacation with Globe Aware. Part of the week included time at the Chres Village School and Orphanage. Upon arriving I was completely on cold feet, I was not aware that I was going to be a teacher. I am 16 years old and used to being a student. I was put in charge of the 11-18 year old students. Yes the kids found it quite funny that some of the students were in fact older than the teacher! On the first day I was quite nervous, but after being greeted with, “hello teacher, how are you?” I started to feel more at ease. The first day was filled with talking to each kid, finding out their name and where they were from and then eventually starting the first lesson. Time flew and the assistant actually had to tell me a couple of times that class was done.
After leaving the first day, I found my mind kept returning to the orphanage and how I could teacher better. What I will be doing tomorrow when I teach and what can I do to improve the orphanage. It was like a full time job, yet I found myself loving every moment of it. Upon returning for the second day, we were greeted by over twenty kids running towards the van. It made you feel as though you were a star, walking down the red carpet with everyone so happy to see you. Everyone was extremely thankful that we were there and our tour guide, Dine, continuously told us that we were doing a very good thing. But I think children at the orphanage gave me just as much, if not more, than I was able to give them. They gave me another view of life and a sense of happiness and strength that I don’t see very often. Their strength was what truly impressed me. I was aware that 49 of the kids living at the orphanage had lost their parents. Yet they weren’t depressed, filled with sorrow or sad at all. They were genuinely happy, especially when we played volleyball (or what they called basketball) and yet they were entirely focused while in class and were really there to learn. It was a remarkable change from the normal classroom of Concord High School, which I am used to.
Lots of love,
Mike, Linda Stuart, Math Specialist
