Like in every project, no execution nor targets can be met without any sophistication management, processes, and proactive approach.

“Behind the scenes”, where PSE kids cannot see, there are four teams, Organization, Logistics, Accounting and Communication, that have worked relentlessly during the past weeks to make the 2022 Winter Programmes possible. Striving and supervising the well-functioning of the School Continuity Programme, as their duty.

In the first place, the Logistics Team, managed from the beginning by Gonzalo and afterwards by Santi, started long before the Projects begun to ensure that every possible action and risk has been considered. Some of the essential tasks of the Logistics Team are the following: from the accommodation for the volunteers, going through the outings for the children (strongly fought to get the best prizes and free activities), materials, feeding, transportation, among others. Without them, the School Continuity Programme could not take place. As Santi says “you do not work so closely with kids or instructors, but you get to have a closer look of how PSE works. It is very operational, and you learn a lot from the problems that you might find each day”.

The Accounting Team, led by Fati, has the objective of showing transparency and keeping count of the expenses of the Programme. Even though there is a fixed budget for each Project, needs may change throughout the course of the Programme. Therefore, Fati makes sure that the money assigned to each Team is correctly and efficiently spent and justified. Both the Accounting and the Logistics Team are constantly in contact with the coordinators, as well as with PSE departments.

In the third place, the Communication Team works with the aim of raising awareness and advocacy about what is being done in each Project. The photographer, Nico, creates content for the blog as well as for the annual calendar, events, flyers and social media. María, along with Khmer coordinator Phim, write the daily posts for the blog and social media. This allows PSE to reach more people, to attract more sponsors and volunteers and to, in conclusion, show the world a peak of what PSE does for our children.

Last, but not least, the organization team is the backup of the whole Programme. The supervisors, Elena and Luis, oversee the organization´s processes to make sure that the rules are being followed, that the volunteers are doing a good job and that the children are not only enjoying but learning. Elena and Luis work side by side with the coordinators to ensure the correct development of each project. Beyond the day-to-day running of the activities, they have an overview of the project, review the planning and act as the coordinators’ advisors. In addition, they work closely with Pablo, the director of PSE Spain, as well as with Fernando and Marisa, who are the leaders of the School Continuity Programme.

PSE as a hole, is inspired to continue working towards a more sustainable future for the kids. For the next years, these teams will continue evolving and learning from both the Programme’s successes and struggles, adapting to new challenges but also continuing to generate value for the kids.

We would like to conclude by thanking Deloitte, Attalea Partners and other sponsors mentioned in other posts, for financing the general costs of the 2022 School Continuity Programme and the specific projects respectively. Without them, the simple development would not have even be possible!

The Teenagers School Continuity Programme receives around 300 kids per day with the objective of keeping them focused on their studies and encouraging those who have abandoned them to resume. Throughout the Project, teenagers receive education, fun and experiences, and most importantly, they have a great time doing things appropriate for their age.

With ages ranging from 15 to 18 years old, these children are on the verge of dropping out from school and working before they should. It is a mission of PSE to avoid this, to keep them focused and motivated in order for them to find a proper job that will benefit them in the long run. The Project is bearing fruit and this is evident when the number of teenagers that want to participate gets bigger every week.

“Activities needs to be complicated and challenging”

Vatana

The biggest challenge working with teens appears to be the same for all the volunteers. “The hardest thing is planning activities that seem interesting and engaging to them”, says Marie, a European volunteer. “An activity needs to be complicated and challenging for them to enjoy it”, adds Vatana, a Khmer instructor. However, Marin, a European volunteer, believes that this challenge gets easier when you start to imagine yourself participating in that activity. “If I would like it, I know they will love it”, he affirms. If they get bored with an activity, they will lose interest in the one that comes after. This is why it is very important for the volunteers to really think through about what they want to prepare. Calypso, another European volunteer, adds that sometimes activities do not go as planned because the teens find a different way of elaborating them and enjoy even more.

Another challenge that is found is the fact that the Programme is not only meant for the children to have fun, but also to educate them. For this reason, the planning for this Project is very specific each day of the week. While Mondays are about activities in the New Land Centre in PSE, Tuesdays and Thursdays are spent outside. Wednesdays are meant for workshops related to different important matters and Fridays are the days for Olympiques, where they engage in sport activities. The Project is focused on balancing relaxing, educational and sports activities.

“These kids are not really kids anymore”

Salomé

The activities on Mondays revolve around education and preparation for the future. The computer room or the kitchen are open every Monday for the teenagers, where they learn about school subjects, future possibilities or take up cooking. “They love playing football and dancing, but they are also happy doing activities where they learn”, claims Salome. Cooking teaches them about different values and, as Marie maintains, it involves a lot of discipline. Other activities are aimed at training their emotional intelligence, having them think about their future and what dreams they want to pursue in their lives. These sort of activities are easy to do with teenagers because, as Salome states, “these kids are not really kids anymore”.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, teenagers go to places like the lake, the cinema, the mountains, the temples, museums, etc. All the activities planned are destined for them to get a wider view about the culture of their country, as well as to expand their horizons. The children love these things that are a first time for some of them. Thanks to these outings, teenagers learn and appreciate healthy ways to have fun and spend their free time, away from drugs, alcohol and other issues that might be a hazard for them.

“They are very curious kids, eager to know and learn”

Calypso

When visiting a museum or a temple like the one in Oudong, Calypso is amazed by how the teenagers get involved. She explains that, from what she remembers from her teenage years, museums and cultural visits did not impress her. “These teenagers are different, they are very intrigued, they take notes and ask questions. They are very curious kids, eager to know and learn”, she affirms. When they went to the Country Club, as it was something totally new to these children, they were wowed and their eyes sparkled. These outings also serve as an escape from their realities, a way to set off steam and relax for a while.

These children lack a lot of basic education about important matters.

Workshops are a very special and essential activity for Teenagers, so they receive them every Wednesday. Matters such as dental hygiene, drugs and alcohol, sexuality, first-aid or the environment are some of the issues that have been addressed. Most of the workshops gather the whole group, but others require separation. Male and female sexuality is a workshop where boys and girls are separated in order to focus on what is important for each gender. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, the menstrual cycle or the use of preservatives is crucial information for these kids at their age. Most of them have never been talked to about these matters before, so their knowledge was non-existent. They love to listen, and volunteers agree that, telling by their faces, these children lack a lot of basic education about important matters.

After the workshops, the activities that are planned for that same day are oriented towards the well understanding of the subjects that have been addressed. “These activities enable them to put into practice what they have learnt. First they listen and afterwards it is time for them to think”, explains Augustin, a European instructor. “We do not want them to just enjoy the activities without learning anything”, says Somnang, a Khmer instructor. With this initiative, teens also feel the confidence they might need to share their problems and doubts. “During these times we keep a sort of older brother relationship with them, and it works”, considers Somnang.

The day the Teenagers were educated about the environment, one of the activities was separating garbage according to the different materials, to learn about recycling. Another was picking up litter from all over PSE. After the one on drugs and alcohol, teens had to prepare a theatre show based on the question “How would you react if you saw an acquaintance doing drugs?”. Some children have already been through this situation, but for those who have not, it helps to prepare them.

Due to the short difference in age with this group between volunteers and beneficiaries, it is easy for them to make connections. “Being able to joke around makes it easier to create bonds with these kids”, points out Marin. They receive English support and lessons throughout the Programme, so volunteers and teens get to exchange a lot about their lives. They seem to be very interested in knowing about the lives of the instructors. “You can tell they just want to open up”, observes Marie.

“A friend but also a figure of authority”

Marin

Teenagers are seen as good and collaborative listeners that are eager to participate in whatever is planned for them. Although Panha, a Khmer instructor, clarifies that they are, nevertheless, teenagers with hormones, which means that sometimes they listen and sometimes they do not. This is where the volunteers need to step up. Marin describes the role of a teens instructor as a friend but also a figure of authority. “You need to get along with them and have fun, but you also need to get serious when a kid crosses the line”, he explains.

In this Project, teenagers have proved that they prioritise the comfort of others rather than their own. They love sharing everything they have and teaching their language to the European instructors, in order to exchange more with them. “Teens are thoughtful, curious and affectionate”, as Joselu, one of the European coordinators describes them, they have impeccable behaviour considering their age. The Teenagers Project has turned out to be a true exchange for all the participants.  “Whatever you might give them, they return it double”, concludes Calypso.

The Tak Mao School Continuity Programme has a very special mission with the kids. This Community Service Centre (CSC) is very close to a dumpsite where many families work to cover their basic needs. The same way as PSE started 25 years back, this Project has the objective -among others- of rescuing the childhood of the kids whose pastime is collecting garbage in the dumpsite.

“It is important to teach them about the importance of teamwork”

Jack

This beautiful and wide CSC receives an average of 80 kids from around the area to participate in the School Continuity Programme. Describing it as an authentic, joyful and peaceful place, the thirteen Khmer and five European instructors work their tails off to take care of these children and to teach them the values they need for a thriving future. One of the most important things that the children learn during the Project is teamwork. “These kids are very independent and usually take on individual activities, so it is important to teach them about the importance of teamwork”, explains Jack, a European volunteer.

There are some children that live close to the CSC and walk over every morning. However, near the dumpsite, there are a lot of families that do not have access to a vehicle to take their children. This is why every morning, the same minivan that drives the volunteers from PSE Central to Tak Mao, picks up around 30 children from their homes. Kim, a Khmer volunteer, hops on the van to look for the children if they are not waiting by their homes and finds them so they do not miss off on that day. The same way they are picked up in the morning, they are dropped off in the afternoon. Weekly, other volunteers join on this ride in order to see where these children live, to meet their families and to speak to new ones about PSE.

Increase the impact that they can make, to reach more families and, consequently, more kids.

It is thanks to the PSE Social Services Team that the number of children that are picked up daily has increased notably. Together with other Projects, the Tak Mao School Continuity Programme has started working closely with the Social Team in order to increase the impact that they can make, to reach more families and, consequently, more kids. “The Team went to speak to some families in the morning and, at noon, a mother brought her six children to the CSC on a motorbike and said she had six more at home. That is when we decided to take the van and pick these children up. In only a couple of hours, thanks to the Social Team, 15 more kids had joined the Programme”, points out David, one of the European coordinators.

“To make these children happy, to teach them about love and respect and to show them how important it is to take care of eachother”

Maialen

The role of the instructors during these weeks is, as Maialen, a European volunteer, describes it “to make these children happy, to teach them about love and respect and to show them how important it is to take care of each other”. Some children from Tak Mao take on the roles of babysitters, cleaners and workers at home, but during the Project they get to just be kids. “The objective is to help the kids forget about those things and to just have fun, like the kids they are”, adds Carmen, a European instructor. She is amazed with the radiating smiles that the children wear throughout the whole day, no matter where they come from.

The children that attend this Project vary from six to fourteen years old. The kroms -teams- are made according to the age group, in order to adapt some activities to their capacities. These activities are themed every week, based on subjects like math, geography or history and matters such as environment or teamwork. This way, as well as having fun, the children continue with the learning that they receive during the school year. Marta, the other European coordinator, proposed starting up a vegetable patch. Children and volunteers have begun planting seeds that -as agreed with the teachers that work in the CSC during the school year- will be properly watered and taken care of on a daily basis by the students.

“It is our responsibility as volunteers to make them feel protected and to enjoy this time just like they do, to be an example”

Rajesh

The CSC, surrounded by bamboo, makes a warm and cozy place perfect for these children. It works as the safest environment for them to relax and enjoy with other kids. “The children need to feel safe and to have fun, and it is our responsibility as volunteers to make them feel protected and to enjoy this time just like they do, to be an example”, remarks Rajesh, the Khmer coordinator. Kids spend most of the day in the Tak Mao Programme, during the weeks that it lasts, so it works as a second home for them.

Every morning, as the children arrive, they take breakfast, are checked for attendance, sing and dance to warm up for the day full of activities and raise the flag along with the Cambodian anthem. After lunch and before taking a nap, all the children brush their teeth and take a shower in order to pick up the good habits of personal hygiene.

“The policy of no rush”

David

Like in most Projects, there are special days where, instead of normal activities, they have events such as the Feria, Gymkhanas, Water Parties and Olympiques. When asking Reaksmey, an eleven year-old boy what his favorite activity is, you can see his eyes sparkling of joy while speaking about the Gymkhanas and the Water Parties. David describes this Project as very flexible, “having the policy of no rush”. This means that, if the children are enjoying an activity very much, the volunteers will extend the duration of it, and adapt the schedule for the rest of the day. This way children are encouraged to let the instructors know what they like best.

Children and volunteers have a very good connection. The kids listen to the instructors and the instructors listen to the children. On Fridays, the kids are asked about their opinions and feelings from the week. This gives them the opportunity to speak up and let out emotions. The kids are collaborative and participate with excitement in the cleaning game that takes place once a day and that keeps the CSC clean at all times.

A lot of love is being given and received.

In conclusion, although the biggest challenge in this Project is keeping up the attendance and not losing the kids to worse alternatives, volunteers are doing a great job. They are successful at keeping the children safe, giving them love, helping them enjoy and making them feel important. There is still work to do with these families, but step by step, a difference is being made. It is easy to see that in the Tak Mao Project, a lot of love is being given and received.

Right in the heart of PSE, the Central School Continuity Programme welcomes around 450 kids each day. With children from around the area, plus six buses from further away, the PSE Central entrance becomes a party every morning. This Project takes place in Stung Meanchey, one of the poorest districts in Phnom Penh. By attending the School Continuity Programme, children receive all their meals, except for dinner as they go home.

More than sixty Khmer instructors and fifteen Europeans, plus coordinators make PSE the safest place for these children. The kids arrive at PSE through a corridor of cheers and music that the volunteers sing and dance to in two rows to welcome the kids in the jolliest way possible. The infection of smiles does not fade throughout the day. Later on, they eat breakfast and take showers as they arrive, in their own time, because, as you will see, PSE Central follows its own rhythm. Children learn, play and have a great time with their friends and “get the opportunity of exchanging cultures and languages with the European volunteers, something very enriching for these kids”, considers Sok Chan, a Khmer volunteer.

“The biggest challenge is learning to not have control”

Paloma

“There are kids everywhere”, says Clemence, a European instructor. And although it is a challenge for the volunteers to handle such a big number of children, they are amazed by how well these kids behave when placed in a group. “The biggest challenge is learning to not have control”, jokes Paloma, a European volunteer. She claims that PSE Central is chaos, but at the same time, order. This means that, even though they are good kids, and there is a structure, there are some things that are out of reach for the volunteers. That is the personality, the character and the spontaneity of these children. “The more flexible you become, the easier it will be to solve the problem”, adds Thida, a Khmer volunteer. If you have the chance to peek into PSE Central, you will see that there is magic in this chaos.

Volunteers aim to educate these kids in passion and effort. They teach them that teamwork is the base for success. “We need to tell them how valuable they are, it is our duty to help them pick up good habits that will make them the future of this country”, suggests Menlong, a Khmer instructor.  According to their ages -ranging from six to fourteen years old-, children are divided into twenty kroms –teams-. The Khmer instructors have great hand handling the kroms, as they have the advantage of communication. They handle the children and help them adjust their behaviors according to the situation. These groups, when dispersed, manage to fill the huge space that is facilitated to this Programme. Volunteers have a wide range of possibilities to prepare activities for the children, as the installations are never-ending.

The activities are planned in a way that the groups with the smallest children will participate in certain ones and the eldest ones, in others. “This way we can maximize the outcomes according to their attention span”, points out Ángela, a European coordinator. Some of them are beginning to have thoughts about their future, while others have only just started school. The older kids participate in activities that have continuity, meaning that one is linked to the next one and so on. They take place both indoors and outdoors and follow a certain theme, as it has been proven that they engage more with this method. As for the little ones, the activities are of shorter duration, considering their lack of concentration at certain times. The English language is introduced to these kids through the game. In addition, the Medical and Dental Team join the Project from time to time to give medical assistance if needed and workshops regarding different matters.

Like a gear chain.

The logistics in this Project is something worth of admiration. Like many things in Central, logistics works like a gear chain where everybody contributes with their own tasks to the well-functioning of the process. The Service Team -rotating daily- takes care of getting the breakfast, lunch and goûte -snack- spots ready and permanently clean, as well as helping out in anything possibly needed. They not only contribute to PSE Central, but also prepare the meals for other Projects. There is also a specific person that takes care of the material for the activities during the whole day. Even though the activities prepared in this Project require a low quantity of material -in order to economize- there is still an average of twenty activities per day. This requires a lot of supplies and organization.

Energetic bodies eager to participate in whatever is next.

The visual image of the Central Project is similar to an anthill, with its messy parts and snake lines crossing each other. The chuas are perfect lines with energetic bodies eager to participate in whatever is next. They are smart kids who know that, the sooner they do what they are being told to do, the sooner they will skip to the good part. They are patient and wait in an orderly manner to get their meals. They are grateful for everything that is given to them and, on Olympiques Day, they are euphoric when they receive even the smallest of the presents. “They are competitive, they play until the end and encourage their teammates to win”, remarks Clo, a European volunteer. “They want to play constantly and are incombustible”, explains Gonzalo, a European coordinator. The only silence heard in Central comes during meditation and nap time. The list of descriptions for these kids is as endless as their energy.

All part of a big puzzle.

In conclusion, the well-functioning of this Project is due to the great cooperation between Khmer and European volunteers who, working as one, aim to make the best out of these weeks for the children. “We are all in the same boat”, states Clo. Menglong, a Khmer instructor, claims that these children are easy to read because they do not know how to hide their emotions. This makes it easy for the volunteers to address their needs. Khmer coordinator, Sopanuth, remarks that if the Project is working it is thanks to the volunteers who know exactly what they need to do, and to the kids, who are obedient and vastly happy to be here. Everybody has their own place in Central but, at the same time, are all part of a big puzzle with one single objective: destroying misery.

During the School Continuity Programme in Cambodia, a Medical Team is gathered with the objective of taking care of the volunteers and providing medical education and awareness to the children as the information that the kids usually receive during school year related to personal hygiene, drugs or diseases is sometimes scarce (although increasing drastically). For this reason, the team´s task is crucial for the well being of the children, as well as for the European volunteers that offer their time with blind trust.

 Being available 24/7.

In the first place, this Team is focused on taking care of the well being of the volunteers that participate in the School Continuity Programme. “The volunteers work their tails off to help the children, so it is crucial to take care of them in the first place”, affirms Aida, a European doctor. This means working as a Medical Centre first thing in the morning and at the end of the day, as well as being available 24/7 for emergencies and queries. The teams count with the help of Doctor Sebban, a European doctor who lives in Cambodia and backs the team up with the biggest issues.

The most common concerns that the volunteers consult to the Medical Team are: infected wounds, insect bites, constipation and diarrhea. As to the wounds, the volunteers are encouraged to visit the nurse frequently until healed in order to clean them properly. This is because -however small they might be-, they can get easily infected during the Project. For patients that need to stay in their rooms because they are indisposed, the Medical Team practices daily check-ups on them in situ.

We cannot timagine School Continuity Programme without this magnificent task. Every year we are so grateful for the Medical Team is here because their most important job is to accompany patients and bringing smiles to their faces. So many thanks have been repeated during the whole month from people with Covid, fibrillar rupture or cuts, among other things.

“The children are sinking in the main ideas”

Aida

The second main task of the Medical Team is giving health education to the children that attend the PSE School Continuity Programme. The European volunteers Laura, Andrea, Aida and Cristina prepare these workshops and Sophoan, a Khmer volunteer delivers them to the kids with great communication skills. According to the age group, the subject varies. For kids younger than six years old, the main focus is teaching them how to wash their hands correctly. Along with posters and songs, children learn about bacteria and how to get rid of it in every hand wash they do. They play games where they practice how to do it properly and, as the volunteers in charge of these kids say, afterward, they are eager to wash their hands before every meal. “We can see that the children are sinking in the main ideas and will, hopefully, transmit them to their families”, adds Aida.

For older kids, the workshops also cover transmissible diseases and how to treat wounds. Most of these children do not know how to properly heal their own injuries and apply on them whatever they can find or nothing at all. The Medical Team shows them how to wash the sores with water and soap and how to apply a bandage if they are going to be in contact with dirt. “Even though it might seem like something basic, they are unaware of it”, points out Andrea, a European nurse.

“They know that drugs exist but they are unaware of the harm they do to your body”

Sophoan

Teenagers and Pensionnaires receive first-aid training to be able to react in the most basic of emergencies. All the kids older than ten learn about the use and dangers of drugs and alcohol. They might seem young to hear about these things, but most of them have grown up around these substances so it is important to let them know the dangers they entail. “They know that drugs exist but they are unaware of the harm they do to your body”, remarks Sophoan. “The biggest challenge is to make them really understand these things so that, if any problem related to these substances happens around them, they will be prepared for the situation”, adds Sophoan.

The Teenagers Project has Workshops every Wednesday. A very important subject that is addressed with this group is sexuality. Cristina, a European doctor, states that in Cambodia, sexuality is a taboo topic. Boys and girls are divided for this workshop, as to feel more free to speak up about doubts and questions that they might have.

In spite that in PSE Central there is a medical clinic to care for the kids, in the Community Service Centers (CSC) outside of the area, there is not a doctor or nurse available at all times. The Medical Team, therefore, visits the different CSCs and checks on the children´s superficial health issues as well as doing workshops with them. They evaluate which kids need to visit the doctor in Central for treatment. The rest that do not have such serious issues are treated at the CSC on the spot. This team also teaches the coordinators of each Programme how to treat several types of wounds in order to save up time and to promote the well-being of the children. Every Project has its own First-aid kit, prepared by the Medical Team, with all the essential products they might need throughout the month.

“It is a long-distance race”

Laura

In conclusion, health education is key, especially for the PSE kids, thus the attempt to give them the basic concepts according to their age. The workshops need to be adapted, in order to strengthen the knowledge that they can put into practice on a daily basis. Every year it is noticeable how the children learn from these workshops. “It is a long-distance race”, concludes Laura, the European coordinator, “but we progress a bit every year and will continue to walk many more kilometers”.

The Children with Disabilities (CWD) Project was launched in 2013 and welcomes around 40 kids and adults (hereafter, children) to the School Continuity Programme. This Project aims to help children with physical and mental diversity to have autonomy and to boost integration in society.

There are PSE children with diversity needs that attend other School Continuity Programmes. “Integration with other children in other projects is one of the objectives, being this a clear success. Therefore, it would be a step back to take them out”, explains Paula Sánchez.

For many years in Cambodia, people with disabilities were thought to be, mainly by the Theravada Buddhist religion, people who had taken upon bad actions in their past life. During the Khmer Rouge Regime, the society was told to abandon and disregard this collective. Times have changed and there is no longer such a tough mentality. However, there is still work to do.

“Kids who enjoy and give out love just like the other children”

louise

“One of the objectives of this Project is to integrate diversity into Cambodian society proving that they are equal and can have fun as everyone else”, claims Paula Sánchez, one of the European coordinators. This is why children mix together and adapt their behaviours to each other. There are complications coming out from this mix, but also some very positive features. Even though working with CWD might seem like a big challenge, Louise, a European instructor believes that “it might look like a complicated group, but they are loving kids who enjoy and give out love just like the other children”.

Instructors serve as the feet and the hands of those who can not move them. 

The big challenge in this Project is the constant necessity to adapt. The volunteers need to adjust to the capacities of each kid in everything that they do. If the activity planned requires running, the children who can run will run, but the ones who cannot will either be carried by others or will participate in a different way in the activity. The activities are planned in a way that each kid develops their abilities to the maximum possible. Instructors actively participate in the activities in this Programme, as they serve as the feet and the hands of those who cannot move them.

The children love to help each other out.

The best outcome is the bond that is created between the children. Paula Giner, the other European coordinator, says that she is amazed with how much the children love to help each other out. She points out that she has seen scenes where a little boy is crying and older kids with mental diversity hug him and make him feel better. Another touching scene is seeing a boy with a walking frame who picks up another kid that is getting tired and carries him. This is something you see constantly during the day. Children like to push the wheelchairs and help out with the kmeng -little kids- when they are doing something wrong.

There are some times during the day where the children need to be separated, such as lunch or some specific activities. This is needed for the health and safety of the children. Children with physical diversity eat at the New Land Centre, where the Project is based. They are fed by the volunteers and have an adapted diet. The ones who can eat normally walk to PSE Central -only four metres away from the door-  and have lunch where the rest of the children do. Some need help, but others are independent and eat and drink by themselves or can even clean their plate.

“Everything that they can do by themselves, they will do it”

ana

As Irati, a European volunteer, says, everything takes longer with the CWD. However, “everything that they can do by themselves, they will do it, even if it takes double the time”, adds Ana, a European volunteer. This is why, if they take up cooking workshops, the children are encouraged to mix the ingredients and cook them by themselves, taking up more time than usual, but teaching them about following instructions and being patient. All in all, volunteers agree that these children are collaborative and good listeners.

For this Project, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are special days. CWD take trips to places like the cinema, the zoo, the mountain, or the swimming pool. When the team leaves for an outing, a whole tetris needs to be done to fit the wheelchairs in the adapted vans. “Definitely something worth watching”, adds Paula Sánchez. The 14 Khmer and 9 European instructors have to make sure that all the kids are properly seated and protected from whatever might be a danger from them during the trip. Sometimes they join the pensionnaires –interned children- during these activities with the objective of promoting inclusion and integration.

During an outing, the children really enjoyed a relaxing and fun horse ride and even received an equine therapy session. Another outing they love is the swimming pool, as Paula Sanchez well explains, “children with physical diversity can feel the freedom of mobility whist swimming, unlike when they are in wheelchairs”.

Added to the volunteers, a group of mommies– women who work with these children throughout the year- also join the Programme as they know the children. This way, with the help of these women, if there is ever a setback with some kid´s health, it will not be a surprise to all. A professional physiotherapist and speech therapist also join the kids in every activity they do.

“One of our tasks is to show them the world”

paula giner

All these outings are taken up by the CWD because in their daily routine their parents do not take them out much and not many things are adapted for them. “During the year they spend most of their time in a room and it is good for them to go outside”, remarks Irati. “They deserve to see the reality of their own country, one of our tasks is to show them the world and, along the way, their possibilities for the future”, affirms Paula Giner.

Given the attention the children require; they receive visits from the physiotherapy team twice a week. During the school year they make more frequent visits, but in the School Continuity Programme, these sessions are reduced so that the children have more time to play. It is specially the twelve kids with physical diversity that participate in these sessions, as they need to work on aspects that affect their mobility. However, in the activities that the volunteers plan, they include elements of fine motor skills, attention and reaching, in order to stimulate the mobility of the children. There is also a speech therapist that works once a week with the children who need it.

 “The more time you spend with these children, the more you will see how beautiful they are”

nika

In conclusion, a day in the CWD Project is like no other, there is noise of big laughs out of nowhere and constant reaching out to receive hugs. The most dangerous thing that can happen to someone around these kids is that, with no warning, a little boy might kiss them on the cheek. There is definitely something special going on in this Project and, like Khmer coordinator Nika says, “the more time you spend with these children, the more you will see how beautiful they are”.

Usually the School Continuity Programme takes place during the summer. However, as this year it has been developed throughout December, our volunteers spent their Christmas Day in PSE. On the 25th of December, pensionnaires, interns and volunteers spent together a day full of activities, music and surprises. For these Khmers, it was the first European Christmas. 

The day started off with activities planned by the European volunteers for the pensionnaires –children who live in PSE during the whole year- and the interns -young adults who are studying for a profession in PSE and are, the majority, volunteers in the School Continuity Programmes. The activities that they participated in during the morning were: making Christmas cards for the PSE godfathers, a Gymkhana, a cup castle competition, a snowman making competition and “singing lesson” in a funny attempt to show the children the Spanish Christmas song “Feliz Navidad”. 

After a lot of Christmas themed enjoyment, a surprise visit from Santa Claus fascinated the pensionnaires, interns and even some of the European volunteers. Arriving in the trailer of a motorbike, Santa Claus called all of the kids to follow him to Ecap, an open air room in the Newland Centre, just in front of PSE Central. To the surprise of all, there was a present waiting for each of the beneficiaries as well as a chance to speak to Santa Claus in person. Each of the pensionnaires and interns received a handmade stocking by the volunteers and pensionnaires with candy and a pair of Crocs shoes. Along with Christmas carols and the cheers and dances from the volunteers, the scene turned into a live Christmas card. 

After the emotions that came along with the surprises, everybody gathered for a special Christmas Day meal prepared by the cooks in PSE. The canteen at Central was full of Christmas decorations that the children enjoyed playing and dressing up with. All in all, it was a great day for everybody that attended, a special Christmas for the European volunteers and a merry day for the pensionnaires and interns as a family. It was a day, we are sure, that everybody will remember!

We would like to thank all of you who helped fund the gifts. Without you none of this would have been possible!

Smile Village is a town that was built in 2015 by PSE to offer a home to families who had been evicted from Phnom Penh. More than 70 families live here and in the very center, the Community Service Center (CSC) is welcoming around 120 kids each day to join this year’s School Continuity Programme which have turned out to be much more than a “winter camp”.

The place that is used for the Programme is a CSC for children aged 3 to 6 throughout the year. It is directly surrounded by the houses of the Smile Village people, which appears as both an advantage and a handicap. The children await the volunteers with excitement at the door every day, as they are one step away from their homes. But, on the other hand, as Thomas, a European instructor says, “they can very easily go to their homes, take sweets, sleep or do whatever they want”. However, this freedom has proven to the volunteers the true desires of the kids. “The good part is that they always come back”, reveals Thomas. 

“These children need reinforcement”

fer

During five weeks, five European and thirteen Khmer volunteers are being coordinated by Fer, Romain and Sophea to offer the children the best time possible. The objective of this Project is to offer the children activities that will be useful for their future as Smile Village is one the poorest areas of Phnom Penh. Adapting to the kids’ needs, volunteers educate them through affection, empathy and positive behaviors. The regular activities in this Project are, therefore, based on subjects like geography, math, English or emotional intelligence. “Most of the activities will be focused on education, because these children need reinforcement”, comments Fer. Nevertheless, the goal is to make the children happy, so teaching is carried out through games.

The facility of the Smile Village CSC is extensive. A large hall, plus four rooms and the small playground give the instructors plenty of space to plan the indoor activities. Additionally, the field that surrounds the school is more than enough for all the children to run around and play the Big Games or the Olympiques on Fridays. The volunteers have a wide range of possibilities to entertain the kids while teaching them values. Games like Tik Tak Toe or Hangman in a human size version engage the different Kroms -teams- in a joyful manner.

“Smile Village kids are full of energy, it is amazing”

romain

“Smile Village kids are full of energy, it is amazing”, states Romain. For this reason, they need to set off steam with activities that require a lot of movement. Before lunch, the kids take on a ten minute meditation. This relaxes them for Nham Bai time -eating rice time- and for the siesta that comes after. The difference that meditation makes on the kids is amazing. They go from screams and overstimulation to sleepy faces and silence.

Miguel, a European volunteer, points out that “these kids are happy to attend the School Continuity Programme, even though their situation at home is challenging”. Remi, a veteran, adds that even though they are now listening and responding in a great way, it was hard to connect with them at the beginning. This way, the days are playing out smoothly and, at the end of the day, both children and volunteers are content.

PSE supports the families that reside in this village but are expected to follow a set of rules in order to keep their right to live in these houses. There are families that have a hard time keeping stable jobs and some of them tend to fall back into habits not so positive for their children which at the end, impacts on the relationship with PSE. In addition, what does not help is that a prison was built next to the village.

“We are reconnecting with the families”

fer

At the beginning of the Project, the volunteers did not receive the warmest of the welcomes, due to the lack of trust from the people. This Project has been refocused to, not only keep the children in school and make them happy, but to recuperate the families of Smile Village. “We are reconnecting with the families by letting them know that we are here and that we came to help”, explains Fer. They are now listening and giving feedback. During the Talent Show that the instructors prepared for the kids, some families even made an appearance. Thanks to this Project, Social Services have been able to make a few appearances already, giving hope to the families and helping them find alternatives to their lifestyles.

The children need to be spoken with and listened to.

As for the kids, they are the main focus, and it is also a task for the volunteers to reconnect with them. The children need to be spoken with and listened to. The eldest kids of the Project started off with a challenging attitude but, after understanding the good will of the volunteers, things have changed. They are encouraged to help the instructors out with the little ones. This way, their motivation to attend the CSC keeps them focused and the help they lend to the volunteers is a win-win. Some children take longer to trust, but the sooner the eldest start speaking to them, the sooner they will begin to listen and get engaged.

Besides the games, the volunteers also impart workshops about drugs, alcohol and violence. “It is essential to talk to them about it so they see a different point of view from what they have grown up around”, suggests Suzanne. The children receive information about the consequences of these things and are asked questions such as “why do people use violence” or “how can I change a violent behavior”. “It is important to teach them about what is good and what is bad and to make them think and detect the difference”, proposes Thomas.

“Kids are like a blank piece of paper”

sophea

“On the first day I was hoping for the weekend to arrive, as it was tough and a lot of work, but when it did, I was wishing for Monday to come around”, confesses Jimena, a European volunteer. All volunteers agree on the fact that Smile Village children are somewhat wild, but it is noticeable that they just need love and affection. This School Continuity Programme is doing that for them, it is making an impact and Remi describes this as “something very fulfilling”. The mission is working, the families are reconnecting and realigning with PSE. “Kids are like a blank piece of paper and it is partly in our hands to paint it the right color”, concludes Sophea.

Ten minutes away from PSE Central by foot, you will find OBK: a little oasis full of “minions” -as the volunteers like to call them- in the middle of the hussle. It is a Community Service Center (CSC) used as a school for children aged 3 to 6 throughout the year. During the holidays, these kids stay for the School Continuity Programme and some of their older siblings join as well.

First thing in the morning, these little kids are half asleep. Therefore, for the first minutes of the day, it is music, dancing and workouts that get them active. “For now it is calm, but in one hour it will be crazy”, jokes Hélène, a European instructor, at the beginning of the day. Around 190 kids arrive per day to this oasis where four European and twelve Khmer instructors, plus their respective coordinators, await them.

For the flag ceremony, each day a different kid sings the anthem, and the rest follows. “These children love singing and have passion for a stage”, adds Bea, a European volunteer. When breakfast is served, the kids take their dishes in an orderly manner to the classrooms and sit in rows one in front of the other. After the batteries have been charged, activities start. Divided by seven kroms -Khmer term for “team”-, the children participate in different activities and games during the morning and afternoon. In this School Continuity Programme it is the instructors that rotate around the different classrooms, in order not to distract the kids between one activity to the other.

Given the little age of these children, the activities are not as strictly planned as in other Projects. This is because, as Rocío, a European volunteer, explained, “these kids lose interest very fast so it is necessary to always have a Plan B”. Regular activities last around 25 minutes, but sometimes less. This is when the creative and versatile side of the instructors blossoms.

“Sometimes, the more simple, the better”

justine

Some examples of the activities that the instructors plan for the kids are: musical chairs, musical statues, handcrafts, drawing, sport games, making bubbles, making bracelets, water games, etc. The list of ideas that they keep in their head is very long in case their first activity does not interest the children. “It is difficult to anticipate if the kids will have a day where their attention is not great and they just want to play a simple game, or if they are stimulated and want to learn new things”, clarifies Antonia, the European coordinator. For this reason, activities need to be creative, yet simple, in order for the children to understand. “Sometimes, the more simple, the better”, adds Justine.

Before lunch, the kids sit in chuas -Khmer term for “rows”- and cool down with a five-minute meditation. It is amazing how quiet and still they get when this time comes. It gets them ready for a chill lunch and a good two-hour nap afterwards. During these five minutes, some volunteers serve dishes for lunch and leave them in the rooms in order to save time, as all the processes for these little ones take longer. Before breakfast, snack time and lunch, children line up to wash their hands. Being reinforced by the Medical Team through workshops. After taking a nap, it is shower time, they also brush their teeth and, as Bea points out, “they love doing it and will ask for toothpaste up to four times in a row”.

Like in every Project, nothing will be possible without the back office. There is a Service Team that rotates every day or every two days. These people are in charge of preparing the breakfast, snacks and lunch and of the cleaning of the CSC and the krama -Khmer term for scarf- used for the showers. They also prepare the classrooms for nap time and will help the rest of the volunteers in their activities when their job is done. Besides the Service Team, there are also Team leaders and Activity leaders. These roles will also rotate. In the first case, the instructors are in charge of taking care of a group of children and making sure they are taken care of. In the second, they are responsible for an activity and everything that comes with it: planning, getting the material and ensuring the space for the set-up.

On special days, children will take up on big games and activities that do not require them to be separated into groups. This benefits the well functioning of the School Continuity Programme, as it encourages the kids to get to know each other. Gymkhanas, Ferias, Olympics, Talent Shows and Water Parties are examples of these special events. The last one is always memorable for these “little monkeys”, seeing as they appear to love any activity related to water.

“Energetic, loving and eager to learn”

rocío

OBK kids seem to be very special to all the volunteers. They are described as “energetic, loving and eager to learn” by Rocío. Khmer coordinator Maratong adds they are “easygoing” and explains that they have been responding perfectly since day two of the Programme. “The children are getting healthier and are learning about hygiene by taking showers every day and washing their hands before their meals”, remarks Anong, a Khmer instructor. They enjoy playing, listening, and participating in all the activities. At such a young age, they eat and do chores by themselves, an aspect that amazes the volunteers.

“OBK kids are prompt to give you back all the love that you give them”

antonia

Following the afternoon activities, the kids receive a snack just before leaving. It usually consists of a piece of fruit or a sandwich. OBK children get picked up everyday by a family member, and all the volunteers stay in the CSC until the last kid has left. They say goodbye to all the “teachers” with the typical Khmer reverence used for salutation. Even though they are very little, and sometimes a bit wild, Antonia concludes saying that “OBK kids are prompt to give you back all the love that you give them”.

In front of Central, PSE´s littlest kids attend the School Continuity Programme from monday to friday. This project started in 2015 as a solution to the PSE staff´s unfeasibility to take care of their kids during working hours. Aged 0 to 3, these kmeng kmeng -little kids- are seen as the cutest by the volunteers.

The kids that integrate this Project are either children of PSE staff or they come from  families supported by the NGO. There are four European volunteers and 17 Khmer volunteers, plus the respective coordinators. Therefore, each volunteer that is not in the Service Team -in charge of cleaning and preparing meals- that day, will have two or three kids that they need to look after. This means that they will have to make sure that those two or three kids take all their meals and at least one shower. “Besides that, all the kids reach out to all the volunteers and we all take care of our babies”, adds Maud, a European volunteer.

“The biggest challenge in this Project is to always keep your eyes open”

marion

The children begin the day by having breakfast, usually rice porridge with fish. Unlike in other Projects, the children here need to be fed, as they are too little to eat on their own. Kindergarten volunteers need to always keep an eye on these kids. “The biggest challenge in this Project is to always keep your eyes open”, points out Marion, a European instructor. The little ones like to move around and sometimes cannot manage to stay still, as some of them do not understand orders yet.

The activities in this Project are adapted to the needs of the children. There is a fixed schedule, but it is almost never followed. This is because, while a three-year-old can play for two hours straight, a six month-old might take a nap in between. For the showers, for example, each kid has his own time. When a child needs his diaper changed, an instructor takes him to the shower and changes it. All in all, each kmeng will be showered at least once a day. For some it will be two or even three times, but it is before leaving home in the afternoon that the volunteers will shower all of them. This way, all the children will arrive at their homes fresh and with clean spare clothes that the parents bring along with their kids every morning.

“One of the objectives of this Project is to cooperate in the education of the children”

viviane

Playdough, dancing, drawing and playing with toys are some of the activities deployed indoors. As best practice, the volunteers try to include sensory stimulation into the games. They also promote the personal and social development of these little ones. “One of the objectives of this Project is to cooperate in the education of the children”, points out Viviane, a European volunteer. Noémie, the European coordinator emphasizes on the fact these children are easily entertained, the simplest activities are the ones that function better.

Kindergarteners are good listeners, and all volunteers agree on this. However, Elodie, a European instructor noticed that, at the beginning, “the kids did not want to go with the

Europeans, as they did not understand them and seemed a bit surprised”. This is all over now as they have gotten to know each other. Now, all the children feel attached to the volunteers in an equal manner. Due to the age of these kids to pay attention, the activities need to be kept simple. “It is not easy to plan and explain the activities and we cannot prepare big games for them”, remarks Sopanda, the Khmer coordinator.

Kindergarten kids love playing outdoors: in the playground, with the sand and on the grass that belongs to the football field. Instructors alternate between indoor and outdoor activities, depending on the weather. But they try to do a little bit of both every day in order for the kids to get some fresh air. On Tuesdays and Thursdays an inflatable pool is filled up and the kmeng kmeng enjoy a fun water party. On Fridays, a big box is decorated as a piñata and the kids receive small gifts to take home.

Lunch time in this Programme is at an early hour, as the kids are constantly hungry. The volunteers feed the children and afterwards help them take a nap. Some of the little ones lay on the designated mats and, hugging a teddy, fall asleep. Others need the arms of the volunteers to sleep. This is the most heartwarming moment of this School Continuity Programme.

Kindergarten children are likely to melt the hearts of those around them

In conclusion, Kindergarten children are likely to melt the hearts of those around them. There is a very warm and loving atmosphere and the volunteers are in good harmony with the kids. Each child has been raised with a different background but the Programme flows without complications. The kids receive a whole lot of love from the volunteers that take care of them and vice versa.

Added content: Noémie -the European coordinator- reveals her thoughts on the Project

Noémie was an instructor in the Teenagers Project in the past, but had never worked with babies before.

“Being named Kindergarten coordinator has been a challenge for me from the beginning. I had never worked with babies before, so I was afraid of not doing it right. However, I knew from before that all the Khmer instructors had been in contact with babies at one time or another, whether it was a nephew, a sibling or a cousin. That reassured me because I knew I would count on their help. However, I have found that, to my surprise, working with babies is very intuitive.

A baby, even if he doesn’t speak, knows how to communicate. In fact, I find it easier to communicate with a baby who does not speak than with a Khmer kid who does. The baby makes gestures, points to things, and makes you understand in a universal language. If he cries, it is because he needs something basic or because he has hurt himself. Taking care of them has turned out to be much easier than I thought it would be. Also, Khmer children are very independent and from a very early age they learn to do many things by themselves. Despite my fears at the beginning, I am enjoying myself a lot and my children are the cutest!”