The Pensionnaires are the NGO´s most vulnerable beneficiaries. Children whose environment is not conducive to them, whose families live too far away to send them to school, or who were simply found alone. Around 200 kids reside in the Center of PSE throughout the whole year. During school holidays, some of them go back to their homes but around 70 of them join the School Continuity Programme.
After three years without the Programme, now turned into a Winter Programme due to the Government´s change in Cambodian holidays, the children finally have the opportunity to enjoy a four-week Pensionnaires’ Project. This Project is special because as the Pensionnaires live in PSE, have been waiting all year for this magical month. “I have been in PSE for a long time. I am really looking forward to this Project as I always stay at PSE during my holidays”, says Rithy Sreynoch, a 14 year old Pensionnaire.
“A time for them to enjoy and be the kids they are”
bea and andrea
The PSE Staff and specially the mamies –women that work closely with the Pensionnaires and assume the role of their mothers – have an amazing hand with the children and make them feel at home. Bea and Andrea, European Coordinators agree that “in the Project, not only will they continue working on the values that they learn at school, but it will serve as a desired breather after the school year and a time for them to enjoy and be the kids they are”.
European and Khmer volunteers help the children create a deeper bond with one another
A unique touch to the Pensionnaires´ Project is the fact, as explained, that they have the same children during the whole month. This is an advantage for the activities that can be implemented as 6 European and 17 Khmer instructors help the children create a deeper bond with one another. For this reason, some of the activities they undertaken are different than the ones that take place in other Projects. Throughout the whole month, the instructors along with the Coordinators have planned an emotional intelligence training workshop to be carried out once a week. “These kids have had the most complicated background during their upbringing”, says Andrea. The objective is to help them think, speak about how they feel and deal with their emotions. “Everybody dreams and especially the kids, so we need to know and understand them”, says Khmer instructor Ly Fatriyah.”
“They reside in PSE so during their holidays it is enriching for them to see more of their country and learn about their culture”
naren
During the Project, Pensionnaires will take part in three activities per week outside the PSE Campus. “It is enriching for the kids to see more of their country and learn about their culture”, as Khmer coordinator Naren said. Some of the outings that will take place in the 2022 Pensionnaires’ Project are: the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, where they will learn about the tragic events that took place during the uprising of the Khmer Rouge; a 3 day trip to Kep to enjoy the beach, and for some kids, a chance to see the sea for the first time; Oudong, the ancient capital of Cambodia; the Tamao Zoo; the cinema and Tonle Bati, among others.
For this year’s Project opening, they took a trip to Tonle Bati, where they visited the Temples and spent the day in small huts on the lake playing activities and swimming in the water. “It is a good spot to go to because they get to be in contact with nature and spend a fun day in a calm place”, says Capucine, a European volunteer.
Tonle Baty is a popular place in Takéo Province, 30 kilometers to the south of the capital, and a one-hour drive from PSE Center in Phnom Penh. Tonle means lake and it is a big lake full of bamboo huts where Khmer people like to go and relax. Some enjoy swimming, fishing, some visit the temple that is next to it and others just enjoy the picnic and hammocks that hang in the huts.
The bond that exists between the volunteers and Pensionnaires is something exceptional.
The heat of the sun was eased off with the fresh water where the kids played for around two hours. The laughs and cheers of the instructors to the children showed the happiness that the beginning of the Project brought to Pensionnaires. After a nice meal to retrieve energy and a quiet nap, they were divided into groups to make bracelets that will later be used to make the krom -teams-.
With some music on a speaker, and a few rolls of colored string, Tonle Bati turned into a relaxed and fun scene, perfect to end the day. You could see that the bond between volunteers and Pensionnaires is something exceptional.
An afternoon nap on the bus ride back was necessary for some of the kmeng, after a long day of activities, but served as a time for the older ones to sing and show their happy energy as an end to a great day. After they arrived, they received the goûter -french term for snack generally used in the PSE School Continuity Programme, just before saying goodbye to all the Khmer and European monitors.
The kids are given freedom to suggest different activities.
Throughout the Project, it is normally the instructors who plan all the activities for the children. However, this is different with Pensionnaires. The kids are given freedom to suggest different activities. They chose all sorts of games, from a traditional race to typical Khmer games such as Leak Kon Saeng -a game where a scarf is hidden, and the children chase each other-. Specifically, on Thursdays, Pensionnaires play together in activities like photo gymkhanas, water parties, board games or painting.
“It is obvious that these kids, rather than friends, have become a family”, concludes Capucine.
