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- Cambodia: A Life Changing Experience
- Each morning since my journey, as I ready my self for a new day, I look
in the mirror and I know it is me looking back, yet somehow I know it is
not. How can I put into words the depth of an experience that resonates
to the core of my body? Can others recognize the changes that have taken
place? The very essence of my being must have been altered; nothing else
can explain the differences I have felt since my journey through
Cambodia. As a student, I was brought together with strangers through a
shared interest in education; I had a desire and a need to give of
myself, believing that somehow my participation in service learning, my
actions, could have an impact on the lives of the people I was going to
serve. How could I know that the life most affected would be my own?
- I knew from my first visit to the Buddhist Temple in Rochester, this
learning experience would be like no other. The wealth of required
reading and research could not prepare me for the personal testimonies
shared by the survivors. Their stories brought the history of Cambodia
to life. Text could not depict the terror they experienced, revealed in
the shaking of their voices, nor could it portray their desire for
survival and a better life, as seen through their eyes and the emotions
displayed on their faces. Although I realize that I will never know the
true suffering they endured, the sharing of their testimony allowed me
to empathize with their struggles and have a better understanding of
their culture and the needs of the people from their country.
- Each day of our trip was a learning experience. We were fortunate to
work in partnership with students from The Royal University of Phnom
Penh. I was awe struck by their kindness and their giving spirit. As I
walked, talked and worked amongst these wonderful students, I witnessed
truly compassionate souls. They took time from their holiday to not only
make a difference in their country, but also to welcome us, sharing
their history, culture, faith, and philosophical beliefs. As we traveled
the country side the vast sea of poverty was apparent. My heart strings
were stretched to the point of breaking as I looked into the eyes of the
children living in the City dump. As we offered them a day’s meal I
wondered who will care for them tomorrow. In our many excursions to rural
schools and orphanages, we were welcomed with open arms. We watched as
young children carved magnificent pieces of art or preformed traditional
dance and sang of the importance of a saved heritage. At many times we
communicated through drawings, dancing and games; trans-global
communication, such as this, needs no translation. As I look back on
this trip and the memories I have, I do not think of what could have
been, rather I think of what will be the next time I am able to go.
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- A two day trip away
- In Southeast Asia
- 13 hours away
- In a tropical climate
- All of the above….
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- Our Vision:
The vision of our project has been and will persist as the
construction of relations, in a diplomatic fashion, with the Khmer
natives to heed their needs by valuing their ideals and recognizing the
aspirations—the ambitions—they have set forth for their country, while
maintaining local support to unite globally by helping Cambodia one
project at a time, opening doors one at a time.
In a country oppressed from war with neglected human rights, we
were able to unlock the doors to diplomacy by working on an individual
to individual level during our trip to Cambodia. Through witnessing such
an inviting culture with intriguing philosophies and kind hearts, each
team member is inspired to represent the Khmer. In fact, next year each
team member plans to travel to Cambodia to continue our relations, still
building sustainability, to follow through with our projects that address
the human rights violations we personally witnessed, and of course, to
reunite with our friends.
We know our projects, such as building toilets and donating
chalkboards, made only a small impact, but if we were able to change one
person’s life, open a new door for even one individual, our goal was
attained. On this website you will learn of our projects, hear of our
experiences through personal essays, see original photographs and
videos, and receive the inside perspective on diplomacy from local
politicians and foreign diplomats.- Overview:
Our project originated as a service learning class trip through
Rochester Community and Technical College promoting “citizen diplomacy.”
Through our trip, we saw many human’s rights violations; we saw an
amazing culture in a daunting period just waiting to break through.
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- Why did we go?
- Class on Intercultural
Communication
- Are we there yet?
- Who went?
- Sustainable Service Learning
- Helping People Help
Themselves
- Smaller Individual Projects
- Larger Group Projects
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- Village Schools
- School is important
- Family is critical
- Hard lives farming
- Yet farms are being sold
- “Fertilizer” and other “modern” ways are too expensive
- vs. SIMPLE and SUSTAINABLE farming
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- They are tackling HIV-AIDS
- HIV-AIDS is not only a health issue but it is seen as “dirty” vs.
“sexual”
- The monks ARE the “Social Service”
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- We visited the Genocide Museum
- History of Cambodia came to life at the Killing Fields
- Cambodians killed Cambodians
- This is hard for them to share
- This is important to share
- They often asked, “Where were the Americans, the Europeans, the
Japanese, where were you?”
- We met survivors here in the US and in Cambodia.
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- What do you see? These are bones coming up from the mass graves.
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NAOMI
DIGGING
IN THE DIRT
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Notes