HISTORY

When I originall arrived in Cambodia at the start of the new millennium I only intended to stay for three months and then return home to my family and resume working as a childcare worker in a peaceful, bayside suburb of Melbourne and put it all down to an amazing experience that I could look back on. However as I prepared to leave I kept hearing this annoying little voice inside my head that kept nagging at me. At the time I thought it was just a guilty conscience because I was leaving behind my new friends. However a couple of days before my visa expired I received an unexpected visit from a youth named Sophea. He was an exceptionally bright student I’d met while teaching English at one of the community centres for the poor. Sophea had no money to continue studying and begged me to help him. My fate was sealed. Of course at the time I had no idea of what I was doing or how I was going to do it and even though I only relied on a small superannuation pension to live on I knew that I couldn’t walk away. And that is how my apartment in downtown Phnom Penh became known as the Australia/Cambodia Youth Centre, although it was actually more of a halfway house.

Some of the students who had recently left an orphanage once they had turned sixteen came to live with me full time while they continued to study. Others lived elsewhere but regularly dropped in at all hours for a nourishing feed and a clean, safe place to sleep.

Thankfully a bowl of rice went a long way and our hard working young cook created inexpensive, nourishing dishes that kept everyone satisfied.

Wonderful volunteers who ranged in age from eighteen to a youthful seventy something like my dear friend Sally, heard of my little Centre and dropped in from around the world to visit for a day, a week, a month or even longer.

During their stay our guests dined on authentic Khmer cuisine and experienced the laid back lifestyle and hospitality of my landlady and her friendly family who were always glad of the chance to practice their English skills.

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My small band of helpers came from all walks of life and brought with them a variety of skills that they shared with the students. Job description was simpe. An open mind: A loving heart: Endless patience: A good sense of humour: A strong desire to make a difference. The students learned to use the computer that also came in handy for watching VCD English movies and singing Karaoke English songs.

These pastimes were a great way to improve the student’s language skills while providing a bit of light enterntaimment. Cable TV news coverage kept us all informed on the world I’d left behind.

The boys joined a local footy team and played at the stadium every weekend. The multi-purpose kitchen table was moved out to the courtyard where many friendly but competitive games of  pingpong were held. Note Saren, leaning across the table to hit the ball with, look closely, a meat cleaver borrowed from the cook.

Enviromental outings to the countryside and the seaside were a favourite. I was also fortunate enough to meet a dedicated young Khmer man who volunteered his time as a youth leader. Theya taught organic farming to the youths who couldn’t go on to higher education so that they could become self sufficient by producing marketable chickens, eggs and vegetables in the future.