KIDTEA School : thinking back to the experience
- Mallaury
- 26 juin 2016
- 4 min de lecture
The two weeks of teaching belong now to the past. That was an amazing experience and we learnt a lot from it.
Our main mistake was to stay at the school to sleep. We could have taken an accommodation in Siem Reap and go to the school every morning to teach until 6 pm. We would have spent the same amount of money with more comfort. There, we often felt the need to treat us well once downtown in the evening. Before we understood that we could use the scooter, we were also paying 10$ for a tuk tuk and that was kind of expensive. At the end these two weeks were not so much cheaper.
The "negative point" of feeling locked there appeared only between the class time.
We didn't teach so often the class from 5 to 6. I was not feeling comfortable with them as they were a lot, teens (not so younger than me) and they all had different levels. Tobias was taking care of this class better. But anyway, as the rain was most of the time starting around 5 pm, there was no student coming and the class was cancelled.
I learnt to appreciate the morning class with the time. They were around 13 tears old, all with different characters and behaviors. I remember this tall and thin girl, calm and smart with a soft smile; another, really small, completely wild and younger than the others; one was smiling all the time and had the cutest way to say "watermelon", that's why her nickname. We had also two gangstas in the class, a little boy and a girl. The Gangsta girl was really funny, either screaming some words in Khmer when I asked for the translation, or shy with an embarrassed smile trying to hide behind her friend. I know that this last child will stay unforgettable for me. She was sometimes rude with the boys and didn't spare them when she was answering to their teasing, and I have to admit that I was proud of her for that. One day she came to me and slid a blue bracelet om my wrist. A cute little gift. But she touched me the most when the goodbyes came.
The last morning class for us ended and the Khmer teacher came to to explain the kids that we were leaving. Watermelon asked him to wish us a good health and an happy life, all of them thanked us for teaching and came for a last high five
When Gangsta came to me, we did a double high five and she stayed few seconds looking at me, she probably saw the tears in my eyes that I was trying to keep. She gave me a long hug and left. From Gangsta that was something I didn't expect at all. Tobias and me cleaned the board, once everybody had left. But when I turned, I saw Gangsta still there, behind the little fence. I asked her if she was fine and her name. Irata raised her arms up to me, so I went on her side of the fence for a last very sincere hug. I told her to learn well, that it's important to be educated, but she didn't understand the English and left with a half sad and grateful smile.
It's probably the essential meaning of all that.
The afternoon class, as I said, was our crush from the first day. A small class, all nice, interested, helping each other, with the cutest smiles on Earth. Lik was tall and smart, remarkable for his so soft behavior. Vat, small and skinny, was the funniest without even searching for it, writing everywhere "Good Job Vat !" after Tobias and me told it to him one day. Net was the "cool guy" with more character and a kind heart ; the first week he came everyday with his 2 years old brother, a baby I was taking care of while Tobias was playing games with our class. The sweetest and let' say the more fragile even though super integrated, was Rith. Sreynak was helping me a lot to manage the class, she was always with a little girl as cute as smart, whom I forgot the name. I really met Bessay the second week and she was adorable.
That was hard to leave them after so many smile exchanges and so much fun. When the Khmer teacher came back to explain our departure, the kids came for an high five more significant than the daily ones.
We left for a last time our little part of the school. Lik, Net and Rith were on their bikes screaming us "Good Bye, see you later !", waving their hands. We went to them for a last good bye. I was crying and saw Rith's tears coming. We walked back to the scooter. A last child was standing in the middle of the road, still waving his hands, shouting "See you later !". It was Rith. He did it until he slowly disappeared behind a corner.
That was done. Painful and precious moment.
Globally speaking about what we saw during this two weeks at Kidtea, I guess we'll never forget this first experience in truly helping an underprivileged community. Lot of people actually help. Kidtea had meany volunteers while Tobias and me were teaching as well. Three other girls were teaching for longer. We also saw a big group who came to teach English for few days. Another organisation came to build an house for the school. Some days, random tourists stopped and asked Sophara (director) what is needed for the children. They went to a shop and brought back food, games, sport equipment, fridges, books, ... That was really beautiful to see.
This kind of project is amazing in itself and also because every single one can be part of it with his own means.
That was our experience at Kidtea school, near Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Plenty of smiles, fun and education. We hope that we taught them as much as they did. When it's time to leave, the situation is like the smile that Gangsta and me exchanged, sad but full of gratefulness.
I wish you, my friends, to live it.
For us, that was a sweet beginning.
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