Cambodia Teaching and Travelling Experience

In 2011 I was involved in a charity project with my high school (Bowral High School). We raised money to build a library in an extremely remote Cambodian school and then proceeded to travel over to Cambodia to teach within the school, stock the library and get to know the children within the community. It was one of the most valuable things I have done with my life so far. We travelled a fair bit whilst in Cambodia, going to many temples (Angkor Wat etc.), religious temples, giving offerings to Buddhists at 4.00 a.m. and being invited into local’s houses for religious ceremonies and blessings. I know this is not necessarily an outdoor experience (although the many hikes to remote villages were) however all of these experiences gave us an in-depth connection and appreciation for the cultures and traditions held by the people within these countries. The people have such a deep connection to the land and to their traditions, similar feelings perhaps that outdoor enthusiasts within Australia or that the Aboriginal people hold. Exploring the outdoors in Cambodia made us feel more connected to the land and to the people, it also allowed us to appreciate furthermore the culture and religion within the country. Whilst at the temples and within the rainforests we were in awe of the beauty of the land, it was absolutely incredible and beautiful. Many times during the trip we found ourselves speechless in the presence of such majestic sights. For example; when riding elephants along a creek, among mountains and tropical rainforest, this feeling of amazement is one that I have experienced numerous times within the Australian outback (for example at Lichfield National Park in the Northern Territory, or at the top of pigeon house mountain). That surreal feeling is one which I have now become addicted to and sparks excitement and an everlasting passion for diverse outdoor experiences.

We also attended the Killing Fields and the S21 Prison within Cambodia. This experience definitely gave us very different feelings. The bones and torn clothing of many murdered, innocent victims were still protruding out of the mass graves at the Killing Fields. The trees in which they murdered innocent children on still stood in their place. At the S21 prison blood stains still hold a dark presence within each and every room, and the overwhelming feelings of the brutality and inhumanity that occurred at both places was strongly felt by all. This just furthermore proved to us that specific places can have such an emotional hold on us, whether it be for a short amount of time or for the remainder of our lives. I know I will never forget the faces or the feeling of anger, sadness and sorrow that occurred within me at these very places. It was such an intense feeling and experience.

Teaching within our sponsored school was an experience like no other. The children had such admiration and respect for us, and small things (such as pencils, pens, paper and books) were like gold. The community threw us a massive celebration, thanking us with a feast, traditional music, dancing and offerings to show and reflect their true compassion and gratefulness for the work we had done with the library, the resources and the lessons over the last few days. Many of the students spoke limited English, however it was incredible to see how we could connect with them through sport, dance and song, and how hard they worked and tried to understand the things we were trying to teach them. It was this passion and connection to outdoor activities that was the first experience which made me want to become a Physical and Health Education teacher. The students’ passion for playing outside and being involved in outdoor activities was something to be admired and something I wish the children in Australia would follow. 

Obviously the students within Cambodia did not have access to mobile phones, laptops or the internet, however all they needed was a soccer ball and an open field and they would be entertained for hours. This shaped my view that you do not need plenty of resources to provide students with challenging outdoor experiences and learning environments. It is impossible to explain the emotions and feelings that I felt during this experience. It is something that will never be forgotten, and something that will always shape the person I am, the views I hold and the attitudes I have towards different cultures, religions and education environments. It has really sparked within me how important and valued education, teachers and the outdoors are. It is for the many reasons stated above that the outdoors and education within the outdoors will always be something I hold extremely close. My passion for teaching about, and in conjunction with outdoor experiences, in gaining positive life skills and personal growth is engraved within my teaching philosophy forever.