TAKMAO, A CHILD’S PARADISE IN PREAK HO – Sponsored by Small Steps Project & 1001 Atmosphera

It’s Day 1 of the PSE School Continuity Programme in Takmao Community Service Centre (Takmao), where more than 200 kids will come to play everyday. This programme has now been running for three consecutive years; something that would not have been possible without the collaboration and sponsorship of Small Steps Project. This British NGO helps to feed more than ninety children throughout the year and supplies large quantities of material aimed at improving personal hygiene for the youngest kids. Small Steps also provides financial aid for the summer programme.

The ideal space for fun

As you enter the gates of Takmao, your eyes glisten instantly with the abundance of colours. From the greenery to the vivid playground and abundance of hand paintings on the walls, this camp reflects the happiness and innocence of childhood.  Trees provide shade throughout the hot, humid days and you also notice a vegetable garden where kids will be able to plant and grow seeds.

In Takmao, monitors and kids enjoy a very privileged space that includes greenery and a vegetable garden

Quitterie and Jules are two French volunteers who have fallen completely in love with the centre they were assigned to. They emphasise the open space which makes it easier for the monitors to play grab and catch games or any sports activity. More outdoor space means more outdoor games. Something the children love!

A team with extra support

Takmao monitors are helped by two teachers, Sreypom and Channa, that work in the same centre all year round. Paula, the sub-programme’s coordinator told us that their help and presence is extremely valuable as it makes the kids behave in a more orderly way. After only one day of camp, Paula is happily surprised with the involvement and behaviour of all kids:

“It is the first year in this centre for most of the instructors, 14 in total, and we thought it would be much more difficult for them to handle the kids, but they are all so well behaved! ”
Paula, Takmao coordinator

An impoverished community

The centre is located in the province of Kandal, a 40 minutes drive from Phnom Penh in a village called Takmao. Besides agriculture and fishing, one of the main occupations of the children that come to this camp is picking garbage in the closest dumpsite. Many of these families suffer the consequences of unemployment, alcohol abuse or problems surrounding violence and drugs, which has a deep impact on the children’s mental health and happiness.
In addition to this, the population surrounding the centre has dramatically increased since last year after the construction of a new road surrounding Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodian. These families have therefore been forced to move somewhere where the land is cheaper; somewhere like Preak Ho.

Older ones and younger ones, they all dream of better days

There is such a big age gap in Takmao. You see teenagers arriving on their bicycle at the same time as kids who can hardly walk, probably because they took their first steps a few days before. Their first impression when seeing the centre reflects their fear and insecurity in discovering a new environment; one that is full of children of different ages all talking and playing. The instructors notice this right away and embrace them. The other kids run and play with the rest of the children as if they’ve known them forever: time for fun and games!

We run into kids of all ages in Takmao, from teenagers who arrive by bike to little ones that can barely walk

Monitors face a huge challenge here but no doubt their passion makes things easier. Phearom, a first-time Khmer instructor is both apprehensive and excited. She talks about how thrilled she is to be surrounded by kids as she always liked looking after her sisters and small cousins. Minea, another Khmer monitor, was already working in the PSE summer programme last year but this time she’s working alongside her brother. “Two more great recruits for a great team like ours”, Paula proudly admits.

After welcoming European and Khmer songs, the kids are organised in lines (“chua” as they say in Khmer), according to their age. First, the monitors help the kids shower, boys and girls separately. You can see the exhilaration as the kids poor buckets of fresh water over their heads! Afterwards, it’s breakfast time and, by 9 am, the Cambodian flag is hoisted by two volunteers while everyone else sings the national anthem. The best thing about what happens next? They still have a day full of games, songs, food and finally rest ahead of them.

Small Steps Project

We want to thank the British NGO Small Steps Project, Sponsor of Takhmao camp, who provides food and hygiene products for more than ninety kids througout the year, and additional financial aid for the summer programme as well. Thank you as well to 1001 Atmosphera, a fantastic pop up store in Madrid, also sponsoring the Takhmao programme.