Every morning, the volunteers assigned to the subprogramme of Aranh, move from the main centre in Siem Reap to the school where the summer programme takes place. 20 monitors travel together in a van, carrying the day’s meal and, on Fridays, the same number of rice bags as the children who await them. These forty minutes of travel represent a special moment of bonding between the Khmer and European monitors: relaxation whilst listening to music and waking up or chatting before the storm starts.
An oasis at school
The subprogramme of Aranh is located within a public school that has lended part of its facilities, including three classrooms, to the PSE continuity programme.
Nearly two hundred children go every day in two shifts, in addition to reaching almost that number of children who are picked up from the nearest dump on a bus every day. It is the first year that the monitors work in this location, but they are happy because in fact it is closer for the children in the vicinity who, in previous years had to travel to the PSE central in Siem Reap.
Martín, coordinator of Aranh, admits the complexity of organizing two shifts of children, apart from those who arrive from the landfill, but his team does its best to differentiate them and control their arrival.
The gift of rice
The attendance of each child is important, because the amount of rice they receive depends on it. A way for the families to get something in return for their child´s attendance, assuring more and more children come. Every Friday, in all the PSE summer subprogrammes, attendance is listed and rice is given to children who meet the aforementioned requiremen: attending camp for no less than three times a week. Their expression on the children´s faces are the best reward for monitors who have been weighing and moving kilos and kilos of rice the night before.
“They only observe, but it’s okay, at least they come in. You have to give them time” Martin, referring to the children who come from the dumpsite
You feel even more emotional when the delivery is made directly to the families of the children from the dumpsite. The team of Aranh knows this very well and Martín, its coordinator, emphasizes it. Some children who arrive from there also find it difficult to gain confidence and come with a lot of hygiene problems and poor medical care around wounds. However, the volunteers know them and respect their time to adapt to the activities. Referring to a group of two boys and a girl watching closely what happens around him, Martín says: “They only observe, but it’s okay, at least they come in. You have to give them time”.
PSE Olympics
After the showers, breakfast and some free time, they are ready for the Olympics on Friday. In this case, monitors organize children in seven groups that will be divided into four activities to compete between two or more teams: sack race, gymkhana, games with children’s shoes and Pictionary.
The monitors teach the children chants to encourage their team and to discourage the opponents, so that the spirit of cooperation and the pursuit of a goal are assured, almost as much as laughter.
These Friday games are practically an institution for PSE summer program and the monitors already enjoy it almost as much as the children, including, of course, those in Aranh.
A day at the camp
