This Saturday was a very special day. Not because it was a workday, but because it was the last day of the training and integration week. And this last day always stays in minds as the real beginning of the programs. Indeed, even if the kids are not here yet, the Khmer and European monitors meet for the first time, discover where they’ll be working during the coming month and above all, start to bond.
The Khmer and European monitors meet for the first time, discover where they’ll be working during the coming month and above all, start to bond.
The day started for the European monitors with a quick breakfast, during which they exchanged about their sleep after this very first night in their bamboos-beds in PSE Central, Phnom Penh. Then, the new monitors discovered the T1, the meeting room of Central where all the Khmer monitors and coordinators were already waiting for them. A short encouraging speech from Marisa later, the projects were called one by one in order to make the monitors know each other.
The European and Khmer coordinators – who already knew each other – organized games and activities to encourage bonding and start working all together. “We need to make them trust each other. That’s how the job becomes easy and well done y everyone. It makes the team stronger!” Meng, Khmer coordinator for the Central program.
Then came the flag painting.
“We can say that this is the first step to build the identity of a program, to say “come on guys, we all are a part of the same project!” It’s quite a symbol.”, explains Pauline, European coordinator for Smile Village.
Traditionally, every program paint its own flag, which is supposed to represent the atmosphere of the project: each of them is different in terms of location, kids, challenges and needs. The different paillotes often hang it in the paillote so the kids can see it – they love it – and it is also used as a background for a lot pictures. But more than these practical aspects, creating and painting this flag is a team work from the whole team, a team of monitors who literally just met each other and it is essential to see how it goes: it gives the ton of how the relationship between Khmer and European monitors will be during the next four weeks.
Creating and painting this flag is a team work from the whole team […] it gives the ton of how the relationship between Khmer and European monitors will be during the next four weeks.
“I feel great, it’s an amazing day starting knowing each other. A friendly team makes the work together easy”, Neyney, Khmer veteran monitor for Central. This flag-painting morning is always a moment that every monitors like, people get to know each other, everyone paints each others’ face, and it always ends up dancing and singing all together. “Our team have made a very good job; they are hand in hand as part of one family”, Clara, European coordinator for Kindergarden’s program.
Lunch was taken at the central canteen, teams eating all together mixing Khmer monitors and European ones, among the pensionnaires kids who spend their weekends in PSE. After it, each project went where they will be working, discovering the place – either a paillote or Central, but also the material, the different situations they’ll have to face during the summer. This afternoon means a lot for every single monitor or coordinator as it is the very first time than the whole team is on its own, working together at the very place they will be spending the next weeks all together. The monitors learnt about every corner of Central or their paillote, to make the organization smoother on Monday, and their coordinator made them do simulation exercises and showed them how and where a typical day goes. “It was interesting to see things getting together, to get organized, to see everything we’ve been told getting materialized!” Jean, new European monitor for Central.
Hand in hand, Europeans and Khmers build these programs together. And they all have something to teach and learn from each other.
Mixing European and Khmer monitors is essential for the programs to happen: even if European monitors learn the basic Khmer vocabulary to organize games – “krom”: team ; “chuchua”: line ; “rombo”: circle ; “yool”: understood” – they cannot do it on their own. Khmer monitors help understanding the kids, their language, their lives, what they have been through, but also their culture, their needs. Without them, the Summer Program cannot exist. “Summer Camp is an amazing and unique experience. I am happy to cooperate with everyone here. Everyone is working hard toward one goal: to deliver happiness to the kids and prevent them to go back to the dumpsite.” Chhin Kongkea, Khmer coordinator for the Pensionnaires’ program.
Hand in hand, Europeans and Khmers build these programs together. And they all have something to teach and learn from each other. “I do have a lot of fun working with all these friends; especially the European friends. This is the time for me to practice my English language and to exchange about the experiences to get new knowledge, skills, and friendship” says Lorn Nisai, Khmer veteran Khmer monitor.
The final word goes to Mike, supervisor and organiser of the training and integration days: “I don’t think they’re going to be any difficulties between Khmer and European monitors. We already have a lot of experience in that and Europeans already know how to deal with the Khmer and their very different culture. The truth is, between that and the fact that the coordinators have a lot of experience in getting them to understand each other, everything is going to be phenomenal.”
Let’s the 2019 School Continuity Program starts!
