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#After participating in the volunteer work, I became motivated to study English. #An experience of communicating with children from the heart. #Unforgettable Chuseok memories made with the whole family.
Hello. I am the father of two kids who works at a company. This year during the Chuseok holiday, I planned to do volunteer work abroad with my parents, my family, and my brother's family. I found out about Gap Year through an online search and explained our family volunteer plan in a consultation when I visited them. Based on their kind explanations and guidance, along with various reviews, we made our final choice.
I wasn't worried about staying abroad for a long time since I occasionally travel for business and family vacations. However, since it was my first time doing overseas volunteer work and my parents and kids were going with me, I felt more pressure. Gap Year guided us thoroughly before departure, which allowed us to prepare perfectly. I am also grateful for the pre-departure orientation that explained local conditions, program schedules, and precautions.
I participated hoping to help Cambodian children even a little. I worried if my kids would do well in the volunteer work, but they participated actively and happily, which made me proud. After arriving at STAR Kampuchea, we received kind guidance about our accommodation and restaurants, and through orientation, we learned about the volunteer work and Cambodia. We had meals at designated restaurants in the morning and did volunteer work in the morning.
In the afternoon, we cooked kimchi pancakes and japchae with the volunteers and toured the city during our free time. I have fond memories of making kimchi pancakes and japchae with a friend I met through nursing volunteer work at STAR Kampuchea. After volunteering, we had plenty of activities like sightseeing, meals, massages, and walks, and we could use Grab for cheap taxi or tuk-tuk rides. However, the entrance fees for foreigners were a bit expensive, and although all of Cambodia's tourist attractions are famous, I would recommend the Mekong River cruise in the cool evenings and Khmer traditional massage. Everyone really loved it.
While doing meal service for children, I prepared games like jegi, yut-nori, and air balloons, and brought nail polish and hairpins to play with the kids, and they loved it. I think it would be good to coach the bigger kids to do things like cleaning, washing dishes, and recycling on their own. Even though we couldn't communicate through language, we connected through our hearts, and I am grateful for the experience of giving some help to the children. I hope they grow up bright and healthy.
We traveled safely as a group without any accidents. However, we need to be careful as foreigners, especially because there were some noisy incidents due to a Korean kidnapping case in Cambodia. This was my first time volunteering for children abroad, and it was an amazing experience that helped me score over 9 in my life. It also made me think that I should live more diligently and really study English.
I am grateful that my family actively participated and enjoyed the volunteer work and travel. Most importantly, I am thankful that we returned without any issues. I want to create more opportunities for volunteer work in the future. This year's Chuseok holiday has become a truly unforgettable and meaningful day.
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