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#From resume-building to a true sense of mission #The children's boundless affection and sense of responsibility #An experience that made me cherish people
At the start I definitely thought it would at least add a line to my resume and that volunteering would be easy. In fact, I''m not someone with a strong sense of mission about volunteering. Even if I say I came because I wanted to, the emotional weight was different. So I thought of it lightly and began. But as the program went on, I naturally developed affection and a sense of responsibility, and the lightness turned into seriousness — something I truly wanted to do beyond just a resume item.
- Internship in Cambodia with an NGO chosen by CNN as one of the 100 heroes / 5-week gap year |
Were there any problems getting to the Meeting Point, and how do you find it? (transportation methods, cost, points to note, etc.)
Used the pickup service
Memorable enjoyable experiences (or unpleasant experiences and solutions) while participating in the gap year program
The children were adorable
Common language: English, actually English speakers were many.
My English skill before participating was ① only greetings ② a little daily conversation ③ daily conversation OK
At participation ① No problem ② A bit difficult ③ Difficult
My advice on language use in the gap year program (how to study beforehand, etc.)
If both speaking and listening are weak, focus more on listening; speaking can rely on body language.
If you can''t understand during communication, the work is nearly impossible..
Accommodation
- Accommodation location: Guesthouse
- Type of accommodation: Separated by gender
My advice for future volunteers about the accommodation as a participant
If you''re afraid of bugs, life will be uncomfortable. In particular, get used to ants and lizards.
Meals
- Meal type: Used provided meals
My personal advice to future volunteers regarding meals
Most Koreans will probably find it hard to adjust to Cambodian food. I recommend cup ramen or gochujang (Korean chili paste). However, most large supermarkets sell Korean food and there are more Korean restaurants in Cambodia than you might expect. I recommend eating at a Korean restaurant about once a week.
Packing list·Insurance, etc.
Items that were inconvenient to be without / items that were convenient to have:
Clothes hanger – very versatile and can be used anywhere.
Items that were convenient to have / items that caused problems:
Flip-flops (slippers) – with just these you can go anywhere
Actually, sanitary products were an issue. I brought a lot because I heard Southeast Asian products were low quality, but they sell them all here....haha
Insurance
I had (insurance). Especially in Cambodia there is a high risk of various infections.
My personal advice to future volunteers as a participant regarding what to bring
People are the same everywhere. Supermarkets sell everything. I recommend packing mainly comfortable clothes.
Through the gap-year program I participated in: What was good·Moments that moved me, things I learned, realizations, etc.
I learned a lot and had many realizations. Everything seemed great. Above all, I appreciated receiving boundless affection from my students. I learned a lot from those children too. I think I reflected on what it truly means to care, what it means to approach someone with your heart, and what sincerity is.
Were there people you met or spent time with while participating in the gap-year program?
They were overseas volunteers. I met truly precious friends. I''m sure we''ll meet again someday. I felt the world is smaller than I thought; my roommates and I decided to visit each other''s countries someday. Besides them, I met many other great volunteers. I also met wonderful people while traveling. Conversations with people I met during travel were always enjoyable..
If there was any change in yourself when comparing before and after participating in the gap-year program:
After letting go of everything about my environment, I feel I can live anywhere. Before, I used to dislike Incheon and called it the countryside, but now I think I could live well anywhere.
If I were the gap-year program planner, I would...Additions or modificationsI''ll do it!
Other than thinking ''if they''re just going to make me suffer, I''ll make them suffer even more,'' there''s nothing else, I think.
Please tell us about your own travel route during your gap year. (Recommended travel spots and schedule, routes, if any?)
MainlyTravel using night buses (sleep beds)I recommend them. Be sure to check whether it''s an upper or lower berth, and if you''re traveling alone, check whether there are individual seats. I usually recommend buying tickets directly at the bus terminal. Bargaining is essential everywhere, and if you say you''re Korean, you can usually negotiate fairly well..
If you mix in a little Cambodian, you can enjoy local prices. Emphasizing that you''re a volunteer is the point. With that in mind, I recommend starting with nearby places to get used to long bus rides before going farther. Siem Reap-Koh Kong-Sihanoukville-Kampot-Kratie-I used to visit remote places I don''t remember. The place I recommend is Siem Reap. It''s better than Cambodia''s capital, Phnom Penh. If you care a lot about the environment/conditions, I don''t recommend traveling in Cambodia.
But if you like nature, don''t mind dirt, and don''t mind coed rooms, you can mostly enjoy nature-focused trekking. Among those, I recommend Kampot. It''s just a rural town, so go thinking you''ll rest for three days to a week. I recommend the guesthouse Magic Sponge. In other areas you may become tired from many begging children and tuk-tuk drivers. For the sea, I recommend Sihanoukville. Many clubs open at night, so it''s very noisy then. From Sihanoukville you can take a boat to Koh Rong Island, which I recommend. If you don''t mind walking in the jungle, I suggest trekking on Koh Rong Island. Just note that accommodations and most restaurants have a lot of sand. Prices are also fairly high.
At first I definitely thought ''at least one more line on my résumé'' and that volunteering would be easy. I''m not someone with a big sense of mission about volunteering. Even though I came because I wanted to, the emotional weight was different. So I started with a light attitude. But as the program went on, affection and responsibility naturally grew, and what began as a résumé-builder turned into something I truly wanted to do.
I would say a big factor was the boundless affection the children gave me. At some point I also got used to the give-and-take, and relationships in Korea can be complicated. I thought you rarely receive that kind of infinite affection except from family and close friends. But can you imagine receiving that every day? At first I was like, ''Wow, what is this?'' These kids would cling to me whenever they saw me, call my name, and try to behave well for me. I couldn''t get used to it — rather, I was genuinely surprised.
I even doubted the sincerity. Of course, some kids who have been handled a lot sometimes pretend to cry to get affection. But that''s also because they want to be loved. Even though I couldn''t get used to it, they consistently liked me more from the start and didn''t change. They hugged me every day, acted cute, and during breaks they even gave me massages with their tiny hands. Sometimes... they''d even catch butterflies or bugs and give them to me as gifts. They give me everything they think is good. Drawings are basic, and they even give toy rings. How could I not treat such kids well when they show me such boundless affection?
Gradually I opened my heart and got closer to them, and they were so pretty and lovable that all I could say was how cute they were. Of course, during class they can be really annoying because they don''t show much concentration... Most classes were run so that each child presented individually, and I spent most of the time trying to control kids who talked and ran around. Then when kids cling to me and don''t want to let go, I can''t hate them and even get a bit annoyed, but I think about them a lot. Even now, after it''s over and I''m in Thailand, I sometimes look at photos of the kids — they were so lovable. I''m so grateful that I had the luck to receive such affection in my life.
I spent two months with those kids. Before I knew it, it felt less like volunteering and more like entering their lives and living together. My kids were young, but seeing other volunteers leave and the kids who remained made me worry about how my kids should act after I''m gone. Also, living together led to understanding the culture and having passionate discussions about it with other volunteers. It naturally made me think a lot. I became more ashamed of myself. I had thought of it so lightly, only as a line on my résumé. A single action of mine could make the children dream, cry, or laugh, and I couldn''t betray the kids who trusted and followed me. Well, they''re young so it''s not that serious, but when another volunteer took over my class around the time I left and the kids liked that volunteer, I felt bittersweet. I realized that there are no trivial moments when dealing with people, even when living with young children.
And although everyone feels differently, after the Cambodia program I try to enjoy the moment as much as possible and to value whoever I''m interacting with. It became a time that let me truly feel the meaning of the word ''volunteer.''
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
