A Journey of Personal Growth
Amelie Lockard just got back from two weeks of volunteering at Green Shoots AgriTech Centre in Samraong Cambodia… she took part in activities for our Access Program, The AgriTech Centre and assisted Sovanvotey Hok from Green Lady Cambodia in doing materials research! See below all her adventures.
I feel lucky to have been able to travel so far across the world and work with such kind,
inspiring people on the Green Shoots AgriTech Centre in Samraong. When choosing to decide volunteering for Green Shoots, I did not expect to learn as much as I did about myself and gain so much life experience.
What began as teaching students English and helping out on the farm, soon turned into a journey of personal growth, cultural immersion, and a deeper understanding of the world around me.
For the two weeks I volunteered, I spent the afternoons assisting in English classes as part of the Access Program at Green Shoots for 20 students.
I found that the students were very humble, respectful and kind. Despite the language barrier, we found ways to connect through basic phrases and games. The first few days involved playing interactive games such as ‘Simon Says’ with the students to help improve their listening and speaking skills. It was great to see how each day I took part in the class, the more confident and comfortable the students would be with me. Over time I also found myself becoming a lot more confident and comfortable with speaking to a large group, however having such friendly and attentive students definitely helped.
Not only did I slowly warm up to teaching the class, I also grew a bond with the students which made it hard to leave them after the two weeks of volunteering. It was a pleasure to work with program coordinator and teacher Bunthong who was easy to get along with and I also loved meeting teacher Nhet who was so welcoming and friendly.
Teaching also allowed me to learn more about the culture in Cambodia, its traditions, and the importance of community. I would have to say that the teaching aspect of the volunteering was definitely the most significant part of my personal growth as I not only was able to help out the students with their English and hopefully motivate them to improve their English language skills, but I also overcame my fear of public speaking.
One of the highlights of the trip was definitely immersing myself in the unique culture of the village of Samraong and trying many new foods. I particularly enjoyed the prahok dish which included a mix of fermented fish and pork which was a surprise to me as I usually don’t love fish. I also loved the Cambodian doughnuts known as Noum Kong. I loved trying different Cambodian dishes and loved the variety of flavours and plants they incorporate into their food. Another way I found myself learning new things about the Cambodian culture was by participating in a group dance involving traditional Khmer dancing. This was definitely a memorable experience as I joined some of the children from Enfant du Mekong and learnt some of the traditional Khmer dance moves. Overall, one of my favourite parts of the trip was experiencing the authentic culture and meeting the people of Samraong, as everyone was so welcoming and warm.
Muneezay has done a great job of welcoming me to the Green Shoots project and I really
enjoyed my time with her. She has taught me a lot about the different species of plant that
grow in Cambodia and the different cultural traditions of Samraong, thanks to her I was able to settle in a lot more comfortably.
I would also like to mention how inspiring it was to work with Sovanvotey (Votey) alongside her Menstruation Health Class and creating period pads out of sustainable plant materials. I think her work is great and necessary to allow girls in Cambodia to feel more comfortable with the changes that occur when growing up. I enjoyed the process of testing out and experimenting with different plant fibers to see which materials would work best for a biodegradeable pad. I also learnt that this process requires patience and commitment, as each plant had to be gathered and we had to collect the fibers from the plants. Learning about some of the stigmas some of the girls in Samraong had around periods also opened up my eyes to how much of a positive influence Votey’s work has on these young girls and how much of an impact one can have on a small rural community.
This trip has given me the opportunity to work alongside a passionate, inspiring group of
people whom I have learnt a lot from for the past two weeks. Also, I would like to mention the appreciation I had for Mr Loun, and his hard work and care I witnessed him put into the Agri-Tech centre to maintain the growth of many different plants and fruits.
Realising the hard work and dedication that the people of Samraong have to put in to feed the population gave me a new-found appreciation for what I have, and for their efforts to grow their own food and incorporate the variety of different plants they grow into their cooking. I have left Cambodia a better person, with memories I will cherish forever.
Thank you Green Shoots for giving me the opportunity to volunteer and help out with your fantastic work.
