The group spent the morning at Kirmineon Primary School checking out the finished solar energy installation. Daniel and his team demonstrated how the panels transfer energy to the charge controller to the battery system and inverter to then make electricity, which powers two lights, a fan, and an electrical outlet in each classroom.

NRG Solutions, the solar energy company that built the system, then did a demonstration and solar energy lesson in Khmer for the school director, several teachers, and a few students. It was really enjoyable to watch! It was really incredible to see the donations put into project form! One of the most positive things I have learned about Cambodia is the incredible speed at which the country is advancing in technology - this is a perfect example of that!

Solar Energy Lesson at Kirimineon Primary School

Morning: This morning we visited WRC is a drop-in women's center that provides information, support and agency referrals for women around Siem Reap, Cambodia.  Their work is centered around empowerment. Their staff members advocate for women in need of mental health and physical health services in collaboration with other organizations in the area. They are leading the women's movement in the area; their organization is managed by an all women Board of Directors and is committed to hiring Khmer staff members.

Included in their services are free educational workshops for small groups of women led by women in the community. The workshops are most often about legal aid, parenting, health education, reproductive health, pregnancy, child care, and domestic violence. This organization is pushing for women to make their own decisions by helping them be as well informed as possible. I was impressed by their policies around confidentiality and leadership. 

Afternoon: In the months of November and December, we started a solar fundraising project for one of the schools we are working in with the CCDO. I have a friend, Daniel Pachecho, who lives in Cambodia and started a solar company. Since we are only in Cambodia for such a short period, we wanted to fund raise for a project that would truly benefit the community that has opened their doors to our group. Given our connection to Daniel, we fund-raised $10,000 over the course of 2 months in order to fund a solar energy project to get the school electricity. Through family and friends, along with a large donation from Recurrent Energy in San Francisco, the CCDO (the organization we are volunteering through) was able to fund the project and pay Daniel and his team to build the project while we are here! 

Today, we had the opportunity to work at Kirimineon Primary School and teach two different groups of 40 students from 2nd-5th grade about solar energy. We went through the steps to making solar energy, created a movement for each part of the energy conversion, and process (TPR), and reviewed the steps as group. Each part of the lesson was translated by Kha, the amazing Berkeley student who grew up in Cambodia. 

When we checked for understanding, the groups of students had really ingested the information and were ready to get outside and explain each part to their teachers. Thanks to Kha, Matt, and Chandna for all your help to make the lessons happen! A great day!!

Ankor Children's Hospital - Spreading Needed Knowledge

Ankor Children's Hospital was inspiring to visit. They are the best children's hospital in all of Cambodia, and people travel from all over the country to see their specialists. It is so well known that many notable people have visited, such as Bill Clinton and Quincey Jones. We were fortunate enough to have a quick tour of several facilities (most of them were closed off to the public for privacy reasons), and then spoke with the head social worker. He explained that for most families, the average weekly wage is around 7 dollars, and merely getting to the hospital round trip can cost that much. Many families weigh the decision of feeding their families for the week or taking a sick child to the hospital. The social workers at Ankor Children's Hospital not only monitor the medical progress of the hospital's previous patients, but they also help families get transportation costs covered and logistics organized. One in twelve children die before the age of 15, and most of these deaths are preventable - children usually die because medical care is sought after it is too late.

What really struck me about Ankor Children's Hospital is its dedication to improving the quality of medical care throughout Cambodia. Since 2009, the hospital staff has trained 1,350 clinicians and social workers from the 40 other children's hospitals in Cambodia. Not only is Ankor Children's Hospital the best in the country at what they do, they are disseminating the knowledge free of cost to those who need and want the information. After this visit, I am thinking about the themes of community collaboration, advocacy, and teamwork.

Working at the school today felt even more comfortable. It is always joyful when you start to make jokes with the students you are working with, know their names, and can start to form relationships that go beyond the surface. I am dreading leaving already but trying to stay present! The teaching strategies used by the local teachers get more varied by the day - the collaboration between those visiting and those from the area is inspirational!

I really enjoyed having the opportunity to help out with the mural project and soccer practice in between working in the English classes. Great things are happening all around Ta Pang Primary School!

Feeding Dreams Cambodia

Tuesday, January 14th

Sick today. As I write this reflection, I am surrounded by comfort. I have been sick many times during my travels and work in other countries. I am normally swatting away the mosquitos, using facilities without running water, and without privacy due to sharing rooms with many people. Today was peaceful although painful, so I consider myself lucky. I have ample amounts of water, mediation on hand, and am in a comfortable bed - this is yet another layer of privilege that I am turning over in my head.

Wednesday, January 15th

This morning we had the privilege of visiting the NGO "Feeding Dreams Cambodia." We were greeted in song, observing and participating in the "morning meeting" ritual in which students sing a variety of songs in their native Cambodian language, Khmer, as well as English. The energy and positivity was infectious; it was impossible not to smile. Students eagerly gave us all high fives and scurried off to their outdoor classrooms, where they receive additional schooling to supplement their 4 hour school days provided by the public school system.

Feeding Dreams started this community school to provides free education and English instruction that will help push academic levels, given the limited amount they are receiving.  The school serves over 700 children living in impoverished areas around Siem Reap. The organization is engaging in what seems to be high quality case management in addition to academic support. They have several case managers who do outreach and community support to the children in their families. This service ranges from monitoring the childrens' grades in their local public schools to helping families get birth certificates needed for entering the educational system. Case managers also work with village chiefs to help problem solve issues of domestic violence and alcoholism affecting the children who attend their school. Additionally, they facilitate medical care for the children and their caretakers, as well as provide workshops around the themes of health, hygiene, and morality.

Feeding Dreams, unlike Friends International, opened its doors for us to interact with their clients. Their way of operating was drastically different - it seems that they are stretched pretty thin and have a broad range of services that with little boundaries. They adapt their services to each individual case, and I appreciate their dedication and commitment to their community. I do though wonder about how the range of case management services could potentially burn out their staff members, specifically the social workers.

Following our visit, we headed to Ta Pang to volunteer. I was again able to work with the same English teacher. He eagerly taught an English lesson about "The House." Another volunteer constructed a collapsable replica of a traditional Cambodian home. The English teacher taught each part of the house step by step, from the word "wall" to "roof." I was able to work with him to incorporate TPR (Total Physical Response) movements for each word. The students quickly caught on to all the vocabulary and were really engaged with the multiple teaching strategies. I was impressed by the students energy and participation!

Back to Teaching

This trip is primarily focused on social welfare, but the educational twist placed me in a teaching role during our first day at Ka Pang Primary School. I was ushered to first observe an English class and then told to help out in another classroom with Cita, the English teacher. Having been a 4th grade teacher, I felt excited to be back in the classroom.



A group of 20 retired teachers is working at Ta Pang School alongside the MSW students, so Cita wasn't surprised to see me. He welcomed me in and said, "How about you teach today?" I tried to convince him I was there to assist and co-teach, but he said, "tomorrow, tomorrow."



I winged it, picking out lessons from their introductory workbook to review (Cita told me which letter combinations were the hardest for his students). We chanted, sang, moved around, created TPR (total physical response) movements for each vocabulary word, made sentences, learned about how "s" makes a plural (didn't hit on the exceptions), and even learned the "peel banana" song after reviewing words that stated with b. It felt really good to get into a teaching flow with such incredible children. I desperately miss teaching.


I am blown away by the humility, respect, patience, and affection shown by the students at Ta Pang. These children are some of the happiest I have worked with. They endure multiple mile walks to school, minimal food intake, harsh working conditions during harvest, and poverty, yet still show the utmost respect for their teachers and have a hunger for learning.

Location:Ta Pang Primary School outside of Siem Reap

Sustainability and Voluntourism

We spent the morning hearing from two staff members from Friends International (FI) at their incredible restaurant training center. Friends International serves marginalized children and their families, working to build partnership with all stake holders surroundings at-risk youth. In Siem Reap, there is a tendency to focus solely on children, ignoring that true change and growth that happens when the family is partnered with as a whole. Friends International operates around two main principles: reintegration and sustainability.



I have yet to hear much about societal strengths, which I hope we will learn more about in the coming days. Frequently discussed were the societal problems plaguing Cambodia, several of which were emphasized by FI:

--September is the only month you can return a child to a school, thus children who decide to continue their education often wait many months to do so, decreasing the chances of returning.

--School teachers make an average of $30 dollars a month, which isn't sustainable to feed their families. To gain a supplemental income, children are required to pay daily bribes to their teachers - most have to pay to come into the classroom, borrow pens, get pieces of paper, or to get their tests graded. Many students do not have the money, thus they are not able to regularly attend school.

--Alcoholism is rampant. Alcohol, specifically rice wine (35% proof) costs 5 cents a liter. At this price, it is more than affordable to drink alcohol than buy rice.

--Poverty tourism and "voluntourism" create space for the formation of many falsified non-profits. For example, many people start fake orphanages and collect children from local villages to live in run down buildings, attracting tourists to volunteer and donate money. The money goes directly into the crooks pockets instead of benefitting those in need.


Friends International engages in community based outreach. They have social workers who work in the surrounding impoverished communities doing games, reading books on various topics, teaching life skills etc to in order to get to know kids in need of case management services. Once there is engagement and assessment, the social workers make treatment plans for children in need, work with their families, and do follow up. When processing this model, I really resonate with the strong power and time needed for the engagement and assessment process.



In the United States, we are often pressured and pushed to engage in strict amounts of time. Friends International meets children and their families where they are, giving them the space and time to engage at their own pace. For FI, clients' personal paces of engagement aren't determined by state mandated billing or time limits, but by personal connections and activities that cater to different interests, needs, and backgrounds.



Friends International in Siem Reap also runs a transitional home, a school reintegration program, and vocational training. They also educate hotel workers, tuk tuk drivers, non-profit workers, and tourists about the effects of child exploitation through workshops, brochures, and community campaigns.



I find myself buzzing with thoughts about sustainability, family work, partnership, vulnerability, and social work practices.

It was truly meaningful to engage with such a well-run, prime example of what a local, community based organization can be.

Strength from Structures

Sunday was our sole day of pure tourism. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to explore the famous Ankgor Wat Temple among several others. The day was filled with spiritual contemplation, wonder, and questioning.

In a country that has experienced centuries of conflict, many of the incredible temples have survived wars, a mass genicide, and extreme weather. Their beauty, meanings, significance, and grandeur symbolize the innate strength and power of the Cambodian people. As a typically wordy lady, I have no words to describe the beauty of these world wonders.


Religion and spirituality have served as points of strength and fortitude for many Cambodians, helping them bear the many historical traumas. In the months to come, I hope to further learn about how these concepts work to help heal the wounds inflicted by Khmer Rouge regime and the recent Cambodian Civil War.

A few photo highlights from the day: