Time for school at the Hope Agency, Cambodia
My first time to see the children at our school as I am helping in 2 classes today. They arrive about an hour or so before lessons start, a bit like our kids back home (ha ha) and they are all seem so happy, grabbing hold of you and wanting to know your name oh and also your age!!! Needless to say I kept that a secret!!
First class was the Crèche (1pm – 2pm) which has children from 2 to 10 years of age. There English is very limited and this is what we are all here for, to help them improve. We also do some face painting with them and you’d think all their dreams had come true at once, they get so excited and at one time I had five little ones climbing on my back!
My 2nd lesson was with the Little Angels (2pm – 3pm) varying in age from about 5 to 12, again very little English. This makes it very difficult to communicate and expalin things to them. I must admit I was under the impression that there was at least one local teacher at the school who could interpret, but there isn’t. I definitely think this is something we should look into, maybe even sponsoring a full time bilingual Cambodian teacher!
After lessons we clean their teeth, they have no oral hygiene so for such young kids their teeth are in a terrible state. That was quite funny as they obviously find the taste very strange and don’t like to do it at all.
The school is funded by the the charity so it’s free for any child to attend. Sometimes if an older child walks with their little brother or sister to school they’ll actually stay with them and and sit in the class until they’ve finished. Then most of the children do not rush home they all hang around and want to play, it is so lovely, they have nothing but the clothes they are standing in but are so smiley and happy. Very humbling to see.
