The heat. That is what first greeted us as we stepped out of Phnom Penh International Airport on Friday 14 April 2023
A few months earlier, I had agreed to take a volunteering group of Sirius College students on a meaningful trip to Cambodia. Our purpose being, to participate in the annual Ramadan Campaign organised by the Australian Relief Organisation (ARO); and now here we stood 6,887km away from home, immersed in an entirely new world.
Amongst the blaring sound of tuk tuk horns, mesmerisingly curly abugida script, Khmer rap and bustling street vendors, we were confronted with a stark contrast between affluence and poverty. Ivory mega mansions towered over modest, corrugated iron homes. This obvious divide was the initial catalyst behind a shift in mindset for the students and me.
All too often we robotically blurt out “I wish I could do more to help”, lulling ourselves into a false sense of action, where mere intentions compensate for any real change. It was this impassive rhetoric which propelled the collaboration between Sirius College and ARO.
Beyond the standard activities involving package preparation and distribution, iftar tent setup and visiting water wells; students had the opportunity to witness and actively contribute to grassroots change, by networking with ARO’s locally supported schools, dormitories and organisations, such as Human Help Organisation (HHO), to provide upskilling and ongoing educational support to those in need, particularly orphans.
This unique opportunity not only granted students an insight into varying life circumstances, but also prompted a candid examination of their accountability and responsibility towards their fellow human beings.
Throughout our time in Cambodia, we were accompanied by local students who were part of the HHO family; giving us a firsthand understanding of the real change that is occurring. We were taken back to the provinces our guides were originally from, to help share the spirit of giving and the essence of Ramadan with the wider Muslim community.
In the process, breaking down numerous preconceptions we had, with the most valuable being, that volunteering is not about taking pity, or a once off experience to be ticked off some internalised checklist.
Instead, it became clear that volunteering represents a pivotal experience, offering a firsthand glance into the means of bringing about genuine and, more importantly, sustained change through skill development, education, support and recognition.
Many of the Sirius College students stated that they would be back again and again, with one student actively networking with local schools to secure future opportunities to assist in the enhancement of local youth.
In the end, it was not the heat of the weather which left an impression on us, but rather the warmth of lasting friendships and the positive changes witnessed.
To be involved in one of ARO’s numerous projects, please visit their website:
https://www.aro.org.au/home/homepage
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