French Youth in Volunteering Work with Caritas Club

Monday, 01 August 2011

Twelve youths from France (Kampuchea Sorya Group) are on a six-week internship from June-July 2011 to Programs of Caritas Cambodia in Kandal, Kg. Thom, and Kg. Cham province. Mr. Kim Rattana, Caritas Cambodia executive director and Caritas Cambodia staff provided them a warm welcome by bringing them on tour around Phnom Penh and other attractive places within the country. They were proceeded into 3 groups for their field visit to those three provinces.

Before starting with their field visits, the twelve youths were taught Khmer language for 6 days, and taken on tour for two days in Phnom Penh. The group spent a day visiting Ta Mao Mountain and Tonle Baty Resort in Takeo Province. They also visited the Youth Center and Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CCAMH) program in Kandal province.

During their fieldworks in 5 communes, the group in Kandal province helped the farmers preparing home gardening, digging pond for fish raising, making Compost fertilizer and the jar, as well as preparing chicken cage. Furthermore, they participated in literacy class for Cambodian adult, mushroom cultivation process, and participated in sharing of Wood Vinegar fertilizer to farmers.

Having productively participated in various activities the same as Kandal youth group, the other 4 French youths in Kg. Thom province has worked together with local villagers in constructing the culvert. They also met Village Development Association, did environment campaign, helped farmer growing rice and vegetable, prepared French Independent day, and constructed rice storage.

The works of the French youth group in Kg. Cham province are provided similarly to the group in Kandal and Kg. Thom. They also took part in constructing house and latrine, transplanting rice, and repairing the house for the poorest family.

Helping farmers transplanting rice seedling in the field, the youth group in Kandal province said that for the first few days, they encountered some difficulties because they have never done those fieldworks before and they felt exhausted. However, those students continued that they are now able to adapt the living there. They said helping the villager is interesting because it is very new and unforgettable experiences to them. One more thing, what they appreciate is that Cambodian people are so friendly.

“What is good about our fieldwork is that we had good contact with people, especially the children there. They really enjoyed playing with us and like talking to us so much but we cannot understand all since we can understand a little Khmer language,” said Manon Usseglio, who did the fieldwork in Kampong Cham Province. Isella Rigoulet is among the interns in Kampong Thom Province. With her smile, she said that, “Though we met some difficulties, we started to love all the works that we have been doing now.” Their fieldworks ended after another two-day tour of historical temples in Siem Reap Province.
It has been 9 years already that Caritas Cambodia received student groups from France to be involved with Community Development Program in its target provinces. Those students would engage their life with the rural based poor and witness how those people are struggling to survive. This internship is required from the university before the students finish their diploma. The mission of Kampuchea Sorya Group is to help the poor Cambodian, exchange culture and inform French people about condition of life in Cambodia.