Since early childhood, I have made numerous trips to more than twenty countries. However, most of the trips did not stay in my memory long as they were just for fun and enjoyment. The trip that meant to me the most was the School Adventure Week trip to Cambodia this year. With the curiosity of exploring what a less developed country was like and the desire to offer community service to those in need, I chose to participate in this trip. My first impression of Cambodia was not good at all as the flooding towns and shanties which I saw from the plane before landing gave me an unpleasant feeling.
This country looked worse than what I had thought of. I wondered if I had made a wrong decision to go there. However, I had no option but to stay on with the one-week task there, no matter how unsatisfied I felt with this country. Our service projects were based at an orphanage centre in a remote town. The living environment was of very poor quality – no air-conditioning, no proper bathrooms and no tap water. However, I forgot all my unpleasant feeling of Cambodia at the moment I met the adorable orphans.
Most of them were skinny with dirty clothes on and without shoes on their feet. They were all excited to see visitors come and cheered with joy. Their innocent smiles deeply impressed me. It was hard to communicate with the kids in words because of language barrier but this problem was solved through simple hand gestures, body language and smiles. We taught them simple English and played games with them. It was hard to describe how much the orphans enjoyed to have our companionship. It was love and care which broke the barrier among people and brought unity.
They played an important role to light up the lives of others and brought more happiness than other materials could do in life. Besides the teaching program, we were also involved in construction of a playhouse for the orphans. It was a challenging task to do laborious work like carrying bags of cement and sand under the blazing sun. Despite the exhaustion, my heart was filled with a sense of warmth when I imagined how much fun the orphans would have when the playhouse was finished. It was a small world built by cement and furnished with love.
I definitely love the community service trip in Cambodia in that it was undoubtedly a meaningful and moving experience. This trip gave me a chance to explore the other side of the world and to contribute positively to the improvement in the lives of others in our global community. Every time when I share this experience with others, I almost burst into tears and recall the innocent smiles of the orphans. Simply put, the trip enriched my soul and broadened my horizon. I also realize that I’m extremely fortunate to live in an affluent city with abundant material life. I should learn to treasure everything I own.
