View Tadeja Mesojedec's profileAfter first month here
... I wrote this short article.
Broken English, interesting reading (for me).
V teh vrsticah berem ''smartass'' zacetek. Danes bi zapisala drugace: vsekakor je bilo za dolocena globlja spoznanja potrebnih vec kot 45 dni. In se zdaj, po skoraj petih mesecih, vem zelo malo!
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‘’Good
morning, teacher!”, “Teacher always happy!” are the sentences which I hear
every day, so I would say, that in the way, those sentences reflect how I feel
with my volunteering in Cambodia and what I am doing here, on the other side of
the world.
It is nearly
a month and a half since I live in Phnom Penh v Don Bosco school for girls. It
seems both: nothing and eternity. Nothing because I cannot believe that I need
to leave in few months already, and eternity, because sometimes it feels like
this is the only life I ever new. And I enjoy every single moment of the
experience.
Salesian
sisters in Cambodia did a great work to come closer to the girls from different
provinces and villages. Gathering them here in our campus and studying is there
first big step for our girls towards life they deserve to live and enjoy.
Different stories, small conversations, teaching and observing build up puzzles
for me to understand their life, way of thinking, traumatic experiences. With
living Phnom Penh and not just visiting it as a tourist, I am starting to
see a broader image of history and present of Cambodia and Cambodian people.
My main
mission here should be teaching English. In my heart I already expanded that
mission. I believe that every single second of my staying here is sharing (not
just few hours in the classroom). Life here truly reflects the mission of Don
Bosco himself: to be with (as a father, as a teacher, as a friend and as a
spiritual assistant). And I try my best to live it that way.
Our campus
welcomes around 1000 young people every day, mostly girls. Around 100 girls are
boarders and those are the girls with whom I spend most of my time. We play,
sing, learn, talk, investigate each other cultures, do sports, dance.
I like so
many things and moments here, that it is hard to describe it in few
sentences: learning coconut dance, realizing so many things about their lives
and perspectives, trying to study Khmer, success in the classroom, simple smile
on the hallway, cooking Slovenian food, tripping to the local market with our
girls, talking about history of Cambodia, trying new things, meditation, home
visits to the girls in their simple homes in villages …
I know there
are moments, when my family, friends, coworkers and challenges in Slovenia need
me. I know that there are many things that I am missing. And I do think about those
people and opportunities. I miss my job in non-governmental sector in Slovenia
and challenges regarding social economy and social entrepreneurship I was
dealing with, I miss my friends who made my life for the past seven years so
different, that I dared to make this step.
But here are
some hands, which need me more right now.
I truly
believe and understand that this is one of the decisions and consequently months, which will help me grow.
And during this moment, Someone will, hopefully, plant seeds for better
tomorrow.
New culture, new cuisine, new energy,
stronger
sun, stronger faith and stronger me.
Volunteering
is, I believe, sharing and exchange. We all learn and grow every day.
