Day 1: Off we go!
Feeling jittery, a little queasy but nonetheless still excited, OVE18 team started off on a good note with a smooth 2 hours flight to Phnom Penh International Airport. Soon after clearing immigration we got our first taste of the Phnom Penh city skyline. Very unlike Singapore, instead of seeing tall skyscrapers stacked right next to each other, we were faced with sparse land, scenic greenery and buildings that stood tallest at 5 stories high. From the tinted windows of the bus, the unfamiliar sight of the locals caught our attention, their bronze coloured skin glistened under the heat of the sun while they effortlessly carried huge loads on their backs, rode on motorbikes with their infants strapped to them, played by the roadside and more - it was like a sight out of a documentary.
Finally, we turned into a narrow street where two large gates opened up - we had arrived at Hope Training Center (HTC), our home for the next 13 days. We alighted the bus, buzzing with excitement and a tinge of apprehension.
The first night at HTC took a bit of settling in because we were faced with a problem we don’t often see in Singapore: NO WATER.
Bathing was out of the question and, along with the humid summer weather, that night was a particularly long one. Despite the unfavorable circumstances, it was heartening to see everyone staying positive and rationing the water that was left over. Some of us fell asleep without showering but all was well because we were all in this sticky situation together… who knew a beautiful bond would start to blossom in the midst of all the stink haha.
With that, we checked in.
Uncertain, but excited - that’s how I felt on our departure date. Having been a part of OVE’17, I mostly felt really eager to return to the familiar settings and sights of Cambodia. But, no matter what, there was still that tinge of nervousness as all 23 of us boarded the plane and embarked on our 2-week journey. When we reached HTC, we formally “checked” ourselves into Cambodia, declaring our personal goals and motivations for the expedition. This verbal declaration brought about a renewed sense of purpose for myself, and I also felt inspired when listening to the other members’ personal goals. As I went
to bed that first night, all I could think of was feeling inspired and determined to give my all in the coming 2 weeks.
- Nadhira.
I felt a little weird on the first day, because the trip has already begun and I was not really mentally prepared for what's coming up for me. But once I touched down in Prey Veng, Cambodia and went to Hope Training Centre, I felt much better and prepared for the 14 days! Our friendly guides were so helpful and hospitable, and my OVE friends were also there with me throughout the trip. Overall, first day was mixed with feelings but it ended off with a greatnote :) - Shirleen.
Day 2: Starting the journey right!
Alas, we did not let the first bad night bother us as we kept our trip objectives in mind. Gathering all the energy we had, we got up early feeling motivated for the first day of service at Wat Chrey Primary School.
Blessed with great weather – cloudy skies and cool breeze – we started on our work to build a UV water filter system for the school. Following the steps taught by La, our HTC host, we soon got a hang of our tasks. We were of no match to the Cambodian carpenters who were much more skilled than us however, we were all eager to get down and dirty.
Under the scorching sun, without hesitation, we all got to work - from making the cement to carrying it in buckets and laying it on the bricks. It was no easy feat but the laughs and conversations we exchanged while doing so outweighed the exhaustion. We constantly rotated between work and offering water to our peers, it was really nice to see everyone looking out for each other. While we worked, the kids curiously gathered around the site. It took a lot of self-control to focus on work!
Finally it was lunch time a.k.a it was time for fun! The awkwardness to our new surroundings dissipated as quickly as we finished our lunch. Cambodians take rather long afternoon naps - siestas. So we spared no time to mingle with the kids.
Some of us started playing hopscotch and the kids followed after us shortly. To our surprise, their game of hopscotch was of a completely higher level of complexity than ours haha! This little game slowly garnered a huge audience and soon, we found ourselves playing soccer with them. We played till our clothes were drenched, we laughed, we bonded with the locals and that exchange was priceless. This was soon to become a routine for the rest of our trip.
Finished with the day’s work, La kindly brought us on a mini-tour around Prey Veng which was when we got to enjoy the sea breeze and witness the longest hand sculpted boat in the world. It was wonderful to see the Cambodians efforts to put themselves on the map through the boat.
Lest to say, the difficult night before was long gone from memory.
Day 3 – Day 4: Completed the UV Water System!
Feeling rejuvenated, we gritted through day 3 and managed to finish most of the UV filter system. With time to spare, we got to interact more with the school kids where one taught us Khmer using sand and a stick – back to the basics.
Into day 4, our energy levels were still at high.
Quickly, we finished what’s left of the UV filter system and spent the rest of the day playing with the kids and giving out our homemade milo!
Accompanied with Cambodian music, we ended our time at Wat Chrey Primary School on a bittersweet note as we waved goodbye to the kids who welcomed us with love for the past 4 days.
Day 5 – Day 6: Bob The Builder, Let's Go!
This was the event we all had held a little dread for. We were very unsure of what’s to come and what to expect; how much and how hard it was going to be. Despite this, we kept a positive outlook and tried our best.
Being greenhorns however, as expected, we were very slow in work. Chiseling of the wood was not as easy as it had seemed when the local carpenters did it, neither was hammering. Either way, with tremendous help from our kind carpenters, we managed to complete the first day of construction with some ease but also with a huge weight of demoralization.
Day 6 however, got much better as we learnt from the mistakes made the day before. Hammering became easier and our camaraderie with the carpenters improved, creating a more efficient and enjoyable environment to work in.
We were also starting to feel better of ourselves as the houses started coming into shape.
Construction was tough at the beginning but there was a sense of achievement at the end. At first we weren’t used to the tools but we learnt and adapted, seeing our finished works brought us small joys to our hearts. The hammering of nails might seem like a easy task but we took a long time to complete it. The nails were long and it bended so easily with our bad aiming. Several tries before we were able to nailed it in. Being able to help the local carpenters in the smallest task makes us feel a lot more useful and looked forward to the next day of construction. - Weihan.
Day 7: Kaya Making, Business Education Plan
On day 7 we took a break from construction to visit Hope Village.
Upon arrival we were warmly welcomed by kids of all ages. Before moving on with our Kaya making and Business Education plans we yet again, got to play with the kids. Our childhood games all came back to life as we played “Heart Attack”, “Scissors Paper Stone” and those “Clapping Games” with the kids.
It was really heartwarming to see them so accepting of strangers. Just looking at them enjoying what they have now really reminded us that in life it’s just the simplest things that matters and that joy can come from just anywhere. It was also heartening to see that the children enjoyed the taste of homemade Kaya. As they also grow pandan leaves at the back of their garden, it certainly makes it easier for them to make Kaya whenever they would like to!
Day 8 – Day 9: Work, work, work, work!
Getting back to construction, we managed to finish the flooring and the roofing of the house on day 8. With the house getting close to completion, we felt as motivated than ever.
Day 9 was the last day of construction. It was also the day where we had to play monkey and climbed the poles to hammer in the walls of the house. It was a tough feat for us city dwellers, but we conquered the challenge and finally completed the houses!
That was a day to be remembered. I doubt we will ever forget the pride and relief we had upon seeing that we built a house with our own two hands (of course, not forgetting the help we got from our wonderful carpenters).
Day 10: Handover of Constructed Houses
It was the day for handover of houses. Feeling very proud, accomplished and yet, also thankful we handed the house made from our (and carpenters’) blood, sweat and tears to the villagers. We will never forget the humbling feeling of the villagers thanking us and expressing their gratitude to us. Makes us realize that we did indeed help to provide some happiness to them.
The rest of the day was spent re-energizing at HTC where we got to play sports with our host and made our own dinner: Maggi Goreng.
During the final day of construction, every nail and every board seems to contribute even more significantly to the almost-completed house. Everyone’s morale was high to finally put an end to the days of painful thumbs and sweat-soaked masks. But deep in us, we knew that all these sweat will be the things we will one day, look back and reminisce.
-Sin.
Day 11 – Day 12: "Master Chefs" At Work
We spent our next two days back at Hope Village, changing mosquito nets, teaching the kids how to bake muffins and cooking our local delicacies for them to try. Our menu included crackers, muah chee, laksa, sweet and sour fish, and honey chicken – all made from scratch. Despite having an OVE team that’s not very well verse with cooking, we managed to get satisfactory results and the food had little to no leftovers!
We ended the day with Cultural Night where we performed skits and ethnic costume showcased to the kids. In return, the kids also performed their traditional dances for us!
After all the performances, Cambodian music was still playing and that’s when we danced the night away with the kids.
What a memorable night and what a great way to end it!
Day 13: Time to Bid Goodbye
Day 13 marks the last day at Prey Veng.
We started our day with a Sports Carnival at Hope Village to bring one last joy to the kids. The day went by really fast and soon it was time to say goodbye. Another bittersweet memory as the children waved goodbye and conveyed to us how happy they were for us to be here.
Really makes us realize that a listening ear, a companion is all that needs to make someone happier.
When we arrived in Cambodia, it reminded me a lot of Thailand. The vibes were similar, it was peaceful and welcoming. On the bus ride to Prey Veng, I was a little nervous and curious. How different would it be from the city of Phnom Penh? It was eye-opening for me. I didnt think that the living conditions could be so different within the provinces of a single country. It wasn't bad but I just didn't think there'd be much of a difference. Prey Veng was full of vast rice fields and bumpy dirt roads. Though it didn't have tall buildings and houses, it had beautiful sceneries.
Also, HTC was better than I expected. I was prepared for roughing it out but phew, it was a rather comfortable stay apart from having a water cut on the first night cos the main tap was off hahah. We had a bed, pillow, blanket and mosquito net each. Fans in each room and mosquito nets everywhere to save us from the onslaught of flying insects and beetles. phew. but yes, it was warm in the day and cooling at night and perfect for admiring the sky, be it day or night. - Katrina.
I thoroughly enjoyed the cultural exchange we had with the children at Hope Village. It was an extremely eye-opening experience to watch the traditional Khmer dances performed by some of the children as it gave us a glimpse of their rich cultural heritage and reflected their attitude towards life. - Marissa.
Day 14 – Day 15: Exploration
These two days were spent wisely as we got to soak up the last few days of Cambodia and had our much needed rest for all our aching bodies.
As always, all good things will come to an end. Soon, it was time to board our flight back to Singapore.
Thank you Cambodia for all the love! See you soon!
This trip was way beyond my expectations. I absolutely did not expect it to be so enriching, fulfilling and amazing but it was! The kids, the villagers and everyone we met there were extremely friendly, interesting and fun loving! I went there with the intention to give and to teach, but received so much more in return. There, we also lived a life of simplicity with daily interactions between ove members, getting more appreciative for the things we have and lastly enjoying the act of giving selflessly. At the same time, the shared experience and hardships also brought along deeper friendships within the group! Last but not least, I went with responsibilities, but came back with a truckload of warmth and happiness. I’m thankful that I embarked on this trip as it filled me up and I will hold this memory close to my heart! - Peiming.
I was pleasantly surprised by my OVE experience. I didn’t expect it to impact me as much as it did. Being there and forming a special connection with people who don’t even speak the same language as you is really beautiful and heartening to see. The trip has also increased my desire to help people because it really changes your perspective on how life is really just a game of chance. I recognise how lucky I am to have been born in Singapore and that I have a duty to help those who are are not as lucky as me because I could have easily been in their position. Of course I’m also very influenced by the people around me so being surrounded by inspirational and amazing individuals pushes me and motivates me to a better version of myself. OVE will be one of the milestones that have shaped me as a person and I’m incredibly grateful for that. - Natasha.
I have brought back many memories from this trip and I know I wouldn’t be able to find these moments elsewhere. We have bond as a whole and have been through ups and downs. There have been hardships and struggles but we overcame it together which brought us closer. Seeing the Cambodians smile from the joy we brought had made this trip a worth one. I have sweat a lot, cried a lot and definitely laughed a lot. If time could rewind, I will definitely join OVE again! Thank you,OVE’18. - Janette.
And with this,
OVE 2018 CHECKS OUT.
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