Day 3 Combined Effort

Once again, students woke up way before the stipulated time of 0645. The first student was sighted at 0500 hrs! After assembling, students started on the daily routine of water parade and morning exercise. Just look at the famous Broadrick ‘roti prata’ move! Our breakfast was a Singapore-influenced chicken bolognaise with a traditional ‘hum cheem peng’. Sedap!

Today was the first day that all the CamboVIAns worked together at the project site. Students were divided into teams to complete the various tasks. We had 3 goals to complete parts of the kitchen – 1) Lay bricks for the walls 2) Pile up soil for the flood barrier 3) Nail up wooden pieces to form the window frames.  Each team was clear of the task. We continued digging soil (using “Changkol” and shovels) to raise the level around the kitchen. The second and third tasks were definitely challenging for our students. Not only were they required to lay a brick wall using cement, they were also challenged to use hammer and nails to construct the wooden window frames! Check out our students’ work!

The blistering sun was merciless. Students had to take breaks and rotate their tasks to remain fresh throughout the day. We were thankful for the absolutely sedap lunch! It was certainly a morale booster to carry on the labour intensive work day!

The labour ended at 4pm and we made our way back to the homestay. You will be surprised to know that the 1 hour bus ride back was no opportunity for rest. Students bombarded Mr Khorn (our local guide) about the Cambodian language! They were eager to communicate with the Cambodian kids!

Recharged after dinner, CamboVIAns had to take on the seemingly daunting task of packing the donated stationaries. Exceptional teamwork and focus resulted in the packing of the following:

Pens	3450	Erasers	478
Mechanical Pencils	247	Toothpaste	81
Wooden Pencils	1002	Toothbrushes	401
Rulers	260

Thank you parents and teachers for the generous donation!

On a more reflective note, students were challenged to think about themselves. What did they learn about themselves during the labour? How did they overcome their fatigue? What are some areas they would like to grow in?

The time now is 10pm. Time for us to sleep! "Reat Trei Soou Sdei!"

24^th May 2015, 1020pm