The day I arrived to play games and teach the children in their village, is one to remember. They asked me all the questions they knew in English on a continuous basis just to have a conversation with me. " how are you? " " how old are you?" " where do you come from?" " what's your name? ". Being Shy and unsure of people they met, they slowly started to open up to me when I started coming to see them more often.
Soon enough, when I arrived, they were all excited and welcoming. They had someone there who wanted to be there, someone who wanted to spend time playing games with them, braiding their hair or just reading to them.
Watching them as they played games or did english lessons, you could see the change in them, they were happier, they felt more comfortable around people that came to see them, with new Volunteers, they opened up to them easier and enjoyed the company of others with out fear. They became attached to volunteers and asked about them long time after they had finished their volunteering, even to this day. Each Volunteer had their hold on the children whether it be a game they played or they way they did english lessons, things they said the children would copy, things that were done were remembered. A bond grew with different people and the children started to take parts of each volunteer into their personalities. Our kids changed and had a light about them, they were loved for what may have been the first time in their lives. They had a small family with each other. They looked out for each other, they cared.
Living in Village with no family, our children slept on dirt floors, outside with the animals, they ate one meal a day of things they could find if they were lucky enough to find anything, Finding frogs and bugs to bring back to the places they stayed to feed the people they lived with. The children were used as workers in the rice fields or just as babysitters, rising at 4 am to start the days work, school was out of the question if they had the fields to plow or harvest. Being sent off into the bush for days on their own with the cows to find them food. Made to fend for themselves they became scavengers, from house to house begging for food from one family or another, Having something given to them, clean undies or a blanket, it was taken from them for the families own children. Being abused by the families they were looked at like animals, a stray that came into their home.
We gave our children a cooked meal of Rice, meat and vegetables once a day out in their village, to see the smiles on their faces when it was time to eat, the way their eyes grew, a simple meal just changed their day, they had something to look forward to. They got to see that life can get better. Having this love changed a lot of them, they became more involved in games, they tried to speak the english they knew more, They weren't scared to try do things for themselves or you.
Lors - Our oldest child Lors, was a very quiet little boy, he always wanted to watch on the side lines, never joined in with the games, He loved to learn and look at pictures in books. Most of the time he sat in the corner of the class room and watched everyone else. He was afraid to let you in to talk to him, he didn't like body contact, hugs were out of the picture. He didn't smile or laugh much, because he was afraid to. When we decided to take in the children, to let them live with us and be part of our family, he slowly changed, it took a long time before he started to join in with the games, even at school. His English progressed, and eventually he started giving us hugs and smiling, he's a bright little boy who loves to learn, he picks up on things rather quickly and is very happy. He's gone from a small unhappy child to one who smiles all the time and laughs and plays. He glows like everyone else.
Sophat - One of our youngest who is our special little girl, she is deaf and mute, but has come on a long journey, like our others. She was a very angry little girl, her only way of communication was through hitting, kicking, pinching and biting. Not once had i heard her make a sound, she was a closed book, she played games and was cheeky just like any other child her age, but she was shunned, she had no friends, we had to each the others to accept her, we taught them that she is the same as them, just that she speaks in her own way. She became angry very fast if she lost a game of snap or go fish, She got nasty with the other kids if she wanted the toy they had or the book. Her way of communication was anger because thats all she knew. When she came to live with us I thought it would be difficult having her in our home, I thought we would have issues with the other children I thought she would have troubles at school, but she proved me wrong in every way, the moment she stayed in our home she changed, she was specking in her own way properly for what would be the first time, she doesn't hit the others or bite or pinch anymore, she shares and joins in with everyone, she has friends at school. She has a normal life that she lives. She's happy, and a whole new little girl. She's treated like a person.
Klouy - Our baby, Klouy is our youngest child in our big family, another who has had to take the long road to get to where he's at today. He was always playful, getting involved in games, and looking at pictures in books and having stories read to him, though lessons where never his strong point, he still came everyday and tried to learn. He couldn't write in Khmer very well or English, and has had to come further then most of the others. Always smiling and happy, playing tricks on people and growing up, he can no write in khmer a lot more and even english, though he has his days where he struggles he still tries to do his best.
All in all these children have come a long way in their little lives, a world of change, new adventures, adjustments, now they have the options not many have, their english has blossomed, they are growing and healthy and will continue to blossom through out their lives with MaD.
By Sofi Lynn Starling
Below you can see some photos of the kids from about a year ago compared to the most recent pics of them.
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