Today was our last day working in the village, which was a day of both joy and tears. It began with putting the finishing touches on the house. We separated the rooms so that the family now had a multi-room house as opposed to their previous, sub-standard dwelling. We knew what a difference this would make and seeing the eldest daughter of the family burst into tears at the sight of her new home truly showed us how much our work meant. Today was also our last chance to play with the children, and we took every opportunity we had.
Today during the building we experienced one of the frequent Cambodian downpours. The children and everyone working on the house took shelter under the structure. Seeing this showed us what an impact this would have on the villagers’ lives- and it’s safe to say we were glad it didn’t rain on the first day!
We also had the incredible experience of talking to a woman who communicated only through sign language. However, we still managed to talk and laugh with her. She told us how grateful she was for playing with her children, and how happy they had been. She told us how her children had been excitedly telling her about our high fives, secret handshakes and clapping games. Even these small gestures on our part had made such a difference to her and to her children which was touching to see.
The handover ceremony was unforgettable and today there were certainly no dry eyes. After the two of us made a speech which was translated by our guide, the family came and thanked us all with tears in their eyes. If you had managed to stay untouched by the wave of emotions, this gesture would ensure you had a lump in your throat. The joy on the faces of all the villagers at something as small as a bag of rice made everyone realise just how lucky we are. As part of the ceremony, we handed over gifts to the villagers, builders and family before circling the house three times as part of the traditional Cambodian handover. We than gave them another gift in the form of a song, singing with surprising knowledge the first verse of our school hymn.
It is hard to describe the gratitude we all feel at being allowed into these peoples’ lives. It was incredible to be able to build them a house and the joyous expressions on their faces made every effort worth it. Yes, we have built them a house, but what they gave us was so much more than that. They gave us memories and emotions we will never forget and our gratitude is everlasting.
When we returned to our hotel, some of us had a much needed dip in the pool to cool off. We then headed back out into the centre of Siem Reap to a Khmer cooking class. After a brief tour of the local market, we put on our chefs hat and apron and watched a demonstration of the three courses that we were going to cook. After studying the chef’s chopping and cooking technique, we attempted to make the following dishes: fresh spring rolls, followed by khmer amok chicken curry, followed by fried banana chef’s special. Each course was delicious and we came away with the recipes and some other Khmer cooking goodies in a show bag. We can’t wait to cook this meal for you when we get home!!!
By Niamh Nolan and Madeleine McIntosh