The document describes the author's experiences volunteering with CHOICE (Charitable Humanitarian Organisation in Cambodia by Expats) in Cambodia. On the first day, the author helped deliver safe drinking water to villages where the existing water was contaminated. On the second day, the author assisted at CHOICE's primary school, observing the young students but also having to deal with a conflict between students involving pencil jabbing. The document provides background on CHOICE, which was founded in 2006 and aims to help extremely poor and disadvantaged people in Cambodia.

1. i Volunteer Leeds
Launched
November
2014
Updated
November
2014
LIFE CHOICE
CAMBODIA
CALLING
Early in the second decade of my life I discovered the News; and I have
vague and hazy recollections of revolution in Cambodia. Whether the
black and white footage showed Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge marching
into Phnom Penh; death by executions, famine, and disease; or the
liberating Vietnamese forces in ’78, my memory is now unclear.
Pol Pot’s return to ‘Year Zero’ abolished money, modern technology, and
education and newspapers in a bid to secure a self sufficient agricultural
society. A generation on, and many Cambodians communities are still
inflicted with poverty, a legacy of the politics of that era.
Steve Stewart
Choice
Cambodia
“Steve
Stewart
writes

2. i Volunteer Leeds
Launched
November
2014
Updated
November
2014
Perhaps a measure of a
country’s poverty is the
increasing number of
And this shows
Norway at No1
UK No14
Cambodia No136
To give another context
28.3% of Cambodians
live on less than
$1.5 per day!
To give current context
The Human Development
Index of three dimensions of
development are:
Long and Healthy Life
Access to Education
Decent Standard of Living
NGOs (Non Government Organisations) and
NPOs (Non Profit Organisations) within that nation.
Steve Stewart
Choice
Cambodia
One such
NPO is CHOICE
Charitable
Humanitarian
Organisation
in Cambodia by Expats
www.choice-cambodia.org www.facebook.com/ChoiceCambodiaCharity

3. i Volunteer Leeds
On my first day volunteering with CHOICE, I helped deliver safe drinking
water to the squatter communities 30km from Phnom Penh. These villages;
wooden shacks on stilts (with monsoonal ‘tide’ marks half way up the
walls) had sunk water bore holes, and discovered that their water consisted
of arsenic, manganese, fluoride and in some cases cyanide. The villagers
gathered around our truck; eager to fill up their allocated buckets, and happy
to practice (basic) English. All went well but for one family who wanted a
little extra water... apparently they had a little rice wine racket going. Steve Stewart
Launched
November
2014
Updated
November
Choice
Cambodia
2014
CHOICE Cambodia is a registered NPO, founded by expatriates
in 2006. The team all volunteers strive to make a difference to
the extremely poor, disadvantaged people of Cambodia. CHOICE
classify the extreme poor as those Khmers who are homeless, or
have no land and no adequate health care, they do not have the
resources to provide for themselves. CHOICE is driven by a very
strong commitment to keep families together, rather than allow
poverty to separate the children from their families.
WHO?
WHAT?
WHERE?
WHEN?
whY?

4. i Volunteer Leeds
Launched
November
2014
Updated
November
2014
CHOICE–
CAMBODIA
.ORGaaaggggaf
On my second day, I worked at CHOICE’s primary school, assisting the volunteer
teacher. The 30 plus children of the four to six age groups were resplendent in dark
blue shorts and white shirts, that is until some decided it was too hot for a shirt.
The children, full of laughter, and willing to learn (or play) were a picture.
However, just before home time there was some kind of Khmer sub plot
which I certainly did not understand (probably less because the kids were
Cambodian, and more because they were four to six years old)! There were
children ‘jabbing’ other children with pencils. Sharp pencils!
Steve Stewart
Choice
Cambodia
Some kids were triumphant, some
defeated. Some laughed, and some cried.
And I was somehow in the middle,
trying to restore a little order.
CHOICE
CAMBODIA
CHARITY