Phnom Penh, Cambodia - JCA Orphanage
On seeing a opportunity to visit an orphanage, the note was in the menu of the Gecko Restaurant in Phnom Penh, I decided go. John opted to join me. What we found was totally different than what I expected. It was one of the best times I've had while traveling.
The Gecko restuarant provided a transportation to the orphanage at 6:00 p.m. The orphanage offered a show by their own orphans of traditional Khmer dance and the accompanying music. Afterwards they would provide and eat dinner with us and then show us how to do some of the traditional Khmer dance movements.
The kids were incredibly friendly and outgoing from first encounter. As soon as they seated us for the show, a litle girl about 4 yo took a liking to John and his camera. She was all about him and his camera toy for quite a while, even getting to take a picture of him with his camera.
The orphan orchestra was wonderful. It consisted of two wooden xylophone type intruments played by two boys, a 12-14 piece bell set played by one boy alone, a traditional drum set, and a violin-like instrument played by two other boys. They were very well synchonized and professional, never losing the rhythm or where they were. After the performance began, they were good enough that I never thought about the quality of their playing again.
The traditional Khmer dancing was peformed by boys and girls rangeing in age, I would guess, from 8-12 yo. They were in beautiful costumes. Their poise and expressions were focused and professional, yet they did not appear to be strained or tense. You knew they were proud and enjoying what they were presenting, but they never left the character they were portraying.
The range of dances seemed to express important aspects of their culture. A dance that the women performed appeared to be to bring offerings to their gods. A male dance expressing some of their bonding rituals, and finally a joint male/female dance in which aspects of courtship are portrayed in a humorous way. The male suiter, originally rejected, examines his looks and tries again and again until he finally pursues and gets a resistant, but somewhat interested female.
After the show, a young boy grabbed my hand and led me to one of the food tables and had me sit down. I don't think he was even old enough to know how to talk. There were about 10 of us sitting around this quite small, round table, plate to plate. A boy next to me, Bantah, welcomed me and asked me my name and where I was from. He had only started learning English a year earlier, but communicated quite well.
The meal was the "Real McCoy family style. We each had a bowl of rice and then there was a central bowl of vegetables and another of chicken bone soup. You served yourself and replished with your own spoon from the communal bowls as needed. It was quite good. If we were reticent, the others would fill our plates from the central bowls.
Afterwards the girls and guys led us near the dance area to learn some of the traditional steps in their dances. I must say, my new friend Bantah was quite patient. Eventually I did manage to learn one out the many step sequences quite well.
The music was loud and and their Brazilian soccer coach (a volunteer) started teaching them a "hip-hop" type dance for the first time. It was amazing how fast some of the kids picked it up! We all had an awesome time dancing, however we danced. Later some of the kids demonstrated some of their break dancing moves. They were quite impressive and having a great time to boot!
It's absolutely amazing how happy, polite, friendly, brotherly and sisterly these kids were! They also loved us being there, several came outside to say goodbye to us when we got in the van to leave. I'm planning on extending my trip by another day so I can visit the orphanage again.
Cambodia has had a very dark history, but I think the memory of these kids will always give me hope about Cambodia's future.
This orphanage, JCA, operates solely on donations and volunteers.
What follows is a description of the project I found on the web:
"The Jeannine's Children Association was founded in 2002. It is named after the wife of the founder and current manager Billy Barnaart. For many years she supported his inspiring work in Cambodia with AIDS affected families, orphans and street children. In 2003 this new centre was opened in the Tuol Kork District of Phnom Penh. It has been partly funded by the British Embassy.
At the time of writing there are 80 children and numbers are increasing. They are looked after by a small, dedicated team of Khmer adults. The children are aged one to eighteen. They receive normal education at a school in the neighbourhood, housing, food and medical care. Some of them are unable to attend school in which case they receive lessons at the orphanage. In their free time they are trained in traditional Khmer dances to enhance their self-discipline. Other activities are handicrafts, art, soccer and other sports
It is expected that in the next five years around 350 000 children will be orphaned because their parents have died of AIDS related diseases. JCA try to motivate communities to take care of these young people. Only when there is no other option are they placed in the orphanage which is an integral part of the community. Care for them is based on love, warmth and an understanding of the needs of children. Land (2.5 ha) has been bought just outside Phnom Penh on which to build a children's village. The construction of this is under process. The planning is that by the end of 2006 all children have been moved to this new place."
"The first steps have been set but many more are needed to guarantee a safe environment and honour the rights of every child."
Billy Barnaart. Advisor to Director JCA
On seeing a opportunity to visit an orphanage, the note was in the menu of the Gecko Restaurant in Phnom Penh, I decided go. John opted to join me. What we found was totally different than what I expected. It was one of the best times I've had while traveling.
The Gecko restuarant provided a transportation to the orphanage at 6:00 p.m. The orphanage offered a show by their own orphans of traditional Khmer dance and the accompanying music. Afterwards they would provide and eat dinner with us and then show us how to do some of the traditional Khmer dance movements.
The kids were incredibly friendly and outgoing from first encounter. As soon as they seated us for the show, a litle girl about 4 yo took a liking to John and his camera. She was all about him and his camera toy for quite a while, even getting to take a picture of him with his camera.
The orphan orchestra was wonderful. It consisted of two wooden xylophone type intruments played by two boys, a 12-14 piece bell set played by one boy alone, a traditional drum set, and a violin-like instrument played by two other boys. They were very well synchonized and professional, never losing the rhythm or where they were. After the performance began, they were good enough that I never thought about the quality of their playing again.
The traditional Khmer dancing was peformed by boys and girls rangeing in age, I would guess, from 8-12 yo. They were in beautiful costumes. Their poise and expressions were focused and professional, yet they did not appear to be strained or tense. You knew they were proud and enjoying what they were presenting, but they never left the character they were portraying.
The range of dances seemed to express important aspects of their culture. A dance that the women performed appeared to be to bring offerings to their gods. A male dance expressing some of their bonding rituals, and finally a joint male/female dance in which aspects of courtship are portrayed in a humorous way. The male suiter, originally rejected, examines his looks and tries again and again until he finally pursues and gets a resistant, but somewhat interested female.
After the show, a young boy grabbed my hand and led me to one of the food tables and had me sit down. I don't think he was even old enough to know how to talk. There were about 10 of us sitting around this quite small, round table, plate to plate. A boy next to me, Bantah, welcomed me and asked me my name and where I was from. He had only started learning English a year earlier, but communicated quite well.
The meal was the "Real McCoy family style. We each had a bowl of rice and then there was a central bowl of vegetables and another of chicken bone soup. You served yourself and replished with your own spoon from the communal bowls as needed. It was quite good. If we were reticent, the others would fill our plates from the central bowls.
Afterwards the girls and guys led us near the dance area to learn some of the traditional steps in their dances. I must say, my new friend Bantah was quite patient. Eventually I did manage to learn one out the many step sequences quite well.
The music was loud and and their Brazilian soccer coach (a volunteer) started teaching them a "hip-hop" type dance for the first time. It was amazing how fast some of the kids picked it up! We all had an awesome time dancing, however we danced. Later some of the kids demonstrated some of their break dancing moves. They were quite impressive and having a great time to boot!
It's absolutely amazing how happy, polite, friendly, brotherly and sisterly these kids were! They also loved us being there, several came outside to say goodbye to us when we got in the van to leave. I'm planning on extending my trip by another day so I can visit the orphanage again.
Cambodia has had a very dark history, but I think the memory of these kids will always give me hope about Cambodia's future.
This orphanage, JCA, operates solely on donations and volunteers.
What follows is a description of the project I found on the web:
"The Jeannine's Children Association was founded in 2002. It is named after the wife of the founder and current manager Billy Barnaart. For many years she supported his inspiring work in Cambodia with AIDS affected families, orphans and street children. In 2003 this new centre was opened in the Tuol Kork District of Phnom Penh. It has been partly funded by the British Embassy.
At the time of writing there are 80 children and numbers are increasing. They are looked after by a small, dedicated team of Khmer adults. The children are aged one to eighteen. They receive normal education at a school in the neighbourhood, housing, food and medical care. Some of them are unable to attend school in which case they receive lessons at the orphanage. In their free time they are trained in traditional Khmer dances to enhance their self-discipline. Other activities are handicrafts, art, soccer and other sports
It is expected that in the next five years around 350 000 children will be orphaned because their parents have died of AIDS related diseases. JCA try to motivate communities to take care of these young people. Only when there is no other option are they placed in the orphanage which is an integral part of the community. Care for them is based on love, warmth and an understanding of the needs of children. Land (2.5 ha) has been bought just outside Phnom Penh on which to build a children's village. The construction of this is under process. The planning is that by the end of 2006 all children have been moved to this new place."
"The first steps have been set but many more are needed to guarantee a safe environment and honour the rights of every child."
Billy Barnaart. Advisor to Director JCA
posted by Chris at 10:00 PM
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