VSO/ ICS Cambodia-Stung Treng Team

VSO/ICS programme

After a week training, on 25 July 2014 our group left Phnom Penh to Stung Treng and Ratanakiry province where we are going to work for three months. A day after we arrived, in the morning the team had a meeting in order to set up team contract and team committees (MPR, CAD,Debrief, M&E, Social, Media and communication). At the night time, the team prepared some stuffs to welcome our host families who we are going to live with. Welcoming pictures drawn by UK counterparts as they are at the first time in Cambodia, yet they could do it well, like how to bow when we meet old people. In the morning, before we met our host family, we traveled by tuk tuk to see where our NGO is which we base and to see some places in the town of Stung Treng. Around 10 am we arrived at the guest house where we temporarily stayed to meet our host families. We waited them around 2 hours, th

en at 11.30 am our host families arrived, however, we had not known who are our host family.  Host families arrived we said the welcoming words to surprise them; they were happy. The first thing, the team was given a game in order to play before knowing our host family.  After playing game, my UK counterpart also another national were provided a piece of paper which was written fingers on it and so did our host family. We did not know who our host family, we called them host dad/mom, unless we found those who had the same sign. Spending a few minutes to find our host dad/mom then we found our host brother, he does not have wife so we call him host brother, he is handsome, friendly, and he also has his own small business whose name is Guitar Milk; it seemed that we were very lucky to live in this host family. We talked, shared some knowledge and introduced to each other; my host brother can also speak English well, so we did not have any difficulty in conversation with him and my UK counterpart. After talking we had lunch together at that guest house with the other host families before going to our host home. Lunch time was gone, we all were sent to our host family separately. Arriving at the host home, we felt very excited to be at this host home.

My host home in which i live during this programme.

First day here, we were welcomed by host family and the best thing is that we were provided a free of green tea for each. In the evening we had dinner with host family and seemed that we have known each other and talked happily.

My UK counterpart and another national volunteer had dinner with the host family together .