We are the Rainkids!

24 friends One Journey

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Cambodia with Jermaine!

“The interactions we had with the Cambodians taught me that a smile can really make a whole lot of difference. Despite the fact that there was a language barrier between us and we needed a translator to communicate, a genuine smile transcends the language barrier to touch the heart and leave deeper impressions than words ever will. The sincerity that I felt from the Cambodians was really respect-worthy. They were really hospitable when we visited them to conduct the household surveys and their generosity was amazing and I cannot emphasise enough just how amazing they were. Even though they had so little, they never hesitated to give.

In general, the area we stayed in in Phnom Penh was reasonably well-to-do and we were comfortably lodged in Golden Gate Hotel. The food they served in the hotel was delicious too although we were all craving to try the eggs they served since we were not allowed to consume chicken or eggs. We had Khmer cuisine in restaurants near our hotel sometimes too. One thing we realised about the food was that it was very similar to Thai cuisine though.

Overall, the food was really good and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously.” - Jermaine

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Cambodia with Valery!

“The Cambodians definitely taught me so much - respect, love and resilience. Most importantly, they also showed me that the true meaning of generosity is not measured by how much we have - but rather, how much we are willing to give to others. As for the food and lodging, I think that we were very blessed to be able to stay in a hotel (suite) although our entire team was initially supposed to sleep on the floor with sleeping bags in a house at Kampot. Furthermore, instead of cooking our own food, we had our meals at restaurants (especially the Indian and Khmer restaurant which was super delicious and authentic), at the hotel, at a cafe, an international buffet, as well as pizza chain to celebrate our team members’ birthdays. We were really blessed to have such wonderful accommodation and amazing food - it definitely made our trip much more enjoyable, especially since our team initially had the intention of going for our Service Learning trip to experience hardship and to understand the way of living in Cambodia. However, we were really very glad and grateful that the trip wasn’t cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances (Avian flu). The experience in Cambodia definitely taught us so much and our team has grown to become more mature and responsible throughout the trip. -Valery

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Dawn on Cambodia

“The Cambodians were some of the friendliest people that I’ve ever met. They’re willing to forgo their personal comfort for yours, be it from turning the fan towards you, brushing the dirt away from the area you’re going to sit on, or offering you refreshments - it’s the little things that count.” - Dawn

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Reflections on the Killing Fields with Michelle Khoo

“I know this is not an easy place to visit.”

These words echoed through me as I grasped the audio cassette in my hand. We were at the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre, known to many as the Killing Fields. During the time of Pol Pot’s regime from 1975 to 1979, the Killing Fields had a bloody history of organised genocide. Today, close to 10,000 remains have been excavated, but many more remain buried in the earth.

Pol Pot’s regime dictated that all ‘New People’- educated people, city dwellers- were potential enemies of the Khmer Rouge, and had to be executed if necessary. He instituted radical changes to society, forcing all Cambodians to farm for 12 hours a day. Under his regime, an estimated 2 million of Cambodians died, through starvation, disease and execution.

As my teammates and I walked along the path of the Killing Fields, we were struck by how serene and calm the place looked. A large expanse of grass met the edge of a beautiful lake, teeming with plants and trees. However, we knew better. Here, close to 20, 000 had met with unjust ends, executed by horrific means without trial. The Killing Fields had been highly efficient: nobody had survived to tell their story.

As we were walking, we passed a huge tree. At first glance, it looked like any other normal tree. However, we were horrified to learn that it had been a tree where executers had used to kill infants in front of their mothers, before murdering them as well. It was a story I will never forget, for the brutality of humans struck me then. How could anyone justify the cold blooded murder of innocent babies?

The Killing Fields took me on a journey I will never forget. I had heard about Pol Pot and his regime before, but never had I realised the impact of his deeds. Never had the tragic consequences of despotism and absolute corruption been made so poignant to me, from the stories of the narrator, who lost five of his siblings, or a mother who could not forget the death of her infant son thirty years later.

And through it all, I admired the human conviction to stay alive, and maintain their hopes. Despite the terrible trauma that the survivors had faced, they nevertheless carried on and learnt to live in peace with the horrors that had been wrought upon them.

So perhaps the Killing Fields had not been the easiest place to visit. But it was the place to remind us to never lose sight of the most important thing: the sanctity of human life. -Michelle Khoo

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Killing fields with Steven

The trip to the genocide museum has indeed been a solemn and eye-opening experience for me. There were so many facts about Cambodia that I actually did not know about, and horrible genocides were one of them. It was indeed sad and remorseful to notice how many killings took place in the killing fields. The fact that most of the victims were children and women did not make it any better. When I entered the memorial hall, I was stunned by the sheer number of victims. Never had I expected to know that so many innocent people lost their lives under the rule of the Khmer Rouge. Listening to the sad stories of some of the surviving victims broke my heart. They had to suffer so much! And yet, they lived. They fought strongly and managed to cling on. That was what really inspired me during the trip. Not only did I learn to be appreciative of the security which I am offered in Singapore, I also learnt that perseverance and hope are two of the most important things in life. With that, one can truly press on despite the countless obstacles or challenges which one may face in life. We should learn from these Cambodians, to stay strong and not be disappointed by the little failures which we may face in life. If they could persevere despite the fear and horror they experienced every day, why could we not? We are merely students with such a fortunate family background, studying in a safe and well-developed nation. Why should we then, simply cry over our results should they be not up to our standards? We must stay strong and keep that fighting spirit alive. Only then will we realize how important it is to our success and truly inch one step closer to it. Quoting Nelson Mandela, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” So, let us all be brave men and women and persevere till we reach our goals in life! -Steven

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Surveys with Pethuel!

Some say that efficiency is everything. Others claim that it is the thought that counts.

The most poignant memory of our survey work was the different ways in which the various translators carried out their roles as interpreters, as listeners, as bridges between two cultures.

One translator my partner and I were paired to took his role quite literally, translating every word we spoke and conveying exactly each of the replies. It was efficient to the core, with short greetings, hushed and serious voices and scrambled scribbling on our part. We surveyed six houses that morning, covering every third house of the street we were assigned to.

Another translator we were paired with interpreted his job quite differently, taking roughly 10 minutes just to greet and introduce ourselves. Even before the first question was posed, He would take the liberty to find out as much as he could about the family, thereafter passing it on to us. While previously we would take a quarter of an hour for each interview, we now took close to an hour for each. We only completed three surveys that morning, but we knew just about everything there was to know about each house we stepped into. We didn’t reach the last house at the end of the street, but we knew how in the first house, a mother was single-handedly raising her infant child while struggling with what seemed like drug addiction; we didn’t manage to give out all the sardine cans in our backpacks, but we did take away some of the loneliness of an elderly woman, who although relatively more prosperous, showed signs of desolation in her secluded two room house, as her children and grandchildren left for the streets everyday to sell fruits.

Pragmatically the first translator was more efficient, precise, effective. More households surveyed meant a higher statistical reliability and a lower limit point. Idealistically the second translator was the better interpreter. We were less constrained by the rigid questionnaire, we could put ourselves in the interviewees’ shoes, relive moments of their lives, translate those experiences into reflections like these, embodying the very purpose of our presence there.

In retrospect, was one of them the ‘better translator’? Should we strive to be either of them in our endeavours?

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Surveys with Serena!

The surveys had taught me a lot, more than what I can learn from all the lessons I had in the classrooms. Honestly, before the survey, I did not think that the surveys would benefit the community much. We are just asking them questions about their daily life and their living conditions, and giving them a rather small gift, two sardines cans, as a return. I personally felt rather redundant when the translators understood both English and Khmer, and they might even do better than us in the survey, being able to understand what the surveyee said and knowing their story. There is this sense of helplessness when the people told us all their worries and problems genuinely and yet I was not able to help them much in any ways. However, I found out from one of my team mates that it was due to our presence, which gave the people a sense of hope whereby help is on its way, allowing them to open up their hearts and talk to us about their lifestyles. Indeed, they surprised me by showing us generous care and how tightly bounded they are to each other. They are there to help each other, be it family members, neighbours or strangers whom they can communicate with. Despite being born in an unfortunate environment, the parents are still protective of their children, wanting them to escape this cycle of poverty, placing their child’s education at the top of their concerns. They would step forth and reject anyone who even dared to offer to buy their child, and save up every riel (Cambodian’s currency) they have to ensure their children are well-fed. As seen, the families, through all the hardships they faced, are very close and very warm. Everyone of them is very family-orientated, hoping for the best for their next generation. 

- Serena

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Survey reflections with Karin

The surveys made me realize that this was an even more pressing issue than our original plan, which was to travel to Kampot to build water jars for the rural community. The building of water jars was more mechanical as it only required physical labour and the job could easily be done with the employment of local workers using our funds. It was not necessary to ferry 24 young and inexperienced students 1030 kilometers just to achieve similar results. Likewise, you might feel that the aforementioned argument could be applicable to carrying out surveys. Truthfully, that was the question that lingered in my mind throughout the trip. It was only after days of surveying, it struck upon me that the help we provided was not merely the filling up of questionnaires with their responses, but it was the provision of a glimmer of hope for a better future.

During the surveys, I experienced how generous people could be with their love. It didn’t matter if we were total strangers, or that they already had little for themselves, they welcomed us with so much hospitality that it made me feel slightly embarrassed. Why are we inferior to them in this aspect despite how much more we have?  I remembered how upon entering one of the houses in Blum (one of the areas we were assigned to survey), the host got up to sweep the dusty, cemented floor and plugged an old, rusty fan into a nearby socket . The fan was set stationary, pointing solely at us. She had also scooped out drinks into large beer-sized glasses from a small pot on the stove. It was hard to accept how generous she was with us and at the same time, being so stingy with herself.  

-Karin

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Riverkids with MinTing! 

On our trip, we learnt that Riverkids is a non-govermental organisation was set up when a Caucasian adopted a young girl who had been child trafficked. After thorough research, she reaside that child trafficking was extremely prevalent in Cambodia. Thus, she set up an organisation aimed at stopping child trafficking at its roots.

Since then, Riverkids has expanded in Cambodia and for the past many years, has aided many families and prevented child trafficking in families that were at risk at sending their children for child trafficking.

We visited the 4 main houses of Riverkids, the Alexandra, Blum, Compassion and Dignity houses and we met different people and learnt different things at each house. Each house was filled with warmth and love, with young children scurrying around or settled down in front of the whiteboard, enriching their minds. The house mothers and teachers were all extremely patient in teaching and everyone could tell how important they took their job of nurturing the children.

In addition, we visited the Riverkids main office where the operations of the organisation were carried out. On the first floor, we saw ladies in their 20s sewing fabric together and expertly using the sewing machine. Dresses, suits and school uniforms were displayed on the walls and we learnt soon after that these ladies had made them, after learning how to sew in the programmes organised by Riverkids.

The upper floors were office buildings with computers at desks and many middle aged men and women typing away busily on their computers or on the phone talking animatedly to another. The top floor was a classroom where a class was being held and we had the lucky opportunity to interact with the children after the class ended.

I feel that what Riverkids has done is truly admirable. They provide children with education and those slightly older with a means of living, preventing such children to be trafficked away. Furthermore, they do all this without wishes for profit and sacrifice their time and energy so willingly for the children. If given the chance, I would definitely go back to Cambodia and contribute to this meaningful cause.

-Min Ting

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Riverkids with Amalina!

When we first heard of the news that we had to change our project to the Riverkids project, after a whole year preparing for Rainwater, I must admit, I was slightly disappointed. But after going through the whole thing, now I feel nothing but grateful for the experience and knowledge that Riverkids have taught me.

On the day of our arrival in Phnom Penh, we got to visit the Riverkids' Alexandra centre- which soon became a place each and everyone one of us were emotionally attached to. Though the centre was small, and nothing like any of the buildings in Singapore, the place was very welcoming. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by little kids who loved nearby, cheerfully saying "hello!", with the brightest smiles on their faces. The centre itself was also very welcoming- it was a very heart warming to see the beautiful paintings on the walls of the Riverkids centre, which we later found out, was painted by our own seniors from the batch of 2007.

Over the next few days, we interacted with the kids, making friends along the way. From our interactions, the most important thing that the Riverkids have thought me is that a smile is universal. Even if didn't speak the same language, a smile went a long way and I think that really helped bridge the gap in communication.

I must admit, I grew very fond of the kids at Riverkids- their positivity, warmth and friendship were just a few of the things I found very admirable. It's interesting to see, despite them having less than desirable living conditions, or even just barely able to have basic necessities, they still hold such good morals and values.

On our second last day at the centre, a few of the kids had given us little gifts- one them wrote me a card with her picture on it, which just touched my heart.  A few others also made us paper chain necklaces, which I still keep in my room to this day.

The night we went back after that, Nanshan, Beatrice, Nina and I decided to return the favour and make them little tokens as well. In the end, we gave them each a paper envelope which contained a straw heart as well as a jumping paper frog.

Overall, I believe that my interactions at Riverkids have taught me a lot and I will always cherish the friendships I have made there. Also, it's really good to see how Riverkids can help change the lives of these amazing kids, giving them a brighter future. (: -Amalina

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Interviews reflections with Nanshan! 

The interviews were truly humbling. We always learnt about the cycle of poverty, but I never felt how hopeless their situations were until we did the interviews. There were many sad stories - of an old lady whose nine children were all killed during the Pol Pot regime; parents who did not send their 6 teenage children to school as they were too poor; and husbands who willingly let their wives go into the sex trade - all of which we probably will never imagine happening to anyone we know, yet, listening to these stories, there was so little we could offer in return, except to listen sympathetically. The interview questions we were tasked to ask were very statistical and focused on the hard facts - numbers, monetary values, figures - but we were still able to learn through questions which were not in the survey, that we asked, out of genuine concern and curiosity as fellow human beings. It was really humbling to realise that the difference between our plights was a mere matter of birth rights. - Nanshan

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Interview reflections with Beatrice 

Conducting the interviews was definitely the most interesting and memorable part of our trip. We got to see first-hand, how life in slum communities was like, and what we saw was not depressing, but enlightening and inspiring. Everyone we interviewed - the rich, the poor, the young, the old - displayed nothing but pure and sincere generosity towards us, inspite of us being a mere bunch of foreign strangers. They offered their chairs or space on their bed for us to sit, or even swept the floor for us so we could sit comfortably. Some also offered us water despite the little that they had. The mere action of them willingly and warm-heartedly welcoming us into their houses was enough to make it a truly humbling and enriching experience because it taught us so much about embracing and respecting everyone regardless of their background. In Singapore, with an ever expanding population of foreigners, it is even more crucial for us to embrace the values of humility and generosity towards them, regardless of where they come from - China, India, Malaysia or the West. ~Beatrice

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"There is so much to learn, so much to understand. Each have their own stories to share."

JJ