Week 1 Day 2 - My Volunteer Project in Cambodia

It's only day two but i've learned quite a lot about the process of filter-making!

The first thing I did was very similar to one of the methods in baking! Which was sifting bigger chunks of sand into finer sand - reminds me of sifting flour and sugar during baking! 

After sifting the sand twice - the second sift made of tinier holes, I shoved the fine sand into a bucket to be washed. In order to utilise clean sand to be filled into the filter container, I have to wash the sand around 5-6 times! There are many water hose at the site of the filter-making so I sat beside one of them and washed the sand continuously. After that, With the help of Marco, the Aussie volunteer, I poured the bucket of clean sand, as heavy as twice my weight, into a 'karang guni'/big sack.

Besides that, I used the artsy side of me to paint the cement-made filter containers with white paint.

Elsie, a French volunteer also joined me in painting the containers. Managed to find out more about her volunteer trip as well!

Once we were done with 2 layers of paint, one of the staff who work with us began pouring buckets of sand and gravel into a cement mixer which made loud noises when it was switched on. When the cement was ready, I scooped the mixture and poured into the mould of the filter container. We managed to build 4 filter containers! 

I felt that it was quite a fulfilling day, getting many tasks done. For tomorrow, it may be delivery day again! That means going to the village and installing more filters! This time, i'll try to carry out conversations with the Khmer villagers, but i gotta learn some Khmer words first! Till tomorrow!

Week 1 Day 1 - My Volunteer Project in Cambodia

Sousday from Siem Reap!!

At 8:15 a.m., i arrived at The Trailblazer Foundation with my rented bicycle. I was warmly welcomed by the staff and one of them, Theresa from the U.S gave me a short explanation on the NGO's work by showing me the site of the filter-in-the-making while explaining the steps taken to build a filter such as gravel and sand washing, sand sieving and molding of filter containers that are made of cement.

I found out that today was delivery day! It meant that all of the volunteers would be going to the village to install the water filters! How fortunate for me to visit the villages and have a taste of installing them filters on my very first day!! I met the rest of the volunteers (5 out of 7 are Aussies, no Malaysians came before me!) there who told me that it was also their first time going to the village despite weeks of volunteering at the NGO. The reason why the staff do not go to the village at a consistent time is mainly due to rainy weather which makes it troublesome for them to install the filters.

After shifting the filters and required materials on the back of the two trucks, off we went to the village about 20mins away. An Aussie volunteer, Marco and I were both crammed into the back seats  of a Hilux. Compared to Marco, I wasn't as uncomfortable as he was because of his long legs! One of the advantages of being short! Ha!

First, we went to two houses and unloaded the filters from the truck. The houses are pure kampung style, perhaps even worse as they still use firewood for cooking. the cool part is that each wooden house has at least one hammock underneath the house which is on stilts. Each filter weighs about 80kg!! Thank God we had a trolley to carry all them filters and sand bags!
1. We found an even-ground spot to place the filter.
2. We poured water (drawn from water pumps provided by UNICEF) into the filter.
3. We threw in big gravel, followed by small gravel and a bag of washed sand.
4. The project manager who is Cambodian, gave a briefing to the house owner onthe maintenance of the filter, yes in Khmer language, which words hard to pronounce!
5. The filter os covered with a metal cover to protect it from bacteria.

After about 40minutes of installing two filters, we were taken for lunch by the project managers at a local shop. I still think Chinese food is the best in the world. But Khmer food costs only USD 1 or less. Of course, you find them at the markets/road side, not at the commercialized resto in town.

It rained cats and dogs after our lunch! So, we had to wait for about 25mins before we headed to a few more houses.

On our last house filter installation, halfway while fixing the filter, lo and behold, it rained again! That delayed us for another 20mins before we finally completed our task.

At 4p.m., we finally reached the NGO. Everyone was exhausted due to the task of loading/unloading heavy materials and the constant sweating!!! I sweat like the South East Asia monsoon on my face.

After signing out the volunteer log book, I cycled pass a market and stopped by for some local food. I had one pf the best popiah i've ever tried. There was rice, mint n other vege leaves, dried prawns in the popiah! Dip in their local sweet sour sauce and chilli, they pop in yo mouth!

That's all for today! Will be learning how to prepare the materials for the filter tomorrow onwards!

Fund Raising for "My Volunteer Project to Cambodia" (COMPLETED)

My fund raising target of RM1, 082.12 has been achieved! Hence, my fund raising collection is now officially closed.

And with your generous givings, I have successfully donated ONE bio-sand water filter for the price of USD80 to The Trailblazer Foundation. Here's a screenshot of the donation receipt from the NGO :

I would like to once again thank my contributors for "My Volunteer Project to Cambodia" for their generous donations. As previously stated in my previous posts, I will provide my fundraising donors with a daily report on my volunteer project during my stay in Cambodia (07/07 - 20/07). I will post my daily report here on my blog site and will notify you, dear donors, once the report is ready. It is most likely that I will have 24-hour internet access in my hostel in Cambodia, so I will be able to update my blog daily. 

CAMBODIA, here I come!

Fund Raising for "My Volunteer Project to Cambodia" (UPDATES)

Hey everyone! Here's the latest updates on my fundraising campaign:

As you can observe from the chart above, there is RM 323.91 left to be raised in 12 more days.   The closing date for my fundraising collection is 30 June.

If I manage to collect more than my initial target of RM 1,082.12 before the closing date, there will be a high possibility of donating an ADDITIONAL bio-sand water filter to the Trailblazer Foundation!

Fund Raising for "My Volunteer Project to Cambodia" (REVISED)

*In reference to my previous post : http://phunkj.blogspot.com/2014/06/fund-raising-for-my-volunteer-project.html

Thanks to a timely piece of information from a friend, I have discovered the local NGO (non-governmental organisation) - The Trailblazer Foundation which is in partnership with Globalteer. The Trailblazer Foundation is the NGO in charge of the Clean Water Project.

I have checked out its website: http://www.thetrailblazerfoundation.org/#/welcome and its volunteer programme does not require any fees for its volunteers! However, volunteering with Trailblazer means that I would need to arrange my own personal accommodation and transportation, unlike the provided itinerary by Globalteer ( explained in my previous post ). Volunteering with Trailblazer would involve the same exact activities listed in my previous post, the only differences are no fees charged and accommodation and transportation are not provided by Trailblazer. ( I think I've said it twice, but I'd prefer to make it clear to you ).

After much consideration, I decide to sign up for the volunteer programme under The Trailblazer Foundation instead of signing up under Globalteer as Globalteer's target for my required donation is a tad too high to be raised within only a period of one week ( explained in my previous post too ).

Nevertheless, I'd still wish to raise funds for my Volunteer Project to Cambodia and here is my aim:

1. To donate ONE bio-sand water filter : USD 80 (equivalent to RM 257.12)
   This donation will go to The Trailblazer Foundation, specifically for this purpose (http://www.thetrailblazerfoundation.org/#/programs/bio-sand-water-filters)

Check out more information on how the bio-sand water filter works: http://www.cawst.org/en/resources/biosand-filter

     2. To cover the cost of my return flight tickets ( Kuala Lumpur - Siam Reap ) : RM 475

         This is the latest price of the air ticket I just checked on AirAsia's website, just a few seconds ago.

      3. To cover the estimated cost of my accommodation : RM 350

         I am still in the process of searching for the cheapest and the most convenient backpackers hostel and preferably the nearest to the Trailblazer office. I have browsed through a few hostels and found out that the average price per night is around USD 8. That is equivalent to RM 25 per night. Basically, I just need a bed to sleep on after a hard day's work in the field.

Hence, the total amount of my targeted funds is RM 1082.12

Any amount from RM 1, RM 5 , RM 10, RM 100, or any odd/even number you wish to donate is warmly welcomed ! If you wish to donate specifically for the bio-sand water filter but not for the cost of my travel expenses, or vice versa, or for both, just let me know !! 

Drop me a message on Facebook 

or at my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/fundmeforcambodia 

or send me an e-mail at jamietan_91@hotmail.com. I will personally send you my bank details or you can hand me your generous donation in person.

*After receiving your donation, I will send you updates - my report and photos of my Volunteer Project to Cambodia once I return from Cambodia

( Date of travel would be : 7 July - 20 July 2014)

Stay tuned at https://www.facebook.com/fundmeforcambodia for some crazy challenges I'll be taking on to raise funds for this cause!

Fund Raising for My Volunteer Project to Cambodia (Former)

*Please note the revised version regarding My Volunteer Project to Cambodia here:
http://phunkj.blogspot.com/2014/06/fund-raising-for-my-volunteer-project_12.html

Hi everyone!

As I have just completed my bachelor's degree studies in May, I now wish to volunteer myself in promoting the cause of clean water and sanitation in less-developed and developing countries.

Recently, I have applied to volunteer specifically for Clean Water Project under the Cambodia Community Project, provided by Globalteer which is a non-profit charity registered in the UK. Here is the link to its website: http://globalteer.org/volunteer-projects.aspx?project=cambodia-community-project#section_15

Today, I've received an email from Globalteer notifying me that my volunteer application has been successful. Now, I am required to give a total required donation of USD 1,010 in order to secure my place on my preferred project - which is the Clean Water Project. That is equivalent to RM 3,239.

Here is the breakdown of where my volunteer donation will go to:

1. Project costs - specific needs that are vital to the development and continual success of the project
   (http://globalteer.org/wheremoneygoes.aspx)
2. My neccessities such as my accomodation, clean drinking water, daily breakfast, transportation.
   (http://www.globalteer.org/volunteer-projects.aspx?project=cambodia-community-project#requireddonations)

My main mission in this volunteer project is to learn how to build water filters and install them and to learn effective ways of empowering the local Cambodian community in sustaining clean, drinkable water. 

My volunteer activities will include:

• 3 days of building bio-sand filters under the supervision of experienced staff at the project HQ.
• 1 day of travelling to local villages to install the filters and teaching villagers on their use.
• Team planning meetings and on general maintenance of projects
• Extra activities such as helping with the project's market garden

I will work five days a week with core hours from 8am to 2pm per day. Here's more details to what I'll do: (http://globalteer.org/volunteer-projects.aspx?project=cambodia-community-project#section_15)

If I am able to raise enough funds within one week from now (10 June - 17 June 2014), I will be able to secure my place in my specifically preferred project that I will be supposedly commmencing on 3 July 2014 - 17 July 2014. This short period of time to raise funds is due to the high demands for places on Globalteer's holistic projects.

Hence, if you are interested in assisting me to raise funds for my volunteer trip to Cambodia, I would be very grateful for your kind generosity. If not, I'm still thankful that you had spent your time reading this post of mine. 

Any sum of donation is warmly welcomed and deeply appreciated from the depths of my heart!

You can donate via bank transfer/cheque or hand your donation to me personally. Just drop me an email at jamietan_91@hotmail.com or a message on Facebook and I will send you my bank details.

If this volunteer project becomes a reality, I will return with my personal report on the project along with photos to show you guys the great impact we can contribute to society!

Clean water and sanitation should be accessible to all mankind, rich and poor alike. God bless!

Breaking into the new year with the lessons learned from the previous year.

It's the first day of 2013 and I feel that it's important for me to list down everything that I have learned from 2012, not only that 2012 is not the end of the world. Here it is!

1. The joy of giving.
   I'm not talking about Christmas. The true season of giving is not during those holiday season but it's in our everyday life! In our every action and words, our encouragement and support to people around us, even strangers are so important that sometimes, our deeds will brighten up their day without us knowing! I've been visiting the old folks' home in Cheras for the past 3months. I've always looked forward to visit them and talk to them because I find pure happiness when I communicate with them and offer my help to them by teaching them simple exercise and feeding them. The old folks are genuine in their words. Their advice and experience about life is so invaluable. I guess it's true that people say, the more you give, the more you'll receive. I've receive joy when i serve them and i hope that they receive the same joy as I did too.
2. Friends come and go throughout your whole life. They don't stay forever.
   I'll have to admit my naivety when I thought that my best friends will remain as my best friends forever till I die. God has made me see that some things aren't meant to be like that and He wants me to completely rely on Him as my true best friend. It was a bitter experience for me to understand this lesson and I've even seek professional counselling about it as I was really hurt. I was depressed for about a week because of other contributing events too but well, I'm still a mere human being. Thank God for opening my eyes to see that we cannot rely on men and He's the only One we can trust as He'll never leave us nor forsake us.
   "Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots, but we will trust in the name of the Lord" 
3. Help is on its way even when you can't see it.
   During the same week of realising lesson no.2, God provided me with other friends whom I'm not really close with compared to my best friends. He gave me them when I was at my lowest point and I really thank Him for them. I cried out to Him when i 'lost' my best friends and He gave me other friends to comfort me. What an amazing Father indeed! If I had focused too much on the absence of my best friends during my difficult times, I would not realised the helping hand that He had provided! My eyes were opened after the counselling and I was comforted when God gave me another way in comforting me.
4. Basic necessities are more important than major developments and technologies.
   After my 2nd missions trip to Kuching in Aug 2012, my mind suddenly woke up from its slumber and my eyes were opened after witnessing the difficulty of the villagers in a rural area without having sufficient access to water. The village had experienced drought for 3 months and all they had was one miserable tap in the middle of the whole village. I became more aware of the importance of basic necessities such as water, food and electricity. What is the use of having magnificent skyscrapers but without electricity to light up the building? What is the point of having a waterpark without any access to water? What is the advantage of having various fancy diners without the supply of food? Hopefuly, this would be my passion that I would pursue in my career and that would be what God's will for me to do after my studies.
5. Last but not least, troubles are here to shape you up!
   Problems after problems kept coming along my way at a few occasions in 2012. I fret and I wrestled and I fret again. But all of my grumbling would not chase them away! I did asked God why and thank God, i got the answers! Or else, I would really pull my hair apart.. For years, I've always prayed that He will mould my love to be like His and to mould me into the clay He wants me to be. So, there it is! I got my prayer request granted by facing these problems! When I go through my troubled times, I've learned alot from them, I can't deny that I've also fell at some point of time but He picked me up over and over again. As i go through them, my self-control, patience and faith were definitely tested! I realised that when i failed the test, new troubles would appear again to test me. By God's grace, I've managed to overcome them with His goodness in me.

We can never be wise enough if we compare ourselves to God's wisdom. He is beyond measure and all his values are too! I have grown wiser mentally, emotionally and spiritually throughout 2012 and I hope that I would be able to give glory to Him who deserves my praise. Even if we stumble, He will pick us up as He is Lord of all! Be blessed in the year 2013!!