Solaid is a non-profit organization that is centered around improving local education and providing microgrants in rural areas around Kampot. These microgrants may appear minor in nature, but can be life-saving since they provide a way to earn money in a sustainable, community friendly manner. Such projects include providing families with plants to harvest, chickens, teaching them to basket weave, and even rebuilding homes. What fascinated us (Sonali and Justine) the most was that the Solaid organization is very well integrated into the community. Microgrant provisions, for example, are determined by a community panel.
Immediately after arriving in Kampot, they eight of us cycled to a school nearby to teach an English class. We were able to not only sit in on the class but also play educational games. Unfortunately, if you lose the game at the end of the class, you have to sing. Lucky for me (Sonali) and a couple of others, they were blessed to hear my wonderful singing voice........I think everybody in the class wanted to stop. Nevertheless it was a bonding experience for all involved O_o
After that day, we split into groups of four for the rest of the week's activities. My group consisted of Justine, Matt, and Jake. The other group was Nathan, Dayna, Itsumi, and Jared. The most common means of travel around Kampot is by bike. Bike riding was eye-opening because we got to experience the culture through their eyes and even feel a bit integrated within it. We biked to an area where we met up with a group of kids that we called scouts. I don't think they were actually scouts, but they were wearing boy scout uniforms and were honestly great kids! They were around varying from age 14-20 years, and were practicing their English with us. They had a ton of questions for us from how many brothers and sisters, to what medical school was like. They were always so sweet and answered our questions honestly.
Many of the activities we did involved working with kids on their English, but more importantly, the Solaid group wanted Cambodian students to have a positive experience with foreign travelers like us. Although the kids were sweet and constantly smiling, it was astonishing to see their school environment and its condition. Often times there are 3 students per desk, and instead of paper many used slate boards and chalk. Solaid is often providing school supplies like books and games for students. They also built a library we were able to see. We visited many schools worked with kids and even got to visit the Epic Arts center, which is a nonprofit organization that promotes the integration of the deaf, blind, and other disabilities in the arts within the community of Kampot.
Many of our most poignant experiences were centered around community health activities. During two different days, we went out to rural parts of Kampot with a scale, stethoscopes, and blood pressure cuffs to give basic health assessments. It was great to practice blood pressure readings, since most of the time we do blood pressure in very quiet settings. This time, there were people lining up to not only get blood pressures readings, but also to see what it was all about. Even adults and kids were curious to see how tall they were and how much they weighed. It was fascinating to see how simple measurements like weight, height, and BP was discussion around the community. Even some of the adults were coming to get their weight, which was only done on kids to check their growth. Unfortunately, we noticed many kids with scabies and also blonde streaks, which is indicative of protein deficiency.
Most people think of Project Cura as a program promoting clinical experience abroad for medical students. However, it is hard to provide clinical care without understanding the culture, traditions, and daily lives of the patients we see. For example, many Cambodians participate in coining, which is a belief that by heating a coin and placing a cup over it to cleanse bad spirits from your body. Leaving Cambodia tomorrow, we both feel like we have a deeper understanding of not only the medical needs of the community, but also the daily lifestyles, struggles, and necessities essential for healthy living.
Have a safe flight! Glad you were able to post in your blog.
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