Acodo Orphanage Day 1

This has certainly been an experience! We arrived safely in Siem Reap yesterday. We got here too late to do anything, because it get dark so early. We went to the orphanage to check in. We took a tour, and then stayed for their traditional dancing show. The kids are so cute! That's what made me fall in love with them last year. Then, we stayed after to fill out the paperwork.


I have been assigned the beginner English class, and Cami will teach the kindergarten English Class. My kids are early teens, and hers are school age. There are currently around 70 kids at the orphanage. They are very sweet and loving. Some are truly orphaned, and some come from small villages where children are dying of starvation Last year,one such village asked Acodo to come because children had been dying. The village held a council to decide which children would go to the orphanage. It is very sad! I teach 2 classes and assist with 2. Because my classes are at a different time than Cami's, I help with hers to. Her kids are a bit more of a handful, because they are young and really don't understand English.

We arrived at 7am this morning. I assisted for the 7am class, where the kids learned tomato, grapes, pears and other items in your lunchbox. They sing songs on a CD, but all the kids wanted me to sing. Then, I went in to Cami's class. They learned the months of the year. Then, Cami turned her part. We didn't really come prepared with lesson plans, so we're kind of winging it. Her class didn't quite follow. She had balloons to go over the colors, but the kids just wanted to play with them. We did sing a few songs with them. Then, I taught my class. It went really well. We practiced introductions and reviewed the morning class. Then, I read Amelia Bedelia. They loved it. We talked about the different meanings of the words. It's complicated to explain, but they thought it was funny!

I forgot to mention that when we arrived, the road was flooded right up to Acodo's door, or rather gate.I don't know if I have fully explained, but Acodo is more or less an outdoor facility. There are a couple buildings. There is an office, the classrooms, the stage area (which is all new since last year), the kitchen and living area and the bathroom. These are all separate little buildings, that look more like shacks. So, to have it flood is a big deal. The water was seeping in. It was up to my ankles in the street. You just have to walk through it. By afternoon, it was getting higher and higher. They took some of the donation we had made to buy sand. Then, after lunch, the kids started making sand bags. They stacked them at the gate, but water was seeping under the walls on the side. I'm afraid it will be flooded tomorrow. On my way out, my pants were soaked clear up to my knees. So, afternoon classes didn't happen. I organized the medication cabinet for them.

Then, a humanitarian group of Dentists showed up from Singapore. The kids were terrified, but they were very brave. I felt so sorry for them, sitting in an unfamiliar dental chair while he sticks needles in your mouth. I kneeled on the floor to hold their hand. I figured their mothers would have done the same if they had one. I tried to sing songs and play games to distract them, but it's hard when you don't speak the same language. So, all in all, it has been an unforgettable experience!