Nesa Khoun is our Child development coordinator and librarian, she is also a Science teacher at JWOC.
Did you know that almost everything around us is the result of Science? People live with science everyday but they just never notice about what science is. Through this I have had a great chance to go to Phnom Penh to join the Festival about Science and Engineering. It was great because this was the first time for Cambodia to hold this big event and there were around thousand people joining. It was held for three days from the 12th to the 14th of March 2015. I was so lucky that I was also one of those people who was not only watching but also showing about the kind of science material to everyone. And now I would love to share some feelings and describe about who I have met and what I did.
The place where the event held was in Royal University Phnom Penh. It was a big and famous university and not so far from the hotel where we stayed. It was suppose to take just 15 minutes to arrive there but because the traffic was so busy it took a bit longer. When I talked about this, it reminded me about the first morning of the event. Because we thought that we just spent around fifteen minutes to go to the event so we left the hotel at 8:30am as the event would start at 9am. Unfortunately, the traffic was so bad. The roads were so crowded and busy. Do you know what we did? We decided to walk to the festival. I loved it so much; this was the first highlight of the day. It was great as we arrived there not too late.
At the event there were many people. I was so glad because when we arrived and were preparing the experiments at the booth many people came and asked about what we were doing. There were 5 of us who worked in shifts on the booth. We were divided into two groups and we rotated every hour and a half. This was a great idea because we could have time to walk around to get to know people and see what they were doing. I thought all the other projects were so interesting. Some of the other booths were demonstrating about air pollution and others showed about how to make electricity from lemons, how to make the rocket fly, how to make a bouncy ball and so on. One booth in particular caught my interest. They were from VSO. They made science books by combining experiments from grade 7 to grade 9 and moreover there was a great teacher at the booth to show about science experiment. He showed us about an illusion with candles and the difference between strong acids and weak acids.
At our booth we had three projects to show. First, it was about the Lego Kits activity, second about how to see the difference between animal cells and plant cells through the microscope and third about the density of water. What we did was great because there were many people interested in Lego kits and the microscope. Most of them have never seen it before. I was glad because we showed them new things and let them to try the new things that they have never known.
What is more, to make participants more interested they had invited high ranking officers to come and open the festival. And to create some fun they had some competition games and invited a famous singer to sing in the event. Her name is Laura Mam. There was a show of breaking dance as well. I really like it. Both dancers danced so well with the action of the robot.
Finally, I would love to say that this was a great opportunity for me to learn something new. It is also called Science as Science is the way of learning something new around us and it is very important for each life.Furthermore, it helps me more in teaching science at JWOC by giving me new and good ideas in teaching science.
I am Konthea, Community Liaison Program Manager at Journeys Within Our Community. I have been working here for two years and learned a lot from this job. To be able to run this program smoothly I have contributed lots of ideas, energy and time. I learned from mistakes and adapted to changes to make the program better. However, to make changes to improve the program I have worked closely with my team of scholarship students.
There are a few points I want to share about them as I recognized they have been improving a lot through this program. One thing they are now able to do is provide half of the training on Home Gardening to the villagers by themselves. So, we do not need to spend money on an external trainer as before. This is quite important for JWOC and especially for themselves. I found they can take the responsibility of the trainings very well including explaining and leading people to practice what they have been taught and also they can deal with questions immediately and confidently. This is something that makes me really proud of them.
The other thing is that my scholarship students’ team is able to communicate with local people and the authorities very well, even without me. This point was a big concern for me before, as they always needed me to be with them and begin the conversation. But now they come back from the field with answers and or results I wanted. At the start of the year we provided a communication workshop which focused on this aspect of their development as I found this is the most important skill needed for the program, especially Community Liaison.
The last point I want to talk about them is they now understand very well about what they are doing. They know how to respond to the requests from beneficiaries, recognize problems and best practices and share it within the team. This point is something very great and it is what I want them to keep doing more and more.
Since they are developing every day, both new and old team members are helpful to this program. They are building trust for me and hope for JWOC. I wish I can help them to improve more in the future.
There are a few points I want to share about them as I recognized they have been improving a lot through this program. One thing they are now able to do is provide half of the training on Home Gardening to the villagers by themselves. So, we do not need to spend money on an external trainer as before. This is quite important for JWOC and especially for themselves. I found they can take the responsibility of the trainings very well including explaining and leading people to practice what they have been taught and also they can deal with questions immediately and confidently. This is something that makes me really proud of them.
The other thing is that my scholarship students’ team is able to communicate with local people and the authorities very well, even without me. This point was a big concern for me before, as they always needed me to be with them and begin the conversation. But now they come back from the field with answers and or results I wanted. At the start of the year we provided a communication workshop which focused on this aspect of their development as I found this is the most important skill needed for the program, especially Community Liaison.
The last point I want to talk about them is they now understand very well about what they are doing. They know how to respond to the requests from beneficiaries, recognize problems and best practices and share it within the team. This point is something very great and it is what I want them to keep doing more and more.
Since they are developing every day, both new and old team members are helpful to this program. They are building trust for me and hope for JWOC. I wish I can help them to improve more in the future. (1).jpg)
Hello! My name is Malin, I’m a 1st year scholarship student at JWOC. I have 3 sisters and I live with two of them. My grandma and my mom they live in Chikreng village to the east of Siem Reap.
I am looking forward to achieving my goals in 2015. For my goal in 2015 I want to work in an organization as a field staff member. I want to work there because I want to know how people in our rural society live so I can learn about what I can do to help them, first I want to understand them so I am able to connect with them better. I really want to work there because I love traveling to the country side of Cambodia, I find the people in the countryside really kind and welcoming and now people living in the city have different lifestyles to the rural population. I want to change my life, I want to experience new situations and environments and working in the field with rural communities is a perfect opportunity for this. I want to study their culture and I also want to share the knowledge with them that I have learned here at JWOC.
At Present, I’m studying at Build Bright University and work as a English teacher at New York International school, full time, but if I am able to find a job working with another organization I will cut my teaching hours down to part time. Teaching is just a small part of my dream; also I want to know one more language after Khmer and English. I told myself in 2015 I would have to learn one more language beside English. Also I am really excited to study harder and harder so I can be a good and proud employee in the Asian community. I want to help Cambodia strive to be a helpful member of the larger Asian community to do this I must try my hardest to be a good citizen.
I will always try my hardest to improve my studying so my dreams can come true, I believe that education is the key; it can lead me to do the right thing and be confident in my decisions. It will give me more opportunities to work. I hope that my fellow students can also study hard and help Cambodia grow.
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By Khoeurn Khart
Early in the morning when I come to work, kids are playing in JWOC’s yard and running around with their friends. Some of our students talk about their homework and families while the others share stories about things that happened in their state school. The value of education for people in our community and the surrounding areas where JWOC works is immeasurable and helps so many. JWOC provides a positive learning environment where people can share ideas, ask questions and grow. What inspires me about JWOC is our student diversity. I have met students from big families, some that are living in migrant villages, some that are farmers, small business owners or staff at the hotels. Our diverse student body is always growing and evolving.
Our students are very friendly, and when they see me, they try to communicate in English. The skills they gained at JWOC help them change their living condition, and I am happy to hear this from them. They are able to work for hotels, restaurants, guesthouses or other NGOs. I see that things around our community have changed gradually. Kids like learning and trying new things compared to my time growing up.
From the knowledge I have gained while attending university to my work at JWOC, there is no doubt that education has shaped who I am today. Education impacts so many areas of my daily life, and it is for this reason that I feel very excited about the work I do at JWOC. Through my experiences, I learn that only education can empower people.
To celebrate 10 years of Journeys Within Tour Company, Andrea Ross talks about an incredible journey. A journey that not only changed her life but has changed the lives of thousands of members of our community.
The truth is that our 10 year anniversary was last year…but we were busy and I just couldn’t quite get around to celebrating it, I think it was because deep down I wanted to wait and really complete 10 years! It wasn’t okay to say we’d gotten to the 10th year, in typical Journeys Within fashion we had to go above and beyond and excel in that 10th year too!! To highlight just that, in the last week I’ve received emails from guests describing their recent trips as “epic”, “once-in-a-lifetime” and “life-changing”. Our tenth year was truly the icing on our anniversary cake!
When Brandon and I started Journeys Within Tour Company 10/11 years ago in Cambodia neither of us realized where it would go and the lives it would change. When I talk about exceptional experiences I’m not just talking about our guests…I’m talking about the Journeys Within team as well. I feel so lucky to have a team that truly loves what they do and I think we are able to really appreciate how exceptional Southeast Asia is. Because we truly value it we’re able to create these experiences for guests that just go above the norm and create unforgettable trips. On a personal level, the last 10 years has been an exceptional experience for me!
When I realized that I shouldn’t just let our anniversary fade into the Angkor Wat sunset I looked online to see what people did for their 10-year-anniversary. Turns out, people have parties…they throw big events and they have a very good time. I thought about doing this, as I do like a good party, but my team is spread across 6 countries and getting them all together seemed unlikely. I will be taking the kids to Southeast Asia in February and in each country I’ll celebrate with my Journeys Within Family, but I needed something bigger, something that defined Journeys Within. I didn’t have to look far.
Shortly after founding Journeys Within Tour Company we founded Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC), a non-profit that has a mission of empowering local communities through health and education and inspiring change. When we founded JWOC we again had no idea of the impact it would have. Today JWOC has given access to clean water to thousands of villagers, we’ve provided education for hundreds of students at our school in Siem Reap, we’ve given out microloans to those living below the poverty line and we’ve sent over 200 students to university. And when I say JWOC has done this, I mean WE have done this — it turns out that the most exceptional experiences are not necessarily helicopter rides and private pampering (though those are great too!), but actually the experiences you take home with you are the ones where you make a difference in someone else’s life. When our guests saw the needs in the countries they were visiting they wanted to make a difference and they have! Our donors are the travelers — people that not only want to see and understand these countries, but also make a positive impact on the people living here. The idea of Active Philanthropy through travel has made measurable impacts in the communities that we work in. Our teams both at Journeys Within Tour Company and at JWOC have made these contributions count, every penny of them! In return our guests have not only seen the highlights of Southeast Asia, but they’ve made a difference in the lives of the local people that inspire us to travel. The experience has gone beyond Angkor Wat and Wat Phou and the Grand Palace, and into the villages and communities.
This to me is what the last 10 years has been about. Making travel bigger than just going somewhere new. So to celebrate 10 years of exceptional experiences Journeys Within is donating $10,000 dollars to JWOC. This donation will go towards the projects we founded and believe in and will help JWOC continue to change lives. This donation adds onto the thousands of dollars given throughout the course of the year by our guests who visit our schools and see our projects, as well as the donations that come in from our amazing travelers after they come home and want to continue making a difference!
I am so proud that what we founded 10 years ago has become something so powerful. I am so thankful to have a team that strives to give our guests the best experience possible every single day and I’m so excited to see what will happen in the next 10 years. On the phone today, I was speaking with a guest about his trip and he couldn’t say enough nice things, finally he said, “for a small company with so much heart, you really have the service to back it up.” And that, well that was all I needed.
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The truth is that our 10 year anniversary was last year…but we were busy and I just couldn’t quite get around to celebrating it, I think it was because deep down I wanted to wait and really complete 10 years! It wasn’t okay to say we’d gotten to the 10th year, in typical Journeys Within fashion we had to go above and beyond and excel in that 10th year too!! To highlight just that, in the last week I’ve received emails from guests describing their recent trips as “epic”, “once-in-a-lifetime” and “life-changing”. Our tenth year was truly the icing on our anniversary cake!
When Brandon and I started Journeys Within Tour Company 10/11 years ago in Cambodia neither of us realized where it would go and the lives it would change. When I talk about exceptional experiences I’m not just talking about our guests…I’m talking about the Journeys Within team as well. I feel so lucky to have a team that truly loves what they do and I think we are able to really appreciate how exceptional Southeast Asia is. Because we truly value it we’re able to create these experiences for guests that just go above the norm and create unforgettable trips. On a personal level, the last 10 years has been an exceptional experience for me!
When I realized that I shouldn’t just let our anniversary fade into the Angkor Wat sunset I looked online to see what people did for their 10-year-anniversary. Turns out, people have parties…they throw big events and they have a very good time. I thought about doing this, as I do like a good party, but my team is spread across 6 countries and getting them all together seemed unlikely. I will be taking the kids to Southeast Asia in February and in each country I’ll celebrate with my Journeys Within Family, but I needed something bigger, something that defined Journeys Within. I didn’t have to look far.
Shortly after founding Journeys Within Tour Company we founded Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC), a non-profit that has a mission of empowering local communities through health and education and inspiring change. When we founded JWOC we again had no idea of the impact it would have. Today JWOC has given access to clean water to thousands of villagers, we’ve provided education for hundreds of students at our school in Siem Reap, we’ve given out microloans to those living below the poverty line and we’ve sent over 200 students to university. And when I say JWOC has done this, I mean WE have done this — it turns out that the most exceptional experiences are not necessarily helicopter rides and private pampering (though those are great too!), but actually the experiences you take home with you are the ones where you make a difference in someone else’s life. When our guests saw the needs in the countries they were visiting they wanted to make a difference and they have! Our donors are the travelers — people that not only want to see and understand these countries, but also make a positive impact on the people living here. The idea of Active Philanthropy through travel has made measurable impacts in the communities that we work in. Our teams both at Journeys Within Tour Company and at JWOC have made these contributions count, every penny of them! In return our guests have not only seen the highlights of Southeast Asia, but they’ve made a difference in the lives of the local people that inspire us to travel. The experience has gone beyond Angkor Wat and Wat Phou and the Grand Palace, and into the villages and communities.
This to me is what the last 10 years has been about. Making travel bigger than just going somewhere new. So to celebrate 10 years of exceptional experiences Journeys Within is donating $10,000 dollars to JWOC. This donation will go towards the projects we founded and believe in and will help JWOC continue to change lives. This donation adds onto the thousands of dollars given throughout the course of the year by our guests who visit our schools and see our projects, as well as the donations that come in from our amazing travelers after they come home and want to continue making a difference!
I am so proud that what we founded 10 years ago has become something so powerful. I am so thankful to have a team that strives to give our guests the best experience possible every single day and I’m so excited to see what will happen in the next 10 years. On the phone today, I was speaking with a guest about his trip and he couldn’t say enough nice things, finally he said, “for a small company with so much heart, you really have the service to back it up.” And that, well that was all I needed.
My name is Voleak Phan and I am 15 years old. I’m a sophomore at an international school calls Jay Pritzker Academy (JPA). I decided to volunteer at JWOC during the winter break because I felt as though I wanted to do something for my community and to get some work experience as well so that I’m more prepared for my future. Also, at first I thought that it would be a boring break to just stay at home, so why not do something useful?
Therefore, I met with my friends and we organized a team to work at JWOC, which was recommended to me by my Psychology teacher Ms. Chantal Debreu. We have had such a good time at JWOC. I went to classes in the afternoon from Monday to Friday to assist the teacher as well as preparing fun activities so the kids can play during studying periods. In addition, on Saturday and Sunday I helped the art class to make crafts for the kids as well as teaching them to make the crafts. I can say that I feel an overwhelming pleasure because I’m a part of it. I love spending my time with those bright children, who are eager to learn and friendly. Additionally, the other staffs are very nice and helpful to me, which made me feel so warm. In addition, I also learn how to teach children, preparing lesson plans, get comfortable with students and talking to them, and some craft-making skills that I had never know how to do before.
I feel good about my decision because for once, I actually did something for my beloved country; I learned things that can be applied in real life. Even though it wasn’t much, I know that this is just the start. There are going to be many more things that I will do to help my country.
Last of all with gratitude, I would like to say thank you to the founders of JWOC and the donators as well as helpers, who without their presence, underprivileged Cambodian children won’t get the precious opportunity to see the world at a different angle. Thank you so much.
It has been such an incredible year at Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC) and we would like to share some of our most beautiful photographs with you. So much happens at JWOC in one year and we have done our best to capture the smiles and hard work that happens in the community.
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Happy Holidays from everyone here at JWOC
