Floating Villages!

This past week has been full of fun and exciting adventures. We got the honor of spending our week in Prek Toal, a floating village, as well as getting to spend time with a local family. Getting used to the constant rocking from the water was a bit difficult at first, but after a couple of days the waves were peaceful and calming at the end of a long day.

The amount of knowledge that we got from a non-profit organization -Osmose- as well as our host families was more than anything that these wonderful people could have given us. We learned about current environmental problems that were currently happening in the village. For example, trash and plastic was common along the river as well as dumping hot oil straight from the pan into the river. Osmose is currently trying to educate people in the village about waste and the impacts that it has on its community.

And while Osmose is doing a great job at it, someone else who was also doing his best on trying to educate younger people on the matter was the principal at the main primary school in this village. He tries to have the teachers teach the students safer ways of disposing their plastic waste. One of which was burning the garbage, which is not good for the environment, it is a better option.

I remember when I was in school, no subject was taught on safer ways of disposing plastic waste, let alone having nonprofit organizations trying to teach the community about the impacts as well as what the community can do.

The children were so eager to be in schools and learn about anything because education is not an opportunity that every child has in this country. In the States, education is something that kids must do in order to be successful in life. In Cambodia education can be hard for students to get because of personal, financial, and economical situations. The primary school in Prek Toal is trying its best to have students further their education by trying to support the students and that looks many different ways.

I was so honored to have spend this amazing week with the most caring, passionate, and hardworking people ever. Hopefully I will be able to return one day and help make a difference as well.