The Power of One
We are half way through The PEPY Ride II and I'm already so sad to know that it will be ending soon. We have a great group of 16 from Canada, the US, the UK, Cambodia, and Australia. So far we have covered over 500km of dusty Cambodian roads, visited 4 schools and orphanages, 2 organizations to learn more about Cambodia, and tried our hand at a Khmer cooking class.
The past two days have been spent in the capital, Phnom Penh, where the team visited Khmer Rouge genocide sites and local NGO's to learn about the past and its effect on the present situation here. They were able to meet two of my personal heroes, Mickey from RDIC (www.rdic.org) and Scott from Cambodian Children's Fund (CCF - www.cambodianchildrensfund.org). These two men have completely changed their lives in order to work towards a safer and better life for the new generation of Cambodians.
I think one of the best things about a PEPY Tour is the chance to meet the Mickey's and Scott's of the world, the chance to meet people who really ARE changing the world, and who prove that yes, one person CAN make a difference. I love watching people's awe when they first arrive at CCF or RDIC or watching my team sit mesmerized during the plays put on at CCF by the students. They are plays they wrote themselves about their own lives; sold into child prostitution or beaten and orphaned and sent to the garbage dump to work. The team always leaves CCF so inspired, wanting to do more and proud to have been a part of such a marvelous place.
The same goes for everyone's reaction at RDIC. Mickey spouts off facts about water safety in Cambodia, shows us his homemade chemistry lab, introduces us to the tech team designing Khmer educational cartoons, describes their soap making project, water filters, mobile education teams, etc. You name it, RDIC does it. And what more, Mickey can articulate it, so that even the non-chemists like myself can understand. There is total silence in the room as Mickey talks about arsenic levels and testing techniques and stops mid-sentence to say "Am I boring you?" to which he hears a response of "NO! Keep talking! You're my hero!".
For me, this is the best part of the PEPY tour; watching the participants make the realization that these people, these individuals, are significantly changing the world, and that they too can do the same. I believe that is the best gift we give those who come on our trips and I look forward to watching their lives over the years to see how they too will continue to do the same.
The past two days have been spent in the capital, Phnom Penh, where the team visited Khmer Rouge genocide sites and local NGO's to learn about the past and its effect on the present situation here. They were able to meet two of my personal heroes, Mickey from RDIC (www.rdic.org) and Scott from Cambodian Children's Fund (CCF - www.cambodianchildrensfund.org). These two men have completely changed their lives in order to work towards a safer and better life for the new generation of Cambodians.
I think one of the best things about a PEPY Tour is the chance to meet the Mickey's and Scott's of the world, the chance to meet people who really ARE changing the world, and who prove that yes, one person CAN make a difference. I love watching people's awe when they first arrive at CCF or RDIC or watching my team sit mesmerized during the plays put on at CCF by the students. They are plays they wrote themselves about their own lives; sold into child prostitution or beaten and orphaned and sent to the garbage dump to work. The team always leaves CCF so inspired, wanting to do more and proud to have been a part of such a marvelous place.
The same goes for everyone's reaction at RDIC. Mickey spouts off facts about water safety in Cambodia, shows us his homemade chemistry lab, introduces us to the tech team designing Khmer educational cartoons, describes their soap making project, water filters, mobile education teams, etc. You name it, RDIC does it. And what more, Mickey can articulate it, so that even the non-chemists like myself can understand. There is total silence in the room as Mickey talks about arsenic levels and testing techniques and stops mid-sentence to say "Am I boring you?" to which he hears a response of "NO! Keep talking! You're my hero!".
For me, this is the best part of the PEPY tour; watching the participants make the realization that these people, these individuals, are significantly changing the world, and that they too can do the same. I believe that is the best gift we give those who come on our trips and I look forward to watching their lives over the years to see how they too will continue to do the same.
Daniela Papi
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