Daniela Papi's Blog

So what does the last entry about literacy and international development work have to do with adventure bike treks?

Well, the tours are how we fund this project, and that is the innovative part of our complete PEPY org. We run volunteer and adventure tours where participants pay for their tour and then also have a fundraising minimum above the price of their tour which supports development work.

Some people have asked me, "Are you worried that some of the big tour companies will take your itineraries and your model?" That's the problem actually, they won't. Actually, I wish they would, because tourism would have a more positive impact here in Cambodia if they did.

The general population of world travelers are looking for "eco-tourism", "off-the-beaten-path travel ops", "a way to give-back", and that is where PEPY fits in. Because we are small and on the ground here in Cambodia, we can measure our impact, adjust our tours to provide inspirational travel opportunities which change the lives of participants (ie: our first tour with 35 people - 3 are now doing PhD or masters thesis on Cambodia, 9 have come back on a second tour, 5 are sponsoring children at $100 per month at a local orphanage, 1 created a PEPY Ride through Louisiana raising $15,000 for educational rebuilding there, and the list of residual impacts goes on like that...), and POSITIVELY impact the organizations and programs we support. Positively being the main focus. We are working to make sure that we minimize the negative impacts inherent in any tourism (from the basics - looking into a tree replanting program with a local NGO to enable us to off-set our tours as well as offer real tree planting off-setting options for our tour participants and other travelers, through to the most important to us and harder to measure impact of having short term visitors to a project).

This takes a LOT of time - working to create projects where a team of 5,10, 30 volunteers can participate, feel a sense of worth, see the results of their work, understand the reasons for the choices we made to bring them there, and provide a valuable service or product to the projects we are supporting. The big tour operators COULD do that, but they probably wont. I hope that some day they HAVE to, in order to keep the demand from their clients.

PEPY is working to implement a literacy program the PEPY schools, with the intent to create a replicable model for change.

Why would we fund literacy training in schools, where literacy should be a priority anyway? In very rural areas here in Cambodia, the average child is in school for 1.5 years. That is, nearly half of the students never enter school at all, and among those who do, most drop out after grade3. When we tested some of our 3rd grade, well over half were unable to read/write. So, if a child enters school at all, she is probably only going to make it to third grade, but chances are she will never be taught to read by then anyway because a) she will be in a class of 3rd year students of mixed ages and no classes will be taught to her level b) her teacher would be lucky if she finished 9th grade, and probably has no, or very limited, teacher training c) her classes will be too large and no one will take notice that she, and half of her peers, could not understand the route read/write/repeat lessons. It is amazing to watch how some kids become good mimes. They can copy anything written in front of them, but they can not write or read a word if asked because they were never taught to do so. They only repeat images of letters they do not understand.

PEPY's proposed program will fund a library in the school as well as a librarian/literacy expert who will have work full time at school. Students will be pulled out for a minimum of 2 hours each per week (based on reading levels) where they will be able to learn to read in an environment where they are a) in a group of other students of the same level for the first time and b) in a smaller setting than normal Cambodian classrooms and have a chance to have one-on-one face time with the teachers. Ideally, there would be two teachers for each library as they would also teach evening and weekend classes for adults and students who are working in the fields and can only attend school at night.

If you want to learn more, contact us at teamleader@pepyride.org

Labels: pepy pepyride phnom penh cambodia siem reap voluntourism volunteer

We have a great team working out here in Cambodia with PEPY.... but many have to head home come May! We are looking for interns from May-Oct, 2007! Want to join our international team of real-world-delaying, driven, hard working, young individuals who believe in our mission to improve educational opportunities in Cambodia while providing meaningful volunteer opportunities to travelers? Check us out at www.pepyride.org and click NEWS in order to download the internship application.

Hope to see you out here!

Talk about Delaying the Real World. Peace Boat is a great way to do that for the lucky few chosen to be English teachers aboard the ship. Most passengers are Japanese nationals and they have the option to take English and Spanish classes onboard, so 18 lucky teachers were chosen to work on the ship this voyage! There are typically 3 round the world cruises per year www.peaceboat.org and Peace Boat just opened a US office, so keep on the lookout! There might be an English version of the cruise setting off in the next few years!

I had a chance to teach about PEPY, starting your own NGO, fundraising techniques, and was one of the facilitators of the "Slow Business School" - basically a week-long social venture start-up workshop. Coming on to the end of the trip has given me a chance to see the fruits of 3.5 months of labor - English/Spanish speeches and plays by the students, handmade clothing from the fashion show, and a whole ship of inspired, world-aware, impassioned people! It has been a great experience being onboard and I hope I get the chance to do so again.

Anyone who is reading this, if you are looking for a way to see the world and experience new cultures, teaching English at some point in your life is a great way to do it. Not all opportunities are as exceptional as Peace Boat, but just teaching English in Japan, with the high salaries and long vacations with many programs like JET, mean that you have a chance to see the world and still fill your wallet. If you are trying to decide if you should delay the real world that way, or make that life your "real world", as many people do, I say go for it.