Between 13th – 20th June, I accompanied 30 of the students from the British International School of Shanghai on a trip to Cambodia. The main aim of the trip was for the students to support a charity foundation school in capital, Phnom Penh, through teaching lessons and getting to know the children and their community in Cambodia. I’ve decided not to show the images showing the life of children in Phnom Penh, but instead to keep some of the images of the different sides of Cambodia.

The account below is a short paragraph taken from one of my students on our first day:

At the school we were instantly welcomed by the kids. Some half a dozen were waiting for us on the balcony, and another few by the gate. They all seemed excited to see us, and were incredibly cute! After a tour around the school we started lessons. It was amazing how well behaved the kids were; we could see that they really wanted to be there.
During lessons some of us were taken to see the community where the kids live. The conditions were quite shocking. There was rubbish strewn on the ground everywhere, puddles of muddy water from the last rainstorm, and the roads were no more than dirt tracks. The place looked miserable, but the people seemed optimistic: they were happy to answer our questions through the translation of our guide, and a few children smiled shyly at us as we bought bracelets made by the locals from paper they’d found in the rubbish. The children of this community had a future.

By Paivi.

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh with a storm rolling in.

Inside the Royal Palace example of old artwork on the palace walls.

Inside the Royal Palace.

As part of the school trip to Cambodia to support the Indo Starfish Foundation School in Phnom Penh, we also had some time to explore the city and learn about some of it’s history.  This image is one of the many monuments erected to remember the many thousands of people killed by the Khmer Rouge between 1976 and 1979.

This was written by one of my students:

On Wednesday after going to the zoo, some people decided to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also known as S-21. There were four dilapidated buildings with several cells made of bricks or wood. We walked in silence through the buildings, looking at the dark, empty rooms and the paintings of the gruesome crimes and the photos of the victims with terrified eyes.

Later on we visited Choeung Ek Genocide Centre, one of the hundreds of killing fields in Cambodia. The atmosphere was extremely oppressive as we passed the mass graves and saw the memorial of the 20,000 victims, consisting of 17 layers of skulls.

When we left, I felt sad because of the horrors that had taken place in this area. However, now that I have seen this and learned more about the atrocities that took place, I feel like I have come to appreciate more the priviledged life I lead.

By Melissa

Back to the Royal Palace.

Outside the National Museum, Phnom Penh.

Inside the National Museum.

The elephant outside the National Museum, Phnom Penh.

Outside the National Museum.

Stormy clouds outside the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.

Monks passing the Royal Palace.

View of the Royal Palace.

The National Museum.

Seen in Phnom Penh.

Seen in Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh.

Seen in a bookshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.