Carnival

It was M’lop Tapang carnival time this week, so with costumes on and whistles in mouths we joined the march. M’lop Tapang (the biggest Non Governmental Organisation working in Sihanoukville) hold an anual 3 day carnival in Sihanoukville. It involves street parades and performances and every year is designed to promote a different message to the comunity. The theme of this years carnival was road safety.

Getting ready at the center.

Waiting to start the walk.

Road safety is a huge issue in Cambodia, with people being killed in traffic accidents on an almost daily basis. The majority of people do not wear safety helmets regularly (often only carrying them to slip on their heads if the police are about, who fine drivers without them). This is also true of traffic lights, with lots of people completely ignoring them unless there are police. These things in combination with little access to proper medical attention make for a really dangerous mix.

Cooling down.

Road safety signs to hand.

The possession worked it’s way around the local area, with huge floats, performers, loud speakers playing music and issuing safety messages and of course, a lot of kids! Ours really enjoyed themselves, soaking up the atmosphere and waving to the crowds. We had taken a nice mixture along of our children and the young adults who come to our center for evening classes. It was great to have their extra help and get to spend some more time with them.

As always the children behaved extremely well and represented the center excellently. We are all looking forward to next year!

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The Young Ones

The number of under 5’s attending our center is growing. With older siblings off to school the young ones toddle themselves into the center and make themselves at home. They are all incredibly cute and incredibly naughty!

Cheeky as anything!

Looking after her little sister.

Toys to stimulate young children are few and far between in Cambodia so we have been running sessions especially aimed at this group to give them some more variety. Classes are still in the early stages but Ney and Kolab (who are sharing the teaching) are enjoying it so far!

We do some art lessons, painting (brush, finger, printing), cutting and sticking, modeling clay. Practicing time with our clocks. Counting (English and Khmer), ABCs (English and Khmer) and games where they have to learn about sharing.

Learning the Khmer alphabet.

Movement and Exercise!

Always good for a pose.

Sharing their toys and playing together.

They are really benefitting from some time away from the older kids, where they can focus a little bit more attention on what they are doing and learn to play together nicely.  It is also beneficial to some of the older children who bring their younger siblings along (older siblings, especially girls, often function as the primary day carer for younger siblings here) as it allows them more time to play with children their own age while we take care of the little ones.