Conversations With Foreigners (CWF)

We've moved!

2012-01-04T16:56:00.001+07:00

We've been a bit quiet here lately because we've moved our blog!
Please visit blog.volunteerincambodia.org to keep up to date with CWF!

Cambodian Floods & How You Can Help

2011-10-18T15:06:00.000+07:00

September and October have seen devastating floods in SE Asia, affecting Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. Cambodia's staple crop and primary export rice has been decimated, along with many killed, and farmland still under vast swathes of floodwater, jeopardising crops in future years.

Lerk Dek Village, Kandah Provine - House Collapsed - Source:http://sarvinakang.wordpress.com

On Wednesday 19th October 2011, CRDT have their last chance this year to secure some extra funds for Kroach Village, after many people have had their livelihoods washed away by flood waters. Your help could go 30% further as GlobalGiving will be matching all donations to the tune of 30% for 24 hours, or until their pot of $100,000 runs out.

What time does it all begin?

Cambodia 11:00am
London 05:00am

Washington DC 12:00am (00:00 EDT)

Melbourne 15:00pm

Tokyo 13:00pm... all on Wednesday October 19th 2011.

Your country not listed here?

If you can help, please help to spread the word, and the word is http://bit.ly/E325CF2bSR. Please tweet, share, shout, blog, and reblog, and give you can on Wednesday 19th of October!

Cambodian Festivals: Pchum Ben 2011

2011-09-26T09:28:00.000+07:00

A highlight of the September semester is Pchum Ben (Ancestor's Day), an important festival unique to Cambodia where respect is paid to ancestors through the offering of food to monks. The modern day festival begins on the 15th day of the 10th month of the Buddhist calendar, and lasts 15 days. Each morning Cambodians gather at Wats before dawn culminating in 3 public holidays where Cambodians return to their birthplace to reunite with family and give offerings at their local Wat.

On Sunday, our volunteers visited Wat Udong and got to witness the ceremony of blessings and offerings at the pagoda, and the spectacular view of the Cambodian countryside from atop Phnom Udong.

On to bigger and better things!

2011-09-22T14:44:00.000+07:00

While September has brought us a fantastic new group of volunteers, we're also losing two incredible staff members: Volunteer Coordinator Hour Sopheap and weekday volunteer house chef Lay Sreypov.


Weekday volunteer house chef Lay Sreypov

Group 20 - May to August 2011

2011-09-08T08:55:00.000+07:00

Our May semester was action packed, with 17 volunteers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, The USA, Slovakia and Britain.

The volunteers receiving their Certificates of Appreciation from CWF Management and Board.

Semester 19 - February to April 2011

2011-03-16T13:00:00.000+07:00

Semester 19 was a very successful and lively three months. We had 21 volunteers with the average age of 23 which may have had some influence on the very active social activities.

Volunteer group Feb 23 2011

A CWF Volunteer Returns

2011-02-08T13:06:00.000+07:00

Laura Hodges a volunteer at CWF in February 2009 has returned: again volunteering but this time with our sister organisation CRDT. Laura is based in Kratie town and talks about living in Kratie and the work undertaken by CRDT (Cambodian Rural Development Team )

Group November 2010

2011-01-27T16:17:00.001+07:00


Our November - February volunteers!

Group August 2010

2011-01-27T15:50:00.000+07:00

Hello every one!

My name is Sopheap the Volunteer Coordinator at Conversations With Foreigners. It is my turn to do the newsletter and I am going to do a photo essay of activities undertaken by the semester 17 volunteer group.

Soriya and other group of volunteer are in front of the volunteer house with their bicycle and ready for a tour in the city.

Group May 2010

2011-01-14T14:44:00.001+07:00

Having dinner in a villager's house where we saw the CRDT project.

Students, teachers, and staff trip to Kirirum National Park.

The were 8 buses with around 120 people for the trip.

John, Angie, and their students had a great time.

We went to see the nice view from the top of the mountain.

John and Ben helped the villager to set up the bamboo train when they were visiting Jennifer's family. ( Jennifer 's parents are Cambodian)

Hey guys let's go now!

We are in the jungle now!

A group of American volunteers join the American Independence Day in Cambodia.

CWF staff and volunteers went bowling at Parkway.

Traveling as a group to the beach.

Teachers and students on the last day of term.

Congratulations on CWF Fourth Year Anniversary

2010-10-05T10:06:00.000+07:00

Since inception of CWF in August 2006, CWF has remarkably transformed itself from a very small operation with few volunteers and a hundred and eighty students to over two hundred volunteers and nine hundred students everyday supervised by young Cambodians.

In early 2010, CWF also changed its premise to a larger building. This can accommodate double quantity of students and volunteers allowing staff to have their own offices, and library for the teachers, including air-cons for every classroom. CWF also has been hiring more local staff (sixteen staff) working for the organization This means that it has been able to raise local employments and provide more courses to local students. On the other hand, it also has been providing more opportunity to international volunteers experiencing through teaching and living in Phnom Penh, Cambodian, as well as raising more funds to support CRDT projects in livelihood development of poor Cambodian families and natural resources conservation in northeast Cambodia.

However, the continuity of its operations have been strongly supported through retention of students and especially supported by past volunteers returning and helping volunteers’ living support program, running the teachers’ training and many more.

In the coming year, CWF will strategically focus on program updates in publication, improvements of governance, and long term strategic plan. These will enhance CWF’s reputation and gain better value to maintain long term sustainability.

All the above results cannot be accomplished without the support from all stakeholders, volunteers, partners, students, operational staff and board of directors. We are very much grateful for all your invaluable support to the development of Cambodian human resources by providing good conversational English courses as well as raising money for our rural development and natural resources conservation through Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT).

We, the management team, staff and Board of directors, promise to keep our solid commitments and provide the best practice to accomplish greater results in the following years with your endless support.

We wish everyone prosperity, success and good health.

Sincerely yours,

CWF Team

CWF Feb 2010

2010-05-27T09:51:00.000+07:00

Donation to CRDT

On 22 Many 2010, volunteers, CWF Board of Directors and staff presented a Cheque to the value of $ 22,000.00 to support CRDT projects for 2010. Within only three and a half years, CWF totally has funded over $37,700.00 to CRDT www.crdt.org.kh. In conjunction, CWF has had nearly 200 volunteers from all over the world and is teaching over 700 students everyday. With regard to these invaluable results, CWF team would like to give a big thank you to the volunteers, partner organization, supporters and students for their hard work, contribution and support.

$ 22,000.00 Donation Cheque

Sad to say goodbye

Students and teacher saying goodbye

Group activities

Volunteers' trip to Batambong

Local Motodop

Nice shade of lily leaf

Ride Bamboo train

Bokor Mountain, one of most beautiful natural scenery in Kampot province.

Mountain Top

Abandoned building on the mountain top

Trip to Rabbit Island, Kept

Boat to the island

On the island

Get up, we got to go !

Repainting the house (pictures)
It's a present to welcome the new volunteers who live at the house...

Common Kan ....we need to rush!!

Welcome to new volunteers

This time of the year, there are 19 volunteers, 8 Americans, 5 Australians and 2 British, 2 Newzealand, Canada, Denmark

New CourseBooks
We are going to introduce new course books to students and volunteers in the following semester.
There will be two main course books, work-book for students and teacher guide books. The work book consist of ten different levels...Beginner, Pre-intermediate, Intermediate and Upper-intermediate.
A new system for students
Course work: 80% (through weekly progress evaluation)
Attendance : 20% (through the end of the course)
The above result will be printed in an official paper signed by their teacher to be presented by their teacher at the end of the course at the party.
Hope that these will keep track of students' weekly progresses and encourage them to come regularly into their classroom.

Thank you Anna, friends and ex-volunteers for helping with the course book

There will be air-con in every classroom :) , but it will cost us more.....which requires more effort from you..

Congratulation to Soriya

Soriya has been promoted to be Sopheap's assistance and house keeper. She is working at the volunteers house supporting Sopheap, assisting volunteers and directly supervising the cook.

Welcome to a new staff member

New staff has been recruited to take over Soriya old role and work as a security guard in the evening at the school. His name is Lou Rethy. He's a university students studying ManagementHe comes from Takeo province, 100 Km south of Phnom Penh.
Rethy used to work as a security guard at one of the security companies in Phnom Penh. He worked at night, 12 hrs a day and studied at University during the day time. He said that CWF has given him a lot of opportunity in self-support as well as furthering his education. He's so happy to be part of CWF team and communicating with foreign volunteers.

Out and About with the Volunteers

2010-04-09T14:22:00.001+07:00

Kampong Cham

Each year during the dry season, a bamboo bridge is constructed across the Mekong river capable of taking a ten tonne truck. Volunteers visited Kampong Cham and walked across the bridge. It was too hot to walk back so they used local public transport.

Staff and volunteers enjoying a BBQ at the volunteer house

England 0 Cambodia youngsters 1

Khmer New Year

Traditional Khmer games played during the New Year period
In the province

Spectators outside the volunteer house during games played in the street

Francine blind folded trying to hit the pot

Cambodian dare devil

Mondolkiri tree top accommodation

The local people eat these?

Go on give it a try!

CWF School Relocation

2009-11-06T11:32:00.001+07:00

Due to the success of Conversations With Foreigners, It has been necessary for sometime for us to find a larger facility. The reputation of our volunteer teachers and the quality of the courses they delivered has meant request for students enrollment has risen to over 800 this semester.

The CWF school is moving to a new location by Christmas this year. The new school will be located on the street 271 and will be twice the size of current building with more classroom and better facilities. (Past volunteers will be happy to know the new school has a very large teachers-room).

The new building means that all CWF activities ie CamTEFL can take place at the one location.

As the new location is quite a bit further from the volunteer house than our current location, we are examining the possibility of using TUKTUK to and from the house or ensuring there are sufficient bicycles or a combination depending on volunteers choice.

Publish Post

The reception area of the new building prior to being remodeled

Group 13, Oct 2009

2009-10-21T16:13:00.000+07:00

Local market

Semester 13, thank you to Anna, David and Lulu who have come back this semester either on the part-time and full time basis to help us meet our classes commitment to our students.

One of our enthusiastic volunteers, Claire, from South Africa, has been popping in for interviews with everyone about daily news before she comes to classes. The friendly couple, Natalie and her husband, Andrew, can speak Khmer well and all others are also strongly committed to teaching conversational English to the highest standard.

Claire and Ally with a visitor enjoying a TukTuk evening around the city

Trip to visit projects

Primary class teachers in village

Volunteers offer school supplies to local primary teachers

Boats to visit projects

Piglets of a local farmer

September 28th 09

2009-09-28T17:05:00.000+07:00

National park, Kirirom

Frog is my favorite

It's so comfort

Traditional Khmer street dancer, Tayam

Blessing everyone

Local meal at village

Crunchy!!! isn't it

July 09

2009-06-30T09:44:00.001+07:00

Group 12
Semester twelve well underway with us again welcoming 13 new volunteers. CWF is fortunate to have continuing support from our generous volunteers who commit their time and energy allowing us to fulfill our vision.
At the end of this semester, CWF will commence our third year of operations thanks to over a hundred and twenty (120) volunteers.

Pictured above are our semester twelve volunteers cycling around the island during their visit to CRDT project in Kratie province. Would you believe this is Sopheap ninth excursion to the CRDT project.

Breaking news
A big thank you to Jo Bisset from Australia, her sister and friends who have raised sufficient funds for us to be able to purchase a photocopier for the school.

Staff
Another version of the CWF polo shirt has been adopted as informal uniform for all staff.

If you want one you can buy one! They are Cambodian cheap but the postage would probably be 4 times the cost of the shirt.

Semester 11

2009-05-26T11:43:00.000+07:00

Semester end

Semester eleven has now finished and we say good by to all our volunteers: Sarah, Bill, John, Anne, Anna, Cindy, Mickael, Jacob, Carrie, Stephanie, Sara, Lulu, Rachel and the two Lauras,

CWF would like to thank all our volunteers for their commitment and contribution and take with them our best wishes for the future.

John won the fancy dress award

Two of our volunteer, Sarah and Anna are remaining in Cambodia having gained employment as teachers at two private English schools. They join the growing number of ex CWF/CamTEFL volunteers who now are working full time in Cambodia.

Khmer New Year and semester break

During the last 6 weeks, we have celebrated the Khmer New Year with many of the volunteers spending the holidays staying in the Provinces with staff and their families.

Traditional Khmer music instrument

During Khmer New year it is traditional to through powder on everyone

Volunteers learning traditional dance during Khmer New Year

Preparing lunch

Sihanouk Ville was the main destination for the semester break where everyone enjoyed the sun-sand and sea. Some of the volunteers took the opportunity to visit near by countries or the more remote provinces of Cambodia.

Why do we volunteer?

The following is an extract from the facebook entry of semester eleven volunteer "Stephanie"

Click to enlarge

Mach 2009

2009-04-08T15:57:00.000+07:00

Sunrise on another hot day in Cambodia

March has been a very busy month for the staff and volunteers at CWF.
We have had a full month of teaching and hopefully now everyone nerves have settled down. Judging from the laughter and squeals we hear from some of the classroom the students are at least having fun if not learning something.

Click on any photo to enlarge

Socially the month has also been very busy. Firstly with the volunteers having been invited to a traditional Cambodian wedding.
What lady would turn down the opportunity to get all dress up and party. Certainly not our volunteers.
Opposite is a photo of the volunteers with the Bride and Groom.

The volunteer group enjoying themselves at the wedding.

Fun and games in the classroom

Teacher you are Khmer? No, my name is Cindy and I am from Ireland. But my parents are Korean and Chinese.

To finish the month off, we celebrated the big 60 with Bill on a cruise on the river.
There is that lady again. who is she? She is Sopheap Hour, our volunteer coordinator.

"Do not lead, I may not follow

Do not follow, I may not lead

Walk beside me and be my friend"

Anon

Welcome to newsletter of CWF

2009-03-03T11:55:00.000+07:00

Semester 11 is well on the way, with our volunteers doing a four day excursion to Steung Treng.

After a very long long bus trip our new teachers had the opportunity to see the work that the Cambodian Rural Development Team are doing in this province.

During the 4 days they visited a rural village and stayed overnight in a home stay environment. No running water, No electricity. A visit to one of the local primary school was a highlight our time in the province.

Following are photograph taken on this excursion.

Here we go. we are not nervous. Boat is leaking and crew putting on life jackets

Hey this is fun.

Community teachers, CRDT staff and volunteers

Volunteers' teaching school children a song

Children teaching volunteers a song about good hygiene. Books and pens in foreground are gifts from the volunteers.

Bye bye

Who is this lady, we keep seeing her everywhere ?

First week of teaching has commenced, everyone excited and a little nervous but looking forward to meeting their students.