International Trips 

Angelina Osavkovska, Year 11, Plenty Campus

Cambodia was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that I will always be grateful to have experienced. From navigating through markets, learning about the country’s history, or simply walking home hand in hand with the children from our classes, every day was special. It was unlike any place I had been before, or ever will go again. 

My favourite part of the trip was undeniably the exchange of knowledge. Even though we were there to teach the children English, they still managed to teach us, and we found ways to connect even with communication barriers. When we were taught Cambodian games and songs, we compared them to the things we had grown up with, which put into perspective that despite our differences we were all so alike. Through our favourite television shows and sports such as soccer, we could all come together and connect. Even when being chased by children who covered me in chalk from head to toe, I was having the time of my life. We danced, ran, played, laughed, and a few even cried together. 

It is incredible to think about the relationships we developed in such a short time. The affection and love from the people in Cambodia was truly heartwarming. Whether in markets or restaurants, everyone was polite and welcoming, regardless of us being unfamiliar with cultural norms. The differences from Australia made every small moment even more special. 

Even though I have only just returned, I already miss it. To anyone considering the Cambodia Service Project, it was one of the most worthwhile parts of my School life and something I will remember forever. 

Will Cashen, Year 11, Ridgeway Campus 

Ninety-seven Year 11 students embarked on the annual Cambodia Service Trip these June/July holidays and spent 10 days of the trip exploring Siem Reap. This is the second largest city in Cambodia, located in the northwest region of the country. During this part of the trip, we spent time exploring the city, visiting historical landmarks and spending time in a rural village.  

We enjoyed some amazing local food, eating at a variety of restaurants including riverside lunches in the floating villages, buffet styles meals with traditional Cambodian performances and even spent some meals at small family-run restaurants. 

For me, the highlight from Siem Reap was the ‘Happy Football Cambodia’ day. This involved bringing around 100 students aged from 8-14 from three different villages outside of the city into Siem Reap. The students experienced a stay at a guest-house and had the opportunity to explore a city that most of them had never seen before. The main attraction was a large soccer tournament that saw the village children split into teams of boys and girls who were assigned to a coaching group of Ivanhoe students. I was a coach of a group of nine 10–14-year-olds. My job was to get the team prepared and excited for the tournament. This involved getting to know them briefly, then a short warm up and team huddle before we jumped into the games. There were two separate boys and girls tournaments in a round robin styled knockout. Both of the final games ended in penalty shootouts, resulting in tears from both teams. Other Ivanhoe students were involved in organising the day, promoting the event on social media and scorekeeping. In the end, both the children and Ivanhoe students had a really great day, filled with passion.  

A highlight for many others was visiting some of the ancient Cambodian temples such as Angkor Wat and the Ta Prohm temple from the Lara Croft tomb raider movie. Here, we learnt about the religious and political history of the country while seeing some amazing historic sites through a bike tour around the enormous grounds filled with hundreds of ancient temples.  

Overall, the stay in Siem Reep was amazing, there were so many other activities like exploring the markets, meeting locals or fishing in a rural community that made the trip an extremely fun, unique and eye-opening experience.  

Lucy Fiddes, Year 11, Ridgeway Campus 

After spending two unforgettable weeks in Cambodia seeing and doing so many incredible things, nearly every student that went will agree and say the exact same thing: staying in the village was the highlight of the Cambodia Service Project. Unlike any other overseas experience, Ivanhoe Grammar School students can say they were totally immersed and engaged in Cambodian culture. Some may have initially found the shift to the village unsettling, but the majority of us saw it as a thrilling opportunity. We stayed in a village resident's house, woke up early to complete tasks and taught in the afternoons. To say the least, our days were jam packed in the best way possible. We painted beautiful murals, learnt how to lay bricks by building a toilet, laid down a road, learnt how to make spring rolls and more. Each project came with its own challenge, and every challenge brought a sense of achievement and teamwork. The routine was grounding. 

However, for me teaching classes and spending time with local children is an experience I will never forget. Every lesson was spent playing entertaining games, and each small victory in teaching something tough or watching children apply what they had learned made us realise how life-changing and meaningful this experience was. Importantly, we also learned so much from them, about their culture, language and perspective on life. Any sliver of free time we had was spent bonding with the schoolchildren, making loom bands, playing Uno, or simply getting to know one another. Everything was incredible; the village was lively, the people were friendly and welcoming and most importantly, each student formed lifelong bonds with the children we taught. We did not speak the same language, came from different countries, and were of different ages, but we formed true friendships. I can honestly say that no one on the Cambodia Service Project had ever encountered anything so unique and special as that. 

All photos are used with the approval of the Principals (of Char Kroam Primary School & Char Kroam Secondary School) on behalf of the children's families in Char Kroam village.