VOLUNTEERING IN CAMBODIA

At the beginning of the summer break, I was lucky enough to go on the Projects Abroad high school special medical volunteering trip to Cambodia for 2 weeks. 

Within this time, I experienced the medical field from many angles, beginning with a week of volunteering from the public health aspect, aiding with health checks in rural and underprivileged communities and educating primary school aged students on hygiene practices such as tooth brushing and hand washing. 

The second week was filled with educational observation in Phnom Penh’s Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital. During this week, we transferred around the hospital, experiencing departments from emergency, paediatrics to neurology and maternity, even getting to watch a small section of emergent surgery in the surgical ICU. This experience provided me with a new view on the disproportions in access to medical facilities and basic care compared to first world countries such as Australia. 

Through this experience I gained confidence, expanded my educational diversity and connected with the local community in a meaningful and enlightening way. As much as this experience served as a way to engage with the area of work that I am interested in, it also provided a new and confronting view on the living standards in 3rd world countries, inspiring me every day to show gratitude for what I have and to always assist those less fortunate than myself. 

This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that gave me individuality, allowing me to explore and test my comfort zone and make some lifelong friends along the way.

Madison

Year 12