From Paris with Love Part 1
Far away from the boardwalks along the
Seine and the Eiffel Tower, four students from INSEEC Business school in Paris stepped
into the Boeung Trabek slum as part of the their internship with United Cambodian
Children organisation last month.
It was their first time in
Asia for most of the students. "This experience was one of the most intense
in my life. To discover this shanty town was really painful. Entering all those
houses, discovering the way of life of these families, women, and children in a
rubbish tip,” reflected Charlène Bertrand, one of the students, “I see smiles in their faces and
realize that happiness and money are not linked… I wish that everybody can know
that they are not alone in this capitalist world. We are together and must help
each other."
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| Four student interns from INSEEC with some families |
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| Sharing the Love |
"Cette expérience fut l'une des plus intense de ma vie. Je suis étudiante dans une école de commerce à Paris et j'ai découvert cette autre partie du monde, le bidonville et ce fut vraiment douloureux. Entrez dans ces maisons, découvrir le mode de vie de ces familles, des femmes, des enfants dans ces maisons "poubelles". Mais j'ai vu aussi des sourires sur ces visages et ai réalisé que le bonheur et l'argent n'étaient pas liés, j'ai réalisé ma chance d'être ici avec eux. C'était un mélange de sentiment, de tristesse, de bonheur, de simplicité et de gentillesse. Je n'oublierai jamais ces moments, ces visages, ces sourires et je souhaiterais surtout qu'ils sachent qu'il ne sont pas seuls dans ce monde capitaliste. Nous sommes ensemble et devons nous soutenir "(Charlène Bertrand).
Shanty Town Spirit focuses on education as a key priority, with many of
the children in these communities starting school later than usual and having
to work very hard with extra tuition in order to catch up to the level of their
peers who have attended school regularly. During their visit, the students checked the school results of the
children in our program and discussed some of their difficulties with their
studies.
The students were very touched to see that the families that we take
care of were happy and grateful for all the support we give them, "This day was very strong emotionally for me. I was
particularly surprised to see how those families could trust and believe in you
Ermine. They have all different stories and it is great to see their evolution
thanks to your help," said Anaïs Sanheiro.
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| Strike a pose! |
" Cette journée fut très forte en émotion pour ma part. J'ai été particulièrement étonné de voir comment ces familles s'ouvraient à toi et te faisaient confiance. Ils ont tous leurs histoires et c'est formidable de voir leurs évolutions grâce à ton aide" (Anaïs Sanheiro).
Inés An agreed, "The afternoon
with the families of Shanty Town Spirit was very enriching. I was delighted and
affected to see to what extent they were smiling and friendly towards us. I
shall keep those faces and smiles with me for a very long time.”
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| Inés An shares a moment with one of the mothers |
"Cet après midi auprès des familles de Shanty Town fut très enrichissante. Avoir l'opportunité de partager un moment du quotidien de toutes ces personnes n'est pas donné à tout le monde. J'ai été ravie et touché de voir à quel point ils étaient souriants et bienveillants à notre égard. Je garderai ces visages et ces sourires pour très longtemps" (Inés An).
“This was for me a very
beautiful experience and a great lesson of life,” said Jordan Jimenez, the only male
student in the group, “Despite the barrier of language, we succeeded in sharing
and communicating our emotions through laughter and tears. It was very rewarding."
"Ce fut pour moi une très belle expérience et une grande leçon de vie. Malgré la barrière de la langue, nous avons réussi à partager et communiquer nos émotions à travers des rires, des pleures, cela fut très enrichissant" (Jordan Jimenez).
Shanty Town Spirit would like
to say a big thank you to the interns for their in-kind donations and support
for all our work. One Spirit, One Heart, One
Community.
Words by Jessica Sander
You can help these kids
by sponsoring the Shanty Town Spirit program
Click on Make a difference
Or contact
Ermine Norodom: +855 (0) 17 49 27 19 (French and English)
Phirun Prak (Arun): +855 (0) 96 663 6666 (English and Khmer)
