YMCA國際志工的故事--紀念曾經這麼青春過

School vacation is a time for the students to rest and relax after their hard work in school, but not for the students of Taichung YMCA. Instead, school vacation is their opportunity for International Volunteer Service Program. This is exactly the reason why students from Taiwan went to Cambodia in order to join the YMCA of Cambodia for its Alternative Tourism program.

Contrary to the traditional mass tourism that is basically consumeristic in nature, Alternative Tourism offers a more sustainable and meaningful type of community-based tourism.

The young volunteers do not expect 5-star accommodations and facilities. They are very satisfied with simple accommodations and simple meals. What they are excited about are the opportunities to get to know the cultures, interact with and give meaningful volunteer services to the local communities. Aside from getting to know the culture of its community, the young travelers also know that their trip is part of a significant community-based project which is beneficial to the local communities.

Last February and July 2016, YMCA Cambodia hosted two groups from Taichung YMCA with a total of seventy (70) participants. In this 8-day program, the students spent time with the Street Children Center where they teach, sing, play, and eat with them. The smile of the children was an evidence that they enjoyed being with the students.

Apart from it, they also dedicated time to be in Som Rong Orphanage. The Som Rong Orphanage is the home for many children. Aside from it being a home, the orphanage also sends the children to school. They wanted to increase the understanding and skills of these children that they also give them valuable classes on computer and English language. Similarly, it is a notable thing in the orphanage the high value they put in farming which is the main source of livelihood in Cambodia. They have their own farm where they grow food to feed everyone at the orphanage.

The students aside from doing educational activities for the children also had some construction work during the program. The first group built fence in Pnom Penh while the second group helped build classroom walls for a school in Siem Reap. The third group from Taichung who had program last February 2017 helped in doing the foundation and building roof for the school.

These were just among the things that the students experienced in this AT program. They’ve had a deeper understanding for the lives of the locals and at the same time had a closer appreciation on the works of the farmers in Cambodia.

Of course, the AT program doesn’t only focused on the different programs in the community. It also highlights cultural exchange in order to develop a Global Citizen and establish an inter-cultural relationship. Activities such as visits to heritage sites and the Cultural Night were conducted to give both the young people from sending and receiving countries an opportunity to learn and exchange on the cultures of each one.

The 8-day program may be seen as a small fraction in the lives of these students and the people in the community, however, the impact that it has created surely make ripples in the lives of these people.

Being in a foreign country, knowing it through the different sights, one would see is already a learning experience. But, understanding it in the perspective of the local people, being part of something that you know directly contribute them, is a definite memorable and meaningful experience.

Cambodia, known as the Kingdom of Wonder and being one of the Alternative Tourism sites of the Asia and Pacific YMCA, offers more than the majestic wonder full of history, instead through the AT program, it is inviting people to take part in planting seeds of positive change and taking part in the developing process of this Kingdom.

Perhaps, your next school vacation can actually be as meaningful and as memorable as this one. For more ideas on what else your youth can do when they go to Cambodia, contact Bunthok Deth, NGS Cambodia, < bunthok@camymca.org>.

------------------------------------------以下為中文翻譯-------------------------------------------------

對學生來說，每次的假期都是歷經繁忙課業後，最適合休息和放鬆的時候。

但對於台中YMCA的學生來說卻不是如此，對他們來說，這段時間正好是參加國際另類旅遊，增長視野和見識的最好機會。這也正是這群遠從台灣來到柬埔寨的志工們最大的目的。

對比傳統觀光業對環境造成巨大的消耗和破壞，另類旅遊提供更多當地天然、更有意義的社區旅遊。

這些來自台灣的年輕志工從不寄望居住在五星級的飯店或是渡假村，他們走進村落，走進每一戶人家中，體驗當地人每天呼吸的每一口氣、每一口飯和每一天的生活，簡單樸實卻又深刻。

對於他們來說，真正令他們雀躍的不是高檔的物質生活，而是能夠第一手的體驗當地的文化，同時在這樣子的過程中，與當地社區進行充滿意義、豐富的志工服務。在這趟另類旅遊中，每個志工都知道，因為自己的到來，因為自己和伙伴正在執行的這個服務計畫，這個社區無形中不斷的改善，這也是這段旅程中最有意義的部分。

去年的2月和7月，柬埔寨YMCA與台中YMCA攜手合作，一共有70位的台灣志工，在八天的時間裡，在這片陌生卻可愛的土地上與當地志工共同關懷當地街童，陪伴他們學習、唱歌、玩耍，孩子們臉上的笑容是志工們最大的獎勵。

除此之外，志工們更前進到Som Rong 孤兒院裡，Som Rong 孤兒院不僅收容眾多的孤兒，同時也讓院童能夠接受基本但珍貴的基礎教育，院方希望這些孩子除了重要的基本知識外，也能夠具備初步的電腦和英語能力，同時更安排了關於農作的課程(院方甚至有自己的小農場，讓院童學習栽種食物供給給全院)，希望這些孩子能夠保有養活自己、保護自己的能力。

除了為院童們帶來多樣的課程外，這些來自台灣的志工也捲起了手臂上的袖子，一起在太陽下建立圍欄、搭起教室的牆壁，爬到房子上蓋起屋頂，一團做不完就下一團來接力做，大家接續著為孩子建立更好的環境，直到2017年的寒假，已經有三團接力完成了許多基礎工程和建設。

而這些體驗，都只是另類旅遊中的一部分而已。在這些過程中，這些志工用了最近的距離去和當地人和文化互動，許多的理解、包容和認同在這過程中慢慢形成，讓回憶不只是回憶，而是已經成為自己觀念的一部分。作為國際公民所需要具備的視野和態度，透過服務活動和文化交流，無形中在雙方青年的身上累積。

這幾天的過程對漫長的一生來說也許是很小的一塊拼圖，但是這個擲入你生命湖泊的小石子，將會激起綿延不決的漣漪

旅行到國外，可以有很多選擇，可以用許多不同的角度來幾解這個國家，但是透過當地人的角度來了解，而不是一個外來觀光客的心態，對一個國家有所付出，你才會真正的去關心這個國家，了解這個國家，在這個過程中，你已經不是只是一個過客，而是對當地人來說，一個居住在外地的兄弟姐妹了。這樣子的體驗，絕對令你一生難以忘懷。

柬埔寨，一個充滿古文明和文化的神奇國度，她不斷在邀請來自各國的人們來到這邊，找到自我，種下能夠茁壯並充滿正面影響的種子，成為這個國家成長的一部分。

或許，在看這篇文章的你已經安排好你接下來的寒暑假，但如果你渴望的和我們希望給你們的是一樣的感動，那柬埔寨、YMCA我們隨時雙手歡迎你們加入!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ~ Karren Fetalvero(菲律賓亞協實習生)