PHNOM PENH – The things that strike you most when arriving in Cambodia are the smiles and the friendliness of the people there. Friendliness mixed with enlightenment, resignation and a placid sense of calmness, perhaps thanks to the fact that the population still hold deep-rooted Buddhist beliefs despite the atrocities committed during the regime of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot.
In this part of the world, where nature looks on as time slowly passes by, where there is still an air of tranquillity despite the hectic traffic and abject poverty in the streets that the majority of the population still have to live with, Inter Campus went back to take a close-up look at the project run in partnership with the Missione Possibile charity for the children of the village of Roong, and to continue the training and development of local teachers.
In 2005 the Missione Possibile charity set up a primary school here. Prior to the arrival of the charity, the children in Roong weren’t able to have any formal schooling. The nearest school was miles away and, in order to reach it, the youngsters had to walk along a busy road – far too dangerous for them.
Back at the start of the project, the school was a tent and only had one teacher. Today, 350 children attend the Missione Possibile school, with children also making their way there from other nearby villages. Inter Campus have been working with the school for almost two years. That means that the boys and girls now have the chance to have fun while learning and have fun while taking part in a sporting activity.
The youngsters didn’t pass up the chance to give us a fantastic welcome during the visit. The children lined the sides of the road leading to the school, forming a long human corridor, and cheered as we went by. A day of fun and learning culminated in a football tournament and, despite the scorching 38°C heat, was expertly officiated by coaches Gabriele Raspelli and Paola Balconi.
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