“ Sometimes we need to step back in order to move forward ”

V News 79 l 1

1st-5th

6th

11th-23rd

Orientation

ICL camp

Peace Village camp

2 New MLTV at new Peace Village

InterCutural

Songkhla

Improvement

From Spain and Japan participated in orientation special

program.

activity

university

There

with

students

were

Thank

called

sin

activities

“English

VSA1709 Peace Village – Songkhla at

Community”

Peace Village Songkhla with volun-

with Vocational Technology Sinhana-

teers from Belgium and France on

korn

education,

for

College

ASEAN

and

volunteers

from

France and Spain.

farming

and

renovation

activities.

Buddy

program in Songkhla town.

7th-30th

6th-30th

Peace Village Project

Suvarnnabhumi Project

VSA Newsletter Issue 79 Volume 8 September 2017 President Laksana Rodtrakul Editor Jarinya Krittikan

Suvarnnadhumi VSA

set

up

new

Peace

Village

Songkhla where located at Southern Reginal of Non-Formal and Informal Education Institute. There will be InterCutural

and

Learning

center,

training place, workcamp site and volunteers accommodation and learn-

project

and

activities

Japan start activities this month at Peace Village Korat with education

Contact Volunteer Spirit Association 1063/370 Pam Spring Village 3 Kuanlung Hatyai Songkhla [email protected] Call 08 1959 2961 Website http://volunteerspirit.or.th

and renovation and agriculture activities for one month then continue activities in Cambodia for one month

form

youth or local community. There are 3 volunteers from France and Spain set up this center.

new

Cambodia. The first volunteer from

Peace Village also welcome for innoideas

the

project that VSA cooperate with CYA

ing center for any youth project.

vative

is

V News 79 l 2

V News International Voluntary Service Network Movement in Thailand and the digital magazine which can be printed by VSA permission. All right reserved

Pisacha 4th month in Lorca, Spain

Hola Welcome to my fourth month of Spain life and Summer School ! This month started with mid-term evaluation which was in Malaga. The program took 3 days which help you reflect on what was happening so far in our projects and what you want to do next or after the project. It´s nice to have some time off to thinking about yourself and also knowing about other volunteers. The best part is to exchange and share the experience with other volunteer. As always I didn't have enough time to know everyone because this time we have about 50 people. And for the summer school, We have more short term volunteers for this project. They are from different country including Vietnam, Uruguay, Poland, Germany, Columbia and local volunteers from Spain as well. We face many challenge during the project due to many things such as languages, some of us speak only English, some only speak Spanish and luckily some speak both. Beside the languages, with the kids are even harder because in the summer school we´re also have kids that not speak Spanish so we need to find the way in order to communicate in other way. Another challenge is sometime the activities we planned is not work with the kids so we always need to adapt due to the situation. At the end we're all learn from each other. Also Summer here's totally in the next level beside the heat, some shops are also closed for the whole month which can always give me a surprise sometime. Another thing I like of summer in the movie/activities outdoor even though they're always have dubbing movie on but it's nice activities to do together at night. Especially now we have more people so activities always been fun.

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My First Journey to Cambodia By Parin Charoenchanaporn The story begins with CCIVS (Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service) would like to strengthen IVS (International Voluntary Services) organizations globally with trainings and practice in each region (Asia, Europe, Africa, America). Then STEPs Project has been created. It is a global initiative to empower youth organizations and to valorize the impact of volunteering.

The training in Asia is taken place in Kampot, Cambodia on 10-15 August 2017. This is how my journey to Cambodia gets started. Each organization has to sent 2 participants – I have one colleague accompany me. The flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. When we are landed in Phnom Penh, it is a very small airport compare to ours. When we go out, surprisingly, there are many international franchised food providers like Costa Coffee and Burger King. Everything here is coded in USD so no need to bother to exchange money at the airport (it is a mistake that I made). We have pick up arrange for our group (all participants are arrived on the same day from South Korea, Hong Kong, India and Thailand). When everyone is here, we travel by van to CYA learning center (Cambodia Youth Action) where training will happen. The road trip takes about 2 hours from Airport. We arrived to CYA learning center at 8 p.m., surrounding is dark. There are many one story building of library, computer room, kitchen and common space. Where we will stay for 5 nights is 2 minutes walk from the center in the dark. We stay in local house; similar to Thai house. There is nothing much to see on the first night.

First morning is begins with alarm from roosters. I have discovered that we are in middle of the field where no building can be found. Only at 7:30 a.m., the sun shining is very strong that you can get burn down (or just only me?). Since we have to walk to the training, I tell myself that I will be there before getting burned. The training is held in common space. It is the place where we will also have coffee break, afternoon nap, music and dance at night. The training is last for 4 days from 8:30 to 17:30 with 2 hours break for lunch as the heat is too strong to continue earlier. During the training, they have introduced the Pentagon Model that the success of organization will combine with 5 aspects (structure, functioning, communication, finance and relationship). From this model it helps to analyze the strong parts of our organization and improvement area. We go through each part with theory and a lot of activities. The day goes by fast and slow, but knowledge is definitely increasing. Moreover, we can get to know our international partners better. Normally, we might only meet through email, but now we live together in one house. After the training, it is not the end of the project. We still have to conduct local training in our country, arrange interview with people who involves with IVS, and analyze the data and so on. Our work will never end; we will continue to do good deed for others. On the last day, I have a chance to see surrounding on the journey back to Phnom Penh (during the daylight). From what I see, this country reminds me of Thailand in my childhood. It is good memory of all.

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STEPS Training in CYA learning center, Cambodia The first question popped up on my mind “Why do I have to go there?” after I was invited to participate the Strategic Training Empower and Processes (STEPs) project on 10 -15 of August, and then many questions were continuously following. Finally, after I finished training I found there were many things and

experiences during activity that why I should go there. Firstly, learning new experiences, my first time in Cambodia was an exciting thing. After the plane took me to land of Cambodia, I cannot let my eyes closed. Something was similar in Thailand, something was different. It was surprised there were Tuk Tuk like in Thailand, but the shape of car was more comfortable. A coordinator from CYA who was the host took me and Parin from the airport to restaurant for lunch. It was the first meal in Cambodia. I ordered a

Cambodia noodle, it was every good. After that we went to CYA office in Pnom Penh. We met 2 participants from RUCHI India. We stayed there for 2 hours, then went back to the airport for waiting another participant. Almost 7 p.m. Every participants arrived to the airport, we continued to travel to Kampot district

where we will do training activity together. During travelling, both side of the road was the green rice field till arriving to CYA learning center at Kampot district. The center was simple building among the rice fields and local houses. I felt a best place to spend life, or work as a volunteer with local people. Furthermore, the food cooking by the director’s mother was delicious especially, Bahn sroung, a noodle with coconut milk.

Secondly, working, we, CYA Cambodia, SCI Hong Kong, RUCHI India, Better World South Korea, and VSA Thai-

land, shared the process working internal and external organization. We started to learn more each other by the word “First time” then I got the new knowledge about organizational Pentagon; structure, we assessed and shared what we are in group, functioning, we discussed and presented what we have, relationship between internal and external organization, financial sustainability, we learn how to manage in a project, and communication, we shared how to communicate. These are the structure of organization. If an organization is balanced by them, it means that organization is strong and perfect V News 79 l 5

Amornsilp Thongpeng Finally, friendship, everyone came from different countries, languages, and structures of organization. After we shared experience or food during break

time, discussed the problem each organization, learnt each culture, and worked by group, and had meal together. We had more relationship. Moreover, I got friendship from Cambodian villagers and Japanese volunteers as well. Although sometimes I did not understand what they said, we tried to talk and smiled that was a good thing I got from them, and made me felt they were friendly. STEP is not only the name of project, it is a thing that every organization is doing or developing to be a perfect organization. We turn back to check what we were, then forward for the better future. After finished the training, I learnt many things, and a word is “Step by step, but do not stop to step.”

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