Interview with Doum Kroem a.k.a DK

Meet DK, my coach buddy from Globalteer.

Doum Kroem is from Siem Reap province, born on 5th July 1993, and at the young age of 22, he has a wise head on his shoulders.

He is known as 'DK' to so many and his energy and enthusiasm to learn and teach children is something that should be respected and commended.

DK is an only child to a mother and father who comes from a farming background in a small village called Tropangveng, around 30 minutes / 20 kilometres from Siem Reap. He told me it has a great community feel to it, with houses being in close proximity to each other.

He also told me a remarkable story about what the farmers do when the farming season is over. 

"When the farming season is over, which is between December and May each year, the farmers go to Siem Reap to find work. So, 5% are Tuk Tuk driver where the others work as builders, restaurant servers, cooks, hotel assistants or tour guides."

DK told me what his parents did during this time.

"My father continues to work around the farm and my mother cooks and sells cakes to local children."

Growing up in Cambodia was a challenge at times for DK, with the post war fallout resulting in a lack of educated people and facilities for him to learn in. 

"There were not many schools when I was young so education was hard. I started school at six and found the opportunities in education difficult for 12 years. It was always hard to find a place to study locally. But I always studied hard and did lots of reading."

But despite the lack of choices and opportunities, DK always has something positive to say about his experiences in life.

"When I was ten or eleven, I used to like taking my family's cows out to the fields everyday before school. I would then finish school at 11am and worked for three to four hours. I like farming. My dad is a farmer and I wanted to be like that to help my family."

In 2009, DK started working for an NGO (non-governmental organisation) in the Siem Reap area, aiming to get experience in teaching children. At the same time, he began studying English.

Between then and 2011, he taught younger children basic English to gain even more experience before he returned for one year to his high school, in which he graduated in 2012 (Congratulations buddy!)

After leaving high school, DK found himself a job as an English teacher and then five months later, he took up a sports coaching role with another NGO until September 2013, when he joined Globalteer. He admitted it wasn't an easy transition.

"When I first met my boss, Charlie, he asked me to organise the store room. I didn't understand what he was saying. All I could say was 'yes' and 'no'. I found it difficult with little education."

But he did praise Globalteer and his colleagues for helping him progress.

"Globalteer have helped me so much. They supported me and sent me on a short English course to help and improve me. Everyone is friendly and helpful. I also like working with Globalteer volunteers from different countries, even though I still find it hard sometimes."

Yet despite these hurdles, DK has risen above them and is always working hard for his future so that he can achieve his dream.

"I want to study English so I can become an English Teacher. I am learning through coaching, it helps me understand how to respect and teach children. In my free time, everyday except Thursday, I teach the local village children English from 6:30 to 7:30 pm." 

Bear in mind, he's been up since 6 am and done a full day's work at this point! An astonishing thought, really.

"I list 20 words and the students only know four, maybe five. The level is low right now. But I want to help out the children and my village. I want to improve younger people's English in the village so that when tourists come, they can communicate with them."

See what I mean about the wisdom of this 22 year old guy from a farming background?

Always studying hard!

DK is a joker, he likes to laugh and working with him is so effortless. He has great energy and determination that makes me want to do all that I can for him whilst I'm here in Cambodia. I currently teach him English three days a week and each time he is progressing well. His knowledge is growing and others have even commented to me that they have noticed a positive change in his English level. A pleasing thing to hear.

Pensive look on the way to work.

So to close off, I asked DK a few silly questions, just to lighten the whole interview. It had been an intense forty five minutes for him.

Enjoy!

Favourites

Colour: White.

Food: Fried Chicken.

Drink: Mixed Fruit Milkshake.

Sport: Soccer and Volleyball

Random question - If you could be half one animal and half another, what would you be and why?

"I'd be a dog and cow. Top half dog because it is a smart pet, friendly, loving and when you want to have something to do, it is fun. The cow bottom half because it can help the owner, it is useful."

So in closing, I'd like to say a huge thanks to DK for his time and I wish him all the luck for the future! He's going to make it, I know he will.

Find out more about Globalteer Sports Project on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlobalteerSportsProject

Day 72 - Morning lessons, English teaching sessions and debut for Big Willy F.C

This is how I roll to my volunteer work these days - on a Tuk Tuk.

Day 72 - 03rd September

So I started my day off right with a banana pancake. I ate rapidly as I headed closer to my project and when we pulled up, the kids swamped us, trying to get the balls and cones. 

The new project was busy with children of all ages but soon DK and I had them all in lines, running our drills and having fun. Volleyball is actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be.

I'm finding that the kids are giving us a good range of child rights, with each NGO providing its own unique feedback to us. Whilst some opt for the mainstream rights like education, food, health etc, others are finding new answers like improvement to the community, respecting culture and gaining sponsorship for a better life. It's quite interesting to be a part of.

The unprepared shot.

L-R: Srey Mom, DK, Sitha and Vith.

After the morning sessions, we headed back to Globalteer where I took an afternoon English lesson with DK again to review his evening assignment. This time, we had new participants, in the form of Srey Mom, Sitha and Vith. I was happy to oblige. 

We went through connecting words and tenses. They all grasped the idea quickly and it was actually great fun to teach adults so English. DK's assignment was really good, a few grammatical errors as expected, but on the whole, he's on good form to learn the bits of English he will need to help him progress.

They even gave me my lucky number!

Later that night, I had my debut for Big Willy F.C. - my boss, Charlie's team. We lost narrowly 3-1, having had many chances but I did managed to get on the score sheet to add a consolation so it was a good start with my new team. A few more games together and I'm sure we'll be picking up points.

Well, what a day. Again, but I'm seriously loving Cambodia at the moment! I don't want it to end.

Find out more about Globalteer Sports Project on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlobalteerSportsProject

Day 66 - Kids coaching coaches, afternoon raining madness and a night down pub street

New sports shirt for $4, official Adidas, it can't be sniffed at.

Day 66 - 28th August

So it was the last day of the working week and the kids were due to teach us their drills, applying what they had learned in the week. The groups took it one at a time and there were some fantastic drills. My particular favourite was showing awareness of pregnant women, whereby we had to stuff balls up our shirts in simulation then walk like pregnant women in and out of cones and team members. It brought a great sound of approval from the other kids and coaches alike and it was a fitting way to end a brilliant week with CAC and the other Cambodian coaches.

I was given another three hour break before DK and I went to project C and took four back to back lessons. The classes were much smaller than I was normally used to, this time averaging six kids per class. My other fellow volunteers who were teaching were there too and we had some banter with the kids whilst we taught them.

This actually has nothing to do with Cambodia but this picture is awesome so it's going in. Look at the photobomb from the dude behind us.

When the third lesson began, it started to rain as it does daily now - it's wet season of course. The lesson was played out beneath a canopy on concrete and then the final lesson was cancelled because the teacher didn't want the children outside. This didn't stop them.

They were jumping and swimming in puddles, trying to pull DK into the pools of rain eps steer and throwing buckets of water all over him. They also hid his flip flops and then brought me into the game, when a little girl ran up to me and said, 'Teacher, Teacher, do you like being wet?' My response of not being fussed and coming from England so I'm virtually always wet was met with a dousing from a bucket of water from two girls. How can you not laugh along with the kids when they do this?

I was then entertaining a four year old, who spoke better English than I did, by bouncing the ball really high and letting it smack me on the head. He thought it was hilarious and told me to do it again and again. After the twentieth attempt, I felt woozy.

I moved onto another kid, who had burned his foot badly on a fire earlier that week and couldn't walk. I gave him piggyback rides around the yard, from his class to the library, much to his delight. I love this project!

Come 5pm, it was time to leave and I was a little upset. It had been an awesome way to round off my first week as a Globalteer Sport volunteer. I'd taught a few lessons on my own, had great fun with the kids and DK and learned so much. Roll on the next eight weeks I say.

My minced pork baguette for dinner

Back at Chè Bou Savy, I met with Dan. We'd arranged to go out for dinner that evening, whilst Abigail went out with her volunteer colleague from Russia, Lena. We headed to the Red Piano, a quaint little spot on the end of pub street whilst they went to the Banana Leaf.

Our dimly lit pool table that was accompanied with a lady boy.

Later, we all met at the Yellow Submarine ( yes, a Beatles themed bar) for drinks and stories about our projects.

Finally, we headed back and retired to bed. Owe were getting up early (4:30am) for a sunrise visit to Angkor Wat - Jolie, eat your heart out baby!