“When we pay attention to them, they give their best”: immersion in Amélie's volunterring
A vocation born from a movie... or almost
“The first time I heard about PSE was when the movie Les Pépites was released,” says Amélie. "I didn't watch the movie at the time, but the trailer made an impression on me. It was the trailer that made me want to volunteer one day in my life!"
This project took more concrete shape two years ago, when her cousin spent six months at PSE. "Even before he left, he introduced us to the association. Then, while he was volunteering, we received lots of photos. What impressed me the most was the way he talked about it: with great sincerity, simplicity... And above all, a real humility on his return." This family testimony was a trigger. “I realized that many people around me already knew PSE, some were even sponsors!”
“This is really where I wanted to go”.
After graduating in agronomic engineering from Unilasalle Beauvais in September 2024, Amélie already had this dream in mind: "My desire to go volunteering was growing. The company where I was working, Carbone Farmers, offered me a fixed-term contract, while leaving me free to commit to a mission as soon as I received a positive response."
She hesitated between agriculture, her field of expertise, and childhood, a cause that touched her deeply. "But in the end, I really wanted to go to PSE. I was overwhelmed by the story of the founding couple. They moved heaven and earth to help children, it's a story full of humanity."
First impressions of Phnom Penh: “We smile all the time here!”
On her arrival, Amélie was immediately caught by the atmosphere: "The first thing that impressed me was the simplicity with which they smile. In Europe, we smile when there's a reason... here, smiles are constant! The people are very welcoming, the contacts very simple. I even wondered if a student had mistaken me for someone else the first time he hugged me!"
She soon discovered the reality behind the school. "I visited a ‘community’ (slum). At school, the children are impeccable, with their beautiful uniforms... but in the slums, they live in 4m² huts with 10 people. Naked children play in the street. It's a shock."
A mission that makes perfect sense
As an English teacher's assistant, Amélie begins by observing. "Every teacher has their own method. I've learned a lot, and it's given me lots of ideas." Then it's time to stand alone in front of the students. "That's when I felt my mission really began. I really belonged here. It gave me a sense of pride and total well-being."
She found herself working with a variety of classes at different levels. "What touched me was the solidarity between the students. They help each other, we use gestures, we adapt. I remember a phonetics class where we had to pronounce sounds that didn't exist in Khmer. I tried to show them how to move their tongue and mouth... we all laughed together. It was a simple, joyful moment."
She also discovered the remarkable commitment of the teachers. "They're very attentive to the well-being of each student. A sad look, a tired student... they'll talk to him or her, try to understand, offer help. They make them understand that they are important, that they have their place. That changes everything.
Making connections, building trust
A student asleep in class becomes a trigger. "I didn't want to wake him up suddenly. In the next class, I put him in the front row and got him involved. I realized that he was having great difficulty. So I invented games where I could spend time with those who needed it. And it worked. Now, they get involved in the class and participate. Some of them even jump into my arms when I pass them!"
“When you pay attention to them, they give their best,” she says with emotion. “I find it very touching to succeed in creating unity in the class.”
Getting involved wherever possible
Amélie doesn't stop at her main mission. “Between classes, you can get involved in lots of projects!” She's involved in the cinema club, gives private guitar lessons, participates in the music club, and has signed up to the “International Buddy Program” to coach five young people in soft skills. "We can organize group activities, volleyball matches, meals, activities... or individually to help them progress personally. I also do tutoring in French, and I'd like to get involved in the eco-club on Saturday mornings."
Her training in agronomy is not forgotten: "I'm researching agriculture in Cambodia and starting to build up a network. Next, I'm going to see what we can do with the students, perhaps in connection with the environment program."
A family on campus
"I live on campus, next to the boarder students. They've become like little brothers and sisters! We play, we chat... we share some very special moments." She remembers one young boy in particular: "He spoke English very well. Then one day, he told me his story... I was overwhelmed. He came from very far away, and was very lonely. But he knows what he wants, and he fights for it. His determination impressed me."
One evening, Amélie also experienced a particularly moving moment when she visited the boarding school for little girls under 16: "I went there to sing them lullabies. It was magical... As soon as I arrived, they all grabbed my hand and hugged me. I felt like the big sister of thirty little girls! During the songs, they squeezed my fingers until they fell asleep. I was overwhelmed. It was so simple, so powerful. You can feel how much they need love and presence. I'm still touched just thinking about it. »
A month and a half after her arrival, Amélie is shining in her mission. Her generosity, her involvement and the energy she puts into every exchange, every activity, reflect what she sensed in her cousin: "It's often said that in volunteering, you receive more than you give. Now I understand what that means."