Posts tagged: Charities

More Tales from the Island Medic by Tim Seel

In my previous article, I told the story of how, in late 2019, I came to be a volunteer nurse, single-handedly running a medical centre in M’Pai Bay, a small village on the island of Koh Rong Samnoem off the coast of Cambodia. I had, rather fortuitously, visited a friend who owns a business there and had instantly fallen in love with the place and its people. A medical centre had recently been built and equipped following a fundraising appeal spearheaded by an Englishman, the owner of a guest house in this tropical paradise. We teamed up and this resulted in us providing free health care for the local people in the village, as well as being available for tourists and Westerners who lived there.

Click here for the previous article from Tim Seel

In this new article I’ll share more of the stories of my life during the fifteen months I lived there, dealing with medical emergencies both day and night, with the nearest hospital in Sihanoukville over an hour away by ferry. This was all while the World changed dramatically in the face of a global pandemic, the like of which has not been seen in recent times.

It was always going to be difficult to provide health care to people when you don’t share a common language. There was a natural fear and lack of trust amongst the locals about this Westerner who was offering to care for them. When there was an emergency, this fear seemed to evaporate and they could tell that I was acting in their best interests. However, it seemed ever present when the more mundane, non-emergency care was needed. This village had survived up until now by dealing with injuries and illnesses themselves and this had worked, so why did they need me to treat them?

I feel the major breakthrough was treating the children when they attended Breakfast Club, our weekly health promotion event held at the medical centre. Inevitably, there were cuts and bruises to be looked at and with their teachers present, the children were happy and felt confident to let me look at their injuries and treat accordingly. This built the villagers’ trust in me and, slowly at first, I started to see an increase in Khmer patients. I will never forget a girl of about eight years old who I had treated, dragging her father by the hand across to the medical centre. He had a nasty leg wound that wasn’t healing, but within two weeks of treatment at the centre it was fully healed. It’s difficult to describe the feeling one gets while walking down the street and a gentleman who speaks only Khmer shouts out, “Thank you, Mr Tim!”

As time progressed, not only did the trust they placed in me increase, but genuine friendships began to build. Some of the local men from the village would call round to the medical centre to see if there were any odd jobs needing doing. They eagerly set about trimming the passion fruit trees that were growing at an alarming rate and blocking our sign and would always come straight away if I reported a problem with the water or power supply. The ladies took to bringing me food deliveries and I regularly enjoyed a fresh doughnut during a quick break in my morning clinic.

I need to mention here the support that I received from the whole community of M’Pai Bay. I had left a job in the UK to take up this volunteer position and many local businesses were very quick to recognise this and help me with daily living costs. Bars, restaurants and cafes all gave me credit in their establishments, meaning that I could live for a fraction of the cost.  I am forever grateful to them all for helping me and allowing me to stay on the island doing the job I loved.

The support didn’t end there. Whenever there was work to be done at the medical centre, I only needed to post on social media and I was inundated with offers of help. People offered their time to help me deep clean the building and if they couldn’t join us, they fed the volunteers after the work was completed. This really was a community project with everyone doing their part to ensure its success.

A team of hard working volunteers deep clean the medical centre

This support allowed me to do the job that I was there to do, that of providing first aid and emergency care to locals, Western business owners, staff and tourists. I have many, many memories of patients I treated during my time on the island, yet certain ones provided me with more of a challenge than others.

One day, I was enjoying some time off and was kayaking around the beautiful coastline of M’Pai Bay, when my phone started ringing. It had been agreed that I was not permanently “on call”, but obviously, I helped if I possibly could. I answered the phone to a Khmer lady whom I knew to be in the second trimester of pregnancy. The panic in her voice caused me great alarm, and all I could make out was, “Bong (Khmer term used to address almost anyone), the blood, the blood!”. I have never in my life paddled a kayak as fast as I did that day!! Abandoning the boat on the beach, I ran through the village to collect the emergency bag and rush to the lady’s accommodation. I saw my patient, but realised there was no panic in those around her. I started my examination and questioning to find out what was wrong and it was with a sense of great relief that she said, “I think it’s my blood pressure, bong”. Apparently, she had felt dizzy and had remembered that I had previously told her this could be caused by a low blood pressure. Checks showed that it was not dangerously low, so I gave her the advice of plenty of rest, and I followed this myself as my arms and shoulders were screaming after my impromptu power kayaking!

I will add, that the lady safely delivered Lilou, a beautiful baby girl some months later and when I left the island, both were in good health and thriving.

Myself, proud Mum Kunthea and the beautiful baby Lilou

As the only member of staff at the medical centre, I cared for all ages, young and old. Children are the same the World over, always getting into mischief and they are no exception in M’Pai Bay. One day, I was called to a young boy of approximately 8 years old who had been playing with his friends around the fishing boats. Of course, there are hooks around these boats and, inevitably, one had unfortunately ended up stuck in the boy’s ear. He was distraught and I tried my best to comfort him as I asked his friends to go and find his parents. Mum soon arrived and we all walked to the medical centre, with myself trying to figure just how I was going to deal with this situation with only limited equipment available.

A bilingual friend from the village joined us in the treatment room to explain to both mother and son what we were going to try and do. Luckily for me, he was also able to hold the torch, as just at the most inopportune moment, the village suffered a power cut and the centre was plunged into darkness. I’ll spare the details, but eventually using medical equipment and the contents of a tool kit (sterilised, of course!), the hook was removed, wound cleaned and dressed, and the young man was sent on his way.

I consider that I have a broad range of skills from nearly 30 years as a nurse, but there are very definite limitations to the care I can provide, and it is amazing how sometimes Lady Luck can intervene. I had a young patient attend the centre complaining of toothache. I took a look inside his mouth, but was unable to decide the best course of treatment. Then I remembered, a couple of days before, I had treated a tourist who was a dentist. He was very impressed with our medical centre and said once he was recovered, he would be happy to offer his services during his time in the village. It was simply a case of getting him and the patient in the centre at the same time and later that day, the young man was examined by an expert and a course of treatment prescribed.

Dental examination for one of our young patients

As all who work in health care are only too aware, it is not all always a happy ending. In August of 2020, I was called to a fisherman who had been found collapsed and unresponsive and had been transported to the medical centre. Fortunately for me, the Khmer nurse who visited our village occasionally was currently at the centre and we both tried our best to look after the gentleman. The patient remained unconscious and we quickly realised there was a limit to what we could do on the island and we needed to arrange his transfer to a hospital on the mainland for a higher level of care. As you can imagine, this is not an easy task and it involved many phone calls and careful co-ordination between a large number of people. Eventually, the village chief agreed to fund a long tail boat and we could start the process of moving our patient to the pier. The ever present community spirit in M’Pai Bay once again shone through. I only had to walk into one restaurant to ask for help and I had more than enough volunteers to do the job safely. The gentleman was carefully lifted onto a handcart and with myself protecting his airway, we wheeled him through the village. The many helpers were able to lift him onto the boat to be taken to the mainland for further treatment. It was with great sadness that we learned he never did regain consciousness and passed away two days later in hospital. RIP, bong.

The emergency transfer vehicle in M’Pai Bay

I would like to give credit to a small group of my friends back in the UK who helped me in difficult situations. Most of the time, I was the only member of staff at the medical centre, single-handedly dealing with whatever came through the doors. Having no colleagues to discuss and plan treatment with was daunting at times. A group of very experienced, highly skilled health care professionals, who I feel lucky to call my friends, had said I could call them at any time for advice. This was a genuine offer on their part and I took them up on it a number of times. They would answer my calls or messages at all times of the night or day in a calm manner, giving me excellent advice, allowing me to deal with any issue I faced. Knowing they were there was invaluable to me in my role on the island. So, Sarah, Chris and Pete, thank you for all your help. I will never forget your kindness, and both myself and the people of M’Pai Bay will be eternally grateful to you.

The M’Pai Bay Community Health Centre was not only used for human patients! My skills lie solely in looking after people, but on one occasion we were excited to welcome a team of vets. Organised by House of Hounds, a charity based in Cambodia and led by an incredible lady called Nuria, this wonderful team would travel around the country neutering, spaying and generally caring for animals, both pets and strays. We had agreed that they could use the centre as long as they didn’t go into the room where I treated human patients. We set about converting the two other rooms into temporary operating theatres and a recovery area, and put the word out amongst the villagers. For two days solid, the team worked to deal with every single animal that was brought in, and I remember in a rare quiet period, one vet went walking around the village to treat any they have missed. This is a team of professional people who all have a big heart and I am full of admiration for the work they do.

Feline patients recovering from surgery performed by the volunteer vets

It was always the aim of M’Pai Bay Community Health Centre to be run by Cambodian people for the benefit of Cambodian people. During my time there, I visited a public clinic in Sihanoukville, a large town on the mainland. Run by Preah Sihanouk Health Department, the centre provided all forms of care to the local Khmer population. By visiting, I was able to form important links between the staff and our clinic. Also, as mentioned, there was an experienced Khmer nurse who would come to the village to hold clinics. These visits increased in regularity and he took more and more control of the centre. So, after 15 months, both myself and the founder felt happy for me to move on, safe in the knowledge that the clinic would go from strength to strength, and that we had achieved our aim.

I feel very lucky to have played a small part in this wonderful project and congratulate all who have helped to make it the success it is. For more information, why not go to the Facebook page and have a look at the current work being carried out.

https://www.facebook.com/MPaiBayMC

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION

After such a rewarding experience I have to give thanks to M’Pai Bay Community Health Centre Project – which was initiated, project managed and continues to be supported by Beach House Cambodia https://www.facebook.com/beachhousecambodia/ for the benefit of the Cambodian community of M’Pai Bay, which has since expanded to all Cambodians of Koh Rong Sanloem. The guest house owner Rob, formed a collaboration with UK Charity ‘Rainbow Collections Children’s Foundation’ (RCCF) in 2015, to enable it’s fundraising via the UK registered charity’s virginmoneygiving.com/fund/CambodianMed-Centre

He provided me with food, drinks and the use of  kayaks. He later asked me to look after the guest house while he explored other opportunities, allowing me to stay longer supporting the community.  As my go-to for non-medical concerns, we worked out the opening hours and the organising of donations for tourist walk-in clinic consultations and call outs. We worked together to organise purchase of equipment from steel tables and oxygen to bean bags, an emergency response bag and an infra-red temperature checker. Beach House hosted volunteers to create wonderful art on its walls, help with the appeal and island collections. The partnership he formed with Cambodia’s Ministry of Health and working to engage and host 14 volunteers donors from Salesforce (Germany) was pivotal As well as encouraging local businesses to support the project through display of appeal awareness materials, fundraising tins and driving community fundraiser events.

RCCF is the beautiful brainchild of UK music artist duo Sophie Barker and KK – who create and sell wonderful music for children http://www.therainbowcollections.com around the world, channeling royalties into their foundation and promoting this and other appeals to their networks to fundraise. The registered charity aims to help promote education, relieve poverty and protect good health amongst children. 

Medical Volunteer In Cambodia

There are many charities looking for volunteers. If you have a skill you will be welcomed. The team at CycleBodia will be more than happy to help you find accomodation and settling in Siem Reap

Kid Care | a new project helping those in need in Siem Reap, Cambodia

It’s all too easy to fall in love with Cambodia. From the wonderful people with warm, friendly smiles to amazing coastal, jungle and mountain scenery, not forgetting the amazing historical buildings, including the World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat, this country appears to have it all. I have been lucky enough to call this country home for the past eighteen months. However, unfortunately in that time, I have witnessed the dramatic economic effects of Covid-19 on a country whose main industry is tourism. With no alternative income, many more people have been caught in a cycle of poverty and need help with the basics just to survive.

In early 2020, I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to do some volunteer work, teaching resuscitation and first aid skills to staff at a wonderful charity called ABCs and Rice in Siem Reap. This charity, with director Tammy at the helm, aims to help the very poorest people; providing a much-needed free education in a country where the costs of one can be unattainable to many families. It also ensures nutritional needs are met, and when open fully before Covid restrictions, over 200 students were fed two hearty meals a day.

Providing training on resuscitation skills to the teaching staff at ABCs and Rice.

ABCs and Rice, like all schools in Cambodia, has had to adhere to government guidelines and was closed to students for long periods in 2020. Their vital work did not stop though, and a programme of providing food and other essentials for up to 100 families continued. In conjunction with the Cambodian Rice Run, a kind hearted Australian charity, ABCs and Rice has ensured that no family has been left hungry. Their weekly food packages have been a lifeline to many in these difficult times.

Siem Reap is a town heavily reliant on the tourist industry. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat has ensured a steady stream of tourists visit the city year round. So, it’s not surprising that the effects of the global pandemic have hit particularly hard here. Whole families have seen their income disappear almost overnight. Levels of poverty have risen at an alarming rate, meaning the work of charities such as ABCs and Rice is now more important than ever.

Health care at ABCs and Rice has until now been provided by visiting Western volunteers and here we see another cruel effect of Coronavirus. Covid travel restrictions affect everyone and these volunteers are no exception, resulting in ABCs being unable to offer these vital health services. Cambodian Rice Run had realised this and were keen to support a permanent health care facility, if the right staff could be found.

Was it possible that I could fill the gap? I certainly had the right experience having spent the previous fifteen months running a medical centre on a remote island off the coast of Cambodia. I had a valid visa with no plans to leave the country, so we could start to look at moving things forward.

Could we make this dream a reality? One thing was for certain, we were going to give it our best shot!

In the grounds of the school is a Portakabin, a temporary building that had been empty for some time. Structurally, it was fairly sound, but had a leaking roof and a damp, rotten floor. Cambodian Rice Run agreed to cover start-up costs and so without further ado, we were able to call the workmen in to make repairs to what would be our new medical room. Within two weeks, we had a weatherproof building, complete with electricity and a water supply. A new floor was fitted and suddenly we had a room that could be safely used to hold a clinic in.

The new roof meaning our building was fully protected against the weather.

There was a good supply of basic first aid equipment at the school already that had been kindly donated by visiting volunteers, so it was a case of sorting through and making a list of what else we would need to effectively deliver treatment. Cambodian Rice Run’s support meant we were able to go ahead and purchase these additional items. We bought a bed meaning that our patients could be comfortable whilst we cared for them. The staff at ABCs and Rice ensured that the area around our building was landscaped and one of the teachers who is also an artist, painted our new logo on the outside. In just a few short weeks, through the hard work of all involved, we had created a service to benefit those in need.

Our medical room complete with new garden

Students at ABCs and Rice come from the very poorest backgrounds; their families living in extreme poverty. Kid Care recognised this and so from the very start, we wanted to help the whole community of those associated with the school. So, after just one week of being open, we held our first outreach clinic at Veal Village. Our team of myself, the nurse, Anne, our wonderful volunteer and Pablo, tuk tuk driver, interpreter and all round nice guy arrived at the village with a box of supplies and equipment. Tammy, the director of ABCs and Rice made the introductions and we were soon checking blood pressures and giving general health advice to the villagers. A dangerously high blood pressure was identified and the lady in question was transported to a local doctor for treatment.

The “thumbs up” for a blood pressure that is fine.

It is our intention to extend these services to include a number of local villages. We hope that with interventions such as correct wound care, we can avoid potentially expensive hospital admissions for villagers. Once the school is open again with all students attending, we will carry out regular Body Mass Index clinics to identify those at risk of malnutrition. Every week, ABCs and Rice provide a food package for the families of all students and we are now able to have the medical room open providing a drop in clinic for those with a medical need.

Our nurse treating a gentleman following a traffic accident.

We feel so happy to be providing these services to those who need them. We’ve come a long way in what seems a very short time and now we look to the future. We already have one volunteer at Kid Care, the lovely Anne helps with our outreach clinics. Starting next week, Sophany, a Khmer nurse, has generously offered her services meaning we can help more people on our visits to the villages. A big thank you to both of you.

As with all charities, fundraising is the major issue for Kid Care and our team are exploring many ways to raise the money necessary to continue doing what we are doing. If you feel able to support us, please visit our Facebook page for details of how to donate,

https://www.facebook.com/kidcarecrr
https://cambodianricerun.org/
https://www.abcrice.org/

Let’s hope that the devastating effects of the global pandemic start to reverse soon. Siem Reap is reeling and needs the tourists to return, to once again provide an income for the local people. There are many wonderful charities in this town doing amazing work to help those in need. We are proud to be a small part of this and hope to continue with our work with Kid Care Outreach Centre for many years to come.

Island Medic by Tim Seel

Arriving on Koh Rong Samloem at M’Pai Bay

It was May 2019 when I first stepped off the ferry and fell in love with M’Pai Bay, a small fishing village on the island of Koh Rong Samloem in Cambodia. I was instantly struck by the beauty of both the scenery and it’s inhabitants. I spent a month working in a bar and built solid friendships with a number of the local people as well as many of the Westerners who have made this paradise their home.

With approximately 300 Khmer inhabitants and almost the same number of barang (Khmer term for a Westerner) residents, the village is a bustling hive of activity. Tourism has been a major boost to the economy of the area, and before Covid hit, it was the main source of income to M’Pai Bay.

As a nurse with nearly thirty years experience, I always take a keen interest in the provision of healthcare wherever I am in the World and it soon became obvious that it was sadly lacking on the island. It appeared that emergency care, and indeed the treatment of any illness was handled by a single Khmer pharmacist who, with all due respect, may or may not have held a professional qualification. He did possess many skills that benefitted the residents of M’Pai Bay. However, he would regularly leave the island for various reasons, leaving those in the village with no healthcare provider whatsoever.

In the event of an accident, villagers would have to make the arduous journey to the mainland Cambodia by ferry, if indeed they were running, or worse by long tail boat at any other time. There were no other facilities on Koh Rong Samloem. If weather conditions dictated no boats could operate, well then the villagers had to look after themselves until such time that they could reach hospital.

In 2018, a project to build a medical centre in the village had finally reached it’s fundraising goal. It was the brainchild of a British business owner who wanted to give something back to the community. The aim was to provide free healthcare to the locals. The Chief of M’Pai Bay donated a plot of land and the centre was built in a short time by a team of European volunteers. However, since a brief period in early 2018 when a British nurse spent four weeks volunteering there, the centre had remained closed with the modern equipment lying idle because of a lack of qualified staff.

As my month in the village came to an end, my thoughts started to turn to coming back to the village and the possibility of working at the medical centre. Once back in the UK, I contacted the charity and offered my services on a voluntary basis. Following a telephone interview, I was offered the role and quickly set about making the necessary plans to get back to the place that was so dear to my heart.

So, in October 2019, I boarded the plane weighed down with text books, medical equipment and also the thought of, “What have I done?”. This was by far the biggest move I had made in my career and self doubt was creeping in. Could I really handle the role of only member of staff at a remote clinic, responsible for the health and well being of so many people? Realising it was far too late for second thoughts, I settled into my seat for the long flight ahead and tried my best to relax. But, it wasn’t meant to be, as somewhere over Asia the call went out for a nurse or doctor as one of my fellow passengers had collapsed! Fortunately, the young lady had only passed out and I was quickly able to reassure both her and the crew that it was nothing serious. The staff later thanked me for helping out and gave me a voucher for free WiFi for the rest of the flight! It’s nice to be appreciated.

After a seemingly endless, terrifying taxi ride, followed by a thankfully, short, calm trip on the ferry, I disembarked once again and soaked in views of white sandy beaches, jungle covered hillsides and the mesmerising smiles radiating from the Khmer people of M’Pai Bay. Any doubts were soon long forgotten as I was greeted by old friends who had heard of my imminent return. Unfortunately, jet lag soon overcame me and I went to my bed to ponder the challenges that lay ahead, whilst listening to the waves gently lapping.

I awoke to a beautiful day and went to collect the keys to the medical centre, filled with apprehension as to what I would actually find through those doors. Upon entering, I saw a clean, modern, well thought out centre that was already fairly well equipped to deal with whatever patients presented themselves. I was surprised to see both a defibrillator and a sophisticated monitor of the same type that I had used on many wards in the UK. However, if these pieces of equipment are used, it usually means that your patient needs moving to a higher level care such as a High Dependency Unit. Again, the enormity of what I had taken on hit me hard. I would be running this centre on my own with no support from colleagues and it would be up to me to give whatever care was needed.

I quickly set about the task of doing a full inventory of dressings, bandages, intravenous fluids, medications, and then writing a wish list of items that would be needed to see us fully equipped. Thankfully, with support from friends and acquaintances around the World, many of the items I wanted were soon on their way to Koh Rong Samloem.

I clearly remember many faces peering in, an expression of curiosity etched across them. These people had seen the centre being built, but then lying unused for many months. You could almost hear them asking the question, “Was this bald barang really here to help them?”

Medical Emergency!

My first real emergency was not long in coming. In only my first week, I was called to a serious accident when a 12 year old boy had fallen off his bicycle and was found unconscious with extensive head and facial injuries. With adrenaline pumping, I rushed through the village. He had been carried down to the pier by his family and that is where I found him. They hadn’t realised the centre was open and so hadn’t thought of bringing him there. As his condition was so serious, I took the decision to not move him and treated there in full view of many from the village. The pharmacist and I applied many dressings to stop the bleeding, but it quickly became apparent that hospital care was much needed. It soon hit me just how isolated we were as I was told the next ferry would be about an hour. I was faced with a young patient who’s condition was unstable and nothing could be done other than wait. On a Cambodian island, I realised, there was no such thing as ringing for an ambulance!

As the ferry arrived, I was in for another shock. My patient had stabilised somewhat, but was still in what I would describe as a serious condition. We carried him on to the boat and his family settled in next to him whilst I spoke to captain. I explained that he needed to be in hospital as soon as possible, but was met with a blank expression. The captain simply said that they had further passengers to collect and they took priority! I was stunned, but was powerless to change the course of events. Another huge lesson for me as a nurse in this country so far away from where I had spent the majority of my career.

This episode was to provide a positive experience though. After six days in hospital and unfortunately losing six teeth, the young lad was discharged back to the village. His family were so thankful for what I had done to help him, that they invited me around for dinner with them. A wonderful night was had by all, sharing food and a few beers, communicating in two different languages but sharing an easy camaraderie. It was such a pleasure to see this very brave young man tucking into his dinner, less than two weeks after suffering such awful injuries.

Life quickly settled into a routine. I ran a drop in clinic every morning Monday to Friday, 8am-12pm. Whilst slow at first, numbers soon increased, but was mostly Westerners, both tourists and those living in the village. The centre was never set up for treating tourists, but it soon became apparent that they would use it. Perhaps they felt more comfortable seeing a Western nurse rather than the local pharmacist? Whatever the reason, by asking for a donation from them, it meant that we could raise funds to achieve our goal of providing free health care for the Cambodian people.

From the very start of the project, the founder had been keen to involve the local health authority and get their support. His ultimate aim was to hand the centre over to them, so that they could run it as their facility. Whilst this looked a long way off, we did get the occasional visit from a Khmer nurse. Despite the language difficulties, we soon developed a respectful working relationship. I was able to assist him when giving the children of M’Pai Bay their vaccinations. I was very impressed to see the importance placed upon these injections and the programme seemed to work very well. Due to him being an ophthalmic specialist, we were able to hold special clinics on eye health and diagnose potential problems the villagers may have. Whilst these visits were infrequent, they really helped to build the confidence of the locals in our facility.

The clinic building was also to serve as a community centre, with a large room that could be used by groups for meetings. As nurse, I used it to offer first aid classes to teach people how to deal with emergencies. In this village miles away from a hospital, it is obviously important for as many people as possible to have these skills.

The main use for this space took place every Friday morning. Breakfast Club was one hour of, at times, total mayhem, but with an underlying important message. With the help of a team of volunteers and the teachers from the local school, we hosted up to seventy children. They were first taught the importance of washing their hands, materials were provided and supervision given whilst every child participated. Food was then given out, ensuring each child got a healthy nutritious meal. Next, the children were shown how and why to brush their and toothbrushes given out that had been kindly donated by our supporters. The rest of the time was taken up with various fun activities such as singing, dancing or relay races on the beach.

Unfortunately, just as we had started to secure sponsorship for this important weekly event, in March 2020, Covid-19 reared it’s ugly head and the World changed, possibly forever. The government of Cambodia announced that schools were going to close and so, in accordance with the new rules, our club could not go ahead.

Koh Rong Samloem Lockdown

The effects of this situation were to be far wider reaching than just stopping Breakfast Club. As inter province travel was banned by the government, ferries ceased to run to Koh Rong Samloem and M’Pai Bay went into a near lockdown. A daily supply boat was our only link to the outside world. Whilst safety is always paramount, the very livelihood of the village was taken away virtually overnight. The situation continues to this day and many of the businesses have had to close with a big question mark hanging over their future. A large number of Western owners have returned to their native country to try and earn a living. The Khmer owners simply don’t have this option and so have had to make dramatic lifestyle changes to survive, some turning back to fishing to ensure their families have food on the table.

As the nurse, I was faced with a very difficult decision. Should I leave Koh Rong Samloem and return to the UK? In a time of uncertainty, it can feel more comfortable in one’s country of birth surrounded by family and friends, but after much deep thinking, I made my decision. I would stay in M’Pai Bay and face whatever this dreaded virus brought our way. I had come to the village to help people and now, more than ever, that help would be needed.

With the virus spreading across the World, I monitored as best as I could. I used various sources to learn what I could, always finding that the World Health Organisation website gave the most reliable information. My role changed and I had to adapt to a fast moving situation. Many Western inhabitants, both long term residents and those tourists that were on the island as travel was banned, were scared. People looked to me to give advice and seemed to have an expectation for me to predict what was going to happen in the future. My time was taken up with regular temperature checks for those who were worried, stressing the importance of masks and hand washing, and helping in the co-ordinated effort to make the village as safe as we possibly could.

 Yet, medical emergencies don’t stop because of a pandemic. I continued to respond to those in need and it was around this time that an unfortunate accident led to probably the worst injury I had to deal with during my time on the island. It was a Friday night and after a delicious dinner, I had retired for the night after a tiring week. I was awoken about half past midnight by a frantic knocking on my door. Still half asleep, I answered the door to a friend of mine who’s face told me this was serious. He thrust a phone in my hand and I was just able to make out a few panicked words from the caller. I was able to get her location, but other than that, I could only make out that there was a lot of blood.

I made my way to the medical centre to pick up the emergency bags that I had put together for just such an event. Predictably, a violent thunderstorm was currently directly over the village and it was like a scene from a movie and I stumbled and slid through the mud right up to the top of our village. I then heard a noise and it was with great relief that I realised my friend who had woken me was now joining me on this adventure. As a trained first aider, I knew that his help would prove invaluable and I will be forever grateful for his assistance that night.

We could see the light shining form the balcony a we approached the building and shouted to let them know we were here. “Get up here quickly!” was the response from the young lady who had made the phone call. This lady was also a trained first aider and her prompt actions had very possibly saved the life of the gentleman whose leg had gone through the glass door. By tying a T-shirt tightly around his leg, she had stemmed the flow of blood. But, I had to know exactly what we were dealing with, so that T-shirt had to be removed. Over the next half an hour, we were able to assess and clean a number of deep lacerations. With pressure dressings applied, I knew his condition had been stabilised, but these wounds were going to need specialist care and that meant evacuation to a mainland hospital. I had a very difficult decision to make, and one with potentially very serious consequences. Did I mobilise the entire village and get a long tail boat to make the treacherous crossing at night? Or, could I manage the patient on the island and evacuate him by the first ferry in the morning?

I decided that he had stabilised to such an extent that immediate evacuation was not necessary. This meant that myself and both of the first aiders slept on the floor next to the patient, checking regularly on his condition. That night seemed endless and it was with much relief that the first rays of the morning sun could be seen. However, we were still at the very top of the village facing a long walk with a seriously injured patient. We tried a stretcher with little success. Next he tried to walk, but was obviously slow and in great discomfort as well as feeling weak due to blood loss. Islanders always find a way to make things happen, and so within five minutes, our patient ended up on the back of a motorbike and was laid down on the pier!!! Then, once again we faced the agonising wait for the ferry which seemed to take forever.

After an eventful night, the injured gentleman waits for the first ferry for evacuation to mainland Cambodia.

Once in hospital, he had a number of operations but has since, thankfully, made a full recovery. However, it was a shock to us all when the doctor explained to him just how close he had come to losing not only his foot, but very possibly his life!

It is incidents like this one that will forever be etched in my memory. Learning to deal with serious, life threatening situations in a calm and collected manner. The islanders have taught me that often you don’t need all the fancy equipment, merely a positive, sensible attitude and sometimes a bit of luck, means you can cope with most that comes your way.

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. As time had moved on, we were seeing dramatically increased support from the local health authority in Sihanoukville, with the nurse now visiting regularly. Through fundraising, we had been able to purchase an extensive supply of medications and so he was able to provide more and more services to the villagers in M’Pai Bay. It seemed the right time to move on. The aims of our project had been met. Where there had been no healthcare facility at all, a modern, fully equipped medical centre has been built and run successfully, then handed over to be operated by Cambodian people to help Cambodian people.

I offer my congratulations to all involved with the medical centre. It was an absolute pleasure to be your nurse for fifteen months and I wish everyone in the village all the best in the future.

If you have something to offer the medical centre in M’Pai Bay Koh Rong Samloem, you will recieve a warm Cambodia welcome. This goes for most volunteering in Cambodia. It will change your life as much as it will change theirs.

After such a rewarding experience I have to give thanks to M’Pai Bay Community Health Centre Project – which was initiated, project managed and continues to be supported by Beach House Cambodia https://www.facebook.com/beachhousecambodia/ for the benefit of the Cambodian community of M’Pai Bay, which has since expanded to all Cambodians of Koh Rong Sanloem. The guest house owner Rob, formed a collaboration with UK Charity ‘Rainbow Collections Children’s Foundation’ (RCCF) in 2015, to enable it’s fundraising via the UK registered charity’s virginmoneygiving.com/fund/CambodianMed-Centre

He provided me with food, drinks and the use of  kayaks. He later asked me to look after the guest house while he explored other opportunities, allowing me to stay longer supporting the community.  As my go-to for non-medical concerns, we worked out the opening hours and the organising of donations for tourist walk-in clinic consultations and call outs. We worked together to organise purchase of equipment from steel tables and oxygen to bean bags, an emergency response bag and an infra-red temperature checker. Beach House hosted volunteers to create wonderful art on its walls, help with the appeal and island collections. The partnership he formed with Cambodia’s Ministry of Health and working to engage and host 14 volunteers donors from Salesforce (Germany) was pivotal As well as encouraging local businesses to support the project through display of appeal awareness materials, fundraising tins and driving community fundraiser events.

RCCF is the beautiful brainchild of UK music artist duo Sophie Barker and KK – who create and sell wonderful music for children http://www.therainbowcollections.com around the world, channeling royalties into their foundation and promoting this and other appeals to their networks to fundraise. The registered charity aims to help promote education, relieve poverty and protect good health amongst children. 

Work For Charities in Siem Reap

Charities in Cambodia are crying out for volunteers. What they need are volunteers who can help them with education, modern farming techniques, conservation. Work for Charities In Siem Reap and find untold joy.

Almost everyone who has made the decision to work for charities in Siem Reap has stated it was one of life’s great rewards.

We regret to say, they hardly need any help with religion or politics. Avoid these subjects at all costs no matter what your great intentions are. Discussing these topics are best left to locals. You might just end up in jail – or worse.

Working for a charity in Cambodia is an awesome vocation and is going to be a life changer for you and for them. Many people who work for charities abroad seem to be happier people. You become part of a global synergy.

Finding a Charity in Siem Reap and other Cambodian provinces

However, many of the charities that need you will not have a website and may not even have a Facebook page. You must consider some research into the project and the introducer. CycleBodia has already vetted some suitable charities in Cambodia.  However, we are not a placement company. We offer a meet and greet service which we can tailor to your requirements. This is a socially commercial business that employs locals and keeps all of you money in Cambodia.

And you may even be better off just going somewhere like Cambodia, where you can stay a few days or a week, and you will find the temple that teaches children English. You may be taken off to a small village that needs help with farming and agriculture or looking for water.

Do your homework first before you start to work for a charity abroad. You do not want to end up in some foreign country, especially a second or third world country, with no one that you can depend on. Make sure that you have a fallback position, whether it be a local you know, a meet and greet service like ours or direct contact with family members back home.

Stay Safe In Cambodia

Be mindful that you may not have internet or satellite telephones. Always be able to protect yourself and to make sure that you’re easily found. GPS equipment locators can easily and cheaply be purchased off the internet.

Take care of yourself first, before you can take care of others

Volunteer in Cambodia On The Cheap

Work For Charities In Siem Reap cheaply? Can you actually volunteer in Cambodia cheaply? That depends on many factors. However, most of the companies offering volunteer are more like profiteer. Notwithstanding that statement, some offer great backup services.

Cheap is relative. Find out what a local teacher or whatever would get paid. Can YOU live on that? In Cambodia, a skilled worker might be on as little as $3 per day. We managed a hotel in Siem Reap and our highest paid and qualified workers earned $250 per month. They were considered well paid by Cambodian standards.

Volunteer Opportunities For Teachers In Cambodia

You are going to find volunteer opportunities for teachers in all disciples at all levels in Cambodia. It could be in a well-known school or a small village in rural Cambodia. The most common volunteer opportunities for teachers are in teaching English.

Many countries, including Cambodia are screaming out for English teachers. You will certainly be welcomed if you are a native speaker. They will often ask for a degree, a TEFL or a TESOL. So, before you go volunteer in Cambodia. At the very minimum, get a teaching qualification. They are quite easy for native English speakers.

Before you volunteer as an English Teacher invest a few months into getting the qualifications.

However, if you have a degree in any discipline: especially conservation, medical or agriculture you will be wanted in places like Cambodia.

Work For Charities In Siem Reap All Expenses Paid

Finding volunteer work in Siem Reap or any other provinces in Cambodia with all expenses paid is going to be exceedingly difficult. Or should we say impossible.

The reason that charities and countries require volunteers, is because they have no money. Many of these charities are crying out for donations to keep up their good work. And even if they do offer expenses It will be a few dollars per day.

You’re going to be expected to live like a local. So at least, is going to be unbelievably cheap. You might stay in a hostel or a homestay. It is not going to be a 5-star hotel.

However, anybody who is offering you volunteer work and says that they are going to pay you, you must think twice about it. You must do some due diligence on the charity. Find out if they have a website or Facebook; or send us the details and we will check them for you. Volunteer work is what it is. It’s volunteering, it’s unpaid.

How To Launch Your Volunteering

Most of the readers to CycleBodia are native English speakers. This means you have an ability to teach. To start a volunteering experience, obtain an English Teaching qualification.

In addition to a qualification you should consider some experience. Decide on what age group you want to teach English to and volunteer locally to gain some experience.

Start to save! You are going to have to pay something to someone at somepoint.

What Charities in Siem Reap Need Volunteers

The short answer is all of them. But that does not mean you are going to find one easily. Some are extremely strict on acceptance; especially if you are going to be working with children.

Whilst others will want you to prove that you are who you say you are. Not just a simple Facebook page. You might need references or documented qualifications.

Charities in Sime Reap will want you to be self financing unless you have an exceptional skill

How to start volunteering in Cambodia

Reach out to Cambodian charities via Facebook or their website. Become a member of local Facebook groups and reach out. It does not take a lot of research and most will be helpful. We hate to say this, but a donation of whatever value will show your commitment.

We are not going to list any charities on this page. If you want to volunteer, you will find the best one by doing some research by yourself.

When Volunteering For A Charity in Cambodia – Never Forget

• Have a fall back plan
• Enjoy yourself – there are tons of things to do
• Do not become too involved – you are going to leave.
• Share your experiences – good and bad
• COME BACK

GOOD LUCK – YOUR ATTITUDE IS APPRECIATED