Griet Vandeburie studied Teacher Training Secondary Education Biology and Physics at Artevelde University College Ghent. Between February and May 2012 she did her internship in the SEAL programme with VVOB Cambodia. In January 2013 she went back to volunteer for six months. Now she is pursuing a Masters in Education, and aims at finding a job in development. Here her story of working as a volunteer at VVOB Cambodia.
May 2012, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
After a wonderful and very interesting internship at VVOB Cambodia, I know that I want to come back. I know they can't hire me as an employee, but maybe there is a possibility to come back as a volunteer. I grab all my courage together and ask Programme Manager Jan Geusens whether that is an option. Jan can't give me an answer immediately, but he would propose my request to Head Office and discuss with the colleagues from VVOB Cambodia which tasks they could use me for.
Meanwhile I have to - unfortunately - leave Cambodia, to go back to Artevelde college and graduate. It takes me a while to adjust to Belgium again. Especially because I am thinking a lot about my volunteering request and about the fact that I maybe could go back.
July 2012 Zwevegem, Belgium
After a few weeks I receive an e-mail that says it is possible for me to work as a volunteer for VVOB Cambodia. It is up to me if I want to do the volunteering job under certain conditions regarding payment, expenses etc. I don't have to think long about what I will answer to Jan!
The answer that I get back a few days later: "Hi Griet, that's very good news! We're looking forward to welcome you (for the second time) in Cambodia and work together with you."
So it is clear: I'm going back to Cambodia!
September 2012, Ghent
After my internship in Cambodia and the decision that I will go back as a volunteer for VVOB, I know I want to stay in development. For this, a master degree would be very useful. So I decide to start my Masters in Education at the University of Ghent. Only for one semester yet, because I will go back to Cambodia at the end of January, immediately after my exams (so sometimes it is a bit difficult to keep my mind at school)!
November 2012, Brussels
In November I have to go to VVOB Head Office in Brussels. I give a presentation about my internship for all the VVOB Brussels staff. I am a little bit nervous, but it goes pretty well I think. Also in November, I follow the BTC Info Cycle. Four very interesting and fun weekends, followed by a difficult exam... which I luckily pass.
January 2013, Zwevegem
My departure to Cambodia is coming closer and closer. I get a clear description of the tasks that I will have to do. Supervising, guiding and evaluating four new students from Artevelde college who will do their internship with VVOB Cambodia this school year, will be my main task. I'll also provide logistical and content support during workshops.
January 2013, Bangkok
Four smiling faces are waiting for me at the airport in Bangkok. It's nice to see the Artevelde students. After a journey of more than 15 hours (luckily I have nice company and it's a good start to get to know each other), we finally arrive in Phnom Penh. The next morning we are going to see the VVOB staff. It is amazing for me to see everyone back! And the students can finally put a face on the names that they've heard a lot about, and have been mailing with... for a few months. They are all very positive about the VVOB staff.
February 2013, Phnom Penh
After a short week in Phnom Penh it is time to 'drop' the students in the city where they will be working for the next three months. Nathan and Marieke are going to Kampong Cham and Michiel and Simon are going to Battambang. I have a good feeling when I leave them 'behind'. They will stand their ground!
When I visit them again a few weeks later, they already have found a nice house, visited tourist attractions, taught their first lessons at the Regional Teacher Training Centre... They have tried their best to install and feel themselves at home.
March 2013, Battambang - Kampong Cham
Enthusiastic, motivated and well dressed! One by one, they are teaching very good lessons. Each in their own way. It is amazing to see them growing, to hear them reflecting about their own lessons, to see how they are dealing with feedback, how they have adjusted their lessons to the comments and tips they got... I think (I hope) that they have learnt a lot, but I have to admit that I have learnt a lot too! I would never have thought that being a supervisor could be so difficult sometimes.
In March we also have the preparation trainings and inset trainings on Student Centred Approach. During these trainings there is always something that I can do or where I can help with. The only difficulty is the language barrier; there are things that only the local staff can help with. So sometimes a bit of research is necessary to find out where I can help and where not.
April 2013, Phnom Penh
Experiment boxes, experiment boxes and again experiment boxes. I almost can't hear the word anymore...
Interns Marieke, Nathan, Simon, Michiel and I got the task to develop experiment boxes for four science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science and Physics. These boxes will be provided to the 39 practice schools the Regional Teacher Trainer Centres from Cambodia are working together with. I am in charge for bringing this to a successful end. Without the organisation skills, critical thinking, discussing, bargaining skills and a lot more other useful skills of the students, we would never have been able to provide such a nice product! Even if I say so myself, we can be proud of our work.
May 2013, Phnom Penh
Two more weeks and 'my kids' are going back to Belgium. I know already that I'm going to miss them. These 'two more weeks' are very busy for me. I have to make sure that all their evaluation forms, lesson observation forms and other Artevelde forms are completed and that is not something you do in a blink of the eye. It takes more time than I've expected but again I'm learning a lot from it.
At the 9th of May, we organise a small farewell drink for the students. They've deserved it! They've fulfilled a very good internship at VVOB. It was a pleasure and very instructive for me to see them growing. I think I'm a very lucky person, to get the opportunity to supervise these four students!
At the second half of May I have the opportunity to attend team meetings at VVOB. It is very interesting for me. The new Multi-Year Programme is discussed, among other things. I've learnt a lot during these meetings and I'm very glad that I could join.
At the end of May we have a two-day gender training, which is a great chance to learn more about gender, gender mainstreaming, gender in VVOB, gender in the new programme etc. The atmosphere during the training is very good, which makes it even better!
June 2013, Phnom Penh
On paper, my volunteering job is finishing on the 7th of June... As said, on paper! Because there are still tasks that I am working on and things where I can help with, I am happy to extend my volunteering for two more weeks. So that means that it will end on the 21st of June, but I'm sure as long as I'm still in Cambodia (which is till the end of July) I'll be walking in and out the office!
Griet Vandeburie,
Volunteer at VVOB Cambodia
Added value for yourself?
"This volunteering job is/was a great opportunity for me to know VVOB Cambodia better and also VVOB in general. I was part of the team, I was involved in many activities, I learnt a lot more about development... I think and hope that this experience is a stepping stone to a career in development. I know that I'm still young but every experience counts.
During my volunteering I was treated very well. I never had the feeling to be an 'outgrown kid' (as my Cambodian colleagues would say). Sometimes some financial support would have been great, but I knew this in advance. Otherwise I'm very positive about my volunteering job. If I could, or if there was a possibility, I would immediately do it again. I recommend it to everyone!"
Added value for VVOB?
"The VVOB team in Cambodia mentioned several times that they are really grateful for what I'm doing here. Especially the follow-up of the students, the visits that I did and managing the development of the experiment boxes was a huge gain for them. All of this is of course nice to hear. So I think I can estimate the value of my volunteering here at VVOB Cambodia quite high.
I think it would be good if VVOB would promote this kind of volunteering more. Internships are very good and instructive, and for some people (me for example) they can be the trigger to work in development. But I think that voluntary jobs have a bigger value than internships: you're more involved in how the organisation works, what is happening in the team, where the difficulties are... You get a better general view on development and on the organisation."
