Developing my team - Konthea

I am Konthea, Community Liaison Program Manager at Journeys Within Our Community. I have been working here for two years and learned a lot from this job. To be able to run this program smoothly I have contributed lots of ideas, energy and time. I learned from mistakes and adapted to changes to make the program better. However, to make changes to improve the program I have worked closely with my team of scholarship 

students.

There are a few points I want to share about them as I recognized they have been improving a lot through this program. One thing they are now able to do is provide half of the training on Home Gardening to the villagers by themselves. So, we do not need to spend money on an external trainer as before. This is quite important for JWOC and especially for themselves. I found they can take the responsibility of the trainings very well including explaining and leading people to practice what they have been taught and also they can deal with questions immediately and confidently. This is something that makes me really proud of them.

The other thing is that my scholarship students’ team is able to communicate with local people and the authorities very well, even without me. This point was a big concern for me before, as they always needed me to be with them and begin the conversation. But now they come back from the field with answers and or results I wanted. At the start of the year we provided a communication workshop which focused on this aspect of their development as I found this is the most important skill needed for the program, especially Community Liaison.

The last point I want to talk about them is they now understand very well about what they are doing. They know how to respond to the requests from beneficiaries, recognize problems and best practices and share it within the team. This point is something very great and it is what I want them to keep doing more and more.

Since they are developing every day, both new and old team members are helpful to this program. They are building trust for me and hope for JWOC. I wish I can help them to improve more in the future.

Looking ahead - Malin's goals for 2015

Hello! My name is Malin, I’m a 1st year scholarship student at JWOC. I have 3 sisters and I live with two of them. My grandma and my mom they live in Chikreng village to the east of Siem Reap.

I am looking forward to achieving my goals in 2015. For my goal in 2015 I want to work in an organization as a field staff member. I want to work there because I want to know how people in our rural society live so I can learn about what I can do to help them, first I want to understand them so I am able to connect with them better. I really want to work there because I love traveling to the country side of Cambodia, I find the people in the countryside really kind and welcoming and now people living in the city have different lifestyles to the rural population. I want to change my life, I want to experience new situations and environments and working in the field with rural communities is a perfect opportunity for this. I want to study their culture and I also want to share the knowledge with them that I have learned here at JWOC.

At Present, I’m studying at Build Bright University and work as a English teacher at New York International school, full time, but if I am able to find a job working with another organization I will cut my teaching hours down to part time. Teaching is just a small part of my dream; also I want to know one more language after Khmer and English. I told myself in 2015 I would have to learn one more language beside English. Also I am really excited to study harder and harder so I can be a good and proud employee in the Asian community. I want to help Cambodia strive to be a helpful member of the larger Asian community to do this I must try my hardest to be a good citizen.

I will always try my hardest to improve my studying so my dreams can come true, I believe that education is the key; it can lead me to do the right thing and be confident in my decisions. It will give me more opportunities to work. I hope that my fellow students can also study hard and help Cambodia grow.

10 Years of Journeys Within

To celebrate 10 years of Journeys Within Tour Company, Andrea Ross talks about an incredible journey. A journey that not only changed her life but has changed the lives of thousands of members of our community.  

The truth is that our 10 year anniversary was last year…but we were busy and I just couldn’t quite get around to celebrating it, I think it was because deep down I wanted to wait and really complete 10 years! It wasn’t okay to say we’d gotten to the 10th year, in typical Journeys Within fashion we had to go above and beyond and excel in that 10th year too!! To highlight just that, in the last week I’ve received emails from guests describing their recent trips as “epic”, “once-in-a-lifetime” and “life-changing”. Our tenth year was truly the icing on our anniversary cake!

When Brandon and I started Journeys Within Tour Company 10/11 years ago in Cambodia neither of us realized where it would go and the lives it would change. When I talk about exceptional experiences I’m not just talking about our guests…I’m talking about the Journeys Within team as well. I feel so lucky to have a team that truly loves what they do and I think we are able to really appreciate how exceptional Southeast Asia is. Because we truly value it we’re able to create these experiences for guests that just go above the norm and create unforgettable trips. On a personal level, the last 10 years has been an exceptional experience for me!

When I realized that I shouldn’t just let our anniversary fade into the Angkor Wat sunset I looked online to see what people did for their 10-year-anniversary. Turns out, people have parties…they throw big events and they have a very good time. I thought about doing this, as I do like a good party, but my team is spread across 6 countries and getting them all together seemed unlikely. I will be taking the kids to Southeast Asia in February and in each country I’ll celebrate with my Journeys Within Family, but I needed something bigger, something that defined Journeys Within. I didn’t have to look far.

Shortly after founding Journeys Within Tour Company we founded Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC), a non-profit that has a mission of empowering local communities through health and education and inspiring change. When we founded JWOC we again had no idea of the impact it would have. Today JWOC has given access to clean water to thousands of villagers, we’ve provided education for hundreds of students at our school in Siem Reap, we’ve given out microloans to those living below the poverty line and we’ve sent over 200 students to university. And when I say JWOC has done this, I mean WE have done this — it turns out that the most exceptional experiences are not necessarily helicopter rides and private pampering (though those are great too!), but actually the experiences you take home with you are the ones where you make a difference in someone else’s life. When our guests saw the needs in the countries they were visiting they wanted to make a difference and they have! Our donors are the travelers — people that not only want to see and understand these countries, but also make a positive impact on the people living here. The idea of Active Philanthropy through travel has made measurable impacts in the communities that we work in. Our teams both at Journeys Within Tour Company and at JWOC have made these contributions count, every penny of them! In return our guests have not only seen the highlights of Southeast Asia, but they’ve made a difference in the lives of the local people that inspire us to travel. The experience has gone beyond Angkor Wat and Wat Phou and the Grand Palace, and into the villages and communities.

This to me is what the last 10 years has been about. Making travel bigger than just going somewhere new. So to celebrate 10 years of exceptional experiences Journeys Within is donating $10,000 dollars to JWOC. This donation will go towards the projects we founded and believe in and will help JWOC continue to change lives. This donation adds onto the thousands of dollars given throughout the course of the year by our guests who visit our schools and see our projects, as well as the donations that come in from our amazing travelers after they come home and want to continue making a difference!

I am so proud that what we founded 10 years ago has become something so powerful. I am so thankful to have a team that strives to give our guests the best experience possible every single day and I’m so excited to see what will happen in the next 10 years. On the phone today, I was speaking with a guest about his trip and he couldn’t say enough nice things, finally he said, “for a small company with so much heart, you really have the service to back it up.” And that, well that was all I needed.

My time at JWOC

My name is Voleak Phan and I am 15 years old. I’m a sophomore at an international school calls Jay Pritzker Academy (JPA). I decided to volunteer at JWOC during the winter break because I felt as though I wanted to do something for my community and to get some work experience as well so that I’m more prepared for my future. Also, at first I thought that it would be a boring break to just stay at home, so why not do something useful?

Therefore, I met with my friends and we organized a team to work at JWOC, which was recommended to me by my Psychology teacher Ms. Chantal Debreu. We have had such a good time at JWOC. I went to classes in the afternoon from Monday to Friday to assist the teacher as well as preparing fun activities so the kids can play during studying periods. In addition, on Saturday and Sunday I helped the art class to make crafts for the kids as well as teaching them to make the crafts. I can say that I feel an overwhelming pleasure because I’m a part of it. I love spending my time with those bright children, who are eager to learn and friendly. Additionally, the other staffs are very nice and helpful to me, which made me feel so warm. In addition, I also learn how to teach children, preparing lesson plans, get comfortable with students and talking to them, and some craft-making skills that I had never know how to do before.

I feel good about my decision because for once, I actually did something for my beloved country; I learned things that can be applied in real life. Even though it wasn’t much, I know that this is just the start. There are going to be many more things that I will do to help my country.

Last of all with gratitude, I would like to say thank you to the founders of JWOC and the donators as well as helpers, who without their presence, underprivileged Cambodian children won’t get the precious opportunity to see the world at a different angle. Thank you so much.

Chhoeun - Looking back, what have I learnt?

My name is Mao Chhoeun. I come from Kampong Svay District, Kampong Thom Province. I have been volunteering in JWOC for around four years with the Clean Water Project and Microfinance Project beginning in October, 2010. I am very happy to join with the team in Clean Water Project and Microfinance Project. The Clean Water Project is a new experience for me.


I have been learning many skills from this project, such as how to survey villagers, hygiene training and ceramic filter training. All of these skills are very good for me. The Clean Water Project is a very special project that I really enjoyed joining and I was able to improve my leadership and teamwork within our community.

I have been volunteering with the Clean Water Project for around two years and I changed from Clean Water Project to Microfinance Project. I am a loan officer. I really enjoy working with the Microfinance team. I have been learning many skills from this project such as how to complete loan applications, communication with villagers, and balancing the cash from borrowers and reporting to the Microfinance Project Manager. Part of this is working in-groups, leading and inspiring each other.

I really love all programs at JWOC. All of these programs are very important to share with our community. JWOC has made many opportunities for me, other students and people in community. JWOC is a good organization that has been creating many projects for supporting peoples and students alike. Especially, JWOC has a Scholarship Program for the students in the community that they don’t have enough money to continue their studies at university. I love the slogan of JWOC “See a problem, solve a problem”.


Being part of this community has given me more opportunity than I had in my life before, it is very different now. I got a Scholarship from JWOC; this provides me the information to get to know everything in our community. Understand Cambodian culture and US culture, working in-groups, project training and many other workshops. This program has made me a better person. I really love all the staff at JWOC they are very friendly and they make me happy every time and I really enjoy working with them.

An Inspiring Organization

Sarah, our Education and Volunteer Manager has been with us for 9 months, she talks to us about her experiences with the Free Classes team and how JWOC has inspired her and so many people in our community.

During my time as the Education and Volunteer Manager I have been lucky enough to be working with many wonderful and inspiring people.  My background is in teaching, having taught in London for 3 years and in Sudan for 2 years. 

I am constantly humbled by the amazing people at JWOC.  What makes JWOC special is that people are helping themselves improve their life opportunities, JWOC simply helps by giving the tools.  Our Scholarship students are remarkable, each with their own personal story of how they have overcome enormous odds and shown immense dedication to their education and bettering their lives in difficult circumstances.  Our Scholarship students not only want to improve their chances but also have a passion for helping others.  They truly are incredible as demonstrated through the energy with which they manage their studies at university, working to cover their living costs as well as volunteering in our Free Classes, Microfinance, Clean Water and Community Liaison and Assistance Programs.

I arrived in 2013 at an opportune time to see last year's Year 4 students graduate.  It was inspiring to hear their stories and how much they had grown and developed during their time with JWOC.  I also got to meet some of the previous graduates and find out some of their success stories and find out just how much being a Scholarship student at JWOC has helped as a catalyst for their personal journeys and that of their families. 

Within the Free Classes team I work with some amazing, motivated and dedicated people, always happy to do that bit extra and help.  Our previous Free Classes Program Manager was with JWOC for 8 years, as a Scholarship student, Intern and Free Classes Program Manager and lived and breathed Free Classes helping it to become what it is now.  Khoeurn, our new Free Classes Program Manager, graduated from our Scholarship Program last year and in fact gave a beautiful speech for his graduating class of 2013 and is a testament to the difference a Scholarship can make.  He is inspired to help his community through education.  Kea, our Free Classes Support Officer, is a current Scholarship student in Year 3 who has grown in confidence through JWOC's teacher development and always tackles his work with a smile and a joke.  Nesa, our Child Development Coordinator and Librarian as well as Art Class team leader, is extremely professional as well as innovative in coming up with creative ideas for children to learn whilst having fun.  As well as these key members we have the sewing team, the Computer classes team, the Art class team, the Under 8's team and the English classes team.  The Free Classes team is always willing to go above and beyond their roles.  It has been great to share and be part of the Free Classes team growing.  It is exciting looking to the future to more opportunities for growth for the Free Classes team at the same time as enhancing our educational provision for the community.

As well as working with an incredible team it has been inspiring to hear how JWOC has touched people who have come into contact with or have heard of our organization, such as Jane, Pat, Janet, Allen, Toni, April, Mark and Erin to name but a few.  Jane and Pat started by sponsoring a student and have become increasingly more involved spending time volunteering with JWOC over the last few years helping to build capacity.   Jane is now our Executive Director and a fantastic advocate for JWOC’s work.  Janet and Allen have continuously supported JWOC throughout the years, especially through their thoughtful and encouraging emails with JWOC's family of staff, Scholarship students and graduates; they know JWOC’s extended family better than anyone.  Toni, Mark and April are some of the conscientious tour managers from our longtime supporters Collette tours who have seen JWOC grow year by year from humble beginnings to reaching over 700 students a year.  Erin is one of the newest members of our board who will be coming to volunteer this month and help build capacity at JWOC; she has been coming up with some creative and generous ways of fundraising for JWOC as well as giving her time.  JWOC really seems to enrich people's lives and inspire people to want to do better - it certainly has for me!

Executive Director, Jane Price, Talks about Her Personal Journey with JWOC

My early involvement with JWOC:

In December of 2007, we traveled from our posting in Beijing to visit Siem Reap, tour the archeological highlights and participate in the Angkor Wat Half Marathon. We stayed at Journeys Within Boutique Hotel and met JWOC founders, Brandon and Andrea Ross. They described the philosophy of the non-profit they established and shared information about how I could get involved. After leaving Cambodia, I decided to sponsor a JWOC university student because of my belief in the transformational power of education. I enjoyed corresponding with my JWOC scholarship student; this exchange provided me a chance to get to know my highly-motivated and hard-working student better, understand Cambodian culture and share a bit about US culture with my student.


What impressed me most about JWOC:

The way the non-profit was structured to be sustainable and scalable, with local program managers and the scholarship program at its heart. This approach evolved from the influence of the founders and JWOC's motto, "See a problem, solve a problem." JWOC's committed and skilled staff deliver well-run programs that encourage beneficiary engagement beyond simply being a recipient. What sets JWOC apart from other non-profits is the scholarship program; not only does JWOC offer university scholarship to deserving, financially-challenged Cambodian students, JWOC provides mentoring, training and real-life experiences via volunteering in and providing service to their communities. Witnessing the blossoming of JWOC scholarship students from years 1-4 through graduation is a joy; the student's confidence and capacity grow exponentially. JWOC scholarship graduates are well-rounded and well-prepared to contribute to the well being of their families, community and country. For example, the first JWOC student I sponsored graduated from Build Bright University in Siem Reap, Cambodia and is now a public school teacher, tour guide and studying for her Masters degree in Education.


How I became more involved with JWOC

As an former sales and marketing executive and now as an executive coach, I enjoy travel and exploring cultures, so I arranged to volunteer with JWOC for a month in 2010 to provide life coaching to JWOC scholarship students, management training for JWOC staff and skills workshops for JWOC students. My initial month in Siem Reap with JWOC impressed me deeply. Since then I joined the JWOC Board, contributing as JWOC Board Chair and now as JWOC's Executive Director. Using my ultra-running events as a catalyst, I enlisted the support of my generous friends and family and have sponsored additional JWOC scholars in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Everyone in the JWOC family deeply inspires me; the friendships and relationships I have made enrich my life. I derive tremendous satisfaction from being part of such a committed team, including JWOC's Board, staff, scholars, donors and global volunteers; I feel drawn to return each year to Siem Reap to volunteer at JWOC and witness JWOC's continuing progress and positive impact.

My invitation to others

As the saying goes, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." I thank every friend of JWOC for being a positive force for change in the world through their on-going financial support. I invite you to deepen your engagement with JWOC; there are so many ways to help. Contact either me or Alex Plummer, JWOC's Managing Director; we'll be delighted to exchange ideas.

The Collette Foundation caring for our community

Our school in Cambodia has over 700 students attending classes every week and many more visiting for workshops, the library and fun activities. It is constantly buzzing and has become a true refuge and opportunity-builder for our local community. This amazing school was in part made possible by Collette Cares, the not for profit arm of Collette Vacations. Their generous donation allowed JWOC to build the new school and allows for hundreds of students to better themselves and have a brighter future.

The great part about the Collette Foundation being part of building and maintaining our school as well as our other projects is that they can now bring their travelers to visit our projects and see the work that Collette is part of. Once or twice a month, usually on a Friday, a large bus pulls up outside JWOC and guests visiting Cambodia with Collette Vacations are able to visit the JWOC Conversation Class.

This class was developed for exactly this reason…so that our students could have a chance to meet with native English speakers and put their English learning skills to the test. It also is a way for our supporters to really meet and interact with the Cambodian people, learning more about their lives and goals.

Our students really enjoy their time at conversation class and for them it is invaluable practice and a chance to take what they have learned in the classroom and put it into practice. The hour class always flies by. At the end of class there are smiles all round and in just one hour it is amazing how people from such distant cultures can bond so closely.

Collette Cares have provided us with financial support every year since our partnership started in 2008. Their help has allowed us to build classrooms, toilets, fund our Kindergarten classes and our Clean Water Project. Foundations such as Collette Cares help grassroots organizations truly achieve their vision. Certainly, in our case, without the help of Collette much of what we do would not be possible so we thank them and look forward to the next group to visit our Conversation Class and Journeys Within Our Community.