Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Let's Get Playing......

So with the work room ready and tools materials from the 2009 visit with materials supplied from this visit.......we got the beads out..........and the children came.................


First one by one, then two by two, then by the mass..................fortunately Melinda was on hand with helping the flow of play with the little ones (her speciality) and me the bigger kids ( what I find easy). I was worried that the children from 3 - 5 were at risk at putting these beads up
noses and or down ears.........which I was sure Wayne would not have been too happy about having to fish out.

All was good and the only problem was, with most of the children, that they tended put Beads in their pockets ( for later ....of course). After a few days of passively dealing with this, Melinda and myself started the FBI game and all the children either voluntarily turned their pockets out on leaving the craft room or their pockets were patted down for bead contraban........ Melinda and myself even let the children pat our pockets down too...just so they could see it as a game



Some like Wey here, just had that adorable guilty look that gave them away every time..............

"Who Me??"



The plan was that they could play and make a necklace or Bracelet - one for Wat Opot shop and one for themselves.
Even though this was a playing situation I felt it was good to give guidance to them about structure in the craft room and how they can help out Wat Opt through having fun and creating.


Here is Rit telling us, when he was questioned on how many items had he made for himself.................it was either that or he was blowing us off with the western style fingers......

I truely believe that the first option was what he was doing.............but if you look at what he has on him.....there is 3 pieces of jewellery.................



Okay Okay...... the real answer to this is that, this is what they do in Asia when they are having a camera pionted at them.........its Asia's version for the peace symbol.


We spent about 4 days with the children just playing and making.................bare in mind even though we put up on the display boards even the attempts of the little ones....we did have to recycle some of theirs from time to time.

The time used supervising them with this kind of creativity was full on and at times tiring.....but when you see their faces light up because they have not just made a bracelet but actually were part of a group of children all having fun and creating, and creating something that they chose to put together the way they wanted..........its all just so worth it.

This is why I get so passionate about helping the children at Wat Opot with craft.............this is not just an activity to bust bordom........creating and making and discovering through play is of vital importance to a childs development. I also see its benefits as an Art therapy. In this case you could see many of the children growing confidence through making jewellery and anything else they attempted to make with beads,wire and twine.

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How this Journey Began

Fund Raising Journey 2008 / 2009

Hi My Name is Fiona,
I am ‘FEEBS’ Paua flowers & Flowers For Cambodia NZ ’
In August 2007 after reading an article in the Readers Digest NZ I created and followed a great opportunity to visit Project Wat Opot in the Takeo Provence Cambodia.
Whilst there I was so inspired by what they were trying achieving there I knew I had to return to help with what skills I had, and to share them with them.

To my knowledge Project Wat Opot up until January 2007 was an orphanage for children, some of whom were dying from the HIV virus. For 8 years prior to 2007 Wat Opot saw many of the children and some of their parents succumb to the virus.

January 2007 brought a new trail medication which then gave an opportunity for for the children to have prolonged life. Project Wat Opot was faced with a new challenge with the children that were HIV positive, it was impossible for them to return to a normal community. Discrimination and Stigma.
They have now changed their status as an orphanage to a ‘Community’ with a vision to be completely self sufficient.
They are doing this by welcoming the learning of any trades that can offer them the potential to bring money and to learn a trade that can help support their community.

The Trade that I can teach them is jewellery making for the commercial market of which I have a vast range of experience in this field.

What I am aiming to achieve in my time there in July 2009 is not only to teach them techniques of the jewellery trade but to look at their own resources and help develop some products that can make and will be sellable to the rapidly growing tourist trade.

I now have another passionate person joining me in going to Project Wat Opot . Marijke Lups is an Arts and Crafts teacher in Chirstchurch New Zealand and is completely and utterly inspired about what is happening at Wat Opot as I was when I first read about Wat Opot.
We fly out for Cambodia from New Zealand on the 13th July 2009 and will be at the project for about 5 weeks. While there we will be teaching our skills of Art and crafts and how to be creativily resourceful with what resources they have to make some stunning jewelly and Craft products.

Follow my journey with Wat Opot ...read the posts I have added below to keep you updated.
Check out their Wat Opot's new website and be inspired yourself
http://www.watopot.org/