Camille and Elise in Laos

Four nuns in our community run the DaoArun nursery and primary school and a shelter for twelve children aged three to twelve in Savannakhet, Laos. As the school principal, I often got questions from teachers about child psychology. The congregation gave me the opportunity to welcome volunteers and I agreed to discuss this with the teachers, who were very interested. Camille and Elise were the first volunteer psychologists. We worked together several times via videoconference to develop the project. We agreed on the idea of a training period for the teachers. Since the mission was scheduled to last one month, we decided to create a questionnaire for the teachers to prepare for the start of the mission in advance and find out their needs. Their requests concerned understanding and supporting the emotions and behaviour of the pupils. Once they arrived on site, Elise and Camille were able to visit the school and spend time in the classrooms. We had a discussion with all the teachers to get to know each other and talk together. We created and proposed this training in French and translated it into Laotian. Brain development, emotions, basic needs, concentration in children and teaching tools were the topics covered. The teachers were able to ask questions and appreciated this training, especially since they had not received any training on these topics until then. They now want to gradually put the proposed tools into practice. Camille and Elise came in January, during the school holiday week, and took the opportunity to visit the youth centre in the city centre, which is part of our congregation.

The request from the sisters at the centre mainly concerned the topic of adolescence and how to support girls during this period of their lives, which can be a little difficult. Camille and Elise created an anonymous question box to collect their concerns and organised a group discussion. Based on this, they devised various activities focused on self-confidence and relationships with others. The sisters noticed that the teenagers gained a better understanding of their feelings. They now realise the importance of taking the time to enjoy each stage of their lives as young women, and feel more at peace about their future. We have formed a bond with Camille and Elise, who are part of our family. We have enjoyed their presence here and are sad to be parting ways with them in a few days. We will stay in touch and hope to see them again. Sister Santy Sayaboun one

Before our mission began, we knew that we had come to offer help, but that the real reward would be what we received in return. However, we never imagined that this experience would have such a profound impact on us, both personally and professionally. Living within the community, together, seeing the sisters devote their lives to others, always with joy and humility, was a real treasure for us. They are role models, and what we saw in them strengthened our commitment and nourished our faith. Being welcomed as members of the family everywhere we went, without conditions, moved us deeply.We learned a lot from the local culture, particularly about letting go, the serenity and peace that comes with it, and collective values (solidarity, coexistence, caring for others and previous generations, etc.), which are lacking in Western societies. In addition, our perspective on children’s education was particularly enriched: the freedom and trust they are given, while teaching them discipline and respect. We admire the way children know how to build, repair, fish and play for hours outdoors without ever getting bored. Children are independent, responsible and fulfilled. Coming as volunteers is very different from a tourist experience; we immersed ourselves in local life and experienced and shared moments that we would probably never have experienced as tourists. We were part of the community and felt at ease. We arrived with knowledge and tools that we thought we would pass on to the teachers, only to discover that they were already part of their practice in an intuitive way, despite having received little training. We learned a lot from them and their admirable knowledge and skills.

We are fortunate to have access to training in France, but we have also understood the importance of acting according to our feelings, of trusting ourselves, as the teachers here do. We really enjoyed living with the nuns and children at the centre. These are children who have had a difficult life and their resilience is a real lesson in life. We experienced moments of laughter and games that will remain etched in our hearts. Everything we have learned here makes us want to pass it on in turn. We are no longer exactly the same people we were when we arrived, and this volunteering experience is one of the most beautiful adventures of our lives.

Camille and Elise