Lawley Volunteers Meet the King of Cambodia
Each year in July, Mount Lawley Senior High School sends off a group of year 11 students and teachers to work in a voluntary capacity in Cambodia.
They travel to the southern province of Cambodia of Takeo, where they teach English in the local village schools and help out out at a local children's home.
This is a well established program that allows students to explore their own values and independence, through working with those with significantly less.
This year the students and teachers were invited to participate in an Arbor Day ceremony and were given the opportunity to meet King Norodom Sihamoni and the governor of the province of Takeo.
This is a huge honour of which very few can claim the same.
The ceremony was held at Phnom Tamau zoo, in the province of Takeo.
Over a thousand people were present, but the Mount Lawley group were seated with the dignatories and presented to the king as he passed their group.
One Year 11 student, Ciaran, presented a Jarrah pen to the king, which he enthusiastically accepted and spoke briefly to Ciaran.
The make of the pen was possibly fitting, given all the students and teachers were invited to plant trees along with the king.
The importance of Arbor Day and the importance of reforestation was reiterated by the king in his speech.
King Norodom Sihamoni, said - on the occasion " I would like to call on our compatriots to join together to replant trees and maintain them so as to ensure the sustainability of forest and environment"
Upon reflection, the teachers present said that it was a fantastic opportunity and experience for our students to witness and be part of this event.
They witnessed an alternative culture and were integral to the honour and respect shown to one of the worlds great monarchs.
Despite the overwhelming poverty of the country the sheer joy demonstrated in the presence of a much loved king is overwhelming and certainly makes the students think twice about their own environment and lives.
