Carlos Plans: "when I speak of volunteers I mean people truly willing to collaborate and commit themselves one hundred percent"

How did you first arrive in Cambodia and what captivated you about that country?

It was on December 23, 2000, when I arrived at the old Pochentong International Airport, in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. There, waiting for me with a sign bearing my name, was Sovan Me, a private taxi driver. At that time, there were no public taxis in the city, so I had contacted him days earlier through an internet forum. It is worth noting that, back then, internet access was not as common as it is today.

During the three days I stayed in Phnom Penh, Sovan became my personal guide. Thanks to him, I got to know not only part of the city but also some nearby places that left a deep impression on me. One of them was the capital’s garbage dump, where I witnessed a scene I will never forget: dozens of children, between 4 and 12 years old, rummaging through enormous mountains of waste in search of something useful or edible.

Another image that moved me deeply was the visit to his family’s home. It was a humble construction, made of wood and palm leaves, with an improvised outdoor kitchen: just two bricks and a bit of ash. Chickens fluttered among the trash surrounding the house. His three children, barefoot and dressed in worn-out clothes, completed a scene that struck me profoundly and has remained etched in my memory.

When and how was your commitment to collaborate with solidarity projects in the country born?

Upon returning from that trip, I contacted the Centro Leonés in Catalonia, where they gave me the opportunity to offer my first conference, accompanied by a photographic and audiovisual exhibition about what I had witnessed in Cambodia: life in the poorest rural areas of the country and the harsh conditions at the Phnom Penh dumpsite.

Thanks to that event, I managed to collect, with the collaboration of the center’s members, a large amount of clothing and basic medicines such as paracetamol, ibuprofen… Four months later, I set off on a new journey, loaded with all the aid that both the center’s members and my closest friends had given me.

From then on, I began to get more and more involved with the country. On my later trips I discovered Tonle Bati, a very poor village near Phnom Penh. After that visit and after talking with some of the locals, I decided to prepare a report accompanied by videos and photographs. With that report I went to the Intervida Foundation in Barcelona to request support for the project, offering in return my collaboration in dissemination, publicity, and organizing events aimed at raising funds.

What role did NGOs play in your humanitarian journey? Which ones were you involved with?

The NGOs I collaborated with were of great help, because without their support it would not have been possible to achieve everything I did. At the beginning, I acted on my own, but I soon realized it was impossible to move forward without support.

The first NGO I had the opportunity to collaborate with was SAUCE, in 2003. There I met Monsignor Kike Figaredo from Spain and missionary Hernán Pinilla from Colombia, who became great promoters during my first years.

Later, I also worked with Fundación UNES, Ajudant a Ajudar, Global Humanitaria, Somriure Humil, Udutama (Thailand), Tomando Conciencia, and other organizations, as well as collaborating with local NGOs in Cambodia such as Afesip and OCCO.

One of your most significant projects was the construction of a school in the village of Keov Mony. How did that initiative come about?

The idea of creating a preschool in the village was born when the previous school I had founded together with the NGO SAUCE in 2008 was closed. Even so, the teacher decided to continue teaching in her own home, completely altruistically, without receiving a salary and without any school supplies. The blackboard was just a board painted black, and the children had to sit on the floor.

On one of my trips, I suggested building a school on the land of her house. I prepared a report for UNES, the NGO I was most closely connected with at the time, and together we launched the project. The first step was to raise funds to make it possible.

Later, I encouraged five young people from Barcelona, between 20 and 22 years old, to travel to the village and help in the construction. In just two weeks, with enthusiasm and great effort, we managed to build the school.

What needs did the children and families of that community have before the school was built?

The needs were immense, since the village of Keov Mony lived in a situation of extreme poverty. At that time, they had no electricity and were also enduring a severe drought: the wells barely produced water, and this was becoming a serious problem. There was a government school, but it was too far away; those without a bicycle had to walk many kilometers to attend.

Faced with that reality, we decided to build a small support school for the youngest children of the village. The project was not limited to the construction of the building: it also included school supplies, a salary for the teacher, basic medical supplies, and an annual check-up carried out by a team of dentists who traveled from Barcelona. In addition, we installed a large tank of drinking water and provided bicycles to the children who had the most difficulty getting to school.

How do you value the contribution of volunteers in this type of project?

The contribution of volunteers is essential in this kind of project. However, when I speak of “volunteers,” I mean people truly willing to collaborate and commit themselves one hundred percent. During my stay in Cambodia, I observed that in some projects there were people who seemed more interested in enjoying a vacation than in dedicating themselves to real work.

Volunteering requires a clear mindset: it is about helping those who need it most, not about taking a vacation or posing for photos next to vulnerable communities in their humble wooden houses in order to later get “likes” on social media and boast about having helped. Unfortunately, this superficial attitude has become far too common nowadays.

On more than one occasion, supposed “volunteers” contacted me asking if the NGO would cover their travel and accommodation expenses, which I consider an abuse. And sadly, there are also organizations that take advantage of this situation by charging volunteers to participate, which ends up distorting the true spirit of volunteering.

What difficulties have you encountered?

Before the COVID pandemic, I had secured the commitment of an NGO to provide about 6,400 euros annually for the Keov Mony school. That support was enough to cover the teacher’s salary, school and medical supplies, a monthly delivery of drinking water to the tank we installed, and even to bring traditional Cambodian dance teachers with all the costumes included.

In addition, as I mentioned earlier, a group of dentists planned to travel each year to carry out dental check-ups for all the children in the village and in nearby villages.

Unfortunately, during the pandemic the collaboration came to a complete halt, and the fundraising events that had been planned had to be canceled.

After the pandemic, as no new aid arrived, the school was forced to close, although the building still remains. Today I understand that the teacher is quite ill, and even if there were a will to restart the project, she can no longer take charge of teaching.

You mention that some of the NGOs you collaborated with had to close. What did it mean for you to lose that essential support?

For me, it was very sad to see how several of the organizations that had supported me had to close, not only regarding the Keov Mony school but also in other projects. The last one I collaborated with was the UNES Foundation, which promoted the school in Keov Mony and with which I also worked on two projects in Senegal. There, we launched a shelter for babies and children abandoned on the street, from 0 to 24 months. Fortunately, this project continues thanks to the fact that a local NGO and the government of Senegal took over its management.

I recognize that NGOs play a fundamental role in humanitarian aid. In the 25 years I have been collaborating on different projects, I have seen how some could only last a few years, while others, on the other hand, have endured and remain active today, even in better conditions than at the beginning.

How did you personally experience the closure of the last school you founded in Cambodia?

For me, the Keov Mony school was never just a building: it was a true family that I had been building during the five years prior to the project. Even before the school existed, I was already collaborating with the NGO SAUCE in other projects in the village, working with the youngest children and participating in their education. Being able to build the school was one of the greatest satisfactions of my life, and feeling the gratitude of the parents for what we were doing for their children filled me with emotion and pride.

When the organization that supported us had to close, leaving the school without resources, it was a devastating blow. Seeing all the effort vanish—the young volunteers who built it, every person who contributed financially, and all those who believed in the project—broke my heart.

I tried to revive the initiative, but I could not find anyone willing to take it on. Since then, I have been left with a feeling of emptiness and disappointment, because I had put so much hope into that project and had involved so many people to make it a reality. I had promised the teacher that the school would continue to grow, that it would keep improving thanks to new fundraising campaigns, and not being able to fulfill that promise was a deep pain.

For me, the Keov Mony school represents more than education: it represents dreams, effort, hope, and the human connection that can be created when one truly works for others. That all of this was cut short leaves me with a bittersweet memory, but also with a lesson I will never forget.

Despite the difficulties, do you contemplate resuming similar projects in the future, if conditions allow?

Without a doubt, if today someone proposed to me to restart the project or to undertake a similar one, I would do it with all my heart and effort, just as I have always given in each project in Cambodia and Senegal. Experience has taught me that when you work with hope and commitment for others, even small efforts can transform lives, and I want to continue being part of that change.

To know more about this project visit: https://memoriasdecamboya.com/keov-mony-2014-1