ROTA Organizes Volunteer Trip to Cambodia
- Education City students to help upgrade facilities at orphanage
Following the several successful volunteer trips across Asia, the Qatar-based NGO Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) is organizing a Volunteer Trip to Cambodia.
The trip, being held in partnership with Education City, will last seven days (March 19-25) and it is another effort to enhance access to quality education in Cambodia - one of ROTA's priority countries - by removing barriers for school-going children.
18 students from Education City, 2 teachers from Qatar Foundation and ROTA representatives will visit the city of Siem Reap to support an ongoing project for Working for Children (WFC) orphanage in Pouk District.
Encompassing educational activities and cultural events, the trip will offer a unique opportunity to students from Education City to work with less-privileged children of Cambodia and assist them in the improvement of their educational and living conditions.
Cambodia suffers from a high drop-out rate in schools. On average, for every 100 students that starts Grade 1, only 15 will get to Grade 12, of which only 7 students will pass the exams and become eligible to pursue higher education.
Commenting on the volunteers visit, Reem Al Dagma, Volunteer Programs Manager at ROTA, said: "This volunteer trip is unique in many ways. We are involving students in volunteerism and helping in conquering educational challenges in developing countries. The trip is part of our objective to play a pivotal role in community development in our priority countries in Asia in order to eliminate all obstacles to quality education."
There will be a number of educational and cultural activities taking place during the trip. At the orphanage, the volunteers will be painting the library, equipping it with bookshelves, books and learning material and they will also assist in building a 400-metre fence around the orphanage to stop wild animals' invasions. The students will also deliver educational workshops that will include games, sports activities and English lesson, in an effort to achieve knowledge sharing and cultural exchange.
A cultural element will complement the trip to Cambodia, opening the eyes of the volunteers to a whole new world. A Tuc-Tuc tour around the city of Siem Reap, a traditional dance show, a visit to Tonle Sap floating village and the Temple of Angkor Wat, one of the ancient seven wonders of the world, will be only some of the unique moments of that trip.
Fatema Al Mohalal Al Doh, student at Virginia Commonwealth University, is excited to be part of the trip. She said: "I can't wait to visit Cambodia! I will see another part of the world, a will get to know a new culture and all these while I will be helping other people! I am thankful to ROTA and Education City for this unique trip. We will do our best to help the children in the orphanage conquer educational challenges and improve their lives."
This volunteer trip further reinforces the role played by ROTA in implementing educational projects across Asia. Reach Out To Asia envisions a world in which all young people have access to the education they need in order to realize their full potential and shape the development of their communities.
