15 ROTA Volunteers Return From Visit To Cambodia

Doha, 17 Jumadal Awwal 1437/ 25 February 2016 (MINA) – Fifteen volunteers from Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) have returned from an eight-day trip to Cambodia which aimed to provide support to the Cambodian community and learn more about how education shapes human development.

In collaboration with ROTA’s Cambodia partner, the Monithapana Foundation, volunteers visited the Vihear Suor School in the Kandar district and the Dubai Islamic School community, where workshops were held.

The volunteers facilitated the workshops, which were based on the needs expressed by Cambodian school teachers from local communities.

In total, 100 teachers and students participated in the workshops which will in turn benefit more than 700 students.

The programme exposed volunteers to the challenging reality faced by their Cambodian beneficiaries. The educational focus of the trip from February 13, strengthened psychosocial skills and experiences of ROTA beneficiaries and Qatar-based volunteers.

“This international experience will raise awareness among ROTA’s volunteers about the importance of education in addressing local community needs and inspire them to further engage in Qatar-based volunteering activities,” said Essa Al Mannai, Executive Director, ROTA.

Prior to the visit, the volunteers received briefings on the organisation’s projects, education in Cambodia, local history and culture and other information.

The briefings were part of ROTA’s Model of International Volunteer Trips, based on eight years of experience in conducting meaningful and impactful service learning experiences for hundreds of Qatar-based volunteers.

The trip builds on progress last year, when 26 volunteers, including students and teachers from Independent schools for girls, travelled to Cambodia to conduct training for local schools.  (T/hna/R07 )

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)