Students aged 15/16 from Bowral High School (NSW, Australia) went to Cambodia during a cultural exchange trip in April 2007. Footprints provided a $500 (AUD) grant for the purchase of essential school materials for the Volunteer Development Poverty Children School (at the Wat Thmei Orphanage) which the Australian students visited.
"It was an emotional visit to the Wat Thmei orphanage in Cambodia.
Our students were amazed at the conditions these children lived in, as well as the basic conditions of the school and lack of resources. I think they were all pleased to be able to contribute to the school, as the Cambodian children were so enthusiastic about their education.
Our students were quite overwhelmed, and really enjoyed playing with the children and handing out presents brought from home such as books.
Additionally, with the assistance of Footprints we were also able to purchase a second hand computer and three class desks. While our original aim was for school furniture, the school teachers saw a greater need for a computer which would assist the students with learning new skills and in the long term, enable them to find employment easier"
Amanda Sutton,
Project Coordinator, Bowral High School
Amanda also attached a letter from the School Director
"Dear all the students of Borwal High School in Australia,
My name is Togh. I am the director of VDPCS in Siem Reap. Children in the VDPCS would like to thank the students of Bowral High School from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our school. The children and I are very grateful.
May all of you meet five blessings! 1. Longevity, 2. Colour, 3. Health and happiness, 4. Strength, 5. Wisdom
The children and will pray to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. We wish you all good luck and success in your life. I am really happy that I get contributions from you all. They are wonderful things that we will never forget.
Signed, Main Togh, Director
19/06/07"
This project will cover:
- The provision of desks and chairs
- Individual packs of stationery for school (pens, pencils, paper) as well as toothbrushes etc.
All goods will be purchased locally to provide income to local businesses in Siem Reap.
The aim of this project is to:
Provide support for approx. 50 orphans who have come from the surrounding districts to Wat Thmei. The majority of the children have HIV or have been immediately affected by the disease, such as parents who have it.
The donation of these educational materials is essential as there is very limited government funding for these children. The Wat is run by monks and they operate by donation only.
Project Partners:
A group of students from Bowral High School in NSW, Australia will be visiting this orphanage in April 2007 as part of a cultural exchange. They will be responsible for the local purchasing of goods and additionally will make their own contribution to the individual student packs that will be presented from student to student.
Can I visit this project?
Yes. You can visit the Wat Thmei Pagoda and Orphanage in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The Buddhist Temple (Wat) is also known as the Killing Fields Pagoda as it contains a glass-walled stupa containing the bones of victims of the Khmer Rouge – as such it is well known by local taxi drivers.
How was it this funded?
Thanks to hundreds of tiny donations from these online businesses and their customers.
- ***WorldNomads.com.au
- ***WorldNomads.co.nz
- World Nomads USA
- World Nomads Canada
- www.WorldNomads.com
- ***World Nomads UK
Worldnomads.com provides online services to keep you travelling safely including travel insurance, free SMS travel safety alerts, iPod language guides, online travel journals and destination guides.
As a founding partner in Footprints, WorldNomads is now extending its involvement to coordinate small projects that source and distribute educational books and stationery materials to schools in need in developing countries.