5/19/2008
By Heather J. Carlson
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
DODGE CENTER -- It all started with a Dodge Center teenager's simple goal -- to raise money to build one toilet in a Cambodian village.
Two years later, Naomi Wente's idea has swelled into an international success story. She has helped raise funds to build four toilets and four wells in Cambodia and raised nearly $5,000. She has gained national attention, winning a U.S. State Department award for a Web site about her efforts. She recently traveled to the state Capitol to receive yet another award from the state's Department of Education.
"I didn't really think it would get to this point," said the Triton High School junior.
It all started in December 2005, when the then-14-year-old went to Cambodia with her family and a group of Rochester Community and Technical College students. While there, she began talking with young girls in the village. She soon discovered that many girls end up dropping out of school because of one simple thing -- not having a toilet.
Once girls begin menstruating, they are often too embarrassed to use the primitive public bathroom, which often is a simple hole in the ground. Going to the bathroom in a nearby forest brings with it the risks of landmines or kidnappings. So many girls opt simply to stop going to school.
To help change that, Wente teamed up with Kim Sin, whose family fled Cambodia during the violent Khmer Rouge's reign. Sin works with her mother, RCTC speech instructor Lori Halverson-Wente, to arrange yearly trips to Cambodia for students.
"I believed (Naomi) could do it, and that's why I was very supportive," Sin said.
Over the past two years, "One Toilet at a Time" has garnered major support in Cambodia.
Wente's nonprofit has teamed up with a group called Youth Service Cambodia, comprised of college students in Cambodia. This group helps make sure all donations toward the project go to villages with a desperate need for toilets and wells. They also work with the villages to make sure they have a sense of ownership in the project, requiring them to raise $30 and to help with construction.
"One Toilet at a Time" has also won more local support, with Rochester's Bella Voce Young Women's Choir helping raise money for the project.
Wente's interest in global affairs does not appear to be waning. She plans to spend the first semester of her senior year studying in Mexico. Her advice for other youth who want to make a difference is simple.
"Never put a cap on what you think you can do," she said. "Come up with an idea and go all the way. Don't let anything stop you. Just do what you believe."
By Heather J. Carlson
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
DODGE CENTER -- It all started with a Dodge Center teenager's simple goal -- to raise money to build one toilet in a Cambodian village.
Two years later, Naomi Wente's idea has swelled into an international success story. She has helped raise funds to build four toilets and four wells in Cambodia and raised nearly $5,000. She has gained national attention, winning a U.S. State Department award for a Web site about her efforts. She recently traveled to the state Capitol to receive yet another award from the state's Department of Education.
"I didn't really think it would get to this point," said the Triton High School junior.
It all started in December 2005, when the then-14-year-old went to Cambodia with her family and a group of Rochester Community and Technical College students. While there, she began talking with young girls in the village. She soon discovered that many girls end up dropping out of school because of one simple thing -- not having a toilet.
Once girls begin menstruating, they are often too embarrassed to use the primitive public bathroom, which often is a simple hole in the ground. Going to the bathroom in a nearby forest brings with it the risks of landmines or kidnappings. So many girls opt simply to stop going to school.
To help change that, Wente teamed up with Kim Sin, whose family fled Cambodia during the violent Khmer Rouge's reign. Sin works with her mother, RCTC speech instructor Lori Halverson-Wente, to arrange yearly trips to Cambodia for students.
"I believed (Naomi) could do it, and that's why I was very supportive," Sin said.
Over the past two years, "One Toilet at a Time" has garnered major support in Cambodia.
Wente's nonprofit has teamed up with a group called Youth Service Cambodia, comprised of college students in Cambodia. This group helps make sure all donations toward the project go to villages with a desperate need for toilets and wells. They also work with the villages to make sure they have a sense of ownership in the project, requiring them to raise $30 and to help with construction.
"One Toilet at a Time" has also won more local support, with Rochester's Bella Voce Young Women's Choir helping raise money for the project.
Wente's interest in global affairs does not appear to be waning. She plans to spend the first semester of her senior year studying in Mexico. Her advice for other youth who want to make a difference is simple.
"Never put a cap on what you think you can do," she said. "Come up with an idea and go all the way. Don't let anything stop you. Just do what you believe."
No comments:
Post a Comment