Rota team visits Cambodia camp

Children at a Rota-supported centre in Cambodia


Gulf Times

Sunday22/3/2009

Qatar-based NGO Reach Out To Asia (Rota), in partnership with Education City, has organised a week-long volunteers trip to Cambodia, from March 19-25.

“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,” a spokesperson said.

The team includes 18 students from Education City, two teachers from Qatar Foundation and Rota representatives who 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 seven students will pass the exams and become eligible to pursue higher education.

Commenting on the volunteers visit, Reem al-Dagma, volunteer programmes manager at Rota, said: “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.”

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 fence around the orphanage.

The students will also deliver educational workshops.

A cultural element will complement the trip.

Fatema al-Mohalal al-Doha from VCU, a student volunteer, is excited to be part of the trip. She said: “I will see another part of the world and get to experience a new culture and all this while I will be helping other people.”