23 students from Hall 10 embarked on a journey to Kampong Kdei, a village commune in Siem Reap, Cambodia from 28 May to 11 June 2018.
In Kampong Kdei, most locals live below the poverty line, with families living with a daily expenditure of a mere US$1.50. The objectives of the trip were to impact lives, making a lasting and sustainable difference to the locals in Kampong Kdei, and to enable participants to take home valuable insights and experiences.
The team accomplished a slew of activities during the trip. including:
- Teaching the children in the local primary school simple English and Mathematics, basic hygiene, sports and arts & crafts;
- Equipping the higher tertiary students with basic interview skills;
- Building a mini bookshelf with simple English books for the students;
- Building the first 2 metres of their concrete fence;
- Re-tiling one of their classrooms with marble tiles;
- Refurbishing classroom with lights and fans;
- Organising donation drives for the various villages in Kampong Kdei and giving stationery and basic necessities such as clothes to the children; and
- Installing a basketball hoop for the children so that they can play a variety of sports in their free time.
Despite the race against time to achieve everything in a short span of time, the team had a fulfilling and meaningful time, especially after seeing the smiles on the children faces. It made everything worthwhile.
“Going to the same place for the second time, this time as a leader, really made me step out of my comfort zone, and has allowed me to grow so much more than I imagined. Embarking on this journey with a different group of people allowed me to gain new perspectives. It was not easy to lead a group of people who were greatly diverse and very vocal with their thoughts. I learnt to handle different types of people and situations.
Being a repeat participant also allowed me to slow down, sit back and observe things I did not observe last year. It was heart-warming to see that our efforts paid off last year. The school is now a more conducive place to learn; the teachers stepped up to clean the school before we arrive for the second time this year; and the students were more motivated to learn. This time, I expanded on my thoughts and emotions, and gained clarity on some issues that I could not figure out last year. I realised that there is always something new to learn every time. I have learnt to develop a greater sense of appreciation for the people and things around me. More importantly, I hope that our efforts could continue to blossom with the efforts from the locals.” Lee Yuan Qi, Leader
“During this trip, we had the chance to donate food and clothes to the people who live beside the dumpsite that they work in. They work for an entire day just to earn a few dollars, and most of their kids do not attend school and will probably work in the dumpsite in the future. Thus, it was really heartwarming to see that they looked very appreciative and happy when they saw us, as the donations will help them to save a bit of their money on food and clothes. The smiles on their faces, especially the kids who received clothes that were way too big for their physique, also reminded me of the quote by Ronald Reagan which says, “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” It made me realise that there are many little and unexpected ways that we can help other people. An act as simple as donating clothes that we no longer wear instead of throwing it away, can also put a smile onto someone else’s face!” Teo Zi Ning, Member
About Hall of Residence 10
Hall of Residence 10 consists of four blocks and has 600 residents including freshmen, seniors and hall fellows. Hall 10 participates in the various Inter-Hall competitions which are held annually.
Members of Hall of Residence 10 have attained commendable results in various sports, dance and cheer-leading. Hall of Residence 10 organised many events and activities for their residents such as Overseas Exposure Programme, Mid-Autumn Festival and Halloween Night.
