How time flies! It has already been the fourth day we stay in Cambodia.
Our day started at 8 a.m when we went down to have breakfast. Shi Hui was fighting with NTU Stars System the whole morning, literally a STARS WAR!! After breakfast, we walked to SC again. I still remember the first time we walked to SC that everybody was so curious about everything and taking photos here and there. Today, we seem to have been familiar with the way and just wanted to arrive there faster.
There were 2 sessions conducted simultaneously, one is the Business Lessons with the youth clubs and another one was with the sewing class. For today’s business lessons, there were more interaction and discussion with those lovely students. In the morning, we discussed with them about demand and supply and 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion). The girls in my group were quite interested in the topic and were trying their best to understand the concepts by asking numerous questions. They were helping each other and you can really feel their efforts. At the end of the lesson, they taught us some local games and played together with us. The games were quite simple and we enjoyed such interaction with them.
The lesson in the afternoon was quite relaxing; we guide them to analyze the market of their products and write down the business proposals. Afterwards, we chit chatted with them to find out more about their life.
While for the other team, the team had a knowledge transfer session with the sewing girls, which we provided some products’ designs and prototypes for them to sew. 4 days were given to them to explore and sew the products. The feedback sessions will be given when we are back from the village area.
Before the afternoon business lessons, I got a chance to talk to a girl. Her English was very good and she was very active in the class. I asked her that was she going to continue the education and go to university in the future. She gave us very definite answer that she would definitely continue and she planned to apply for foreign scholarship. In the environment that many students drop off at the grade nine and then went out to work to support family, there were still a group of children who had strong determination to change their life by education.
It is heart warming to observe how the team conducted the business lessons, they took the efforts to explain and also to go through the important points with the students slowly. Professional, will be the word I will use to describe my team members. As a Singaporean, we usually speak very fast, and it’s Singlish, the locals find it hard to understand us. Thus, we need to learn to speak slowly and also articulate our sentences clearly.
Business lessons ended off on a high note. All thanks to the business team committee who has painstaking prepared the lessons plans. Certificates were given to the students at the end of the 2 days when they attended both sessions. One of our team members, Taing Meng, told me that, actually this is probably the first certificate the Cambodians received.
Besides that, we had handmade friendship bands for the students. We used the Cambodia’s flag colors; Red, blue and white, each was given to the students. They were elated to receive the friendship bands, many started to wear it on their wrist. The team also started to sing Singapore Town song with the students, who enjoyed it very much.
While singing the song, it started to rain, which is unusual, because this is the dry season. Many Cambodians also find it bizarre that it rains. This could probably due to the changes in the climate in the region. All of us put on the poncho and walked back to our guesthouse. The session was ended off early for the members to rest as tomorrow the team is setting off to the rural area to begin the furnishing of the pre-school.
Stay tuned for another exciting journey ahead!
With Love, The 2 Huis (Zhi Hui and Shi Hui)
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