Cambodia Service Learning Trip (Jan 2014)
Building on the effort of the previous Cambodia Service Learning Trips, four previous participants initiated the sixth trip to Cambodia since 2011. While they continue to empower the Cambodian children, they also aim to strengthen students' bonds with each other and facilitate them to develop a sense of belonging towards the university. In addition to serving the Cambodian community, this project also strove to sustain participants’ actions by encouraging participants to contribute what they have learned back to the HKUST community after the trip. It was important for participants to realize that service did not begin and end in Cambodia. Instead, lessons learned were meant to last for a lifetime, and a newfound passion to serve could extend to all other areas of life.
In preparation for the service trip, participants attended pre-trip workshops and engaged in activities that strengthened their bond with one another. Through these workshops, participants were able to apply the reflective model and concept of service learning, identify the needs of the Cambodian children, contribute their ideas to the trip, and improve their skills in getting along with children.
During the one-week trip, they visited the Who Will Children’s Village, Wat Opot Community and Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF) centres. The aim was to show love and care to Cambodian children through educational and cultural exchange programs according to their needs and English level. Fun and interactive activities were designed to arouse the children’s interest in learning, help them improve their English communication,, and equip them with self-learning abilities using online resources.
The active involvement of the participants was the key to success for this project. Participants were fully engaged throughout the preparation process and the trip. The small-group team experience enhanced their respect and trust for each other, which was visibly seen during the trip. They also gained a greater sense of confidence, and grew in their own personal development. When faced with challenges during the service, participants were able to rely on one another for support to carry out the service successfully.
The trip also gave them a sense of gratitude. During their week of interaction with the children, they had a chance to catch a glimpse of their young lives and saw how these children made so much out of so little. Through this experience, the participants learned to appreciate the simplicity of life, and were reminded that it was important to be thankful for what they had.The positive energy from the children also translated into a positive attitude for them. More importantly, all of the participants were able to gain a deeper understanding of what service is. They learned that service works two ways – when you serve, you not only give but also receive much in return!
Upon completion of the trip, participants reflected positively on their experience, and completed a reflective journal for the purpose of evaluation and consolidation of their personal learning. It was anticipated that this service project would motivate the participants in organizing a campus-wide initiative to spread the mission of love, care and openness among HKUST students, so that their learning and experiences from Cambodia, including the genuine smile from the children and the warm reception they received in Cambodia could be extended to impact others on the HKUST campus.
Students' Sharing
All in all, this service learning trip enabled me to reflect on the true meaning of offering service to people who are in need. Now I believe doing voluntary work is a process of give and take. Therefore, while I am stretching my helping hand to the needy, I am also gaining something in return. They may not be something tangible; instead, they can be something that can last long and affect one’s life, such as personal experience. It’s true that there are so many people in the world that needs our help. Though we may not be able to help all of them, we can still try our very best to call for help from our family, our classmates and our friends. I will definitely share my experience in Cambodia with people around me, so as to arouse people’s attention and interest towards this issue. I hope that I can influence as many people as I can, like a ripple of water. There is a saying from Mother Teresa, ‘Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.’ I strongly believe when we gather people’s efforts, the power will be infinite.
CHEUNG Tsz Hin (Emax)
SSCI Student, Year 1
It was really a life-changing trip for me; it changed my concept of service. In the past, I would think that by doing service, we would be helping people that were less fortunate than us, and so, our role would be like a provider. But after this trip, I now feel that doing service is a two-way exchange. When we offer our time and effort, we also gain something back. The things we gain may be even greater than what we contribute. Therefore, even though it seems like we’re the one serving others, we may very well be the person that is being served also.