Rotary Visit: What A Whirlwind Week of Impact at ODA
- oda.org
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Mission Successful!
South Australian Rotary Club Teams Power ODA
Schools and Futures!
We get to meet some wonderfully energetic and motivated people over the years, and this first week in November was a whirlwind of energy thanks to our partners!
Meet five phenomenal representatives from the amazing Rotary Clubs of Salisbury and Modbury Golden Grove, South Australia. After hearing ODA’s solar systems were failing, they set an incredible six-month goal to raise $19,000 AUD—and they didn't just meet it, they crushed it!
The Ultimate Validation: Proof of Impact
Sophat, so proud of being the first member of his family to win a stable salaried position.
Any slight initial trepidations our new Rotarians may have harboured were immediately swept away upon checking into The Elephant Hotel. A lovely young staff member, hearing them discuss ODA, whipped out his phone: "Look! This is my ODA Certificate. The free English and IT skills I learned got me accepted to work here!"
He’s a perfect, living example of what ODA English and IT classes achieves for youngsters from 20-60kms from town, with his sister and brother now following his path. This full-circle proof fuelled the team with even more enthusiasm!
Lighting the Way: A $19,000 Commitment
Leng is now working hard to stretch this incredible donation across as many of the $2,500 USD school systems as possible, ensuring our classrooms stay powered for years to come.
The Joy of Giving through Partnership:
From Uniforms to Workbooks
Homecoming & Uniform Day: For long-term supporters Teresa and Merilyn, hitting ODA Central was a joyful "homecoming" with all the older kids recognised them instantly. The Rotarians were also thrilled to witness our mandatory Uniform Distribution Day in person for the first time, after the Salisbury Club have been supporting it since 2017. Personally witnessing the joy of 700 students securing their education passport (uniform) for the next year was a cherished moment.
Teacher Competence: They were deeply impressed by how competently our young teachers managed their large student groups (some classes have 70 students) and the "hectic swapping" to exchange for correct uniform sizes.
Community Support: A couple of our senior students took the Rotarians shopping locally, where they purchased 1,200 workbooks, pencils, sports equipment, and sweets before heading to all seven village schools for fun activities and English practice.
Thank you, Teresa, Anthea, Merilyn, Rick and Mykal, and all your incredible club members supporting you back home. Your partnership is not just funding projects; it is creating an ecosystem of opportunity, stability, and enduring community success. Your ongoing support is truly making a significant difference for the children in Cambodia.
We have been searching all year to try to find a way to fund getting all our solar systems up and running again so it is with immense gratitude and thanks from Leng and the teachers
Rotary Clubs are happy if you want to see a couple of videos they took to share with their members.
See Sophat who won his employment through his ODA Certificate. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17RU75VaH8/?mibextid=wwXIfr
On site mini interview at ODA – Meet My Sung who lived at ODA until she finished her Accountancy Degree, and is currently teaching English at ODA Central and a government school nearby. Meet Sahar who has lived at ODA since he was very young. He is wishing to study Graphic Art. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Fc7xSVpVv/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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