DON'T FORGET ABOUT UNIFORMS FOR EAGER STUDENTS - Join us in making a difference!"
THE AMAZING REWARDS OF VOLUNTEERING
TO STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEER ALIKE
Our students just gobbled up these skilled classes.
Distribution was held 1st January for this current year. Some of the 700 lucky students.
See students excitedly gathering around showing off their new uniforms.
Lets hope we can keep them all at school this coming year.
As we work energetically to raise funds for the mandatory school uniform we are so grateful for assistance in our quest to keep kids and teenagers at school for another year. Whilst funds are unfortunately a little slow coming in this year, maybe you are intending to donate but haven’t got around to it yet? To those who have donated already your kindness will have a significant impact in the lives of these young people, enabling them to access the gift of education
Jobs on rice farms are becoming more scarce with mecanisation, so education is even more critical for young peoples futures.
In many of these villages, poverty is a harsh reality, and families often struggle to provide even the most basic necessities. For these children, receiving a school uniform isn't just about clothing; it's about breaking the cycle of poverty. These uniforms empower them with the pride, confidence, and opportunities to attend school and create a brighter future. Your contributions make this all possible, and we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to those who have already given. You are changing lives and opening doors to a world of future possibilities that only education can deliver.
Far right, Sue and Sylvia ODA’s two Education Support Managers and Terry Projects Manager, were able to see the uniform distribution for the first time Jan 2023. They said it was humbling to see the scope of what your donations deliver to these poor families.
As we continue our mission to support education and alleviate the burden of poverty in these communities, we invite you to be a part of this transformative journey. Your donation, no matter how big or small, will help us ensure that youngsters in Siem Reap's outlying villages have the chance to receive an education for another year.
Donate today and make a lasting impact on these young lives. Together, we can create a brighter and more hopeful future for these children. Thank you for your continued support!
IMPORTANT: Please forward your PayPal or UK receipt to us at admin@odaopportunitiescambodia.org
This assists us to keep track of funds received as we only receive PayPal lists after the first of each month. UK notifications are even slower as the Gift Aid System takes a few weeks to process through. Thanks for your kindness towards these young peoples futures. With an education plus ODA’s free English and IT, they can win salaried employment in their future.
The all important trying for correct sizes to last the year.
THE JOINT REWARDS OF VOLUNTEERS AND STUDENTS.
Why is an aging retired engineering academic from RMIT University in Australia,
a volunteer “English” teacher at ODA in Cambodia? It is very rewarding.
Bob Lord
We learn best if keenly interested in what we are doing. So, what are Khmer kids interested in? Rolling a Dice attracted their attention.
The “Rolling a Dice” Project (or two or more Dice) created an opportunity to study the mathematical concept of Probability. Probability, often overlooked in formal education, is crucial in the realm of Big Data.
The students were guided through writing a VBA language Excel simulation of Dice Rolling to test whether the mathematical predictions are supported by experimental results. Their donor provided computers became a tool and put the learning of the code into context giving great motivation.
Cashbook Cashbook Spreadsheet Page
Projects aligned with the students' interests, coupled with entrepreneurial spirit, (having commercial value upon completion) makes donor support like “Venture Capital”. Supporting Cambodian SMEs with IT packages emerged as an ideal avenue that aligned with the government's goal of sustainable economic growth through technology adoption. ODA needed an Excel Spreadsheet Cashbook to streamline cash flow recording. This became an ideal project. A highly educated (thanks to the donor support) selected group of ODA resident students, ranging from high school to university level, plus Mr. Leng Founder Director of ODA, visited Bob's apartment in Siem Reap for weekly sessions on their "Cashbook Project". Bob's apartment has high-speed internet, minimal distractions, and air conditioning. Accurate financial reporting to donors is of high priority at ODA.
Over ten sessions, the group developed an Excel Spreadsheet including pictures of Cash Transaction receipts and Cambodia’s dual currencies (USD and KHR). VBA Editor's debugging tool steps through the code showing how it works. Bob remembers fondly, the wide-eyed expression of one student gaining, for the first time, deep insight into how computer code really works. At this point Bob got the feeling that he was becoming “surplus to requirements” (a humbling experience).
Sothy and Ry Sung Sahar, Ry Sung, and Sun Chhay hard at it.
The group used Microsoft Edge Browser with its AI ChatGPT powered Chat facility. Wow did something special happen here. At this point Bob was not only “surplus to requirements” but “could he please get out of the way”. Not only were they able to get ahead of Bob, they accessed the wisdom of the world community.
Mr. Leng attended as the customer. Microsoft Edge homepage
Educating kids prepares them to thrive. With donor support giving ODA kids a basic education, all they need is an internet connected computer and away they go. With the aid of such new online services as the Microsoft Edge Chat facility small groups of Khmer kids, from subsistence farming family backgrounds, can indeed thrive. Donor support becomes more like “Venture Capital”. Learning how to most productively use these new Chat facilities reshapes education – similar to calculators, computers, and internet in the past. Identifying exactly what you need to know is different to finding out the answer to a question posed by the teacher. Your donor support is indeed making a huge difference to the lives of these ODA kids, their families, and their communities.
