What happens when a student finally feels "seen"?
- oda.org
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
THE RIPPLE EFFECT
ONE STONE, MANY RIPPLES:
VOLUNTEER REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIELD
See note on ODA email outage & new email at the end of this story
I recently read this quote:
I alone cannot change the world,
But I can cast a stone across the
waters to create many ripples.
~ Mother Teresa
When we support organisations, through volunteering or donations, we sometimes ask ourselves, “Does my little contribution really make a difference?”
The answer is one stone, many ripples. We may never know how many ripples or how wide those ripples become with our one stone, but the ripples are real.
Suzanne and Stephen from Canada share some reflections from their third block volunteering at ODA
Our first time volunteering at ODA, we watched some eyes widen when my husband told a group of students that he once fixed aeroplanes for a living. They had been aware of car and motorcycle maintenance, but aeroplanes? Just the mention, the out-of-the-box thinking, could have been the beginning of a ripple.
Monetary donations help keep the running costs like wages, stationery, gasoline and all the essentials for 32 classes each day, open and operating for 1000+ students. Siblings and neighbours witness the benefits of further education and work towards the same goals. Ripples.
We often think of a few students during our last volunteer time at the ODA rural schools. We both (we were mostly at different schools) had students who arrived early to corner us into extra help. Usually, it was pronunciation of those confusing English words. Future teachers, tour guides, leaders? Ripples.
Sharing a desk with a struggling student, one who is having difficulty grasping the grammar or vocabulary, can send an encouraging message. We witnessed many little smiles of ‘yes, I got it’. What is the ripple effect of encouragement?
Enthusiastic students full of questions
A friend donated her late mother’s camera when we last volunteered at ODA. It became part of ODA’s recently established photography library. That, along with days of instruction, saw that camera glued to one student’s hands. A future photographer or web designer? One small used camera, but the possibility of a big ripple?
Regular Khmer school is free, that is, if the children have the required uniform. We all know the value of education. Every year, ODA appeals for donations to provide as many students as possible with uniforms. One small stone. How far-reaching is that ripple effect?
These are just a few of the ripples we’ve been privileged to witness, but the pond is vast, and the stories are many. Over the next couple of months, we look forward to sharing more insights from our experiences as volunteers—offering a closer look at the incredible experiences, unexpected connections, and lasting changes that happen when people just like us are open to choosing to cast their first stone. Stay tuned for more stories from the heart of ODA schools, and maybe think about volunteering yourself.
Cast a stone. It doesn't have to be huge. It still creates ripples.
URGENT ODA UPDATE: Please don’t use the old ‘admin’ email. We’ve had an email outage from 17th to 26th March and haven't received any messages sent during that time. If you emailed us this past week, please forward your message to our new email address:
We are worried we may have missed important messages from many of you
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