Earlier this month I had the privilege to accompany a group of Singaporeans to the Goducate Children’s Home in Cambodia. While the main event of the trip was the opening of the boys’ workshop, it was also an opportunity to interact with the children.
The trip, though short, was an enriching experience. A few of the Singaporean visitors organized song and game sessions to engage the children while familiarizing them with the English language. The children also shared their daily routines with us, and we participated in day-to-day activities such as lesson-time and fishing.
Teaching violin to the children
Performing at the opening ceremony of the boys' workshop
The “real work” began on the second and third days. Medical check-ups were conducted by a member of our Singapore team to check on the children’s general health. On my part, I had the chance to conduct masterclasses with some children who had been learning music, particularly the violin and piano. What I encountered was a promising group of young talents. Understandably, there was a wide range in skill due to differences in age and time spent learning the instrument, and this resulted in the need to concentrate on students individually or in pairs. However, helped along by the positive attitude and patience exhibited by my students, it was not too hard to knuckle down and make some good progress over the two-day period. At the end of our visit, we were pleasantly surprised by a performance of the new piece they had requested to learn.
I came away feeling blessed by the children, as well as the wonderful personnel at the home. What struck me in particular was the eagerness shown by the children when they were offered opportunities that their Singaporean counterparts – or even people in more developed countries in general – often fail to appreciate. I hope that the kids in Goducate Children’s Home never lose the joy of learning, and choose to continue developing the gifts they possess. And I trust that Goducate will continue to provide the guidance and resources necessary to achieve this goal.
Earlier this month, Goducate Children’s Home, Cambodia, welcomed 5 new children into the “family”. These children, Nat, Lynn, Kanya, Mon and Nia, come from Battambang, a 12-hour drive away from the Home. They come from very poor homes and have received little education. They came to the Home in hope of a better education and a better life in the future.
The new children were taken for medical check-ups… Continue reading
Since Goducate aims to help needy Asians help themselves, Bangladesh is a country that has attracted its attention.
Recently, Bangladesh was in the news because of a horrific factory collapse that killed over 1100 garment workers. I was in the country when that accident took place.
Bangladesh is the most densely populated large country. It has about 160 million people (half of US population) squeezed into a land… Continue reading
Goducate Training Center (GTC), in Iloilo, Philippines, held its first Recruitment Conference on May 6-8.
Invitations had been sent to new university graduates, to working people, and to those who had expressed interest in being trained as community development workers (CDWs). Over 300 people from all over the Philippines attended the conference.
The topics covered included the history of Goducate, its philosophies, its CDW training program, and the… Continue reading
Recent Comments