The VCD Team’s Inspiring Students

Photo credit: Jacqueline Kronk

While some students are spending their spare time hanging out with friends, watching TV at home, and chatting … how many of them give their time to self-learning and activities to develop their community?
To be a part of improving their own community, a group of students who just graduated from grade 9 at Chanleas Dai junior high school has formed a volunteer team called ‘Volunteer for Community Development’ (VCD) since last year. The name of this volunteer team is inspiring to me, and might inspire you, too. Their commitment and hard work make me feel very embarrassed when I think about what I did for my community when I was the same age.
Now I would like to introduce you to one of them who inspired me. Theav Thoeurn is a 17 year-old-student studying at grade 11 who lives in a remote area (Chanleas Dai commune, Kralanh district, Siem Reap province). He spends his free time volunteering with VCD team as a team manager. Theav teaches English in the evening and observes other VCD teams in the villages.
When I asked him why he wanted to join this team, Theav told me confidently: “I want to develop my community. I want to see children in the village speak English as well as the urban children. I want them to have health and environmental awareness.” From what he told me about VCD, there are two main activities they are doing right now; teaching English in the villages and working on environmental and hygiene projects. Soon they will start a new project about agriculture. They will plant some vegetables such as cabbages and tomatoes behind their office. It sounds great. I hope when I go to Chanleas Dai again, I will see their vegetables. Maybe I’ll ask to have some to cook and eat. Yummmy!
There are so many great things about VCD I can’t list them all. ‘Volunteer for Community Development’ is very meaningful!