A team of 37 students from Temasek Polytechnic (TP) left for Cambodia on 9 June 2006 on a project to bring water and books to a community in Cambodia. This Overseas Community Project (OCP) was initiated by the Minister of Parliament (MP) for Tampines Group Representative Constituency (GRC), Mr Ong Kian Min and Nominated MP, Ms Eunice Olsen. The first phase of the project saw the setting up of libraries at orphanages, schools and the Royal University of Fine Arts. Books donated by TP staff and Global Connect Club (GCC) members were given to the Royal University of Fine Arts on behalf of TP. Applied Science staff also taught Food Nutrition to the orphans and teachers.
The GCC students from the Temasek Info Tech School, with the assistance of their lecturer, Mr Chia Tien Yau, set up 2 sets of computers for Villageworks at Phnom Penh. Mr Chia Swee Hock, Deputy Director of the Engineering School together with students from the Engineering School, constructed and set up a water filtration system at the Cambodian Methodist Centre Orphanage earlier on 2 June 2006.
DHL had sponsored the air freight for this trip, while the Lions Clubs in Singapore, the Triathlon family, The Girls Brigade and Ritz Carlton Singapore supported the project. The project implementation to Cambodia was the first phase with plans to reach out to other locations in Kalimantan, Indonesia and Laos.
Second year Info Tech School Student, Diwanand had this to say about his experience: I was looking for an opportunity to get a feel of what life was like outside my comfort zone and to make a change in whatever way I could. Thus, when the opportunity to go to Cambodia arose, I jumped at it.
Going to Cambodia was an eye-opener for many of the students. After the computers had been set up, the students tested them to ensure that they were working well, and began teaching the locals how to start-up and use the systems effectively. That was when they hit a major problem. The locals were unsure of how to make use of the computers, as all the instructions were in English. This is when they started to set up a graphical user interface to show the locals the link between certain symbols and the resulting application. In this way, little by little, they managed to communicate and teach them how to go about using the computers. This was problem-based learning indeed! The students often had to solve problems as they faced them, and this required them to be quick-thinking and utilise any possible tools and resources they had at their disposal.
‘Initially, we were doubtful that the locals would reap the full benefits of the computers we had set up for them as the country still lacks certain resources and the infrastructure necessary for the maximized use of the computers. However, seeing their great thirst for knowledge and enthusiastic response, we knew they would definitely put the computers to good use. This has inspired me to consider how we can strive to complete bigger projects for them in the future,’ said Diwanand.
The trip was an eye-opener for many of the students who realised they had taken many things in Singapore for granted like clean drinking water, food, a proper infrastructure and a sound education system. It has fuelled in these students a desire to see and learn more about the world they live in.
