“Make a Wish, Take a Chance, Make a Change”

I have a chance to grow up and experience many things as a usual Asian kid. There are many things that we do especially wish or pray for things, but usually, we never work to accomplish it.  I know that some people are born to continue their family business, but every people on earth at least take a chance to create a change. I am here in a boarding school to be a change agent and every year, at least I got to do some small change to my community, local opinion or even social opinion. This year, I have been doing a workshop to a school from Singapore,  Model United Nation and Tos Merl or known as the Traveling Theater that we have created.

Liger and Crest have partnered to do a workshop as Crest Secondary School visit Cambodia from Singapore. This workshop is to show leadership skills that we have in our school to share with them. Doing a workshop for Singapore students is exciting. My team and I have prepared it as good as we can to make a one day workshop worth to the students that spend their time with us. As a Leadership school, we want to show them our unique learning and our student’s leadership skills. This is a significant chance for me to share and learn. As we begin a workshop, it is a little bit hard because we need to make them feel welcome and comfortable to do things with enjoyment. It makes me see the reality of how people connected to each other in different ways. In this small workshop, I have changed at least 20 people mind to do a new style of living, learning and team building. To that, it is one of the prospect’s skills in the future that everyone needs to have.

There are wars, conflicts, and issues from country to state to province and to many people that are in enormous suffering.  That is why there is a United Nation that collaborates with many other organizations and countries around the world. To that, different school starts to create a Model United Nation that allows students to discuss the issues that are currently happening. It is a tremendous opportunity for me or any students to learn about the current event not only in a specific country but, in a world that accommodates 195 countries. I learned to be a delegate that tries to solve the problems about countries and others. This is a great starting process for us students in the future because the United Nation can solve their 17 goals by getting help from the citizens, especially the young generation.

Most of Cambodian never had the opportunity to see a play, especially in the rural area so we have an exploration that gives Cambodian a chance to see a play. This is really an unexpected opportunity for us because, for me, I never know that Cambodian never have a chance to see a play or even have groups of people go and hosting a campaign that’s why I learn that it’s really important for us and others to show them an educated play, films, and other shows. As I experience on a trip, it made me really proud to see the villagers express their feelings and show how they really need this in the community, especially for their children to learn.  This is a small part to see a true problem and knows about Cambodian needs.

Things are always full of needs and help. I learned a lot about our people’s needs and social thought. I see the conflict and feel the redness that shows it needs help. I hear the sound of shouts to get succor. My five senses all feel what is now needed. The new generation will the 17 goals to their last chapter like a novel. Every life born to “Make a Wish, Take a Chance and Make a Change” to the country and to the planet that we are living in.

#1 How I change Cambodia

What am I born with? Nothing! Everyone is born with nothing even clothes, money or knowledge. What are many millionaires, billionaires or royal family born with?  They are all the same. Just like some of those people born as a high class family or a low class family. I do know this is our destiny, but if you have a great destiny, you should never look down or even have a stereotype to someone especially women. In Cambodia, this stereotype to women happen since the 12th century. People always said “Women stayed home, men went out and work”. This phrase is annoying. It’s already gone and the new world and new technology is growing.

I have been doing many projects through this year, but some of it was about the stereotype that people been confusing especially girls in technology. I joined Technovation which is a program for girls in technology. To join this program, it is very convenient for persuading girls. I joined the program for two years and I see how it’s changing by girls in technology. In 2017, there aren’t many girls interested, but in 2018, there are twice more girls than last year and it makes me proud to see it. The population of girls joining this program was really fast because of the girls who won to San Francisco, America. Even though, I am not one of them, but I am one part of Technovation who empowering girls. This program make other girls change their stereotype including me.

In the early 2018, I got to go to Singapore for the Robotic competition which participate by many schools in Southeast Asia and East Asia. It was difficult and needs to work hard for it. Even though we got only seven weeks to go, but we tried our best to do it. There are also judges that judge on our presentation about problem and solution of water, but one question had come out from them. Did you girls do this project and the boys code the robot? It’s come out as a stereotype. We answered that we all worked together and there’s no worked assigned by gender. Gender equality is still happened even though the society said no more stereotype. However, I already change some of the people mind which say no stereotype to girl which they always said no girls in technology. As I share it to three people, it already means I shared it to the world.

To sum up, what I write about How I change Cambodia is basically to stereotype based on girls. To change stereotype and to have gender equity for our women. Even though it just a little change, but I’ve changed it. To change a big world is starting from the little changing. As like one quote said “In a gentle way, you can shake the world” – Mahatma Gandhi.