Cambodian students to visit Australia
When Jessica Palti and her family set up CRST, she could not have known how strongly the support project for students in Cambodia would grow and prosper.
Five students from Cambodia Rural Students Trust (CRST), a self-help venture set up by the Palti family of Melbourne, will visit Australia in May.
The visitors – Lita Seng, Sokal Nov, Phanich Ron, Tola Nam and Doeb Chnay – will update supporters on the progress of the NGO and its latest activities.
When Jessica Palti and her family set up CRST, she could not have known how strongly the support project for students in Cambodia would grow and prosper.
CRST is managed in Cambodia by senior students who are mentored in managing the organisation, as well as six social enterprise projects which address community and social needs.
“By giving people a hand-up rather than a hand-out, we currently sponsor 104 bright students from poor, rural families, to study at the best high school and university in Siem Reap, and empower them to become Cambodia’s future leaders,” noted Palti.
The CRST is currently involved in a wide range of projects, including sponsoring 104 inspiring students in high school and university, building six homes for rural families and repairing 25 other homes, repairing 420 bicycles and donating 300 bicycles to rural students, and distributing 6000 Project G Days for Girls kits.
In a related venture, the Rotaract Club of Siem Reap, chartered last year with 54 CRST students as members, plans to recruit non-CRST members by inviting their university friends to join volunteer activities and introducing them to the Rotary organisation.
The Palti family’s involvement with helping Cambodian students began in 2009 when Stephanie, Jessica’s sister, volunteered to teach at a rural school near Siem Reap. Other family members joined her, volunteering at a school and orphanage for two weeks.
Identifying an opportunity to help local students led to the founding of CRST in 2011, with 22 rural students sponsored to study in a private high school in Siem Reap.
The initial project culminated in a frozen yoghurt store in Siem Reap, run by CRST students, with proceeds going towards students’ education and community projects. The store enabled student volunteers to train in sales, marketing, production, human resources, operations and finance.
Since then, CRST students have visited Australia on multiple occasions.
The Cambodian students will visit Victoria’s Parliament House with deputy Liberal leader David Southwick and will attend the Rotary International convention in Australia.
The CRST visitors will speak at an event on Sunday, May 21, 10am, at West Brighton Club. Bookings essential: Jessica@crstngo.org
General information: cambodiaruralstudentstrust.org
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