Envoy visits to aid young Cambodians
As reported over the years by The AJN – Melbourne’s Palti family has driven a bold project enabling rural students in Cambodia to finish school and attend university.
A senior Israeli diplomat in southeast Asia has finally had an opportunity to fulfil a project inspired by The Australian Jewish News but delayed by Hamas’s brutal invasion of Israel and the war.
As reported over the years by The AJN – and in our October 6 edition last year – Melbourne’s Palti family has driven a bold project enabling rural students in Cambodia to finish school and attend university.
In Siem Reap, northwestern Cambodia, the Cambodia Rural Students Trust (CRST) began after the Temple Beth Israel family visited Cambodia in 2009 when daughter Stephanie volunteered to teach at a school.
Stephanie, sister Jessica Palti, parents Aviv and Michelle and grandparents Nili and Uri were moved by the plight of youth abandoning school to chase meagre wages to support their families.
When The AJN first published an exclusive report in 2016, Aviv had recounted, “We decided as a family to register our own NGO.” He has now captured the CRST story in his book, Empowered: a New Generation of Leaders.
Ventures included a social-enterprise yoghurt shop to teach students commerce, and distributing personal-care packs to young women.
Today CRST supports 104 students, and graduates of its programs have excelled in higher education.
A story in The AJN in May last year was splashed to US readers by The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, catching the eye of Orna Sagiv, Israel’s ambassador to Thailand and Cambodia.
After Sagiv’s approaches, Israel’s Foreign Ministry approved funding for CRST’s Project B – Bicycles for Education, which distributes bicycles to students who walk many kilometres to school.
Israel also earmarked funds towards Project T – Trees for Life, a land reclamation project planting shade trees, with a watering system.
However, plans to launch the Israeli funding were thwarted by the Hamas attacks and the war.
But this month, Sagiv joined Jessica and Aviv Palti in Siem Reap. They distributed 40 bicycles to students and planted 450 trees, of which 70 were donated by the Israeli embassy.
Sagiv met with Yun Linne, Siem Reap’s deputy governor.
“I was happy to collaborate with Aviv and Jessica Palti and their NGO … and get a first-hand impression of their wonderful work, mainly in the fields of education and sustainability,” the Israeli envoy posted.
“We toured the CRST campus, met inspiring students.
“I am grateful for the chance to be part of such meaningful projects, and I believe it will strengthen the relations between the State of Israel and Siem Reap province.”
Jessica Palti paid tribute to The AJN’s role in bringing the plight of the villagers to the attention of world readers and the Israeli ambassador.
“This is truly reflective of the values of our international community.”
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