Hello Dr. Carol, Peter, Sue and members of Rotary Melbourne,
I am writing this email to update you about my monthly email that is required to be sent by the 15th of each month. As I have just updated my previous one, this email may not have much new to share with you. However, I will try to share my volunteer activities, my education, and the Khmer New Year celebration that I have done earlier this month. To start with, I am studying French, which is an interesting language taught by a native teacher, Celia Bouzigues. She delivers her knowledge and explains the lessons well. Before starting new sections, she reviews the lessons by playing a Kahoot game, which allows students to catch up and gain a clear understanding. This has been going on for almost one month, and I have learned a lot about French basics, such as vowels, the alphabet, and pronunciation. In particular, we have completed two lessons about French numbers, days of the week, and months of the year, as well as grammar, such as how to identify nouns, including vocabulary related to careers and sports. Studying French is a bit difficult for those who have never learned it before, especially in terms of pronunciation, identifying masculine or feminine nouns, and verb grammar rules. However, I believe that everyone will be able to use this language and improve quickly, as there are many words in French that are similar to English.
Additionally, earlier this month, I joined FS activities three times. I visited seven families in Banteay Srey, Nokor Krao, and Kravarnn villages, where FS has supported elderly people, divorced individuals, and disadvantaged families. Through our support, including providing food supplies, extra budget, and supporting students' education, I trust that those families can live in better conditions and their children can pursue their education regularly and have big dreams to achieve in their journey as rural students. From my experience, I have seen children who do not even have a small amount of money for school or extra classes but never give up and still believe in the value of education. Therefore, whenever I visit families, the first thing I always ask about and observe is their children’s education. Even though their results are not perfect as we expect, I still encourage them to try their best and not hesitate to keep improving their knowledge every day, as our families and nation believe in us to be the first to break the cycle of family poverty and develop our communities.
Lastly, during the Khmer New Year festival, CRST celebrated Sangkran by decorating our campus, playing traditional Khmer games, performing Khmer dances, singing, and enjoying delicious food together. We enjoyed this special time among all students as a second family before we returned to our hometowns. I am really thankful to our founders and supporters who made this meaningful event happen every year. We had time to rest and engage in the preservation of Khmer culture as Cambodian youth. Moreover, at this special time, CRST provided us with a bonus and a long holiday to celebrate and spend time with family and friends. I was so delighted that I could return home and spend time with my family and siblings. We also visited the pagoda and donated food to monks and the elderly, which my family does at every traditional Khmer festival or event.
That’s all from my monthly email. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read my email and for your support. Wishing you success in everything you do during this Khmer New Year. I hope you enjoy the photos I have attached below.
Best regards,
Sambun
