Students from Nuriootpa High School and Faith Lutheran College embarked on a trip-of-a lifetime last month – visiting Cambodia with not-for profit organisation, Raw Impact.
Since 2013, Raw Impact has worked with Khmer families to help build homes, schools and other infrastructure in remote areas – aiming to create and strengthen communities, whilst giving volunteers an opportunity to contribute to meaningful change in Cambodia.
Led by Donna Fay, former Nuriootpa High School Chaplain, a number of Barossa-based groups have been travelling to Cambodia for close to a decade – with nine students volunteering 10 days of their time in the mid-year school holidays.
"It's not actually a school-based trip," Donna explained.
"The opportunity is open to any Year 11 student, from any school in the region but it's not something they have to do, it's just something that they can volunteer to do and it's the same with the community leaders who come on the trip too."
Jetting off in July, the eight students from Nuriootpa High School and one from Faith Lutheran College, along with Donna and community leader, Amanda Noack, kicked off the trip with cultural awareness training – helping them gain greater understanding of the country's history before commencing work "on the tools."
"When we arrived, we (did) some cultural awareness training – so, we visited some of the significant cultural locations which gives the group a good understanding of what the country's been through and why we're there," Donna said.
"I find that it really helps the students and leaders get an understanding that we're not just there to build houses, we're there because certain events happened and now communities need a hand getting themselves back.
"After that we start with about three days on the tools in the village, we had set things that we needed to do like working on some of the bamboo houses that had been built previously and needed some repairs – everything from building day beds to installing solar and running water… it was amazing.
"RAW has grown to a point where they have a team of local staff, working all year round on the ground – including a building team, so those young builders are continually doing projects throughout the year and then groups like us are able to come in and enhance what's already being done."
Discussing their experience with Raw, Nuriootpa High School student Lottie Marshall told The Leader her highlight was the village handover at the end of the trip.
"After we finished working in the village, we got the opportunity to talk to the families that live there, the Khmer people which was pretty cool," Lottie said.
"It was also really good to see all of our work come together and heartwarming to see how grateful everyone was for something so simple… we take so much for granted.
"Everyone was so lovely."
The 2024 group members will discuss their experiences at an upcoming information session on August 21 at Nuriootpa.