Cambodia is a developing nation and one of the poorest countries in the world. More than one third of the population has to live on less than 7 RMB per day.

YCIS Chongqing Upper Secondary students will make their trip to Cambodia from February 27 to March 5, where they will participate in a community service project in Siem Reap. Our aim is to build new classrooms for the ABC Rice school in Siem Reap, as well as helping to set up an “Art Wall” for students and teachers to use.

YCIS understands that developing empathy for others is critical for our students to fully understand the need for their involvement in improving the lives of others. We want to take this opportunity to let our students experience life in Cambodia and build real connections with the community there through charitable work.

In this same spirit, YCIS also held a “24-Hour Fasting Challenge” in order to increase student awareness about how hunger can impact a person’s well-being. At 7pm on February 13, YCIS students started their 24-hour fasting challenge. While some students participated by having no lunch, most all aimed for the full 24-hour fast. Many staff members also participated in the challenge to raise money in support of our Cambodia project.

For most students, getting through the morning was not too difficult, but as the hours passing by, they noticed that it became harder to focus as their energy levels rapidly decreased. This was a valuable lesson for students to understand that this is a reality for many children living around the world.

In addition to volunteering, students also raised more than 2000 USD (14,000+RMB), which will go directly to ABC Rice to support schools and students in Siem Reap.

We are very excited and grateful for everyone’s participation in this fundraiser and charity effort. We look forward to our students’ extraordinary experience when they return from Cambodia trip.