DOHA: Fourteen students from Education City travelled to Nepal on a volunteer mission to develop the capabilities of Nepalese youth.
The trip organised by Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), in partnership with Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), was an initiative known as ‘Not Your Average Spring Break.’
The students visited the Agyauli Community Resource Centre in the Nawalparasi District of western Nepal.
The trip utilised peer-to-peer workshops to help provide opportunities for young people in the country, aligning with QF’s ambition to unlock human potential and develop knowledge-based economies for personal and economic progression in Qatar and beyond.
Mohammed Saleh, Director, National Programme, ROTA, said: “ROTA is committed to providing educational opportunities to disadvantaged communities around the world. “ROTA also believes in the importance of providing conducive opportunities which enable youth from Qatar and Nepal to interact, share knowledge and learn from each other, thus developing compassionate, socially responsible and proactive global citizens.”
The ROTA-HBKU Student Volunteer Trip was part of ROTA’s overarching ‘International Volunteer Trips Programme’ sponsored by HSBC Qatar.
The trip was also part of ROTA’s partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and READ Nepal, both collaborating on a four-year initiative in Nepal.
The initiative aims to establish and upgrade community resource centres to create educational, social and economic opportunities through community engagement.
During the trip, the student volunteers led daily peer-to-peer workshops on subjects such as leadership skills; ICT skills; cultural exchange; sport; and health.
Sahar Al Ansari, a student from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar who participated in the trip, said: “It was an eye-opener to see young people my age and with as much ability as me, underestimate themselves. Although we came to teach the students in Nepal, we also learnt a lot from them.”
Ameena Hussain, Director, Student Life, HBKU, said: “The trip provided our students with an opportunity to contribute to ROTA’s work.
“HBKU is committed to local and international service and I hope our students’ work will further raise awareness in Qatar about the importance of global volunteering. The participating students have made all of us at HBKU very proud.”
The Peninsula
