IT IS a trip that means everything to three hinterland high school students.
Shocked by the lack of hygiene accessibility for girls their own age in developing countries, Beerwah High students, Sarah, Stella and Billie are doing everything they can to raise funds to travel to Cambodia in the coming months to help with educating local families.
The three Year 12 girls are part of the Kawana Waters State College Health Education Unit, which is sending 34 students to Cambodia to undertake voluntary work in village communities, schools and health clinics.
The students will connect with villages and assist with English lessons in small schools set up by Australian-based organisation ‘Growing Cambodia’ and the international group ‘Days for Girls’.
The girls recently acquired their Cert II in Health Support Services and will be volunteering their skills in communities, schools and health clinics to assist in English lessons, brushing their teeth, hand hygiene and sexual education.
The girls said they were shocked to learn of what young girls were forced to experience in Cambodia.
“When the girls in Cambodia get their periods, they are forced to sit on cardboard boxes from having no menstrual products,” Stella said.
“That’s bad enough, but then they are also missing days of school every month amounting to two months every year.
“We will be taking reusable items and one of the programs we are doing is setting up a workshop to teach the women how to sew them so they can make their own.”
“We hope that this allows girls to have more time in school, which gives them more job opportunities afterwards,” Sarah added.
Billie highlighted how this education could save these young girls’ lives.
“Living in Australia you can take things for granted and forget that so many people don’t have access to basic hygiene necessities,” she said.
“We’re hoping to give the girls a chance to go to school for longer, even for them to somewhat have an understanding of the female body, which will be so little to us but so big for them.”
The girls are hoping to raise $3500 for flights and have been washing cars and also recently set up a Go Fund Me page
Stella said: “We’re all really excited to go and make a difference in these girls’ lives. It’s going to be an amazing experience. We’re grateful for any support we can get. Even a small donation can make a big difference.” If you would like to assist: www.gofundme.com/f/xemj6h-cambodia-fundraising
Main image: Billie, Sarah and Stella are raising funds to travel to volunteer in Cambodia.