Last month, Sangsan held a
final end of year 3-day empowerment camp from February 7th-9th, for 31 scholarship students set to graduate from Sob Moei High School this
March. The focus of the camp centered on two main themes: planning for the
future and a follow-up/evaluation of students’ involvement in the Sangsan
project. In addition to these two main themes, as part of Sangsan’s dedication
to education on social activism and awareness of human rights issues, students
were also introduced to the One Billion Rising campaign
to end violence against women.
Day 1
Students and
Sangsan staff members and volunteers shared a group dinner followed by a brief check-in
where they identified both student and staff expectations for the weekend. Many
of the students identified that they hoped to gain more information about
applying to university and continuing education opportunities as well as
scholarship and funding resources.
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| Students give brief updates on school, family life, and expectations for the weekend. |
Day 2
On Saturday,
students and staff started the day off bright and early with dance practice at
7AM with staff members and volunteers teaching students choreography for the
One Billion Rising campaign. After learning the dance, Sangsan Director Jeab,
explained the meaning behind the song and the connection with movements in the
choreography and how this dance is performed by women, girls, and men all
around the world to show their support and advocacy as a movement to end
violence against women and girls.
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| Students share ideas for the future, challenges, and reflect on how the program has helped them throughout the years. |
In terms of the
Sangsan program and how it has helped the students throughout the years, there
were common themes mentioned: the provision of funds which has allowed many of
the students to continue their studies and enabled them to make it through
their final year in high school; budgeting and financial management training;
empowerment training, encouragement, and support that they not only receive
from the staff but from each other which has given them a safe space to share
their struggles, worries, dreams and ideas which has helped to build their
self-confidence and strengthen their self-identity.
In the afternoon
P’Jeab lead a discussion on sustainability and what it means to lead a
sustainable life. She began by identifying that there are two forms of
sustainability: external and internal. It is the external sustainability that
we tend to focus on most finding a job and making money to support ourselves.
She identified that students often have this notion that if they go to
university and complete their degree they will automatically find a good job
and have a successful career and as a result a financially successful life. In
essence we tend to be consumed by the superficial external factors of
sustainability such as a job, money, and education.
She asked the
students to think about this idea— “Is this it? If you have these things you
will be fulfilled? If so, how do we achieve these things?” And so taking these
external factors she tried to identify how one might achieve these different
aspects of sustainability: Graduate from a good university, get good grades,
get a good job-perhaps with the government. While this is the likely answer,
she explains that this is not simple to achieve.
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| P'Jeab talks sustainability with students. |
Following this path to external sustainability— education, job, money— is no longer enough.
So, if this path is no longer enough, how else can we conceive of
sustainability?
P’Jeab
identified that to be sustainable we need to be able to support our livelihood
and ourselves- focusing on basic human needs. We need food, so we learn how to
grow our own crops, we need shelter so we learn how to build our own homes,
make our own medicines, etc. Of course this is hard to do and it’s difficult to
be completely self-sufficient but taking little steps everyday will teach us
how to be less dependent on the material world and will soon form habits and a
way of life.
Moreover, she
acknowledges that you can’t completely escape mainstream society, you will need
a job and you will need money for the things you cannot get on your own.
However, P’Jeab stressed that we should look at how we might achieve these
things differently. As identified earlier, it is not enough just to go to
university and expect to get a well paying job afterwards.
She expressed
the idea that school/university is not for everyone. She gave two examples of
friends who did not go to university but who put in the hard work and effort to
become successful in their professions. One is a hair dresser who started his
own business and became very successful and financially well off; the other is
a mechanic who learned the trade by volunteering hours and being an apprentice
in a shop and who is now a well known race car mechanic.
In the end, P’Jeab
indicated that whatever we choose to do, it must be something that we are
passionate about because it is not enough just to go through the motions, whether
you choose to go to a trade/vocational school or to enter into traditional
university. P’Jeab identified that students should be working towards their
passions because it is their passion that will drive them to go above and
beyond; it will push them to take on extra work, to be involved in outside
activities, to take on an internship, all of which will ultimately allow them
to gain experience that will set them apart from the rest.
Following the
conversation on sustainability, P’Jeab introduced the different educational
options that are available such as regular university, open university,
community college, and vocational training schools/programs. Talking through
each one of these options, P’Jeab pointed out the pros and cons of each and
encouraged students to really think about which option would work best for
them.
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| Students perform One Billion Rising! |
Day 3
On Sunday,
students and staff met for a final meeting. During this meeting P’Jeab and
staff members provided students with tips and tricks for taking the final
exams. After this, P’Jeab went into more detail about the different educational
options identifying the average costs for each of these different types of
programs, the length of time each would take, the logistics of being able to
work and study simultaneously, how much living expenses would cost, and the
different scholarships that are available.
After covering
these details, P’Jeab encouraged students to make a strong decision about their
future plans and post-secondary educational aspirations. She encouraged
students to really consider their own dreams and desires and to make their own
decision free from guilt over family wishes/demands. She then had students
share their decision with the group, as well as, what their next steps will be.
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| P'Jeab talks about university, tuition, and scholarships. |
