CNA-Q students with ROTA officials and volunteers in Nepal.
Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) recently partnered with College of the North Atlantic – Qatar (CNA-Q) to send 14 students to Nepal for its International Volunteer Trips Programme.
The student volunteers, along with two CNA-Q staff members, travelled with ROTA to the Nawalparasi District in Nepal to provide educational support to a ROTA-supported READ Nepal Community Center from December 15 to 23.
Essa Al Mannai, Executive Director, ROTA, said: “Our International Volunteer Trips Program aims to create a movement of volunteers and global citizens within Qatar who actively complement ROTA’s initiatives that positively impact youth and communities across Asia.”
“The programme is a life-enriching experience that develops the skills of both our volunteers and its beneficiaries, ensuring they are able to manage challenges, maximize opportunities, and solve problems constructively,” Al Mannai added.
During their visit, volunteers led daily peer-to-peer workshops at the local READ Nepal Community Center, toured the area and interacted with the local youth. The daily sessions helped youth from all 12 ROTA-supported READ Nepal Centers develop their interpersonal communication skills and promoted cross-cultural learning while empowering them to reach their potential.
The volunteer-led workshops were delivered to a total of 40 Nepali students over five days. The Nepali youth aged 18-24 were divided into groups of 10 and rotated on a daily basis. On the fifth day the volunteers and participants organized an exhibition and closing ceremony where the deliverables from the week were presented.
Fahad Al-Hedfa, a CNA-Q student volunteer, said: “This experience opened my eyes in so many ways. The workshops we delivered to the Nepali youth may seem insignificant in our eyes but to them I saw it meant the world, through the smiles that lit up their faces.” Allison Furlong, International Education Coordinator, CNA-Q, said: “We are grateful to ROTA for once again granting us this incredible opportunity.”
