The Ithaca Journal Correspondent
September 9, 2010,
Lindsey Brous, a junior in Cornell University's school of hotel administration, grew up in the hospitality industry -- her family owns the Ithaca Bakery and Collegetown Bagels restaurants. Now, through EGBOK (Everything's Gonna Be OK) Mission, she brings her experience to Cambodian orphans hoping to become hospitality professionals themselves.
EGBOK, an international nonprofit, works to empower young adults by training them in hospitality. Brous couldn't pass up the 11-week opportunity, which she found on Cornell's career website.
"I'm always looking for ways that I can combine social service in terms of customer service with philanthropy," Brous said. "I've always been looking for ways that I can use my education to serve others."
She's staying at the Palm Tree Orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. She teaches six classes of 16- to 24-year-old students.
"Right now, they have no real vocational skills," Brous said. "We're helping them live independent lives so they can get in to vocational schools and eventually get jobs."
The Cambodian students aren't the only ones learning. Teaching students of a different culture and native language can present a challenge, Brous has learned.
"It's (tough to figure out) how I can teach them in ways they understand, but they're really engaging and really interested in the material," she said. "They all want to find careers."
The job situation in Cambodia isn't great, and hospitality is the nation's only growing industry, Brous said. Hospitality professionals in Cambodia can start out making $90 per month, compared to the nation's $1-per-month average salary.
As if that weren't enough, Brous said, public schools in Cambodia are often corrupt, making it difficult for orphans with little funding available to receive an education.
"A lot of (students) have to pay off teachers to pass," Brous said. "Pure hard work doesn't get them good grades."
In addition to providing traditional classroom learning, EGBOK arranges trips around Cambodia. Brous said these trips play a vital role in the orphans' learning process.
"Tourism trips are where they gain a better understanding of the material," Brous said. "We take them to the Royal Palace and many of them had never been to the Royal Palace before. I had one student say to me, 'Wow, I didn't know there was anything so beautiful in this country.' We're helping them to discover things in their country and help them take pride in their country."
EGBOK, an international nonprofit, works to empower young adults by training them in hospitality. Brous couldn't pass up the 11-week opportunity, which she found on Cornell's career website.
"I'm always looking for ways that I can combine social service in terms of customer service with philanthropy," Brous said. "I've always been looking for ways that I can use my education to serve others."
She's staying at the Palm Tree Orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. She teaches six classes of 16- to 24-year-old students.
"Right now, they have no real vocational skills," Brous said. "We're helping them live independent lives so they can get in to vocational schools and eventually get jobs."
The Cambodian students aren't the only ones learning. Teaching students of a different culture and native language can present a challenge, Brous has learned.
"It's (tough to figure out) how I can teach them in ways they understand, but they're really engaging and really interested in the material," she said. "They all want to find careers."
The job situation in Cambodia isn't great, and hospitality is the nation's only growing industry, Brous said. Hospitality professionals in Cambodia can start out making $90 per month, compared to the nation's $1-per-month average salary.
As if that weren't enough, Brous said, public schools in Cambodia are often corrupt, making it difficult for orphans with little funding available to receive an education.
"A lot of (students) have to pay off teachers to pass," Brous said. "Pure hard work doesn't get them good grades."
In addition to providing traditional classroom learning, EGBOK arranges trips around Cambodia. Brous said these trips play a vital role in the orphans' learning process.
"Tourism trips are where they gain a better understanding of the material," Brous said. "We take them to the Royal Palace and many of them had never been to the Royal Palace before. I had one student say to me, 'Wow, I didn't know there was anything so beautiful in this country.' We're helping them to discover things in their country and help them take pride in their country."
No comments:
Post a Comment