Laos-bound student volunteers excited to make a difference

PUTRAJAYA: Fifty students from the Student Volunteers Foundation (YSS) will be heading to Laos, today, on a two–week volunteer mission.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the students from various higher learning institutions in the country will meet up with Laotian youths and perform various tasks in local villages.
"The students will be teaching English, providing medical screening, and building basic amenities – essentially, putting the knowledge they have gained locally, to impact societies globally," he told reporters after launching the flag–off mission at the ministry, here, yesterday.
The volunteering mission, which is being held in collaboration with Laos' Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) will see the group collaborate with 50 volunteer students from the National University of Laos (NUOL) to conduct various works in three villages, namely Ban Samphanna, Ban Paktone and Ban Thanasa located in the Sangthong district of Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
Stating that this is the fourth mission of its kind, following an MoU inked between YSS and NUOL in 2014, YSS chairman Datuk Zuraidah Atan said such missions are often important to empower student volunteers with humanitarian values and encourage immersion and inclusiveness within various societies.
Medical student, S. Kogaan, 23, from Aimst University, said he was looking forward to identifying health problems with the villagers during his time at the Asean country.
"We have learnt a bit of the Laotian language and will have fellow Laotian students help us communicate with the villagers to help the health screening process," he said.
Medical student Tham Jia Wei, 24, from Perdana University, said she was excited to join the mission for the first time.
"The moment the opportunity came in, I immediately stepped up. Having done other voluntary missions with NGOs, I am looking forward to learn a lot from this mission," she added.