Sign Ups Are Up - What are you waiting for?

We hereby announce that sign ups for STEP UP PROJECT - Cambodia (2013) are up! The link to the sign-up page is HERE.

So ... what are you waiting for? Sign Up Now! =D

Signing ...

We look forward to having you on our team!

Frequently Answered Questions (FAQs)

Frequently Answered Questions (FAQs)

Interested in joining? But your head is buzzing with many doubts and questions? You are in the right place! Lo, and behold -- responses to ten FAQs about our project ...

Question?

1. Who may apply?

We welcome all students from the National University of Singapore (NUS), regardless of your course or your year of study. 

2. What is the actual date for the expedition, and how long is its duration?

The expedition will be a two-week one, which commences shortly after the end of examination week in NUS (i.e., 2nd week of December). Actual dates are yet to be confirmed. 

3. What can I expect from this Project?

Contrary to popular misconception, the expedition project does not involve only the two week-long expedition. Participants are expected to attend weekly meetings across the semester, with the exception of the examination weeks, each meeting taking approximately two to three hours. These meetings will be held on a weekday evening (i.e., 7pm onwards). These weekly meetings, also known as facilitation sessions, are organised so as to prepare the team mentally for the expedition project, and provide an avenue for all members (participants and leaders alike) to further reflect on issues regarding community service, development work, service learning and the myriad complexities involved. And yes, these sessions are compulsory.

There are altogether three phases in this project:

1. EXPLORE Phase

2. EXPERIENCE Phase

3. EXPRESS Phase

a. EXPLORE Phase (Aug - Nov 2013):

At this stage, we will also work on a LOCAL PROJECT involving a local school, focusing on the theme of service learning. Through working on this project, we invite our participants to reflect on what service learning entails as well. Also, we will be conducting FUNDRAISING activities as well, to acquire more funds for our project.

b. EXPERIENCE Phase (Dec 2013; 2 weeks):

This phase refers to the 2 week-long EXPEDITION @ CAMBODIA, where we will be working closely with our partner NGOs on two projects (see who our NGOs are over here.) These projects have to do with a sustainable living environment and its attendant practices. To some degree, our participants will be involved in the planning of these activities prior to the expedition - and that means, you will NOT be simply doing manual labour during the expedition.

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Additionally, we will also be planning activities that facilitate cultural exchange between our team and the locals over there, to further enhance the relationship between Singapore (from which our main working partner, STEP, is based) and the local community.

c. EXPRESS Phase:

Upon completing the expedition, we will return to Singapore and conduct one final LOCAL PROJECT with the school we have worked with during the EXPLORE phase.

4. How many participants do we expect in the team?  
We are looking at a number between 20 to 24.

5. When are the interviews going to be held?

In the first two weeks of AY2013/14 Semester 1 (12th August - 23rd August 2013)

6. When can we start signing up for SUP-C?

Now! Click here to sign up! Deadline for application ends on the 13th August!

7. Who are you looking for to be part of the team?

No one in particular. We are looking for a diverse range of people. So long as you have the interest, we strongly encourage you to apply!

However, you do need to be committed to this project, and can work in teams well. After all, our programme requires our participants to work on quite a number of projects. The intensity of the projects will be pretty manageable, despite their quantity, so long as participants cooperate well. In fact, we assure you it will be a thoroughly enjoyable experience!

8. How are the living conditions at the place that we are residing in?

We will be staying in hostels that provide decent services (even wifi). You won't be having many trouble adapting to the conditions of living over there.

9. How much do we need to pay to participate in this project?

We are still in the midst of confirming the actual cost each participant should pay. The range should be between $700 and $800. 

This amount includes airfare, transport within Cambodia, and food.

10. What does this project offer me? How is it different from other YEPs?

In this project, you get to work very intimately alongside established NGOs in their grand masterplan to rebuild sustainable communities for evicted slum-dwellers in Cambodia. We believe that this will provide you an avenue to appreciate and reflect on the complexities of community service and developmental efforts. 

An opportunity to explore the less-visible underbelly of urban Cambodia – not just the touristic sides – and understand more keenly the issues surrounding them.It is not true that you have to enter the countryside to experience a different side of life.

And many more ….

If you still have any questions left un-answered, please forward them to:

stepupproject.cambodia@gmail.com

Ask, and rest assured: your queries shalt be answered.

We hope to see you in SUP-C 2013! 

What are you waiting for? Come join us now!

Who Are Our Partners?

Who Are Our Partners?

For every Youth Expedition Programme, the partner organisations play an extremely important role in ensuring that the YEP experience will not be a facile, superficial one -- but rather, it will be educative, offering numerous nuggets about development work for the participants to ruminate over. For our inaugural post, we find it necessary to present to you our dear friendly partners whom you will be working with, should you come on board.

Solutions To End Poverty (STEP)

Poverty-free, sustainable communities where people live with dignity and in harmony. 

A secular and non-political organization based in Singapore, STEP seeks to facilitate and catalyse collaborative efforts to develop sustainable communities in poverty-stricken areas of Asia.
STEP is currently embarking on a masterplan to relocate 312 impoverished families, about to be evicted from their dwellings in urban slums, to a 2.2 hectares piece of land, acquired for this purpose. Along with the efforts of several other NGOS, STEP seeks to rebuild lives of an entire community – through providing simple vocational training and conducting community building programmes, among others. It is envisioned that this model will serve as a prototype for sustainable community development for the poor across Cambodia. 

Besides working on rebuilding the lives of Cambodian slum dwellers, STEP is also involved developing an ecosystem for the continual development and engagement of volunteers in Singapore, called Service Leadership and Mentoring (SLaM). It aims to provide capacity training in Social Innovation, collaborate with the best partners, and inspire passion for life-long volunteerism, especially among the young.

To learn out more about STEP, click here.

Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (PSE)

An empowerment of each Cambodian child to become a master of his or her own destiny.

Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (PSE) is a French humanitarian association, which has been working for the last 16 years in post-Khmer-Rouge Cambodia. PSE helps extremely impoverished Cambodian children, who do not attend school, who are mistreated and forced to work in the most distressing and dangerous conditions as scavengers. Today, PSE has more than 450 local employers in Cambodia who are employed as teachers, trainers, social workers and many others. Its schools now hold more than 4000 children and 1500 youngsters (the latter within vocational institutes).

PSE adopts a hugely comprehensive approach towards achieving their objectives, through means that are direct and institutional. Direct intervention is realized through installations of health care centres, provision of education and vocational training, and livelihood support for families. On the other hand, institutional action can be carried out through the dissemination of information; defending Children’s Rights in all authorities both national and international as a bulwark, among others.  

To learn out more about PSE, please click here.