By Brendan Rees
School camp just got better for a group of Cranbourne Secondary College students as they prepare to travel abroad.
Ten students will embark on a three-week trip to Vietnam to explore the culture and help build a fence at a local primary school in a remote village.
Students have been fund-raising for their expedition, and helping them along the way was Masonic Lodge, who presented a $1000 donation cheque at Cranbourne Secondary College on Thursday 19 October.
Japara Healthcare also donated $500 towards their expedition community project.
Cranbourne Secondary College Sports co-ordinator Kellie Fallon said Vietnam was chosen for the expedition based on cost, travel distance and the community project available.
“Students wanted to get into a local school to help in construction and teaching in the classroom. Vietnam had the perfect project,” Ms Fallon said.
She said the fence, to be built at a remote village over five days, would stop local children running onto the road.
She added students would also assist in building a small playground for the kids, who currently played on a mound of dirt.
“The expedition is the culmination of 20 months of planning, preparing and fund-raising. On top of the individual student cost of $6000, the 10 students have also fund-raised $2100 to pay for the community project.”
“The expedition team is super appreciative of all donations received. This is the second expedition the college has completed, the previous being in 2015 to Thailand and Laos,” Ms Fallon said.
“An assembly outlining the expedition was held, students nominated their interest, the college approved students, a parent information night was held for those students who had nominated and if the students and parents were keen, they were in.”
The trip, organised through Antipodeans Abroad will also involve students embarking on a five-day trek through the mountain areas of Vietnam, staying in a different village each night to interact with the locals.
They will also visit temples, war tunnels, local markets, and the Mekong Delta, among other tourist attractions.
Students will be joined by Ms Fallon and another teacher Stephanie O’Kane for their expedition, where they will head to Vietnam on November 25.
“The students are a tad nervous but mostly super excited. We’ve had the 2015 expedition students come in and speak, and hearing their stories, the life skills they developed and personal growth they experienced, the students cannot wait to get over to Vietnam and let the experience begin,” Ms Fallon said.
