How we improved lives at an orphanage through programming

An American student had developed a curriculum to teach PHP, CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to the children at the local orphanage over the course of a month, ultimately leading the students to create a website.

On Saturdays, Web Essentials staff volunteered their time to help, supplementing the American volunteer’s lessons in English with lessons given in Cambodian.

“What was most beneficial for the kids in terms of learning was for our staff to reteach what she taught but in Khmer [the local language],” said Mary Lüthy-Hui, Corporate Services Manager at Web Essentials. “After teaching, the [Web Essentials] staff sat with a bunch of kids and looked over their work, and gave them feedback.”

Our role went beyond offering support in the Cambodian language. We also explained how Cambodian children learn so the volunteer could adapt her curriculum and teaching methods to be the most effective for the children at the orphanage, and we showed the students how they could use their new programming skills.

“What was really awesome was to see the staff share their personal stories with the kids,” Mary said.

Life for many Cambodian children is difficult, without the opportunities children in developed countries receive. By opening up about how they were able to get where they are today, the Web Essentials staff showed the children how they can improve their lives with careers in IT.

“We explain, if you study this, you can do this, you can find a job here,” said Nguonchhay Touch, Junior Web Developer. “I think it help a lot for the students. Besides teaching we also provide advice on how to prepare their lives for university…. I think it help a lot.”

We’ve always been about developing communities as we develop software. Part of our purpose statement is to make “a social impact in the local community.”

“We try to help the others,” Chhay said. He also said he saw himself in the students he taught at the orphanage. “I used to be like them in high school, I used to know I want to study IT or computer science but did not know what I could do with them.”

Now, thanks to Chhay and others like him, these children know how they can use the programming skills they learned to start exciting careers in IT and web development, and how these careers can improve their lives.

If you are similarly motivated to create social good, get in touch to see if there is a way we can work together.

Find out more about Future Light Orphanage Worldmate.