On July 4, the Goducate Children’s Home, which includes a school for the residents, held its annual closing and awards program to mark the end of the 2013/14 school year. The theme for this year’s event was Character Building: Academic Excellence. In his message the guest speaker, Goducate director Victor Yeo, stressed three points that the Goducate Children’s Home should uphold: (1) Authenticity—in terms of providing a homelike environment; (2) Character Molding— which should be based on example and mentorship; and (3) Education—as the bridge for the children’s usefulness in the future, not only in Cambodia but also abroad. He ended his speech with a call for the children to remain Cambodians so that they can help other needy Cambodians.
During the program, the children were given an opportunity to showcase their talents and skills in playing different musical instruments. The musical items were presented by the String Ensemble (violin and guitar group), the piano soloists, and the Junior and Primary Recorder Ensemble. Other items were presented by the Beginners, the Khmer class, and the speech choir.
Goducate believes in equipping each child for the future not only through academic training but also by teaching them practical livelihood skills, such as agriculture, farming, electrical work, welding, and music. For those in the music program, there are daily practices, with discipline being emphasized as one of the keys to success.
