THIS year’s journey in Cambodia was a blast for Bayview College students, who already miss the friendly faces they met during their stay.

Sixteen of Bayview’s Year 12 students signed up to travel to Cambodia this year, including the trip’s coordinator Kym Maybery, teacher Reece Williams, chaplain and Days for Girls advocate Elizabeth Clements and Portland Rotarian John Pye, as part of their annual Students With a Cause immersive learning experience.

Well before the students began their 13-day journey however, they had a goal of raising $7000 to bring along with them, and in the end raised $16,700.

Students raised funds by speaking at the Portland Uniting Church and Baptist Church, hosting a barefoot bowls night, and by volunteering at All Saints Outreach the first weekend of every month.

Their biggest event was their auction and trivia night, of which 90 local businesses donated for prizes.

On June 24, they arrived in Cambodia and spent their first four days eating cooked insects, learning about the Killing Fields at  the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre, and browsing markets.

The funds raised were put toward renovations to Rokat Primary School in the Kravanh district of Cambodia, which they assisted with for six days.

Student Gabby Greenman said they helped with levelling the school’s bumpy field.

“We also helped them concrete and repaint the school,” she said.

“With some of the money we raised, we bought 20 bikes that we used for our travel, then at the end of the trip we donated them to the primary school kids.

“We were able to provide some families with roughly a month's worth of food such as rice, fish oil, sugar, garlic, tinned fish and tables, chairs, sports equipment and some schools supplies for the kids.”

Bayview students also assisted at the Kravanh Bright Future Centre by holding an English lesson for Year 11 boys and ‘Days for Girls’ session for the girls.

The Days for Girls session taught about menstrual health and well-being and was aimed to normalise that every girl has a period and has the right not to be in period poverty.

With their funds, Bayview purchased 175 reusable menstrual kits to go towards those who need them.

Student Grace Tabone said they were sad when it came time to leave.

“We spent a lot of time with the students at both schools, made a lot of friendships and bonds … That last day when we were there, it wasn’t easy to leave,” she said.

“This trip was something that probably some of us needed.

“Just thinking back to some of the children, they didn’t have a lot, but they made it work for them. Where we have so much, but sometimes it doesn’t work for us.”

They returned last month, but not empty handed, because the primary school gifted them with a scarf each to thank them for their help.