University of Calgary – Qatar's female nursing students at a classroom in Yogyakarta as part of its International Volunteer Trips Programme.
Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) in collaboration with Titian Foundation NGO, a former in-country partner based in Indonesia, has recently partnered with the University of Calgary – Qatar (UCQ) to send 18 female nursing students to Yogyakarta in Indonesia as part of its International Volunteer Trips Programme.
ROTA’s International Volunteer Trips Programme serves to create a link between the national and international initiatives of ROTA, a core programme of the Education Above All (EAA) foundation, and to build the capacity of volunteers and partners by raising awareness, developing skills and increasing engagement.
The UCQ female nursing students travelled to the Yogyakarta region, along with two UCQ staff members and three ROTA staff members to provide educational support to 100 nursing students at the SMK Mohammadiyah 3 Nursing School located in Klaten — Bayat from February 15 to 25.
Essa Al Mannai, Executive Director, ROTA, said: “Our International Volunteer Trips Programme aims to expose volunteers to the reality faced by in-country beneficiaries in order to raise their awareness of how education addresses developmental needs.”
“These trips offer our youth positive and meaningful experiences that lead to sustained service in more informed and deliberate methods of volunteering once they return to Qatar, which in turn enables them to make valuable contributions to their local community,” Al Mannai added.
During their visit, volunteers and ROTA staff members carried out beatification works at one of the mini-hospital training rooms at the SMK Mohammadiyah 3 Nursing School, installing new beds and medical equipment. ROTA and UCQ volunteers also led peer-to-peer workshops on: ‘Health assessment for nursing’, ‘Nursing for families’, and ‘Nursing research and Professional and legal issues for nursing’.
Ana Febriana, Programme Manager at Titian Foundation, said: “We are grateful to ROTA for their ongoing support in helping to enhance the skills of our future medical staff here in Indonesia. Their visit has been an invaluable experience for students at the SMK Mohammadiyah 3 Nursing School who were given the chance to improve essential medical knowledge and skills, which will enable them to better serve the local community.”
Isra El Wadia, UCQ student volunteer, said: “The trip was an incredibly enriching experience that has exposed us to some of the realities facing underprivileged communities. I feel honoured to have been able to transfer my nursing knowledge to the healthcare workers in Yogyakarta. I am grateful to ROTA for granting me the unique opportunity to make a difference and learn about another culture.”
