Enlighten Our Future: Amity Townhall
On 2nd December 2022, the Amity Foundation organized the 6th Amity Townhall* event at Bishop Hall Jubilee School (BHJS) in Hong Kong. The Townhall was the second in a series of online exchange events between schools in Hong Kong and Cambodia, facilitated by Amity Foundation (Hong Kong). Teachers and students from BHJS (HK), Boeng Thung Primary School (Cambodia), and Yuthithor Primary School (Cambodia) engaged in lively sharing on the topic of “Enlighten Our Future”.
In 2021, BHJS donated HKD36,000 to support the construction of solar power facilities at Yuthithor Primary School, which were successfully installed in June 2022. At the Townhall, students from Yuthithor shared their appreciation and usage of the new equipment, happily stating that they no longer have to rely on candlelight to study at night thanks to new lighting installed in classrooms and on the roads.
Boeng Thung Primary School, located in Battambang province of Cambodia, still lacks a source of electricity due to local economic difficulties. At the Townhall, guests from Amity partner Living With Dignity gave a presentation on the needs faced by rural schools in Cambodia. Encouraged by the success of the solar power project at Yuthithor, BHJS has commenced fundraising to support the installation of similar facilities at Boeng Thung.
Through meticulously produced videos and a dynamic Q&A session, the Townhall provided the opportunity for the guests from Cambodia to learn about student life in HK schools and how solar power is used there. Furthermore, students from BHJS were able to witness their solar power project for Yuthithor come to fruition, while learning first-hand from Boeng Thung of the challenges still faced in Cambodia’s education system.
By the end of the fruitful exchange, the students were able to come away with a richer understanding of sustainable development and their respective cultures, as well as the strengthened desire for global solidarity as reflected in BHJS’s closing statement:
“In the modern world that we live in, sharing the warmth and love that we have is the only way to sustain human civilization.”
Since 2019, the Amity Foundation has implemented projects aimed at improving the living and learning conditions of rural Cambodia, including health care, solar energy, water sanitation, as well as providing volunteer teaching and education grants.
*First held in 2021, Amity Townhall events are designed to bridge communications between communities from a wide array of backgrounds and nationalities, utilizing the power of the internet. Townhall events enable direct and live interaction between parties separated by distance, encouraging the sharing of ideas and experience through audio and visual media. This form of experiential learning helps raise awareness on global issues and most importantly broadens the horizons of young people around the world.
