How to use your gifts to fill the gaps and transform lives

Using our gifts to fill the gaps means sharing our knowledge, skills, and resources where they’re needed, creating social, economic, and environmental impact in our communities. This approach promotes empowerment, inclusivity, and a sense of purpose for everyone.

In 2009, our 14-year-old daughter, Steph, was denied a life-changing school trip to Cambodia to volunteer with disadvantaged rural families. We decided to embrace the opportunity and travelled to Cambodia as a family, volunteering to teach English at a rural school in Siem Reap province. Those two weeks changed the course of our lives, and the lives of thousands of rural Cambodian students and their families. Our students were all the children of survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime and the ensuing civil war – while their parents were illiterate, they understood the value and importance of education. We returned to volunteer in Cambodia several more times and in 2011 founded the Cambodia Rural Students Trust NGO (CRST), with the vision of breaking the poverty cycle through education by educating Cambodia’s future leaders.

Using our gifts to fill the gaps 

We understood that poverty does not equal a lack of intelligence but rather a lack of access to opportunities. Our family used our business and educational backgrounds, our gifts, to establish CRST as a unique NGO in Cambodia. We volunteered our time, shared a vision of empowered young leaders, and offered business, management, and leadership mentoring. When we teamed up with others who shared their gifts to fill the gaps, our impact grew, creating a ripple effect.

CRST is unique because it’s entirely led and managed by our students. Through formal education, extensive mentoring, and hands-on skills, CRST students lead and manage projects in areas like women’s empowerment, energy poverty, social inequity, and environmental protection, benefiting thousands every year.

The roles of individuals and communities 

Using our gifts to fill the gaps is a collective effort, with individuals and communities playing a vital role. Building inclusive societies ensures everyone has access to healthcare, education, and employment, promoting equality and diversity. We teach CRST students that their education and mentorship are not only for their benefit but also to uplift others. By empowering themselves, they inspire younger generations, creating a ripple effect that transforms lives, shaping a brighter future for all.

The impact we are creating is vast, as our university students become role models for over 20,000 rural students in Cambodia annually, managing CRST’s educational social enterprise projects:

• Project B – Bicycles for Education: Distributes and repairs over 1,000 bicycles for rural students each year, supporting schooling, reducing environmental impact, and enabling students to contribute to their communities.
• Project G – Empowering Girls: Educates over 7,000 rural students annually about gender equality, distributing more than 5,000 reusable menstruation kits to rural girls, supporting education, and promoting social contributions.
• Project L – Light for Education: Provides over 3,000 SolarBuddy study lights and study-material kits each year to students in energy-poor areas, supporting both environmental and economic development.
• Project T – Trees for Life: Plants over 5,000 trees yearly in rural and urban areas, creating a greener, healthier environment.
• Project W – WASH for Education: Manages the installation of biosand water filtration systems, toilets, and incinerators at more than 20 rural schools, impacting thousands of students and community members, bringing sustainable development to disadvantaged and remote areas.

Each of these projects shows how our students’ gifts are filling critical gaps and creating a more sustainable, equitable future.

Where to start 

To get started on making an impact, consider these steps:

1. Identify Your Gift: What are your passions, expertise, or purpose?
2. Find Your People: Collaborating with like-minded people or organizations can increase your reach and impact.
3. Choose Your Focus Area: Do you want to create sustainable impact locally or globally? Local projects build community connections, while global initiatives often reach further, with the cost of delivering impact often lower in developing countries.

Using our gifts to fill the gaps not only transforms individual lives but also has a lasting impact on entire communities. The Cambodia Rural Students Trust, with our students’ gifts, is now part of Cambodia’s fabric, helping to fill countless gaps and fostering a brighter future.

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Written by Aviv Palti.
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