A Heartfelt Update on the Cambodia Project: December Visits and Gratitude

Written by: Yuka Takahashi

From December to January, the holiday season in the U.S. is a time to send greetings and spread joy to one another. I took this opportunity to introduce our children to the culture of caring for each other, not only during the holiday season but at all times throughout the year. This time, the children took on the challenge of creating greeting cards featuring Christmas trees made from origami paper and ribbons.

First, I asked them to write reflections about the past year. Some children shared experiences they would like to tell others about, while others wrote about their daily lives during the winter season. Many children also wrote about how they are spending their time in the new school year. Several children drew illustrations of winter and Christmas scenes from different countries.

I gave different assignments to each grade level for creating the Christmas trees. For the younger grades, they cut out circles and folded them. Some children found this challenging, as they were not familiar with paper crafts. The high schoolers, on the other hand, created Christmas trees that looked like collages, each showcasing its own unique style in the way it was cut, folded, and pasted. Each one turned out beautifully.

We also had a moment to reflect on this year and set goals for the coming year. At the end of the meeting, one high school student, representing all the children, expressed their gratitude for the WFWP activities in 2024. Thank you so much for your warm support throughout 2024!