On a cool January morning in Siem Reap, the SBB Cambodia team gathered for the first day of the Organisational Reflection, when all members could come together in reflection and celebration. The goals of the event were numerous, from team-building and celebrating successes to reflecting on how our strategy was guiding progress towards our Vision and Mission . But among all the engaging presentations and exciting team-building activities, one discussion on the second day of the Organisational Reflection stood out as particularly impactful. The meeting room buzzed with conversation, the lively discussion jumping from person to person as each member of the team offered their thoughts on the discussion prompt:
While a seemingly simple question, behind its foundation is a small nuance of critical importance: the name StudyBeyondBorders. It points to a significant step forward for SBB Cambodia – its transition to a local, Cambodian NGO. This step is so significant, in fact, that many of the reasons given that people are proud to be a part of StudyBeyondBorders were tied closely to SBB’s continued commitment to being locally driven and internationally engaged. “I feel proud to be part of an organisation that is locally led and operated,” one person said. Another noted that they were proud that StudyBeyondBorders “is an organisation for Cambodian people by Cambodian people.” Evidently, localisation is not a mere bureaucratic matter or trivial change in name, but an important step in achieving the goals SBB has been striving to achieve for years – a new, locally led beginning. With this new beginning in mind, the purpose of the Organisational Reflection is clear – reflection on the roots of SBB, our united purpose, and our vision for the future.
One particular highlight of the event was the attendance of SBB’s founders, Ed and Kate Shuttleworth, who offered their unique insights and perspectives as to why they started SBB, and how excited they are to see how far the organisation has come.
“It’s been lovely to see… the willingness of Cambodians to step up and say ‘It’s our turn. It’s our turn to turn this around.”
Ed and Kate’s participation provided a perfect opportunity to reflect on the beginnings of SBB, and to celebrate the strides we’ve made in transforming education in Cambodia. There is no question that their profound impact and commitment to sustainable, meaningful change will always serve as a cornerstone of SBB’s culture and purpose.
“I wondered when we left if the ethos of SBB would be the same… whether the heart there and the commitment to changing the system would still be there. But you feel it when you walk in the office, you feel that commitment and the heart the staff still has for it.”
So what about SBB makes it an organisation that we are proud to be a part of? For us at SBB, it is this heart and commitment that make us proud to be part of it. We are proudly committed to the same vision Ed and Kate were committed to more than a decade ago. We are proud to step up, embrace our new local identity, and say ‘it’s our turn to make change.’ We are proud that it’s our turn to pioneer the transformation of education in Cambodia.
But for SBB, localisation is not synonymous with separation. Rather, it is simply the beginning of a new, locally led-start for SBB. At SBB, we believe that great success is not an individual endeavour, that the whole is far more capable than the part. We are committed to being both locally driven and internationally engaged, maintaining positive collaboration with our international alliance organisations in Australia, Ireland and the UK to build a brighter future for education in Cambodia.
