On 13 February, Maltese-owned EC English Language Centres sent a team of eight enthusiastic EC staff volunteers hailing from all over the world, including Korea, the UK, the US, Canada and Malta, to Ban Huoy, Cambodia, for a 10-day trip organised as part of the organisation's most recent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.

In early 2016, EC approached respected education charity, United World Schools (UWS), to improve the prospects of marginalised children in Cambodia. Shortly after partnering with UWS, EC was able to build a school - a move which would allow the children of Ban Huoy to learn music, art, sport, numeracy and fluency in Khmer, the national language. Asked about the project, EC's executive chairman, Andrew Mangion, said: "EC is an organisation that prides itself on putting people first. This incredible CSR initiative, led by our Global CSR manager, Daniel Woodard, is something close to our hearts across the EC family. Children, no matter where in the world they are, have a right to education; to dream big and work to improve their prospects in life. We're simply here to make sure the children of Ban Huoy get the tools they need to do just that."

Ban Huoy is a small village in the country's Stung Treng province, home to more than 85 families and over 165 children. After signing the official partnership agreement, EC funded the construction of a village well, a seemingly small project which, it was later reported, reached completion just before a drought struck the region. Commenting on EC's latest CSR project, UK Talent and Global CSR manager, Daniel Woodard said: "The best hope we have of securing a brighter future for this planet and the people on it is by getting education right for the next generation. I truly believe in our primary purpose - helping students succeed in a global community - and getting the chance to extend this to children who had no access to education is both exciting and humbling. UWS are a fantastic charity with the same intense passion for their work. The organisation is the perfect partner for our project in Cambodia, and I'm thrilled to be joining these eight volunteers as we head out to Ban Huoy village, and look forward to sharing our stories, photos, and videos when we return!"

United World Schools is an international charity committed to improving prospects for children living in some of the world's poorest regions by giving them the opportunity to get the education they deserve. The charity works by using a strong sense of social purpose combined with a balanced, sustainable model that focuses its energy and resources on educating children in post-conflict developing countries, while encouraging cultural exchange and understanding. UWS also works with these communities to build schools and train local teachers.