Building Up Young Leaders

Over the pandemic, DOVE’s leadership training program, ONYX, has rolled with the punches. Shortly after ONYX first-year students began meeting, Covid-19's second outbreak spiked out of control. The Cambodian government banned the gathering of any group over 10 people, shifting classes from in-person to zoom.

Serey, the ONYX Leadership Coordinator, managed the meetings very well by focusing more on relationship building and her students’ wellbeing than the course lessons themselves. They met virtually once a week and entered into a space of worship, prayer, and connection together, as well as group discussion and reflection.

The core value of this training is not so much about head knowledge, but heart knowledge. Offering students the opportunity to grow while participating in a trusted and safe community with space to build one another up and walk alongside each other in the leadership journey. Serey and her team are working on modifying this year’s course to make sure it is focused on fostering a healthy and safe learning community, whilst connecting remotely.

One of the ways Serey and her ONYX students have been demonstrating practical support in their community is through distributing food packages to families in their neighborhood. Combined with the outreach work of DOVE’s Youth Learning Center, DOVE has assisted 206 families with food over the lockdown in Phnom Penh. 

As a church, we love to see God raising up new young leaders in Cambodia, and so we continue to walk alongside DOVE and its leaders as they shape the future of Cambodia.