Mour Seang Leng, Vice Director of the St Paul said that “It’s a great success. More than 70 students had subscribed, after a conference given by Sr. Paola, but we were not sure that everyone would come, maybe out of fear.”

A few months ago two MEP volunteers, Marie-Odile and Benjamin, asked a few students in the Institute if they could give their blood to help a woman facing leukemia, a disease that may lead to death. Four people helped to save her. From there came the idea to organize a big operation.

According to Dr. Hok Kim Cheng, the director of National Blood Transfusion Center (NBTC) in Phnom Penh, used to that kind of undertaking in schools and universities, « it’s easier to convince the youth since they are more open-minded, less afraid, and they are sensitive to the challenge ». “They can be proud of themselves” says Sr. Paola.

Donation by volunteering remains very insufficient in Cambodia, with about 0,3% of the population that has been involved. Although it’s growing over time, only 40% of the blood transfused comes from volunteering, whereas 60% comes from the families of the patients. It means the hospitals often face a lack of blood.

Besides volunteering decreases the proportion of infected blood since they are more scrupulous. To foster the effort Prime Minister Hun Sen recently declared that blood donation is an emergency and that everyone should think to participate.