Center for Children’s Happiness

PHNOM PENH , CAMBODIA 

CCH/CDCC children celebrate

Education News

Education activities at CCH and CDCC are always a top priority. The six volunteers from United World College continue their full time work with the children, both in groups, and doing individual tutoring.

Michael Ewart , full time UWC Volunteer at CCH

Elysia Glover, full time UWC Volunteer at CCH

A challenge has arisen for CCH students in the Cambodian public secondary schools. Cambodian public school teachers, in an attempt to supplement their rather meager salaries, sell their printed lessons to their students. CCH children have not had money to buy these lessons, so they have gone to the teachers to explain their situations, and ask that the lesson materials be donated to them. Some teachers agree to this, others take reduced fees, and still others insist on the full payment. To meet this challenge for the current school year, Japan Team for Young Human Power (JHP) has given a grant of $1,000 to CCH to defray these costs.

Un Narun, the young man from CCH who is now in grade 10 at United World College in Singapore, returned to CCH in October for a brief visit. Narun is doing well in school, earning grades well above average, and hopes to score well enough on his International Baccalaureate examination in grade 12 to qualify for a full university scholarship abroad, perhaps in the United States.  

Special Events

Fempje and Dakkie, volunteers from Belgium, took many CCH children to the riverside in Phnom Penh, to be treated to corn, meatballs and juice. In addition, they took the children for a one day swim at Santipheap water park, 14 kilometers from Phnom Penh

Sophorn enjoys the water

CCH has a collaborative relationship with iCAN, an international school in Phnom Penh which caters to children of foreigners and wealthy Cambodians. Every week, iCAN takes five different children from CCH/CDCC to visit the nearby Soriya Supermarket, which is quite a novelty for the CCH children. Soriya Supermarket is a six story modern facility, complete with escalators, elevators, modern shops, and a food court. Each CCH/CDCC child receives a coupon on the trip to order lunch at the food court. You can imagine what the children do when they see the escalators!

In addition, iCAN and CCH maintain a "partnership program" where 12 CCH children and 12 iCAN children get together every Wednesday to do entertaining activities such as origami. This program generally involves the younger children.  

Youth Leadership

CCH/CDCC children, under the watchful eye of teacher Van Thol, decorate the walls of their play yard.

Child Health and Welfare  

CCH staff members recently attended a one day training to learn "primary health care" (first aid) skills, to apply in case of accidents and emergencies. The clinic was offered at Clinic Sokapheap Thmey in Phnom Penh.

 Volunteers, NGO Partners, and Visitors

CCH continues to benefit from a continual flow of temporary volunteers. Currently, 2 volunteers from an English NGO, Star Cambodia, come 5 days a week to teach drawing, music, arts and English from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Cambo Kids, the Cambodian NGO concerned with encouraging Cambodian cultural activities, recently sponsored a short visit of Thai volunteers to CCH. Cambo Kids also gave a workshop for two CCH staff, Phanith and Pho, to learn about studying traditional Khmer sculpture on computers. Kamonohashi, a Japanese NGO that has worked with CCH in the past, will continue its work of training 8 more CCH children in basic computer skills such a Microsoft Office, Excel, and Power Point, plus training in graphic design and web design.

A new program is being carried out by Charity Factory Foundation (CFF), of the Netherlands. CFF is providing work experience at a local CFF retail shop for three young women from CCH---Chetra, a student, and Sopheak and Srey Tom, two young staff members of CCH, that need to make money to further their university studies. This shop program will go for one year, and then be evaluated by CFF.

In addition, CFF has purchased a tuk tuk for CCH. Fempje and Dakkie, volunteers from Belgium, have purchased a second tuk tuk! These two vehicles will be operated by Pisey and Sophal, two older boys, to provide transportation to Chetra, Sopheak and Srey Tom, and to also make income for CCH.

Visiting volunteer, Fempje, along with CCH children, examine the new tuk tuk she and partner, Dakkie, have donated to CCH

CCH has been extremely fortunate to be the recipient of a $3,400 grant from the Solna Haga Rotary Club of Sweden, to implement an expanded sewing program at the new CCH II facility. Rotarian, Mr. Tomas Blom, visited CCH last year, and again this year, and agreed to make the grant to CCH. The money will be spent primarily on equipment and supplies which will remain at CCH II---sewing machines, cloth, an embroidary machine, a cutting table, chairs, and more. Then CCH will carry out a training program in sewing for older girls at CCH, but also for young women who currently are garbage pickers at Steung Meanchey Dump, and who wish to acquire skills to be employable in the new textile factories springing up around Phnom Penh. CCH regular staff teacher, Seang Heang, will teach the young women, and CCH will also hire an additional sewing instructor for the period of the training.

Mr. Tomas Blom of Solna Haga Rotary Club of Sweden, at CCH

Volunteers Dakkie and Fempje with several CCH/CDCC kids

Finances and Administration  

Sokha continues his ongoing work of keeping his "finger on the pulse" of local NGO activity in Phnom Penh, including a survery program about HIV/AIDS orphans in Cambodia, and a launch of a program to study the problem of "punishment of children at home."

CCH has enough funding to pay all its expenses for 2006, and is currently finishing its estimates of financial needs for 2007. The financial pressures on CCH will continue, since the needs in Cambodia are so great, but CCH is optimistic about managing these pressures sucessfully going forward.

Special Projects

Some of CCH's ambitious building projects are drawing to a conclusion. The "business building" at CCH I is complete now. The ground floor will house two separate CCH businesses. The floor above is an apartment for Sokha, Dany, and family. All that remains to do is install a large front gate to protect the business properties. This will cost about $900, and should be completed within the next few months, at which time the businesses can begin operation.

The health and safety work at CCH/CDCC facility is about 70% complete. A sewer connection is finished, insulation has been installed to the ceiling to the second floor of the wooden structure, to make the second floor rooms habitable during hot weather, mosquito screens have been installed for the dormitory rooms, and some ceiling fans have been installed, with more fans to come in the future.

Inside the ground floor of the business building

Screens and Fans

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Contributors to this report:

Content: Mech Sokha

English Editing and Layout: Elia Van Tuyl

Special Thanks to Keo Manin for her valuable assistance with all the photos