Center for Children’s Happiness PHNOM PENH , CAMBODIA
Keo Manin Reads to Children at Steung Meanchey Dump Youth Leadership The CCH Mobile Library activities are expanding by leaps and bounds. Last July, older children at CCH began visiting CDCC, to read to younger children there, act out stories, and do art activities. Since then, under the leadership of Sokha and teacher Ly An, about 20 children at CCH have created plays about social issues such as drug abuse, trafficking, and HIV/AIDS, and have built up a strong library of books in Khmer. Having practiced often at CCH/CDCC, these mobile library and role play students have taken their show on the road to a small village called Ta Tork near Siem Riep, to the Steung Meanchey waste disposal dump in Phnom Penh, and at Wat Tep Borey, in Takeo, about 40 km outside Phnom Penh. Activities for impoverished children include CCH original dramas, reading time, origami, drawing, hygiene lessons, and distribution of much wanted items such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, and food. Now, older children at CCH/CDCC are joining the ranks of the Mobile Library.
Buth Sambath Plays a Drug Dealer in a Play at the Dump
Keo Sinath and Hout Ravuth Quiz the Audience for Comprehension....
...and the Audience Responds
Eng Sophorn and Chhim Thavery Hand Out Bread and Condensed Milk to Hungry Children...
...Who Gratefully Accept Education News CCH and CDCC children continue to excel in Cambodian public schools. Lon Sambo, and Un Naran, of CCH I, and Kry Reach, Chey Srey Pao, Kong Chinda, Say Raksmey, and Pheng Thai of CCH/CDCC have all scored at the top of their classes. Cambodian public schools have increasingly difficult scheduling. Currently, there are three 4 hour shifts, starting at 6:30 A.M., 10: A.M., and 2:00 P.M. Un Narun is studying hard in 10th grade at United World College in Singapore. Difficult subjects for Narun include English and biology. Several CCH students have hopes of studying outside Cambodia, including Keo Chanchesda and Chhim Thavery, who hope to study in Japan, and Soun Chetra, who hopes to study for a year at the Mekong Youth Net number 3 in Mai Sai, Thailand, run by Development and Education Programme for Daughters and Community, DEPDC. Although CCH does not have any applicants of the right age for United World College this year, Sokha has been deeply involved in helping UWC administer tests to several hundred young Cambodian applicants who are vying for five scholarships to five UWC campuses in USA, England, Norway, Costa Rica and Hong Kong. Vocational Training Training in sewing continues at the CCH II facility, under a program funded by Solna Haga Rotary Club of Sweden. The Original Shop run by Charity Factory Foundation of the Netherlands employs 3 young women from CCH---volunteer teacher Sopheak, CDCC assistant cook Srey Thom, and student Soun Chetra. They receive salary for working at this retail shop which sells a wide variety of fashion and cosmetic products, and receive valuable work experience. The young women are transported to and from work by tuk tuk’s and motos owned by CCH, and operated by Kahn Pisey, and other older boys at CCH. The tuk tuks are also used to ferry CCH and CDCC volunteers to and from work 5 days a week. Sok Phearin, Eng Vuthy, and Eng Ratha are all studying to be cooks. Hout Pheara continues her volunteer work at DEPDC, the anti-trafficking organization in Mai Sai, Thailand. Keo Chanchesda, while still in school, has a paying position at NGO CRC consortium of local NGOs. Special Events The main entertainment event in the past two months has to be the huge Christmas party held at CCH/CDCC, sponsored by Ms. Kristin Way of Claire V company. Every child from CCH I & II and CCH/CDCC was in attendance, as well as numerous foreign visitors. Every child received a present, plus a new clothing outfit. The event lasted into the night, and was a mix of Santa hats, shouts of Merry Christmas, traditional Cambodian dances under the tutelage of the local Cambodian cultural organization, Cambokids, and a special meal served to all in the large play yard, with music to dance to provided by the CCH rock band.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year
Christmas Party Games at CCH/CDCC
Sokha's Wife, Dany, Christmas Shopping for 125 Children
Yet another party was held near the end of January at CCH/CDCC to say thanks to the many volunteers from Long Beach State who were ready to depart. Volunteers, NGO Partners, and Visitors Volunteer teachers continue to form a very important part of the supplemental education programs at CCH and CDCC. In addition to volunteers mentioned in past issues, CCH is very fortunate to have had dedicated students from nearby Pannasasstra University 3 days a week for 4 weeks, to teach English, drawing, painting, and tee shirt printing. Also, a young woman from Finland named Cecillia has come for 6 months to teach English. Recently departed is a group of volunteers from Long Beach State University from the U.S.A., who worked with children in programs which integrated arts and academics. After a holiday break, United World College volunteers are back to their regular activities at CCH and CDCC.
Pannasasstra University Volunteers at CCH Recent visitors to CCH and CDCC include Ron Newby, Chief Executive of Global Care in the U.K., whose organization is doing preliminary studies to establish an expanded presence in Cambodia, Lei Graham of the Rotary Club in New Zealand, who brought gifts of educational materials and various personal necessity items, and representatives of Toshiba of Japan, led by JHP, a major funder for CCH, who came on a good will visit. In December, Sokha attended a meeting of NGO CRC, a consortium of 46 Cambodian NGOs. Also, he has recently been interviewed on a local radio station 93.5. His topic: The situation of Cambodian dump children. Finances and Administration Elia Van Tuyl, an American fund raiser for CCH, who also helps Sokha as CCH Donor Liaison, has been at CCH for 7 weeks to install a new accounting system, and train CCH staff. The new system is aimed at meeting some of the demanding documentation requirements in countries such as the U.S.A., while not being an unreasonable drain on precious human resources at CCH and CDCC, which need to be focussed primarily on the welfare of the children. After 7 weeks of training, with students Un Narath and Keo Sinath working under the supervision of Sokha and his wife Dany, it appears that the system will work smoothly and provide good results. Special Projects Various generous donors are making several construction projects possible. The projects currently underway include building of concrete tables near the rear fence of CCH I for food preparation and eating areas, construction of security doors and gates for the business building at the front of the CCH I property, installation of cloth and wooden curtains for windows and verandah at CCH II, construction of roofs for the pig cages at the CCH farm, and cleaning of ponds at the farm in order to stock them with fish.
Volleyball on the Newly Concreted Play Yard
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Contributors to this report: Content: Mech Sokha English Editing and Layout: Elia Van Tuyl Photos: Elia Van Tuyl
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