Sokha's Wife, Pen Dany, Doing Daily Shopping at Boueng Keng Kang Market Preparing Food Daily for 125 Children Often, the CCH Monthly Report features new programs and exciting events. This month, we feature some daily activities which are truly extraordinary, namely food and art. At the top of the list is feeding 125 children, 3 times a day, 365 days a year. Besides the sheer number of mouths to feed, several things make this effort difficult. First, the staggered school schedule means that children are coming and going at all hours. Second, due to unreliable electrical service in Phnom Penh, refrigeration is not practical. Third, due to a limited budget, the cooking staff is quite small. Nonetheless, as anyone knows who has visited CCH or CDCC, nutritious food is always there, on the table, ready to be eaten by the children.
Pho Phanny Shopping at Deum Kor Market
Food Preparation at CCH I
Food Ready to Eat Art at CCH and CDCC Recently, 12 children from CCH and CDCC competed in an art contest sponsored by the local Mitsamlahn NGO. One CCH girl, Un Narath, won a prize in the competition. But many, many children at CCH and CDCC are very talented and skilled at drawing, as this gallery of their work shows. A local NGO called Ray Yom now teaches CCH children art skills 4 days a week.
Volunteers and Visitors The variety of volunteers at CCH and CDCC continues to be great. As the United World College volunteers wrap up their stay in Cambodia, several other groups and individuals continue to help out. These include Gerry from Canada, Toshiko from Japan, Todd from the United States, and Cecillia from Finland. In addition, staff from the local Japanese embassy comes to tutor, as do students from nearby Panassasstra University, and Kamonohashi Project. Offerings from these individuals and groups range from English and Japanese lessons, to art, origami, math, and Khmer. Sokha’s godmother, Osanai Mieko, and a contingent from Japan Team for Young Human Power (JHP) came for a visit, bringing presents, and enjoying the children as they performed Japanese songs, and practiced their origami skills.
Visiting Japanese Group with CCH Children Community Learning Service and Mobile Library A very special effort has been initiated by Hout Ravuth, an older student at CCH. Through funding provided by Marc Gold of 100 Friends Project in the United States, Ravuth has taken driving lessons, and has used 100 Friends funds to help buy and deliver rice, noodles and cash to a 92 year old lady named Long Sambath, who lives in poverty, with no one to care for her properly. Ravuth says now that he can drive, he wishes to help 50 people next year!
Ravuth, Learning to Drive
Ravuth Giving Food and Financial Assistance to Long Sambath, Age 92 The spirit of community service also continues strong with the CCH Mobile Library group, which continues to meet every available weekend to prepare programs and practice performances under the guidance of teacher Ly An, and U.S. volunteer Todd Eliasson. CCH Mobile Library will continue to target areas where disadvantaged children live and work. It will continue to communicate cautionary messages about drugs, trafficking and HIV/AIDS, and hopeful messages about reading, education, and looking to the future. Current Projects for Work Opportunity The table below gives a run down of CCH children who are currently receiving some work experience. The younger teenagers are still enrolled in public school. The older teenagers are now looking toward permanent employment.
Education News Public education news at CCH and CDCC is wonderfully repetitive: Again, as in previous months, many, many children continue to score at or near the tops of their classes in school. Un Narun, the young man from CCH who is studying in Singapore, has now successfully completed his second term at United World College. Congratulations, Narun! Entertainment CCH kids continue to receive recreational opportunities, courtesy of helpful visitors. In the photo below, children at CCH are seen enjoying a boat ride on the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers, courtesy of Mr. Ian Kern from England. A small group of 8 students also took a trip to Angkor Wat.
Health There are, fortunately, no serious health problems to report at CCH or CDCC. This month, children who had not been previously immunized against tetanus received this needed shot. All Ears Cambodia continues to keep tabs on the children’s hearing issues, and more children have traveled to Kandal Province to receive dental care. Construction Progress Construction projects mentioned in previous issues continue apace, including the 5 room second story dorm rooms and new stage at CCH/CDCC. In addition, money has been obtained to install security doors on the third floor of the business building under construction at the front of CCH I. Two more pigs and some fish have also been purchased for the farm project outside Phnom Penh.
Third Story Doors and Windows at New CCH I Building Miscellaneous Other News
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Contributors to this report: Content: Mech Sokha English Editing and Layout: Elia Van Tuyl Photos: Elia Van Tuyl, Buth Sambath |
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