CCH Management Team

CCH continues its extensive efforts to provide its children leadership opportunities, and to improve the operation of the orphanage at the same time. In the past two months, Sokha and his wife, Dany, have set up girl's and boy's "Management Teams" at CCH, headed by four older youth--Keo Chanchesda, Hout Ravuth (boys), and Morng Srey Pao and Eng Sophorn (girls). The responsibilities of the young managers include:

• Helping younger children resolve daily problems
• Running events at CCH, such as a recent workshop on Child Rights attended by 90 nearby slum youth
• Help teach younger CCH children about hygiene, morality, and the importance of education
• Try to arrange sightseeing and welcome for CCH visitors, when possible
• In addition, Chesda is leading computer training at CCH II, and Ravuth carries on "Youth Angels" (see below)
• Working with younger children to develop written "life plans," to help them think about future goals

Now, the CCH Management Team is meeting with children from CCH/CDCC, to set up a similar team at that facility.

CCH Library

This July, Americans Halimah Van Tuyl and Todd Eliasson worked closely with CCH teachers Ly An and Prak Sokha to set up a new library at CCH. The Mobile Library (now called the "CCH Road Show") has been doing very well, but the books at CCH itself needed to be organized, in order to encourage more reading among CCH children. CCH has accumulated many good books over the years in Khmer, English, Japanese, and French. A group of young librarians was selected, books were sorted and categorized, attractive bookshelves were set up, and most importantly, two supervised reading hours have been scheduled each day, Monday through Friday. Now that the books are sorted and attactively displayed, reading has become quite popular at CCH. This is especially important because there are no public libraries in Phnom Penh.

Funding has been obtained to buy even more books, though the supply of good quality children's books in Khmer is quite limited. The young librarians also receive a salary for their efforts to supervise and inspire young readers. Next project: Set up a similar library at CCH/CDCC.

A highlight was a special visit to CCH of Ms. Mao Kolap, the Head Librarian at nearby Panassastra University. Kolap was very impressed with the CCH librarians, and said she would be happy to help them with scholarships to Pannassasta, should any choose to attend in the future.

Young Librarians Meet to Organize the CCH Library

Sorting Books and Preparing Shelves

The Library Is Ready

Pannassastra University Head Librarian Mao Kolap Comes to Visit

Open For Business

Reaching For Knowledge

Education and Vocational Training News

CCH kids are now on vacation from public schools (with the exception of Keo Manin, who is now enrolled at the International School of Phnom Penh, and Un Narun, who is back at United World College in Singapore). However, supplemental education programs and vocational training continue full steam ahead.

• Keo Chanchesda , a leader of the new CCH Management Team, gives a course in computer skills at CCH II for nearby children, and also for CCH students.
• American John Brooks has given training to some CCH children in use of Global Positioning technology, while doing a survery of the Boeng Kak Lake area or Phnom Penh.
• Khan Pisey, Eng Ratha, Eng Vuthy, Sok Phearin and Pho Panny have been taking a cooking course at the Garden Cafe Center for 7 weeks. They all successfully finished their course, and received a certificate of training. Pearin now works as a cook at Mit Samlanh restaurant. The others will be looking for cook positions in the near future.
• CCH staff also receives ongoing training. Teachers Prak Sokha and Sitho, and Sokha's wife, Dany, gave a day of training to CCH staff about the child psychology and development. They also informed the group about internal CCH regulations , and discussed ways to provide good counseling to children with the respect of children rights.  
• Activities often mentioned in previous Reports still continue: Rey Yom art classes, electronics training, hair dressing training, and weekly Panassastra University volunteers. Soun Chetra and Nam Sopheak continue to study in Mai Sae, Thailand, at Sompop Jantraka's Mekong Youth Net leadership program.
  

......Eng Ratha Receives Cooking Certificate .......................CCH Staff receive In House Training Day

Visitors, Volunteers, and Special Events

As usual, CCH has a plethora of activites, visitors and volunteers. Two Japanese groups sponsored through Japan team for Young Human Power (JHP) came for one day visits, to share dances, songs, games, sports, origami, and even a curry party! 13 students from Yale University in the United States visited for 3 days in July. Anna Gabriel from England treated CCH children to swimming and a "corn party" near the Mekong River.

A new group of volunteers from United World College have made an initial visit to CCH, and will be volunteering as teachers of the next few months.

.......Japanese Visitors........................................................Visitors from Yale University

CCH Youth Angels

The CCH Youth Angels program is now beginning to form. Hout Ravuth, 18, of CCH, is leading the way by arranging help for elderly women nearby who have little means of support. Having received seed money funding from a generous donor, CCH Youth Angels is investigating the many possibilities of aid for the impoverished elderly around Phnom Penh.

The CCH Road Show

Originally called "The CCH Mobile Library," this amazing phenomenon has a new name, to better reflect the diversity of its activities: drama, art, discussions, games, dances, and reading. Hence: The CCH Road Show. This month we feature the "Ghosts of the Roadshow," who take wrong doers to a, shall we say, Final Life Evaluation.

A Photo Collage of CCH Children

Construction Projects

Due to recent good luck in obtaining funding, CCH has three big building projects underway or planned at the current time. First, the multi-purpose building at the front of CCH I has a third level almost complete. The ground floor will house CCH business efforts, the level above that houses Sokha and his family, and this third level has six rooms which will probably serve as classrooms for CCH's supplementary education programs. (See below--construction almost complete) Second, five new dormitory rooms at CCH/CDCC are now midway through completion, and will relieve some crowding there when they are completed by the end of the year. Finally, the back area of CCH I will soon be enclosed, to create a spacious dining area and indoor kitchen facility.

Third Level of CCH I Multi-Purpose Building

CCH Administration

CCH has had a very successful past 12 months, with growing student social action programs, ongoing building projects, and an expanding donor base. Along with this growth comes increased challenges of organization. Financial reporting has been upgraded, more children are being taken in, big questions are now being addressed concerning sustainability of CCH over the long run, and ways to effectively manage a growing organization. Management of growing numbers of volunteers is an issue, and efforts at increased quality of supplemental education programs are underway. CCH has a six member Board of Directors at present and approximately 20 staff members, who confer with Sokha regularly. In addition, Elia Van Tuyl of the United States works with Sokha as the CCH Donor Liaison (friendsofcch@gmail.com), enabling communications with a growing donor base worldwide, helping plan future strategies, and writing grant proposals for CCH.

CCH Director Mech Sokha Meets with Board Members and Staff

And Finally.......

No one is sure why Management Team member Keo Chanchesda has grown a second head. Perhaps it is because Chesda must think so much, now that he has new responsibilities.

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Contributors to this report:

Content: Mech Sokha & Elia Van Tuyl

English Editing and Layout: Elia Van Tuyl

Photos: Hout Ravuth, Keo Chanchesda & Elia Van Tuyl