Sao Sary Foundation: Stop Abuse Before It Starts!

Another 8-year-old girl

2011-08-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Another 8-year-old was raped days ago. She is one amongst four cases that Sao Sary Foundation has been assisted and raped by immediate and distance relatives. Since 2010, SSF has been taking actions seriously against all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse and trafficking against children. In a single province Kampong Speu it has 19 raped cases that received assistances through SSF.

In 2010 total 524 cases of rape were reported for Cambodia. As with previous years, most victims of rape were children. This report confirms that incidence of reported rape in Cambodia is increasing and that a growing number of reported victims are children. Furthermore, the age of reported victims is getting younger for both adults and children. The median age of child rape victims in 2010 is 12, two years younger than it was in 2007. The median age of adult rape victims has also fallen from 23 in 2007 to 21 in 2010.

For 2009, 535 suspected rape incidences involving 541 victims. 384 (72%) of the victims were children. Comparing the number of reported cases from 2003 to 2009, we note fluctuations over the years and that children have always had a higher representation compared to their adult counterpart. In 2009, all victims were female aged 2 to 84. Almost every victim is Cambodian (Khmer).

The victims who are under SSF's Protection programme normally received various assistances ranging from legal support to rehabilitations. The last 8-year-old victim was raped by her father while he got her to bath in a pond far about 30 meters from their hut. He attempted to kill her but suddenly his wife called for him as she wondered why both of them going to take a bath so long than usual. SSF staff members went to visit her family on August 9, after our network informing and we got her to see doctor due to her painfulness isn't released and blood remains flowing. The father ran away while his wife asked for assistance from the neighbors.

Villages link with Facebook ‘friends’ to solve water & sanitation crisis

2011-03-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

Rural NGO uses social media to link isolated villages with Friends overseas

March 22, Kampong Speu, Cambodia: Three villages in Kampong Speu province that connected with “friends” in Singapore and Malaysia via Facebook yesterday received one of the province’s largest deliveries of water and sanitation facilities, the director of Sao Sary Foundation said.

Children in Rokha Thom commune, Kampong Speu province, where less than 10 percent of households have access to safe water and sanitation.

Mr. Vichetr Uon said four “friends” from Singapore and Malaysia arrived on Saturday 19th March to assist village residents install 168 sanitary latrines, adding to the scores of ceramic water filters distributed and wells installed with the assistance of Facebook friends from around the world.

“Facebook put us in the villages,” Mrs. Connie Cheah, from Johore Baru Malaysia, said. “After we became ‘friends’ I started asking how we could help and what they needed most. We used social media and text messaging to raise awareness and funds in Malaysia and Singapore.”

Kraing Ampil commune chief Kong Chhom said, “We were very surprised that came to help install the latrines. They knew a lot about the villages and spent a lot of time talking to residents. They were really eager to help, even digging the pits.”

SSF is using Facebook and other social media to provide people around the world with a more immediate understanding of the immense development challenges rural Cambodians face, especially those in isolated villages, Mr. Uon said. Youths from the villages connect with Facebook friends through SSF’s Learning Center near Chbar Morn city.

Students at SSF’s Learning Centre in Kampong Speu, central Cambodia, are using Facebook and other social media to link their villages to friends around the world.

Lack of access to safe water and sanitary latrines is a major barrier to development in rural Cambodia, said Mr. Bora Im, SSF Livelihoods Coordinator. “Children are getting sick, some are dying, and they are missing school. There is also a loss of productivity among parents due to illness, and some are going into debt pay for medical expenses,” Mr. Im said. He pointed to a World Bank report that warned that at the rate Cambodia was going it would take 150 years for universal sanitation coverage in rural areas, which have been largely bypassed by the country’s economic growth and under served by Phnom Penh-based NGOs.¹ More than 6,000 Cambodians, primarily children, die every year as a result of lack of access to sanitary latrines, the report notes.

Mrs. Cheah said, “We started with photos, videos and chats, and then arrived in person. We also worked with SSF to make sure all the latrines were locally produced so that it would boost the economy and provide employment.”

Mr. Im said SSF had been training village residents on how to install and maintain the latrines, as well as maintain the wells. Some residents had also received training on how to construct ceramic water storage containers, which can be sold in the area rather than imported from Phnom Penh, he said.

The cost was about $40 per latrine, which is cheaper than the price most private sector companies sell at because the latrines had been bought in bulk, Mr. Im said. The average household income in the three villages is less than $25 per month, he said.

“Because we are a small NGO that works within rural communities we have more personal relationships with residents, so this allows us to create the sort of personal bonds with people around the world that can lead to effective and sustainable solutions based on personal understanding,” he said. “For us, social media puts the power of personal connections into development. It keeps the focus on people not data,” Mr. Uon said.

¹ Economic impacts of sanitation in Cambodia, World Bank Water and Sanitation Program, 2008.

The three villages are Thlok Dounsok and Kdol in Kraing Ampil commune, and Rokha Thom village in Rokha Thom commune.

World Day for Prevention of Abuse and Violence Against Children 19 November 2010

2011-03-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

Child abuse and exploitation continue to be daunting issues the world over. In Asia, 12% of the total child population is engaged in child labour, 40% of young women were married before age 18 (child marriage) and 48% have permissive attitudes towards domestic violence. Child trafficking is closely tied to each of these elements of abuse and exploitation. The situation in Cambodia is particularly bleak. The country’s incidences of sex slavery are unacceptably high; it is estimated that there are close to 80,000 to 100,000 sex slaves and prostitutes in the country. In other words, one in 150 people are sex slaves or prostitutes. The majority of the victims are women and children who find themselves selling their bodies in and around the urban areas of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanouk Ville where demand is the highest. In light of these staggering figures, the fact that trafficking remains pervasive in the country almost goes without saying. As we move into 2011, Cambodia remains a major receiving, sending and transit country for human trafficking, both for sex and labour. A recent UNAIP report indicates that poverty, socio-economic imbalances between rural areas and urban centers, increased tourism, and lack of employment, education and safe migration are all contributing factors to trafficking in Cambodia. The desperation to survive and the lengths people are forced to go to create a global imperative for action, as trafficking is one of the most abhorrent forms of abuse.

Sao Sary Foundation commences its fifth year of working directly with communities to prevent such atrocities from happening. Collaborating with the Women’s World Summit Foundation, and with the support of the many generous donors, SSF aims to develop awareness and a culture of prevention around the topic of abuse and violence against children. As such, on the 20th of November 2010, SSF held its 3rd annual World Day for Prevention of Abuse and Violence Against Children. This year’s theme was Adults and Young People Unite for Better Prevention of Abuse and Violence Against Children. Accordingly, the 150 workshop participants included SSF staff, volunteers and students, adult villagers, local authorities from Kraing Ampil and Rokha Thom communes, Groundwork Opportunity’s visiting team and three featured guest (former trafficked individuals). Choosing to focus on trafficking, the day was full of presentations and open dialogue, small group discussions, role-playing, guest speakers, and a continuous stream of questions and answers. It was a day where everyone worked together toward raising awareness, brainstorming prevention strategies and expanding and sharing knowledge. One student explained that listening to the labor trafficked guest speaker was very powerful, sharing:

I had a similar experience where a stranger asked me to go work for him, but I knew that he was lying so I told him “No.” I know that people can be dishonest and I can share with my friends that they need to be very careful about people asking them to work because now I saw what could have happened if I decided to go.

It was not just the participants listening to the experiences of others that proved powerful. For Srey Pov, sharing her experience as a sex trafficking victim was important because I wanted to share my life because I wanted to tell the children, especially the girls, not to follow my way. They needed to know that they should build a better life in society. Srey Pov was sold into sex trade by her uncle with $150.

By the day’s end, the workshop enabled participants to not just understand the complexities trafficking, but through collaboration and communication recognize that trafficking can happen to anyone, and that EVERYONE must work together to prevent it.

Continue reading to hear more about what participants had to say about the workshop…

Advisor for Technical-Vocational Education

2011-02-18T20:59:00.001-08:00

Introduction

Want to make a lasting impact on the lives of Cambodia’s most marginalized children? Work with the Sao Sary Foundation (SSF). SSF is a youth-led and government recognized, grassroots NGO dedicated to preventing the violence, exploitation, and abuse of children. SSF works on the ground through direct and active engagement with communities to identify at-risk children and provide sustainable assistance to both them and their families.

Position Overview

The Advisor’s primary responsibility includes provide overall management, planning and coordination of Vocational Skills Training Program. The position is based in Cambodia’s Kampong Speu province.

Duties and Responsibilities

· Formulate the training plans and toolkits to improve the organization capacity building

· Identify and analyze the training and development needs for individuals and organization

· Train and facilitate all training courses

· Design and evaluate the training and development programs

· Plan and implement the induction programs

· Update and develop the training procedure and manual

· Build a good relationship with the external training agencies

· Organize and keep the data and records of staff development and training

· Forecast and prepare the yearly budget plan of the training program

· Assist in training logistics and materials for all courses

· Administer and monitor all training process

· Meet regularly and work closely with Executive Director and Education Advisor

· Write reports when required

· All staff must to read, accept and sign the Child Protection Policy.

Qualifications

· University degree in Economics, Business Management or other related fields

· Experience in management/ adult trainings is a must

· Certificate of pedagogy or Training of Trainer

· Demonstrate the excellent capacity building knowledge/ experiences

· Sound knowledge of human resource and Psychology

· Experience working with marginalized youth/communities

· Prior teaching experience is not required but preferred

· Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and internet/email use

· Strong organizational skills

· Be an innovative and creative thinker

· Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness

· Have a strong work ethic and the ability to take initiative

· Work well independently as well as part of a team

Compensation

Compensation is commensurate on experience. SSF staff is provided with lunch and dinner daily and use of the organization’s bicycles, computers and Internet.

How to Apply

To apply for the position, please send a cover letter and your CV to info@ssfcambodia.org and write “Advisor for Technical-Vocational Education” in the subject line.

Sewing and Tailoring Trainer

2011-02-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

Introduction

Want to make a lasting impact on the lives of Cambodia’s most marginalized children? Work with the Sao Sary Foundation (SSF). SSF is a youth-led, government recognized, grassroots NGO dedicated to preventing the violence, exploitation, and abuse of children. SSF works on the ground through direct and active engagement with communities to identify at-risk children and provide sustainable assistance to both them and their families. SSF’s Vocational Training Program enables youths and young adults to cultivate marketable skills. As the Sewing and Tailoring Trainer you will provide individuals with the skills necessary for them to become agents of change in their own lives and that of their families and communities.

Position Overview

The Sewing and Tailoring Trainer’s primary responsibility includes teaching the Sewing and Tailoring course to Sao Sary program participants. The position is based in Cambodia’s Kampong Speu province.

Duties and Responsibilities

· Teach the Sewing and Tailoring courses

· Contribute to the development of the Sewing and Tailoring program curriculum.

· Maintain the sewing and tailoring center.

· Maintain and contribute to program records by documenting training session activities/projects, exams, and making note of progress, challenges, etc.

· Write reports when required

· All SSF staff must to read, accept and sign the Child Protection Policy.

Qualifications

· Certification from Sewing/Tailoring course

· Khmer proficiency

· At least 5 years working experience

· Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and internet/email use

· Strong organizational skills

· Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness

· Have a strong work ethic and the ability to take initiative

· Work well independently as well as part of a team

How to Apply

To apply for the position, please send a cover letter and your CV to info@ssfcambodia.org and write “Sewing and Tailoring Trainer” in the subject line. Position is strongly welcomed to any intent candidate who has background as orphans or comes from very poor families.

Computer Instructor

2011-02-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

Introduction
Want to make a lasting impact on the lives of Cambodia’s most marginalized children? Work with the Sao Sary Foundation (SSF). SSF is a youth-led, government recognized, grassroots NGO dedicated to preventing the violence, exploitation, and abuse of children. SSF works on the ground through direct and active engagement with communities to identify at-risk children and provide sustainable assistance to both them and their families. As the Computer Instructor you will provide children with the skills necessary for them to become agents of change in their own lives and that of their families and communities. Computer literate youth are able to be successful at the university level and in the job market, thus enabling them to break the cycle of poverty.

Position Overview
The Computer Instructor’s primary responsibility includes teaching the Fundamental Computer Skills classes and providing instruction for the computer-oriented classes housed within SSF’s Vocational Training Program. The position is based in Cambodia’s Kampong Speu province.

Duties and Responsibilities
• Provide instruction for the Fundamental Computer Skills classes as well as the computer oriented Vocational Training classes.
• Depending on scheduling, the Computer Instructor is expected to teach 2-4 classes per day.
• Maintain and contribute to teaching records by documenting classroom activities/projects, homework assignments, exams, making note of progress, challenges, etc.
• Write reports when required
• All SSF staff must to read, accept and sign the Child Protection Policy.

Qualifications
• Must be 25 years old
• University degree in Computer Sciences (Bachelor in Computer Science)
• English proficiency
• At least 3 years working experience
• Prior teaching experience is not required but preferred
• Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
• Have a strong work ethic and the ability to take initiative
• Work well independently as well as part of a team

How to Apply
To apply for the position, please send a cover letter and your CV only to info@ssfcambodia.org and write “Computer Instructor” in the subject line. Position is strongly welcomed to any intent candidate who has background as orphans or comes from very poor families.

Photo Contest-Vote Now

2011-02-10T19:04:00.001-08:00

Hello All,

Hope everything is doing fine at your end! We are here speeding up our work to identify more children at-risk and to target the most vulnerable families to ensure they don't even sell their children for food and etc....

Friends, Can you help us? GO is one of our generous donors in USA and recently they joined a Photo Contest with expecting to get $1000 for SSF. Simple thing that you can do is please kept voting for us once a day. If agreed, please do it via http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/91336/voteable_entries/15647466?ogn=website

Thanks and Best wishes,
Vichetr
SSF Founder

Classes Beginning

2011-02-02T18:32:00.000-08:00

Following a month long hiatus, SSF students eagerly returned to the classroom on Monday January 17^th, to continue their study of English. The resumption of classes marks a turning point in the way classes are taught at SSF. Thanks to Kristine Pedersen (SSF’s education consultant) the English curriculum has been revamped and reorganized. Kristine has created a comprehensive four year curriculum which divides students into four levels: beginner, elementary, intermediate and advanced. Currently there are no SSF students in the advanced group.

The way the Cambodian public school system is set up poses some hurdles to teaching. In Cambodia the school day is divided into two, so students either go in the morning or evening. In addition the instruction of English in schools leaves much to be desired. What this has meant for the curriculum is that there needs to be two different elementary and intermediate classes. Additionally, the low quality of instruction in schools means that the SSF classes, which were designed to be supplemental are now a primary source of education. In creating and implementing the new curriculum Pedersen has successfully and artfully dealt with all of the aforementioned challenges.

Despite the many positive steps the teaching program is not without a few kinks. The largest of these is that SSF is in need of more longterm teachers. The teaching program is reliant on volunteers and without them the children are unable to reach their full potential.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

As year 2010 is going to end very soon as well as christmas and New Year's cerebration is coming therefore, I am on behalf of everyone (SSF staff, its volunteers and beneficiaries) would like to extend to you our greatest appreciation for your support of the Sao Sary Foundation and the lives that it benefits. Your support is incredibly valuable to SSF continuing to be committed to move towards ensuring that every child is protected and that child trafficking is completely eliminated, it is common to first target efforts at those children who are most at risk of child trafficking.

Sao Sary Foundation has enjoyed great success so far in all of our programs and activities that we participate in. I am so excited about and I would like to take this opportunities to send good wishes, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ever with peace, happiness, luck and success to you, your family, your relatives and friends.

Grateful thanks,
Vichetr
Sao Sary Foundation

Two weeks of inspiration

2010-12-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

I came to SSF because I wanted to get involved with the cause that Vichetr is fighting for, and to get in touch with Cambodian people off the tourist track. I have had that, and much more, working and living with Vichetr, SSF founder and executive director, his family and his organization.

From day one I felt at home, surrounded by friendly staff and welcoming students.

I worked on computer maintenance with Chheav, the computer assistant, and Vern, a 20-year-old student living at SSF. Both of them were very keen learners and grateful to share knowledge with others.

You might think two weeks is too short to accomplish anything, but, in that amount of time, I not only reinforced concepts introduced by a previous Basque volunteer, more importantly, I made two very good friends. Inspired by our interest in computers, our friendship will endure far longer than my short stay, and allow us to find new ways to cooperate.

Because I'm not fluent in English, I didn’t teach formal classes at SSF. Regardless, the students were always eager to talk and learn new things. They even took me and Asha, another volunteer, on a bike trip to a nearby mountain. The only regret I have about my time at SSF (besides it being too short!) is working so hard that I didn't have enough time to spend with the students.

No less rewarding than being around the students was working with other dedicated volunteers. Despite being young, they were all well-travelled with rich and interesting life experiences.

Then there was time spent with Vichetr. He shared with me his amazing vision and took me to the villages to visit the people SSF works with, showing me first-hand how their lives have changed. By: Félix Alonso Alonso

PRESS RELEASE

2010-12-08T17:50:00.000-08:00

VICHETR UON TO REPRESENT

CAMBODIA AT THE

ASIA SOCIETY’S

ASIA 21 YOUNG LEADERS SUMMIT IN INDONESIA

Multi-cultural, multi-sectoral dialogue brings together

over 150 young leaders from the Asia Pacific

(29 November 2010, Jakarta) – Vichetr Uon, Sao Sary Foundation has been chosen among more than 200 emerging leaders from some 30 countries and economies in the Asia-Pacific region who will participate in the Asia Society’s fifth annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit, to be held in Jakarta from December 3-5, 2010.

Vichetr joins other young leaders, all under age 40, who will engage in discussions about “Unity in Diversity: Responsible Leadership in the Asia-Pacific.” The diversity of representation – from business, government, academia, to media, civil society, and the arts – brings a wide range of perspectives to the discussions which will explore issues such as the recent natural crises in Asia, ways to foster more equitable growth across the region, and lessons in leadership from history’s greatest leaders.

The Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit is part of a larger initiative designed to help emerging leaders from across the region to develop common approaches to meet its shared challenges. “The Asia 21 Summit brings together the region’s most impressive young leaders to develop relationships, trust, and mutual understanding that can drive collaborative approaches for addressing the region’s greatest challenges,” says Asia Society Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl. “We are thrilled to be bringing the Asia 21 summit to Indonesia, one of the most important emerging economies in the world and a thriving democracy. Asia 21 leaders from across the region will work with Indonesia’s new generation of leaders to help build a better future for all.”

The Asia 21 Summit is supported by founding international sponsor Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “As a global organization committed to developing our public and private sector relationships in the region, we are honored to be a part of such a meaningful and educational program,” said Brian Brille, Asia Pacific President. “Responsible leadership is a core value at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and as such, we encourage the sharing of best practices and innovative ideas that will enhance the tools and capabilities available to the next generation of Asia's leaders.”

The assassination of Mr. Sao Sary, Vichetr’s father, in 1998 he was responsible for sparked the creating of Sao Sary Foundation. Soon after that, Vichetr was supported by his Australian foster brother that enabled him to go to university. From there, he went on to work in various International NGOs for almost a decade, the most prominent being Church World Service. Following the footsteps of his father, Vichetr’s next step was to create this foundation to put an end on human trafficking, violence, exploitation and abuse against women, children and vulnerable people. Now, this foundation has fine-tuned its approach of stopping them through community models and providing education to children. His efforts were documented by the BBC and some other universities in UK and USA.

The Asia 21 Summit is the pre-eminent gathering of Asia’s most dynamic young leaders from the Asia-Pacific region, from every sector including business, government, media, culture and civil society. To date, the network counts more than 600 of the most accomplished young leaders in the Asia-Pacific among its members, including businessmen, documentary filmmakers, environmental activists, human rights advocates, members of parliament, military personnel, performance artists, and social entrepreneurs.

The Asia 21 Summit in Jakarta is also supported by Biznet, Blue Bird, Femina Group, GlobeAsia, HPRP Lawyers, Media Indonesia, PricewaterhouseCoopers, PT Freeport Indonesia, and Saratoga Capital, among others.

*******************************************************************

ABOUT THE ASIA SOCIETY

The Asia Society is an international organization dedicated to strengthening relationships and deepening understanding among the peoples of Asia and the United States. It seeks to enhance dialogue, encourage creative expression, and generate new ideas across the fields of policy, business, education, arts, and culture. Founded in 1956, the Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational institution with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, and Washington, DC. For more information, contact the Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021.

For more information about the Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative, including details about previous conferences and Fellows, please visit www.AsiaSociety.org/Asia21.

Child Sponsorship Success Story

2010-11-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

If one thing is certain, it is that meaningful change requires nothing less than ambition, commitment, and fortitude. Hoeurng Piseth embodies each of these elements and is on the verge of becoming Sao Sary Foundation’s first university graduate.

According to national statistics and trends Piseth was not meant for a university education. He is among Cambodia’s rural poor, “predisposed” to drop out of school long before college. Furthermore, his father was unconvinced that an education would help him amount to much and wanted him trade in school for a job. Piseth defied both his father and the statistics; he moved out of his home to live in pagodas so that he could complete is secondary schooling. It was when he began living with the monks that SSF came to know of Piseth’s uncompromising resilience. He was determined to go to college and SSF was determined to provide him with the means to get there.

In 2007, after SSF found him a sponsor, Piseth enrolled at Norton University in Phnom Penh. Piseth routinely wakes up at 4 am to practice his English with foreigners at the Royal Palace. He has also spent time volunteering with the professor who runs the university’s database management system. Now, Piseth has a part-time job, at ADS Company as a graphic designer where he earns 85 USD per month. Piseth has not had much leisure time, but he accepts this because he know that in order to find a good job and support his family, he needs to take advantage of every opportunity that enables him to gain and hone the skills he needs. His commitment has proven fruitful. On November 11^th, 2011, he will complete his degree in Computer Science with a focus on web development.

Having the drive to succeed and dreaming of a life full of opportunities are not qualities that distinguish Piseth as the exception. He, in fact, characterizes the children of SSF and of the surrounding community. Sao Sary Foundation exists because of our belief that every child has the capacity to change their own lives as well as be the catalyst of change in the lives of their families and their communities. Today, Piseth’s father is proud of his son’s accomplishment and is happy that he pursued his education. Piseth’s resilience, courage of conviction and ultimate success is a testament to the strength of Cambodia’s marginalized youth and demonstrates what can be achieved when we – sponsor, organization and student – invest in and commit to doing whatever it takes for them to reach their potential.

English Class: Progress, Practice and FUN!

2010-11-07T00:47:00.000-07:00

Between the two of them they have taught in nine countries, spanning four continents. From Peru to Kenya to South Korea, Calum Boseley and Tristan Stutchbury have gained a tremendous amount of teaching experience, and we at SSF have been incredibly fortunate to have them with us. Teaching English to SSF’s morning, afternoon and evening classes, these volunteers have brought a new level of learning, creativity, and even a bit of rowdiness to the program. Calum has been with SSF since early October, and the energy he brings into the classrooms creates a learning environment saturated with enthusiasm and participation. Tristan joined SSF in mid-October and has contributed greatly, infusing each lesson with activities that not only cultivate each child’s learning, but develops in them an excitement to study English. Their commitment and impact reaches far beyond their roles as teachers. In between lesson planning and teaching, Calum also interviews the students and documents their lives by writing their stories. And during his downtime, Tristan has worked tirelessly with SSF to redevelop the English curriculum so that students are able to reach their learning potential. The hours these two have put in have been invaluable to SSF and for that we say Thank You.

Rice Bank in Phrey Chheutel

2010-08-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

Like most Saturdays, I got up late (about noon) to the disapproving looks by the kids, who were mostly up by 7 a.m. at the latest. But I was in time for lunch and an invitation by Vichetr, the director of SSF, to attend a community meeting with him in the village of Phrey Chheutel, home to some of SSF’s children. Unlike the kids here, their siblings and families back in that village were not as lucky as them to be having three meals a day with minimal worry of having rice to their plates. The majority of the people here is poor and lay prey to the ever-gaping jaws of loan sharks. Their plight is similar to most of the Cambodians who had no choice in bringing their families out of hunger and are not eligible to bank loans. Although borrowing from loan sharks guarantees an instant fix of cash, many of them from this village are not aware of the hellishly high interest rates that spell for the beginning of a never-ending struggle to end the vicious cycle of debts. “Decent” loan sharks in Cambodia typically charge an interest rate of 30-40% while their vicious counterparts exploit the naivety of their rural clientele by charging whatever interest rates they feel like. Often, these debtors are not even aware of the concept of “interest rates” until the arrival of the lenders on their doorsteps. To add spice to the situation, these rural debtors are often unaware of the total that they had borrowed in the past.

Therefore, SSF plans to rid the community that lives in the village of Phrey Chheutel of their poverty and of their entrapment to the ever-present net casted by the loan sharks. But unlike other organizations, SSF do not believe in feeding them directly, like babies, but having the beneficiaries to be involved with their own development as well. Thus, the reason for the community meeting today with the primary agenda of forming a Rice Bank.

A Rice Bank works by having the villagers to construct the physical structure to store the rice while SSF provides the initial supply of rice and cost of the materials. Villagers in need can borrow from this and repay them with their next harvest. However, SSF will need US$ 800 to start a bank that would give a starting supply of 2,000 kilograms of rice. This amount of rice would benefit about 43 families (200 household members) from the village and set the groundwork for neighbouring villagers for future rice banks there.

Sitting there, I went through the whole meeting hearing their enthusiasm for a proposal for a better future or at least, a future with less hungry days. Many of them proposed to repay SSF 5000 riels (US$ 1.25) a month, per family. Seeing that that was probably too high, Vichetr proposed to them that the interest rate of the borrowed rice would be capped at 3%, at least ten times less to what the shadowy counterparts are offering. The general attendees of the meeting agreed to that amount and would like it that the proposed idea start. Therefore, SSF would like to extend the invitation to friends of SSF and any kindred soul to be part of this first step to the development of Phrey Chheutel village in the form of donations of money or rice.

Yoyoing at SSF!

2010-08-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, two of SSF’s long-term volunteer from Malaysia returned to SSF bearing various gifts and donation from various people (mostly friends and family) who were taking real interest in supporting the work that SSF is doing so far. These people came from various backgrounds such as doctors, engineers, tattoo artists, photographers and so on. One of them is Spinworkx, a yoyo store in Singapore that specializes in yoyos ranging from beginner ones to competition grade spinners. Through the correspondence of Daniel and Hans from Spinworkx, they have decided to give something a little less usual to clothes and other toys just to achieve a simple thing of putting smiles into the faces of the kids and make them forget about life for a while.

So, the team at Spinworkx went through their arsenal of yoyos to choose the best yoyo that would fit the skill level of the kids here as well as physical conditions such as humidity and dust. Considering the options, they chose the Proyo (45 of them to be exact and a bundle of 100 cotton strings!), a looping yoyo that runs on a wooden axel and can be used for various tricks right out of the box. As soon as the children got them off Daniel’s hands, they were already trying their hands on sleepers and loops (attributed to the usual sight of seeing Daniel play with his in the past).

The rest of the day was pretty much that as the kids took an informal break and put a halt to classes to continue spinning away. The day ended with smiles (no doubt) on every face whose hands received the yoyo and with gratitude in their hearts.

Plastic BAGS: The Progress So Far

2010-07-12T01:56:00.000-07:00

Following the introduction of crocheting used plastic bags, most of the kids who are staying in SSF have got into the motion of making purses of various sizes and one of them have even made a bag. Though initially inspired solely by the money these products can sell for, they have now taken pride into what they have made with their diligence and have opted to keep some of them for themselves. Instead of merely setting a goal to complete as many of these as they can, they are now preoccupied that these bags are produced without flaws, ensuring quality.

Completed medium purse

With the prospect that some of this bags can be possibly made to be sold overseas to fetch a decent price, the kids have been consistent with their efforts while others are catching up and learning the skills from those who had started out first. Even Pov, SSF’s house-keeper who was a former victim of sex trade, has jumped on to the bandwagon and made numerous bags. Only today, she managed to sell one of her bags in the village for US$2.50. Inspired by it, some of the kids have already made some plans on what they would do with the money in the future.

A sling bag in progress

A mini coin purse made 100% from recycled products (no zippers or cloth!)

Unlike some kids who would spend their hard-earned money on sweets and toys, Sros (Varonika) have decided to buy chickens and ducks with the money she might earn in the future. Her idea sparked a following with the other kids as well who wished to see their money grow. The volunteers who introduced this, E and Daniel, wish that this would pave ways for more Cambodians to earn money as well as use various different methods to let their money grow. As for the kids here, this should be relatively easy considering the education they are receiving from Vichetr, the director of SSF who teaches them in their Social and Financial Studies class every weekend.

Following the increasing number of kids who are interested with the project, the volunteers have used the opportunity yesterday to organize a collection exercise. Nine kids who have opted to follow went on foot to the nearby market of Kampong Speu to collect litters of plastic bags strewn on the roadsides as well as used ones around the market. Excessive ones piled up by riversides were not yet collected due to a lack of proper tools (gloves, boots, and litter-pickers) to ensure the safety of the kids. After the collection, these kids were taught to wash and dry these used bags. Now, most of them has got a bountiful amount and have resumed to creating more of these little wonders.

With gloves and boots, the kids aim to clear this riverbank of used bags.

Without gloves and boots, there was too much hygiene-related concerns so,

the kids aimed for the markets instead

The result of their hard work.

Selecting the bags.

Washing them

Drying them and soon, they will turn into...

This or...

This.

Written by Lee Choong Yin (Daniel)

Rice Makes People HAPPY!

2010-07-11T02:53:00.000-07:00

In most parts of Asia, rice means a whole lot to a whole lot of people- it is staple food, it means income, it is a means to fill up the tummy and for the kids here at SSF and three volunteers who followed them, it means all those things mentioned AND it means F-U-N!

This weekend, the kids (and volunteers- Yee, Shuiji and Daniel) have utilized their time and energy to help a Nang's (a kid under the care of SSF) family in the Srey Prasal village with the process of planting rice. This means roughing it out under the sun, getting muddy from head to toe and a lot of teamwork with the rice (in the fields and cooking in the kitchen).

To the amazement of the volunteers, these kids displayed a contrasting image in the fields compared to their English classes. With the classes, these kids can be shy, unsure, and be just plain open to whatever the teacher has to say. In the fields however, they illustrate such certainty and confidence (and speed!) to the extent of being teachers to their teachers. The volunteers were taught hand techniques on poking holes and covering them up after plants have been sown as well as pulling out matured rice plants for transplanting and breeding.

We turn this bundle:

And all this hard work:

To this:

Sure, all this may sound easy but when you’re under 35 degrees Celsius of direct sunlight, the last thing you would want is to slow everybody down. So, these volunteers were taught proper techniques handed down from generations of farming to speed things up and ensure maximum success of these plants. Words alone would not be enough and below, you will see more pictures that show you what a beautiful time everyone had.

Lunch!

Wash-up...also done communally like everything else

We came back the same way we got there- by 'romok'

Written by Lee Choong Yin (Daniel)

Plastic BAGS

2010-07-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Google ‘plastic bags in Cambodia’ and one would come across a myriad of results, even ones going to the extent of describing that Cambodia is progressively “drowning” in heaps and heaps of plastic bags. Is this the truth? Unfortunately, yes. Just like other developing countries, this place has found the way for this ingenious and infamously practical invention to be a part of the way of life here. What is there to expect? They are useful, they are dirt-cheap and they are light. It is probably too late change the local psyche to exchanging this inexpensive device to other mediums and by the time an inexpensive alternative reaches this growing nation, the amount of plastic bags here would have increased tenfold. So a more appropriate question is, ‘What do we do with the plastic bags that are already here?'

A completed coin purse spotting SSF's colours

One of SSF’s volunteer, Yee, who has always had a soft spot in her heart for environmentalism (ranging from animal cruelty prevention to recycling efforts to just simply ensuring that this world does not perish in our own trash), has figured out a way.

Each bag is dilligently hand-made

Using her skills in crocheting and learning from current efforts, she has now begin with a project of reusing plastic bags to be made into useable fashion accessories- from bags to purses. Though still at an early stage, she has been successful with her experimentation of using fully recycled and natural resources, apart from the zippers. The bulk of the product uses used plastic bags while the crochet needles are carved from used bamboo.

With the end of exams looming near and the holidays inching closer, more and more of the kids here are finding extra time to relax and do other things of interest to fill their time. Therefore, Yee is currently leading informal sessions to teach the kids to crochet and partake in the effort of recycling and going green. Most of the kids have found joy in learning to crochet and slowly, but surely, seeing bags being made by their own hands. Once a consistency for this is found, the kids could spread the love and art to their families in rural villages and we see this as a very workable prospect for the poor to gain an income using very minimal capital (just for zippers and bits of thread).

Yee is positive about the prospect for this project and remains hopeful for the first generation of reused plastic bag fashion items to be completed soon. More of it remains to be seen now but soon, the kids would be able to show the world about what a little effort and ingenuity can do to transform “trash” into.

Average-looking plastic bags

Crochet needles made from bamboo

and the result:

A stylish and classy looking purse (without the leather!)

Formulae:

1. Plastic bags (hand-picked from the market dumps and hand-washed to a pristine shine in SSF)
2. Bamboo (a little cut, a little nick, some sanding and VOILA!)
3. 1 Zipper and some Thread (about US$ 0.12)
4. Some creativity and some heart-work.

Written by Lee Choong Yin (Daniel)

A Little Dream May Go a Long Way

2010-06-23T22:36:00.000-07:00

Kim Suor aka Olivia

Meet Kim Suor, also known as Olivia, the resident librarian here at SSF. At age 22, she stands up at about the same height of a child due to a suspected case of dwarfism. Despite her size, she is neither belittled or is given special treatment. Like the rest of the kids here at SSF, she has to juggle between learning to take care of herself (kids here are given specific tasks like cooking, washing and cleaning and would take turns doing them), and going for classes that are offered here while receiving education from school. Being part of SSF's Child Protection Program, she enjoys the English, computer and Social & Financial Studies classes as well as the agricultural projects she is involved in. Like most kids at SSF as well, their welfare education is taken care by the foundation itself, thanks to the number of donors. But this is where the similarity between Kim Suor and her peers stop.

Olivia the Librarian

Her staying her for two years now has taught her a lot about life (she was raised from a poor family) and has given her a multitude of experiences, due to an ever-flowing rate of visiting and participating foreign volunteers. What she has learned so far, she has translated in to a sort of drive to achieve her dream of being an English-Khmer translator as well as an English teacher. When asked for the reason for her dreams, she replied "I would like Cambodians to be able to give their ideas to the world outside as well as teach future Cambodians the language so that they would not be left behind internationally". As an afterthought, she also added, "I'm very interested with the foreigners that come here and if I can speak good English, I would be able to learn so much more from them". Saying those words with much confidence, one would think that she has it all figured out but yet, she thinks that she is still very far behind from realizing what she wants in the future and would need to continue working hard.

Here, one would often see her working hard in the gardens or straightening out disheveled books from the library or flipping her books as means to practice her English or perfect her schoolwork. Being in Grade 11 (two years away from university), she believes that this would be a good habit for her to strengthen her ability to work under pressure in the future, "I think that when I go to university, there would be a lot of work for me to do and after university, I would have to work even harder to help my people and my family". Such is the determination of a Cambodian girl within the embrace of SSF's love, and for the rest whom have yet to be reached; such is the small beacon of hope that shines ever so brightly.

Written by Lee Choong Yin (Daniel)

Here, We Learn To Grow Money

2010-06-18T04:35:00.000-07:00

Well, not exactly if your idea of "growing" falls strictly into the category of nurturing plants. But if your idea of growing falls into a wider range which includes money, then you would be interested to know that here in SSF, the kids learn how to make their money grow. Through the Social and Financial Studies class, taught by the Director (Mr. Vichetr Uon), the kids are taught of skills and knowledge that they can use to stretch with whatever little money they get. Generally, they were given the hypothetical situation of "What will you do with US$2?". Using Aflatoun's Manual of the Social and Financial Program, Vichetr first told me confidently that the children of SSF are able to increase that amount fivefold and have asked me to interview them for their answers.

Approaching them with that expectation in mind, their answers more than just surprised me. Firstly, it is because the kids were thinking more than just what they had learned. When I asked them, "So, how much do you think you can make from just US$2?" And the answer that they chimed almost so harmoniously was, "We don't actually know teacher." Being worried, I dug further, "Do you think you can get US$10, then?" Deu Dy said, "No, Teacher. Too little. We will have lots of chickens. Too much. We do not know how much we can get!". With a silly grin and slightly gaping jaw (of surprise, of course), I was snapped awake by my impulse to chase the flies away from entering my mouth. That leads to my second surprise, that I have forgotten how visionary children can sometimes get.

So, my next question was, "What exactly will you do with the money?" And the group of kids told me a bunch of astounding ideas that would make Vichetr proud. In general, their ideas permeate around raising ducks and chickens because that is what they are good at. With US$2, they are able to buy two juvenile chicks or ducklings. Some of them like Phalla (Samantha), Kim Suor (Olivia) and Phanna (Ayu) agreed with the idea of buying a pair of male and females to allow the growth of more chickens while others preferred ducks. On the other hand, Emily mentioned that she might consider the idea of raising two roosters as means of earning money when other people's hens would need to reproduce. According to them, ducks generally fetch a price of about US$6 to US$9 while chickens fetch US$7.50 to US$11. They also took into consideration that if they are healthy, it takes about 2 months to get fresh eggs.

Such is the degree of knowledge and research that the kids try to immerse themselves in. And they predict that should proper care be taken, they would be able to sell and reproduce them in the near future. With the money that they get, the kids explained that they would either keep their money in the bank or buy more as means of expanding their venture.

So far, there is only minimal opportunity for which these kids to fully try out their ideas. However, SSF has running plans now on starting a sort of Poultry Project to raise ducks and chickens so that the families they support can directly obtain this method of maintaining a sustainable livelihood. And as for the kids, the success of this project will ensure that they would be able to work some of their ideas out more efficiently. But until then, their ideas will only continue to exist in their head, with no chance of realizing them. Therefore, I would like to invite readers out there to be part of this and feel free to donate to us or contact us should there be any queries you may have on how to put a smile on the face of a child.

Written by Lee Choong Yin (Daniel)

CAMBODIA (Tier 2) Combates human Trafficking 2010

2010-06-17T03:43:00.000-07:00

Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor and forced prostitution. Cambodian men, women, and children migrate to Thailand, Malaysia, and other countries for work and many are subsequently forced into commercial sexual exploitation or forced to labor in the Thai fishing and seafood processing industry, on agricultural plantations, in factories, in domestic work, or for begging and street selling. Debt bondage is sometimes a factor that contributes to the vulnerability of Cambodians to trafficking. Some Cambodian men report being deceived by Thai fishing boat owners about the expected length of service and the amount and circumstances of their payment; some remain at sea for up to several years, and report witnessing severe abuses by Thai captains, including deaths at sea. The number of workers who went to Malaysia for employment through Cambodian recruiting companies tripled in 2009, and many of these were believed to be under the age of 18. Recruiting agencies often charge $500-$700 in fees, which includes fees for several months of required pre-departure training provided by the recruiting agencies. Recruits are sometimes detained in training centers during the pre-departure training period, and the fees make workers more vulnerable to debt bondage. Some workers are reportedly subjected to confinement and conditions of involuntary servitude in, Saudi Arabia, and other destination countries, and some returning Malaysia workers reported being paid only at the end of their contract, at which time they were also informed that a substantial part of their pay was deducted. Cambodian children are also trafficked to Thailand and Vietnam to beg, sell candy and flowers, and shine shoes. Parents sometimes sell their children into conditions of forced labor, including involuntary domestic servitude.

Within the country, Cambodian and ethnic Vietnamese women and children are trafficked from rural areas to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville for commercial sexual exploitation. The Svay Pak brothel area of Phnom Penh remains a hub for child prostitution, despite attempts by authorities to close it down. Children are also subjected to forced labor, including being forced to beg, scavenge refuse, work in quarries, and work in the production and processing of bricks, rubber, salt, and shrimp. Cambodia is a destination for Vietnamese women and girls trafficked for forced prostitution. The sale of virgin girls continues to be a serious problem in Cambodia, with foreign (mostly Asian) and Cambodian men paying up to $4,000 to have sex with virgins. A significant number of Asian and other foreign men travel to Cambodia to engage in child sex tourism. Some Cambodians who migrate to Taiwan and South Korea through brokered international marriages may subsequently be subjected to forced prostitution or forced labor.

The Government of Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Law enforcement efforts stepped up significantly, resulting in a significant increase in convictions over the prior year. However, impunity, corruption, and related rent-seeking behavior continue to impede progress in combating trafficking in persons. Authorities reported one conviction of a public official for trafficking-related corruption during the year. Labor trafficking among Cambodians migrating abroad for work is a growing problem that will require greater attention from authorities in the coming year.

Recommendations for Cambodia: Conduct robust investigations and prosecutions of government officials involved in trafficking activities; hold labor recruitment companies criminally responsible for illegal acts committed during the recruitment process, such as debt bondage through exorbitant fees, detention of workers during pre-departure training, and recruitment of workers under age 18; expand efforts to proactively identify victims of trafficking among vulnerable groups, including the institution of nationwide victim identification procedures and referrals to adequate victim services; institute a law to regulate the recruitment, placement, and protection of migrant workers going abroad; engage governments of destination countries on the protection of migrant workers, as well as the safe repatriation of Cambodian trafficking victims and the prosecution of their traffickers; continue to prosecute criminal cases involving trafficking for both forced prostitution and forced labor; continue to train and sensitize law enforcement and court officials about trafficking, proactive identification of victims, victim referral procedures, and victim-sensitive handling of cases; improve interagency cooperation and coordination between police and court officials on trafficking cases; institute procedures to ensure victims are not arrested, incarcerated, or otherwise punished for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked; and conduct a public awareness campaign aimed at reducing demand by the local population and Asian visitors for commercial sex acts.

Prosecution
The Government of Cambodia demonstrated significant progress in law enforcement efforts against sex trafficking during the last year. The February 2008 Law on the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation covers a wide variety of offenses, with 12 of its 30 articles explicitly addressing trafficking offenses. The law prohibits all forms of trafficking and prescribes penalties that are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with penalties for other serious crimes, such as rape. During the reporting period, authorities convicted 36 trafficking offenders, compared with 11 convictions in 2008; all but one of these convictions were for sex trafficking. While there were increasing reports of Cambodian migrant workers falling victim to trafficking due to exploitative conditions in destination countries, including Malaysia, the government has never criminally prosecuted or convicted any labor recruiters whose companies were involved in labor trafficking. In February 2010, the Phnom Penh municipal court convicted a woman for the forced labor of an 11-year-old girl enslaved as a domestic worker; the woman was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, and two related offenders were also sentenced to imprisonment.

The government partnered with NGOs to train over 4,000 police, social workers, court officials, and other employees on the 2008 law and its enforcement. There remain a large number of officials, particularly provincial-level police, who still need training. Consequently, confusion of trafficking offenses with other trafficking-related crimes such as prostitution, pornography, and child sex abuse is a sporadic occurrence, and some officials believe that enforcing laws against non-trafficking sex crimes contributed to efforts to combat trafficking. Judges and prosecutors sometimes continued to classify trafficking cases under non-trafficking articles and laws, or prosecuted non-trafficking cases using trafficking statutes. In March 2010, Cambodian police conducted raids in several cities on establishments suspected of engaging in “immoral” activities, but did not make sufficient efforts to arrest perpetrators for human trafficking offenses or identify trafficking victims, including children in prostitution. In one case, an NGO reported that military police in Sihanoukville kept the women and girls who were rounded up from multiple sites and offered them back to establishment owners for $50 a person. The government licensed 26 companies to send laborers to Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan that frequently work with independent brokers to locate potential workers. Authorities are negotiating additional labor agreements with other countries in Asia and the Middle East. However, Cambodia does not have a law to regulate the recruitment, placement, and protection of migrant workers, or to provide specific criminal penalties for negligent or exploitative recruitment agencies. During the year, police arrested one labor broker for the unlawful removal of nine children with the intent of selling them to work as servants in Malaysia; the broker is in pre-trial detention. A June 2009 inspection of a recruitment agency revealed that 20 of the 57 females questioned were under the age of 18, but the government did not arrest any labor export company officials during the year for such practices.

Impunity, corruption, and related rent-seeking behavior continue to impede anti-trafficking efforts. Police and judicial officials are both directly and indirectly involved in trafficking. Some local police and government officials extort money or accept bribes from brothel owners, sometimes on a daily basis, in order to allow the brothels to continue operating. Authorities prosecuted and convicted one public official who accepted $250,000 in exchange for forging documents intended to secure the release of a convicted child sex offender. Authorities did not prosecute the former president of Cambodia’s appeals court, who reportedly accepted $30,000 in 2008 for the release of brothel owners convicted of trafficking; the official remains employed with the Cambodian government.

Protection
The Government of Cambodia demonstrated limited efforts to protect victims of trafficking during the year. In August 2009, the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSAVY) issued a new “Policy and National Minimum Standards for the Protection of the Rights of Victims of Human Trafficking,” which includes guidelines to improve victim treatment and protection, and began to train officials on the use of these standards. However, the effects of this policy have yet to be seen. The government lacks national procedures and sufficient resources for training to proactively identify victims of trafficking among vulnerable groups, such as foreign women and children arrested for prostitution. Raids in March 2010 against “immoral” activities were not conducted in a manner sensitive to trafficking victims and did not involve trained anti-trafficking police or anti-trafficking organizations to assist in identifying or assisting potential trafficking victims. The government continued to refer victims to NGO shelters, but did not itself offer further assistance. There were not enough places in NGO shelters to accommodate all trafficking victims; this was particularly true for children, and specifically boys, which negatively affected authorities’ ability to carry out additional victim rescues.

MOSAVY reported that local police referred 535 victims of sex trafficking to provincial offices during the year (compared with 505 in 2008) who, in turn, referred victims to NGO shelters. Authorities worked with NGO partners to repatriate 11 female victims to Vietnam during the year. Building on technical assistance from an international organization, MOSAVY began to interview persons repatriated from Vietnam to help identify trafficking victims, and reported identifying 143 labor trafficking victims in this way. MOSAVY provided transportation assistance to return the victims to their home communities, but lacked the resources to provide further assistance. In partnership with UNICEF, MOSAVY also identified 83 Cambodian victims who had been repatriated from Thailand as trafficking victims; those victims remained briefly at a transit center jointly operated by the government and UNICEF in Poipet and were provided some reintegration assistance while officials conducted family tracing. Authorities encouraged victims to participate in investigations and prosecutions of traffickers. Cambodia’s weak judicial system, the lengthy legal process, and credible fears of retaliation are factors influencing victims’ decisions to seek out-of-court compensation in lieu of criminal prosecution. Victims who participate in the prosecution of their traffickers are not provided witness protection – a significant impediment to successful law enforcement efforts. Although victims legally had the option of filing civil suits to seek legal actions against their traffickers, most did not have the resources to do so, and the government did not provide assistance to victims for this purpose. In December 2009, the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnam on victim identification and repatriation.

Prevention
The Government of Cambodia continued some efforts to prevent trafficking in persons in partnership with international organizations and NGOs. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs maintained programs to prevent the trafficking of children to Vietnam for begging. The Ministry also held “Anti-Human Trafficking Day” ceremonies in December 2009 in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Poipet, which brought together several thousand Cambodian officials, civil society, and the public to increase awareness of trafficking, and was widely publicized on local television stations. Authorities cooperated with several international organization partners to produce radio programs on human trafficking. The Ministry of Tourism produced billboards, magazine advertisements, and handouts targeted to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts, though these efforts should be expanded. Authorities convicted nine child sex tourists during the year and initiated prosecutions against at least 17 other foreigners, including a Korean karaoke bar owner and two more Japanese citizens involved in the commercial sexual exploitation of children. State-run media ran anti-child sex tourism messages, as well as several television programs in Khmer targeted at the local population to discourage demand for child sex. Cambodian military forces participating in peacekeeping initiatives abroad received training on trafficking in persons prior to deployment.

Gardens of SSF

2010-06-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

The support that SSF is known to give to poor families are not mere passing on of cash but supplemented by proper support and training to ensure that these families are capable of self-sustenance in the future. Given that most of these families are traditionally farmers, SSF utilizes what they have already known for generations and improve it. Some of these skills and ideas are new innovations to these families and SSF has a role-model to play in order to show them that these methods are good and workable.

There is more to gardening than just results: Deu Dy is keen on helping a fellow friend with his garden.

Kids working together with their gardening project.

Therefore, kids who live in SSF are always given the first opportunity to practice what SSF has always taught to others. They are given agricultural projects and virtually limitless freedom to run them. Apart from choosing the manner in which they run their projects, they are also given time, resources and counseling from time to time. Most of the kids have a partner that they can work with while some of them choose to run it by themselves.

So far, most of them have chosen to start their own gardens or patch with vegetables and herbs. These plants mostly range from curry leaves and spices to tomatoes, eggplants, long beans, watermelons, chilies, cabbages, lettuces, gourds and lemon grass. According to Deu Dy, who runs a medium-sized garden on her own, “I choose to plant these because they are practical. We can eat them and that will reduce the amount of money spent at the market.” She also added, “If we have extra, maybe we can even start selling them.” What she said of her produce is accurate as the vegetables mentioned are typical of what Cambodians eat daily.

Deu Dy with her "juvenile" watermelon.

In addition to some of the kids’ ideas about the usage of the plants, some of them even go the extra mile on experimenting with different types of platforms their garden can run on. So far, most of them typically work on a normal garden patch but a pair of students has been adventurous in creating a roof-type garden. Since most of their plants are long beans and gourd, Sroh Sros (Varonika) and Phalla (Samantha) have no doubt that their project would work. They are confident that these climbing plants would have no problems with the location that they based their garden on- along the outdoor staircase and a make-shift trellis/roof.

The roof/trellis garden by Varonika and Samantha

SSF may still have a long journey ahead of them in regards to their mission. But at least with the kids here, they seem to be showing the beginnings of good roots. And hopefully, they would be able to make the world proud one day and show us more than just a garden.

Written by Lee Choong Yin (Daniel)

In Play We Trust

2010-06-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

That is exactly what Daniel and E (the Malaysian members of SSF's ever-growing family) along with Deborah (a volunteer from the United Kingdom) believe in as a crucial part of education. When they first came to the impoverished province of Kampong Speu, they noticed that a majority of students in Cambodia focus on rote learning. They were stunned to hear these students enunciating the definitions and various rules of grammar almost verbatim to the textbook. To see these walking textbooks, one would assume that teaching them English would be a breeze. But what lay ahead of them was the reality that they had minimal understanding on how to apply these definitions that they so diligently 'study'. Coupled with the lack of verbal practice and the Khmer culture of being soft-spoken, that has been so strongly imbedded in them, they looked like the future of Cambodia with so much to offer to the world but without the 'voice' to do so.

So, games were introduced in their daily English classes held in the SSF compoound itself. The list of games introduced ranges from merely making sounds to Hangman as well as Chinese Whispers, Charades and Spelling-Bee type games. It became an instant hit with the noisier students and the lessons were never quiet again. Even the soft-spoken students were quick to follow in line with their louder peers. The former would participate with attempts of using keywords and sometimes even full sentences. As for the latter, they would give all sorts of support and help to their friends. Now, the lessons act as an aveneu for the kids to practice speaking in English in addition to learning new words and refining their grammar and putting them to practice in their speech and their written work. The final results remain to be seen but as for now, it can be assured that these kids will leave the classroom with smiles and a chance to confidently speak in a language so foreign to them.

written by Daniel Lee Choong Yin

The Progress of SSF's Cerebral Palsy Program

2010-06-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

As SSF’s pilot project, much focus has been put on the Cerebral Palsy Program. This program aims to provide support and educate the inhabitants of the province of Kampong Speu about cerebral palsy and how its patients can actually be assimilated into the society. As reported in previous posts, SSF has employed a qualified physiotherapist, Mr. Sarith Suy, to work on the case of Socheat, a 16 year old girl plagued with this disability at an infantile age of 3 months. SSF hopes that by helping Socheat to gain independence within the society, it would jumpstart a program to help many disabled Cambodians. So far, there has not been any major or significant support given to these people. For those lucky enough, most forms of support were given only in the form of wheelchairs. For the rest, who consists of many impoverished households in rural Cambodia, they usually perish due to not being given the proper attention and care as a result of their lack of education and understanding with the issue.

Socheat has been lucky to have been given proper attention to her condition. There are four types of cerebral palsy and she has a mixed form of cerebral palsy, meaning she has a combination of different symptoms from the other forms. Primarily, her condition hampers her ability to physically control her motor movements due to damage to her brain. Like many who are disabled by this condition, she has a limited capability to perform many of the daily tasks like walking, sitting, eating, drinking, bathing and even changing. Fortunately though, her intelligence is not really affected by her condition and Socheat has been able to reap the benefits through the daily English classes organized by SSF. Although a tad slower than most people, Socheat is able to converse relatively well in English and is able to respond to conversations. With patience, one would also notice so much potential in her in terms of ideas and thoughts.

Socheat ascending the staircase with support from Sarith

Therefore, the bulk of her therapy focuses on training her motor skills based on a program called “Motor Learning modified with Motor Relearning Program”. The training is divided to two components, major and fine motor skills training. For the former, Sarith mainly employs strengthening of her limbs to enable her to walk or use the staircase. With the help of a adaptive walking device, Sarith’s own construction, Socheat goes through a daily routine, assisted by that device, to help her legs gain the strength required. So every evening, Socheat tries to walk around the SSF compound as means of her training. In addition to that, she trains and practices in using utensils to eat as well as a straw to drink from a cup. By employing various techniques to help Socheat facilitate the usage of her joints and limbs, she is slowly gaining control of the ability to use her fingers and arms to do tasks that most of us take for granted.

Socheat using the adaptive walking device

Balancing training to prepare her to stand and walk

Although she still has a long way to go, Socheat is now able to use the stairs when assisted by someone. This, is also part of a daily regime to show her the results of this diligent practice. Additionally, it gives her the confidence to be able to know the progress she is making with each passing day. But this is not her sole progress. Currently, she is slowly gaining the ability to stand up and walk as well. Apart from that, Socheat does not really need to rely on being fed. She is able to use a spoon to eat and with the assistance of a straw, she can drink from a cup. These, she does as a daily routine. Sarith also commented that, “Socheat is now able to change her clothes. But it takes her a really long time and often, we would just assist her with that.” Noting her progress, he also added that, “Now she is still confined to the adaptive walking device and the wheelchair but soon, I hope that she would progress to the point where she would only need the former and can make do without the wheelchair.”

With the progress that the program is making, it is exciting to see the final results or at the very least, to see the outcome of the project for an implementation that will generally be applicable to the rest of the community. At least then, disabled people like Socheat need not succumb to the general stereotype that disabled people are dependant or to be a little harsh, “useless”. With continued and upcoming support of donors and people offering their expertise with this issue, we can only hope that those scenarios would never come true.

Written by Lee Choong Yin (Daniel)

A Different Shoe for a Different Size

2010-06-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

SSF has always been committed about believing in equal rights for all children to receive education. Therefore, classes held have remained virtually open to all children, as long as conditions like class availability, non-excessive class size and availability of teachers permit. However, due to these constraints, the English classes held here are always catered to providing an average level of difficulty. For instance, the morning class focuses on speaking skills, like phonics and conversation practices, as well as technical aspect of the language like grammar. Although it makes the class relevant to all, it does not cater to the children whose levels belong on the extreme ends. To these children, the classes are either too easy or too hard.

Therefore, with the addition of Daniel and E, SSF's current addition of long-term volunteers who teach the English classes, different classes can be arranged. Now, the morning class has been divided into two. One focuses on practice drills of grammar and pronunciation whyle the other will focus on writing (hopefully, essays and articles in the foreseeable future), reading (short stories) and getting used to discussions based on their current story as well as other topics relevant to them. On top of the two on-going classes in the afternoon, there is now an additional clas for much younger children who are already eager to learn their ABCs.

As for now, things seem promising for these different classes and there is a possibility of optimizing the pace of learning. Unfortunately, not all of the sessions sharew the mentioned benefits, largely due to a lack of long-term teacheres for the various classes. But should there be more volunteers who are interested in teaching for a longer period of time, one would be sure to have a challenging and fun road ahead. As for the children, it would be a a real blessing for them.

written by Lee Choong Yin (Daniel)

Class Goes on No Matter What

2010-06-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Cambodian may be known for many things- the sights, the food or even THE war, but what one may not be immediately be prepared for is the dedication of the students here. Come rain or shine, it would be normal to see throngs of students on bicycles cycling kilometers away just to go to class. Here in SSF, we try to teach as many classes as we can to benefit the children's learning and so far, English, computer, agriculture, and social and economic studies are taught constantly. That is one reason why students go through great lengths, literally, just to be here at SSF. By coming here, they benefit from these additional classes taught with a different touch due to the fact that majority of the classes are being taught by volunteers from different parts of the world.

Sadly though, there is a lack of space to cater for the increasing number of students (naturally enough, since SSF, a non-profit organization, does not charge for any of these classes). Here, classses are held in a verandah, a small living room cum workstation cum meeting room and on a tabletop under a tree (when it rains, the class using this spot will move to a hut that also functions as a dry kitchen, a common area for students to hang out and a makeshift room at night). But with multiple English classes and computer classes being offered daily with an average capacity of 20 students in a singles class, one would just have to make do and adapt with whatever resources are available.

In any developed country, this would definitely be undesirable but over here, everyone would just have to adjust to satiate their thirst for knowledge. This is not to say that they are comfortable. Being under the sun, sweating away and arching your back just so you could write is anything but comfortable. To the kids though, learning continues. And to most of them as well, so does a little hope that one day, they would be able to study under a roof without having to swat flies or worry if it would rain.

written by Lee Choong Yin (Daniel)

Stretch and Unwind

2010-06-10T03:01:00.000-07:00

One day in April, when I had just arrived at SSF to volunteer, I went to do my daily yoga practice on the veranda. Not before long, a group of girls were copying my every bend and stretch. Aware of their interest, I thought it seemed like a good idea to teach a daily class. Squashed into their busy schedule, after Computer and English class and before lunch, 30 minutes of yoga seemed like an ideal way for the girls to relax and gather energy for the rest of their school day.

Classes are informal and have to be improvised due to the hard wooden floor. At first the girls approached yoga like any other exercise- classes were noisy and some of the more obscure poses induced lots of giggles. To create a calmer atmosphere, ten minutes of meditation were introduced. This did the trick! Classes are still fun, but now the girls exude concentration and tranquility.

by Deborah Shulman

Home-grown organic garden improves better livelihood

2010-06-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

Rin Aek family is one amongst 30 families living in Kraining Rohong smallest community that SSF assists. SSF has been assisted this community since April last year with financial support at the beginning by GO to install a water pump-well and to create opportunities for developing their community. From January 2010, SSF was reached another new partner No Child Abuse to do integrated community development programs.

Rin Aek family has 9 household members. Seven are their children. They began their organic homegrown garden since a pump well was installed last April. They adopted new growing routine created by SSF to implement that is able to grow and harvest consequently.

80% of Cambodian populations are farmers but they don’t have enough rice fields and rainfall isn’t sufficiency for crops growing. Dry season is taken longer than wet. 57% of Kampong Speu residents are lived under poverty line that their revenue is less than one US dollar a day, according to poverty profile made by Cambodian government in 2004. Kampong Speu residents are resettling in the mountainous area where the challenge at most is no rainfall enough.

Rin Aek family learns and practices what SSF taught. Every single learned knowledge and skills were found as incredible knowledge that they never known before. They found them as an important tools to assist for fighting insecure food, avoid domestic violence and end child labor forms within the family. Some children of Rin Aek family began their work as domestic servant in Phnom Penh since they were 13. A child could earn about US$ 30 per month.

As the result of hard work with supporting from SSF, Rin Aek family was selected as demo family few months ago. They began green compound within their yards. Compost and organic were very important course that SSF taught to his family and neighbors to avoid and minimize chemical fertilizer’s cost. SSF works closely with especially Rin Aek the household head to no longer violence to his wife and children anymore. Rin Aek was strictly followed to Khmer custom and he couldn’t able to accept if his daughter told her that she infected by HIV/AIDS and worked as beer girl.

As eyes practical experience, we see that domestic violence is easily happened to every poorest and the most vulnerable families due to they challenge with food from foot-to-mouth. Husband and also wife, sometimes, choose alcohol as primary direction.

Technical assistances and guidance especially agricultural technique for growing organic crops and farming animals raising are supplemented over financial aid that used to build water storage container (1.5m x 3m x 1m) and together working capital for his wife to run a middleman small business through buying and selling products from their neighbors.

Rin Aek family grows vegetables consequently against SSF created routine. His family earns up to US$ 5.00 per day through their growing and buying vegetables from their neighbors to sell at Kampong Speu provincial market. Money is no longer need for spending on buying vegetables and some other ingredients that they can grow by themselves anymore, Rin Aek said with smiling face and acknowledge to SSF.

My family couldn’t grow vegetable regularly especially in dry season. The only some months could and was able to earn less than US$ 40 per month. As revenue is so limited therefore, their likelihood was so difficult and household members were separated to live at pagoda and to work as domestic servant in the city for getting food and earn some extra income to the family. He added.

Rin Aek and his household members experienced with gathering water up to 400 buckets per day to sprinkle their gardens. Rin Aek and his wife were very poor health and skinny through their hard farming works and didn’t have sufficient diet.

When asking him about future plan, Rin Aek told SSF that he and his family will remain carry out his organic crops growing because it is very easily to build secure food and sustainable economic for his family. Additionally, he requests SSF to continue provision of the techniques on especially fish and animal. Many opportunities to improve their livelihood were able to address by them since water storage container was given. Water storage container plays vital role keeping his yard wetting and green and cash increased.

Thank you so much to GO, No Child Abuse and other donors who grant.

COMPUTERS FOR THE CHILDREN AT SSF

2010-05-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

New volunteer computing teacher, Kandy Valle, has arrived, bringing with him his generous donation of 8 laptops for the children studying here at SSF. Learning IT provides the children with the invaluable opportunity of gaining employment in a fast developing Cambodia. Previously in lessons, many students had to squeeze round one screen, but now with a total of fifteen computers, no more than two share the same computer in any one class. Kandy, a former IBM technician from the Basque Country, teaches students how to use Microsoft Word, and for those more advanced, he gives classes on repairing computers, while lessons are also given on surfing the internet and using social networking sites responsibly. Putting their new knowledge into practice, some of the older teenagers have even created blogs (http://chanaek.blogspot.com,http://phallika.blogspot.com, and http://sarouenchreb.blogspot.com), allowing them to share their stories with the outside world. The skills being gained here are versatile and we are sure they will open doors to children who are desperately trying to break out of the cycle of poverty.

Ceramic water filters distribution

2010-05-11T01:19:00.000-07:00

Project has supported well construction every year since SSF started Sustainable Livelihood Programme to assist the most vulnerable families and their community in Kampong Speu province in order to improve community access to sources of safe drinking water, as well as water for their home gardens and animals. It is very essential to do so because this province is the mountainous region, drought is taken longer and rarely rainfall. According to verbal communication with a government officer in Kampong Speu we found that 50 households are even hard to share a pump-well yet. Residents spend most their time in a year to collect water from outside community to supply their domestic consumption.

When an open or pump well is initiated to build by SSF, a group of beneficiary families which is approximately 5 households per open well and up to 50 households for a pump well who will share that open/pump well. All beneficiary families contributed the labor necessary to build one well, and contributed USD 25 toward the cost of materials purchased to build fence each well; the total cost of which was USD 150-230 per open well and around USD2, 000 per pump well. Moreover, a water users group was initiated to create at the same time a well built. This group is learned how to use, maintenance and save money regularly to fix well when it broken. So far, even though SSF has very small budget but at least two open and a pump wells were constructed by SSF in 3 different villages in Samrong Tong district, Kampong Speu province with financial support from various sources such as Australian people, American people, Global Colors in memory of Jeff Scott, and .Groundwork Opportunities.

As discussed above, well construction activities were implemented using a participatory approach. This required that families targeted for the intervention make a financial or in-kind contribution, usually in the form of labor, toward well construction. While the wells themselves were constructed on the property of one family, other families living near that area have equal access to these wells. While most of vulnerable families were unable to make a financial contribution toward well construction, they were able to volunteer their time to help dig holes for and place rings into the wells or do other things as needed.

Major Challenges:
Prior to Project intervention, vulnerable families reported that they did not usually boil their drinking water. They also lacked water storage containers, as well as pots in which to boil the water. This practice of drinking unboiled water from uncovered/pump wells is believed to have caused diarrhea from water-borne parasites. In an effort to address this matter, Project staff educated families that were engaging in this practice about the importance of drinking safe water. Project staff then decided to purchase ceramic water filters for 30 vulnerable families in one target village Kraing Rohong with financial support from Stop Kindermisbruik. The distribution was organized on 02 March 2010.

Two months after the distribution of water filers, Project staff conducted a survey of 30 families that had received them. Results of the survey revealed that children are at higher risk of contracting diseases from waterborne parasites, as more children than adults responded that they drink unboiled water. 72 percent of survey respondents reported that they had experienced abdominal pain or diarrhea in the month prior to receiving the filter. When asked if they had experienced this since they began using the filters, only 8 percent of them reported that they had.

Based on these survey results, we can conclude that the filters have been effectiveness in providing clean water to families who would have otherwise continued to consume un-boiled water from uncovered/pump wells which would likely have been contaminated by waterborne parasites. Moreover, target households reported that they shared their clean water with other families outside their village, which may effect of encouraging them to use water filters in the future. 90 percent of 30 families surveyed reported that they now take filtered water with them when going to field. 74 percent of respondents said they had shared and introduced clean water from filters to other people beside their families’ members.

Survey respondents who reported that they still suffer from abdominal pain and diarrhea revealed that they continue to drink un-boiled water from rice field, pond and uncovered water storage container directly. Therefore, the Project will need to continue to raise awareness and train target community members about the importance of drinking clean water and maintaining good hygiene.

SSF has five hundred poorest and the most vulnerable people are benefited through therefore we recently still need financial support over USD 6,700 to purchase 70 ceramic water filters and to drill three more pump wells for three different villages that are our target for this year. SSF wants to assist Cambodian people especially Kampong Speu inhabitants to reach a pump well for every 50 households. Cost per ceramic water filter is USD 10. More information about the project or donation, please contact us via info@ssfcambodia.org.

Palsied girl of HIV/AIDs family

2010-04-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Socheat is a sixteen year old female, living in Prey Rogneang village, Skous commune, Samrong Tong district, Kampong Speu province. Both of Socheat’s parents have been affected by HIV/AIDS. Sadly, Socheat’s father passed away but her mother is still alive, being supported by Sao Sary Foundation (SSF).

Socheat was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at three months old. At that time, there were no medical doctors available to provide her with the appropriate treatment. Prior to coming to SSF, Socheat was not capable of performing any tasks and her mother stressed that she was desperately struggling to take care of Socheat, as well as working to meet the family’s daily needs. SSF were able to intervene by setting up a grocery store by her home in order to help her get by. However, the dire situation of the village meant that she was still not able to earn enough money to look after Socheat. Socheat’s mother desperately pleaded for someone else to care of Socheat as she was physically and financially unable to.

The Sao Sary Foundation is recognized by the government as a non-profit organization that provides a proactive approach to helping at-risk children and impoverished families, and to stop human trafficking before it starts through a variety of programs. Cerebral Palsy is one of the programs that this organization supports. Socheat was identified by SSF staff when she was living with her mother and her younger sister in the village. SSF offered to provide her with rehabilitation services at their compound, as they believe that with a sufficent level of support, young disabled individuals can become independent members of society. Following a comprehensive assessment, SSF concluded that in order for Socheat’s mental and physical health to progressively improve, she desperately required the support from a psychiatrist, a physiotherapist and a caregiver.

Despite suffering from Cerebral Palsy, Socheat is fully capable of learning and performing tasks as any other human being. Although Socheat’s intellectual ability is intact, her motor ability is severely affected. At SSF, we believe the best way to change an individual’s life is to change the world in which they live. Currently, it is costing $3,333.50 USD annually for Socheat’s mobility equipment, food, accommodation, and Physiotherapy & Caregiver services. SSF are in great need of your financial support so that we can strive to ensure that she continues to receive the resources and services that are imperative for her to develop a life of independence. With a sufficient level of funding, the physiotherapist expects that Socheat will be able to sit, stand and walk independently, as well as being able to perform daily activities, ultimately allowing her to be increasingly self-sufficient.

Socheat’s mother’s dream is to live to observe Socheat as a responsible young adult, and Socheat has expressed that her only wish is to be able to attend school with the other children. With your support, our team will ensure that Socheat gets the care and education she needs allowing her to have a better and brighter future. You can be part of that dream, by helping her today.

Thank you.

Written by: Harkeet Sandhu

Begging for 7 lives

2010-04-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

Here is another family that SSF just identified and bring it to your attentions. After receiving reliable source of information about difficulty of the aliveness of a poorest family shared by Vichetr Uon's mother-in-law through his wife. Vichetr and our present volunteer from UK-Harkeet paid a visit to seek for place where this family lives.

What we found and information we received are true. Husband was the former Khmer Rouge soldier and he was lost both legs by mine accident. Main occupation he does is begging to survive five children and a mental health wife. All children within this family are so skinny, pale and skin disease infection due to they live with very poor hygiene and improper health care. They have a small house was built on the ground on own house plot but this family hasn't own farming animals and rice field. All underage children aren't grow up against their ages as they are 6 and 7 but they look like two or four year-old kids.

The oldest daughter was picked away by a person several months ago. He [father] doesn't know for sure where she goes as a lady [who introduced her a job] just informed that she will send her to learn at Phnom Penh and offer her a job at abroad like Korea or Malaysia, father said. When we asked him about how often they keep in touch he said rarely. His girl and other young women who brought from the countryside to find jobs by pimps in city has similar situation like her case. The family isn't knew where or when the girls will be placed or got job and what do their girls will be done. We will need to work more to investigate the case to know for sure what is the situation that she has at the moment.

The family is needed your sponsorship on child education, food aid and working capital to develop husband to any skill which he can learn and help out his family by himself than begging work. Monthly sponsorship for this family will be at least $100. I and my organization couldn't support him and his family without assisting from you. Please help!

Cerebral Palsy Appeals for Funds

2010-04-18T00:38:00.001-07:00

Dear readers,

SSF is working with Socheat as a pilot project throughout the Kampong Speu province to show the community that people with Cerebral Palsy can indeed become independent members of society. SSF employs a physiotherapist who graduated advance degree on physiotherapy skills from Singapore to restore some basic motor functions. With the results, Socheat is able to learn walking and eating after one year and half received assistances. In comparison to the beginning we found that her life absolutely changes but her dream to go school like other children couldn’t possible. Additionally, Socheat’s mother [who infects by HIV/AIDs more than 9 years] isn’t sure yet whether she can see Socheat is able to responsible on herself or not before she passes while she hopes at most. SSF wants to develop their dreams to come true but unless SSF helps by you.

Throughout Southeast Asia, specifically Cambodia, there is widespread discrimination, neglect, and even violence towards the disabled population, specifically people with Cerebral Palsy (CP). In Kampong Speu, one of the poorest provinces in Cambodia, high incidences of CP coupled with the majority of families neglecting their children create a growing problem that is in dire need of a solution.

Even though, a reliable count of the current disabled population is not available, however, it is generally accepted that Cambodia has one of the highest rates of disability in the world and that approximately 21% of the disabled population are children. The most common types of disability among children in Cambodia are Polio, hearing and visual problems and problems relating to the brain such as Cerebral Palsy and emotional and behavioral problems. Source: WorldEnable

The Sao Sary Foundation (SSF) in a governmentally recognized, non-profit organization that provides a proactive approach to helping at-risk children and impoverished families through a variety of programs. One of our main pilot programs is to become the voice of the over 400 palsy children in Kampong Speu. This year, we have begun to financially support one child with CP, Socheat Seang who lives with HIV/AIDs mother. In a short period of time, Socheat has been able to a little speak, sit, lie on and get up, and control her body.

We hope to use Socheat’s success story to inspire other children and families who have children with CP to not give into stereotypes. People with CP are capable of being self-sufficient, and at SSF we are trying to spread this value across the country, starting with Socheat.

In order to help solve misconceptions and seek justice for people living with CP, we need your help to Socheat and other cases. This year we call for financial support $3,081.50 for more children with CP. Your donations will go towards supplies such as wheelchairs and therapy tools, as well as hiring physiotherapist and caregiver to provide physical and occupation therapy services to those CP children and etc.

By helping children with CP gain economic, SSF believes that their families and the community will no longer shun their neighbors with CP. Additionally, palsied children will gain back their sense of self, no longer feeling victimized, but now as a contributing member of society.

SSF ensures that all donated money complies directly with your personal requests. SSF provides detailed documentation, photographs, and constant monitoring of your donation. Please visit our website at http://ssfcambodia.org/index.php?page=cerebral-palsy for cerebral palsy project and more other projects please visit www.ssfcambodia.org.

Sincerely Yours,

Vichetr Uon,

Founder

www.ssfcambodia.org

Appeal for Funds for Child Protection Program

2010-04-18T00:35:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

Hope this email finds very well!

Perhaps you may know me already but anyways if you don’t, please give me a little of your value time to introduce you about myself and my organization. My name’s Vichetr Uon. I initiated to esablish Sao Sary Foundation in 2006 after gaining over ten [10] years experience working with many organizations fighting against trafficking on women and children in Cambodia through rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and repatriation before I was employed at Church World Service in Cambodia. CWS is a biggest international organization provided Integrated Community Development services to poorest of the poor and vulnerable people and their communities in Cambodia since 1979.

SSF is the results of merging both successful and failed experiences that mostly I acquired and they were used to create a new innovative solution in helping support poorest and the most vulnerable people, to lift the burden that often leads to violence, exploitation, abuse and especially trafficking and prevent it happening again for the families and communities SSF provides assistances. Our proactive approach leads to positive impacts to the poorest and the most vulnerable families. So far at least a hundred most vulnerable families and over 60 vulnerable children benefit through this unique approach.

SSF aims to alleviate child poverty in Cambodia’s poorest communities, while preventing all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse against children, especially commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and child marriage. We do this through a proactive approach in protecting children from any form of violence, exploitation and abuse. Rather than waiting until it’s too late, SSF strives to identify at risk children and provide sustainable assistance to both the children and their families. It is our mission to achieve lasting improvements for children living in poverty in Cambodia's poorest communities, through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives.

SSF's Child Protection Program assists over 60 vulnerable children in care ranging from room and board, medical care, education, and vocational skills training. Our program affords them the opportunity to be children and not have to worry about the burdens of finding work to support their families. Such desperation makes them vulnerable to being trafficked.

SSF is extremely succeed with our proactive approaches that we provides special care and opportunities to vulnerable children to develop themselves to be key agents and are able helping to their families, communities and their country in the future. But however, the economic downturn made us facing an immediate crisis due to lack of funding. SSF is seeking funds of US$25,000 to continue our Child Protection Program for a period of 12 months ending at 31 August 2010 while we continue efforts to acquire long-term funding.

Any immediate assistance that can be provided to SSF would be greatly appreciated than could be described. If you or anyone you know are aware of any emergency grants (i.e. one-time grants that have short/no waiting periods and/or not attached to any partership agreements), please email us via info@ssfcambodia.org. Additionally, personal donations can be made at: http://ssfcambodia.org/index.php?page=donate.

Thank you for your time and consideration of the plight of these children.

PS: SSF is an organization filmed by BBC this year about its innovative solutions to end child trafficking on the ground. The film will be the subject to deliver its link and CD after releasing.

Sincerely Yours,

Vichetr Uon,

Executive Director & Founder

www.ssfcambodia.org

Tackle trafficking risks out of my daughters

2010-04-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

Phim Dy family remains at-risk and vulnerable condition even though her family received support from SSF which led them to able develop their better living condition which moving toward an upper level than ground level. Through this moving is enable this family to own house plot, construction of house, had pigs and cows to raise as well as has own television, batteries and etc.. The improvement also was found after SSF solved their scarce water within her village through installation of a hand pump well with financial aid through Groundwork Opportunities. Through the Well of opportunity project of GO, Stop Kindermisbruik & SSF, they are no longer bought water to fulfill their needs and they begin to green their village and yards for domestic consumption and sale of surplus.

The at-high risks are illiteracy of household members and due to their father’s or husband’s relative is trafficker. Phim Dy in her name of head of household she worries how to keep her daughters in safe place avoiding reaching bad situation like her neighbors used to touch with. Some young girls in the past within her village were lured to sell and work as prostitutes in Phnom Penh. Lately, they were infected by AIDs and died, Phim Dy said.

Phim Dy and her husband are parentless. Her husband has mental health problem which led all household members are hard to live with him. He always destroys anything when he drunk.

Both of them don’t know who their parents due to the chronic civil war taken so long in Cambodia. They don’t know how to read and write even simple Khmer message. Their illiteracy had affected their children’s education as well. Her older children didn’t attend any class at state school. This was recalled by Phim Dy because of her family condition wasn’t allowed as only feeding from hand-to-mouth. All household members had to work for surviving daily basis, Phim Dy said by crying.

The second daughter works very hard through selling her labour to assist her family with their parents. She hadn’t gone to school in her whole life even though she is 17. Due to the virgin in Cambodia are worth to Cambodian girls but sadly the men even foreigners always want to get from by which mean they can. She was lured by a man while she worked as waitress at a restaurant. The man gave her mobile phone and money and attempt to get her for a guesthouse but luckily SSF knew the issues from the mother so we helped her for the second time. She was escaped her tough situation twice with intervention from SSF. Firstly, she was lured to get job at a factory but lately the factory owner detained her in a room and attempted to transport her to Sihanouk Ville.

Phim Dy and her husband had shocked with danger situation almost affected to her daughter. She right now wants all her children are at home than separation. Phim Dy wants to create home-based business. Just raising pigs and cows that SSF guided are impossible to lead this family to build better livelihood and prosperous lives in the future. This year once again, Phim Dy requests SSF to enable business opportunity selling rice to her neighbors as she stated that more than 90% of them are buying white rice from the market. Through partnership with GO & Stop Kindermisbruik, SSF loaned her $250 to buy 1,000 KGs of rice to begin her proposed business.

Fundraising

2010-04-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Hi readers,

Hope this message finds you very well!

I just want to leave you an important message and ask your assistance at the same time if possible. SSF raised about 25% already of the $25,000 to maintain the Child Trafficking Prevention Project this fiscal year [ending at 31 August]. We need you to give us ideas or advices on fundraising to ensure we can reach target raising goal to ensure we assist over 60 vulnerable children in care ranging from room and board, medical care, education, and vocational skills training. Please help us the ideas or monetary!!!!!

Our program affords them the opportunity to be children and not have to worry about the burdens of finding work to support their families. Such desperation makes them vulnerable to being trafficked.

Please email me via info@ssfcambodia.org for any concerns you have.

Thanks,

Vichetr Uon

Founder

HIV/AIDS windowed mothers

2010-03-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

It is unfair that I was HIV/AIDS positive as it was transmitted to me by my husband. He was a soldier and he went to work at his station too far from home.

My husband passed away since 2001 and i burden two children while i don't have any asset or property. My temporary and old hut was built on the ground in my mum-in-law's yard. My first daughter studies 10th grade while my second son is in 6th grade. I don't think i will able to live longer as i have problem with diabetic and HIV/AIDS positive at the same time.

I want SSF to sponsor my children to go state school and get other educations like English, Computer, life-skills and social and financial education like other children that SSF have been supported so far.

This below is the second family that was brought by one of our HIV/AIDs widowed mother who wished SSF to support other HIV/AIDs mothers than just her alone. Sounds this second family will not draw attentions by SSF even though husband and wife infected by HIV/AIDs because they don't have children in school

Life is discriminated. Her mum-in-law asked her to leave her present house due to this house was belonged to her mum-in-law. She wants SSF to help her daughters going to school and get other educations like English, computer, life-skills and social and financial education.

As she doesn't have own land and house. She was asked her relative to get a piece of land to build a temporary shelter but sadly she was asked to leave the land immediately. So right now, she got a permission to leave on another family's land. The life was very terrible due to she hasn't someone care to her as well as she doesn't have a means to generate income plus she needs to care for a 4-year grandson as well since his mum doesn't care about him and she just left the family to live with her boy friend.

The day after first

2010-03-11T16:48:00.001-08:00

After my experience in the village I was glad to have a day with the children who live in the SSF compound. I was woken at around 6.30 by a cacophony of voices, cocks and dogs. The house was already buzzing with busy feet of kids carrying out their house-hold duties. After breakfast (Noodles, egg and morning glory) I begun the day by listening to Vichetr deliver a class in Khmer on ‘handicrafts and agriculture’...I understood precisely nothing. Vichetr explains to me later that the aim of this class is to develop an entrepreneurial spirit and a creative mindset in the children so that when they return home they will be equipped with the problem solving skills necessary to ensure a sustainable future for their family. I am informed that that this approach has occasionally been problematic because poor Cambodians often perceive a young person who offers advise to their elders to be disrespectful.

At 9 am I take my first lesson of the day; the human body. (“Hed, shoolda, nea and too, nea an too” rings around the building). The actions are learnt quicker than the words and those words that are picked up seem to follow a certain trend. Shoulder and Elbow have few takers but bum and belly (especially when prefixed with the word ‘big) were rolling of their tongues in no time. I guess some things are universal!

The next two lessons pass with similar outcomes. One thing that strikes me is how eager they are to learn in comparison to (my experience of) children of the same age in England. They really couldn’t be further from my associations with the word teenager!

At around 5 pm I was looking over the balcony when I noticed one of the older kids (Chann), around six metres above the ground, clinging to the trunk of the mango tree that stands beside the gate of the compound, hacking at its branches. Below him four or five girls were ducking and diving amongst a shower of mangoes. It turns out that the road is being expanded and so the landowner has decided that the tree needs to be stripped to prevent the mangoes being lost.

We spent the next couple of hours collecting mangoes, dodgy falling branches and lugging them across the forecourt. Two girls, Phalla and Sros, discovered that some of the larger branches could be used as makeshift trampolines whilst others played hide and seek amongst the 2-3 metre high pile of leaves, bark and other tree related debris. I watched in amusement as their heads popped up and down amongst the fallen branches like meercats.

After dinner I taught some basic guitar parts (stand by me for beginners) to Chann and Saroun (the best English speaker amongst the kids living here) before collapsing into bed exhausted. I was woken 10 minutes later by a mouse scurrying around the room but quickly fell back to sleep.

These kids are all so bubbly and enthusiastic. I find it incredibly difficult when I remember that they are all living here due to abject poverty and/or because they are considered to be highly at risk from human traffickers operating in the area. It is easy to forget that these smiling faces are the reality behind Cambodia’s much publicized problem of human trafficking and child sex-tourism.

First day at SSF

2010-03-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my first full day volunteering for the Sao Sary foundation (SSF), a small NGO based in Kampong Speu, Cambodia’s poorest province. SSF are devoted to ending human trafficking and helping impoverished families to gain economic independence. Child trafficking is endemic throughout the poorer regions of the country. Children as young as 8 or 9 are frequently sold or coerced into sex work and/or hard labour. I am living in the outskirts of the provincial capital, Chbar morn city, with Vichetr Uon (the director of SSF), his family and twenty or so children/teenagers who are being cared for by the organisation.

After teaching my first English lesson in the morning, I jumped onto the back of Vichetr ‘s motorbike and we set off to visit some of the local communities and families with whom SSF have been working most closely. After weaving through the dusty potholed streets of Chbar morn city we drove out into the countryside. The flat, arid landscape is neatly divided into fields, usually used for rice and morning glory but now increasingly infertile due to deforestation. The distant cardamom mountains caste shadows over the flat expanse below.

After around 10 minutes we pulled into a small village called Kraing Rohong. A group of soaked children, probably aged between 5 and 10 were playing beside the (SSF funded) village pump. Water from the pump is kept in large circular turquoise vats throughout village. Vichetr explained that this village has become particularly poor in recent years because they have officially declared support for one of the country’s leading opposition parties. As a result the current government have been slow to provide financial support to the village. In reality the villagers have little interest or knowledge about national politics. Community leaders throughout the rural areas of the country usually vote for whichever party appears to offers the village most support (open bribery many cases).

We started by visiting the home of a family of six. The adults were chatting and taking shelter from the 37 degree midday sun in a small hut (their former home) and the children were rolling around on the floor, a grinning girl pinning the limbs of her squirming little brother to the ground surrounded by small dust clouds. Meanwhile their mother (and head of house) was making the dough for cupcakes. The father died a number of years ago and the family initially failed to adjust to living on a single income. SSF have supported this family by providing the means for them to start up their own business and encouraging them to utilize the skills they already possessed. They now live off their cupcake business.

After visiting a number of other houses, including one in which the children took a particular interest in my camera (one child ran away with it and begun trying to take a photo of another by pointing the lens towards himself whilst pressing the battery release button) we stopped beside a small bamboo structure. This is home to a family of eight who share this one bedroom hut. Two girls were removing the leaves from morning glory for their evening meal while their mother sat crossed legged on the forecourt feeding the latest addition to their family. These girls are 14 year old twins but due to chronic malnutrition in the early years they look no more than 9 or 10 years old. A little over two years ago the family’s eldest daughter died of starvation. When SSF first became involved with the family these children were considered to be highly vulnerable to the threat of traffickers due to the combination of extreme poverty and illiteracy. However, through the help of SSF (advice and financial support) the family were able to setup a small cottage industry rearing chickens. They now own their own cow and produce Palm juice and wine. I tried the family’s wine (possibly against my best judgement). It had an intensely sweet flavor with a slight alcoholic kick, very tasty but I couldn’t drink much in one go. Although they remain desperately poor this family are no longer considered to be in immediate risk from either starvation or trafficking.

After stopping off to watch another family digging a new well we reached the front door (adorned with kitsch Chinese new year decorations) of a family that are considered to be one of the organization’s success stories. A women (probably mid 40’s) and her mother (maybe in her 70’s) were sitting in their hut, shading themselves from the sun, making a coconut/palm suger based sweet that is bound together with rice. SSF have funded the family to set up this business and are currently looking at further funding to help the father to buy a motorcycle (he is a sought after chef in the area but is unable to make a living due to a lack of transport). Although the differences between this family’s living conditions and those we have previously visited are not clear to the untrained eye (they too share a one bedroom hut with numerous family members), Vichetr informs me that, unlike many people living in Kampong Speu Province, this family are living without either serious debt or extortionate rent. As a result they have been able to carve out a sustainable existence for themselves.

On the way home I noticed the large red evening sun hanging just above the horizon. Watching it set from the back of Vichetr’s motorbike I tried to gather my thoughts but in truth I was left with far more questions than answers. However, One thing is certain, whether for positive or negative reasons, this day will stay with me for the rest of my life.

A Day in a Cambodian Village

2010-03-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

“Let’s go to the villages.”

I looked at Vichetr and saw him smiling, anxious to move. It was only hours ago that I set foot in Cambodia, exhausted by the heat and morning flight; but this was why I came, and I could not pass this opportunity. Minutes later, I found myself back-strapped on his motorbike whipping through the wind.

Vichetr is the director of Sao Sary Foundation, a local Cambodian organization that is dedicated to achieving lasting improvements for children living in poverty. He spends his time roaming through the poorest villages, finding families to support and children to send to school. All of these families live under $1 a day; meaning, they are lucky enough to eat rice for that day, if at all.

“Where’s Sreyown?” Vichetr asked in Khmer as we parked our motorbike and stepped through muddy ground. Several people came out of their huts to greet us, smiling, and with praying hands raised in front followed by a slight bow. Moments later, a young girl of about twelve appeared and followed suit with this traditional South Asian greet.

Vichetr began to interview her in Khmer and then translated her story. He told me that her father died of AIDS eight years ago, and the HIV status of her mother is unknown. Because of her father’s death, their only source of income was cut, and they have no assets. Her aspiration is to graduate from medical school so that she can one day take care of her mother’s flailing health.

“It’s very common for the kids to want to be doctors. Many of them have a family member who’s ill but can’t afford healthcare”, Vichetr mentioned, “When they’re sick, they can’t work.”

“These families work hard but many times they’re exploited by loan sharks or simply lack the education and know-how to do anything about their situation. It’s a trap.”

“How do you help them?” I asked.

“What we want to do is to show them how to generate financially sustainable activities. We help them start a business, providing the necessary start-up capital, and then work with them to bring this business to profit. That way, we can self-empower the people to lift themselves out of poverty.”

Several days later I would visit a family who Vichetr helped start a sweet rice business. The startup capital was $100. The family now earns profits of $5 a day selling their sweet rice squares to the local market.

After we finished our interview with Sreyown, I refastened on Vichetr’s motorbike and we headed back down the long road that lead to the village.

Passing through the wind, I stared out at the open land filled with trees, mountains and rice fields, green and full of life. Alongside, kids splashed in pools formed by the afternoon rain while mothers nursed their babies in the comfort of shade. It’s hard to imagine that amongst such pristine land and laughter the hardships that many of them endure. But indeed, people worked, and they worked hard. This was Cambodia at its rawest. As we drove along, I was reminded of what Grameen Bank’s founder Muhammad Yunus said: “The poor themselves can create a poverty-free world… all we have to do is to free them from the chains that we have put around them.”

The question then is, what are those chains and what can we do about them?

: Man tending the rice fields with his cows

: Kids splashing in the pool from the rain

: One of the family houses

Top volunteering holidays for the ethical traveller | Metro.co.uk

2010-02-22T01:53:00.000-08:00

Top volunteering holidays for the ethical traveller
| Metro.co.uk

Juliane Three-Week Mission

2010-02-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

For a long time I have the dream of volunteering at a school or an orphanage in a poor country like Laos or Cambodia. So when I traveled during my first Southeast Asia-journey to Cambodia I fortunately found the great organization SSF in Kampong Speu.

Here I got the chance to volunteer as an English teacher for 3 weeks (26.01.10-16.02.10). Playing some games for learning new words, finding out the right way of pronouncing words or playing role-games caused the children enjoyable lessons...and especially for me unforgettable memories J ! But I also could experience how the 15 children who stay here, learn about raising chicken, growing plants, doing housework and also different kinds of business. I’m really enthusiastic about that way of education! They get prepared for the daily life in their future, how to stand on their own feet. Furthermore the children have here the chance to study the very important subjects English and Computer, so they get the chance to get a good job.

Another impressive experience for me was accompanying the organization on the daily trip to the villages where SSF supports very poor families. Advice how to grow plants, raise animals, lead a little supermarket is the way the organization helps the people to help themselves. I could see the poor people struggling for an improvement of the way of living of their big families (at least 6 members!). realizing motivated and hopeful, but also hopeless, crying people were very touching moments for me.

I had a really great, unforgettable time here at SSF! So Vichetr! I thank you so much that you enabled me to experience the great work of your organization. I felt really well living in your big family with all the kids. I wish you altogether only the best.

Thank you so much!

Juliane Maier from Germany

Sharing computer technology knowledge to vulnerable children in Cambodia

2010-02-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

A group of Taiwanese computer science students flew from Taiwan to a poorest Cambodia province Kampong Speu for spending full four days teaching computer technology to orphans and other vulnerable children who receive sponsorship and under special care through Sao Sary Foundation.

SSF is an organization working to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation and abuse against children – including commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage. SSF’s child protection programs also target children who are uniquely vulnerable to these abuses; such as when living without parental care and etc. Violations of the child’s right to protection take place in every country and are massive, under-recognized and under-reported barriers to child survival and development, in addition to being human rights violations. Children subjected to violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect are at risk of death, poor physical and mental health, HIV/AIDS infection, educational problems, displacement, homelessness, vagrancy and poor parenting skills later in life. Read more at www.ssfcambodia.org

While there are many NGO’s and other aid groups that focus on helping people who have been victimized by human trafficking and sexual exploitation, SSF is special in the fact that it seeks to identify children at high risk for being trafficked in the communities where they live, in order to prevent them from being exploited in the first place. More information about unique values of SSF can be reached at http://ssfcambodia.org/index.php?page=ssf-unique

Papaya Chen, Marcos Chen and Cipher Kuo are the fourth year students at Computer Science and Information Engineering of Fu-Jen Catholic University. The training is started from 15-18 February, 2010 aiming at sharing computer knowledge and skills as well as introducing computer hardware and its assembling is one of the major topics.

SSF began its Computer Education to vulnerable children in Kampong since early 2008 with several desktop computers that donated by Vichetr Uon, Founder & Executive Director of SSF and partial financial support from Global Colors andRiverkids. Even though, so far SSF doesn’t have enough computers, printer, chairs and desks while this organization has over 60 students are eager learned. Recently numbers of desktop computer for computer class are increased into six [6] which are possible to divide three students per computer in a session. The two previous old computers were broken down one month before we received four sets donation from a generous Chinese-Malaysian donor, Mr. Kswong.

The mission of SSF’s computer skills training Project can be summed up as, “increasing awareness of the role of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the Cambodia’s Poorest Communities.” By giving children from poor rural backgrounds increased access to computers and information technology, SSF has sought to reduce the discrepancy between the quality of education between rural and city students.

Lack of computer proficiency is one of the main problems that prevent rural children from being able to attend college, where computer skills are a must. The fear is that at children from poor rural backgrounds will fall too far behind to catch up to students with access to higher quality education, effectively barring them from the chance to ever attend and graduate from college, SSF Director stressed.

Papaya, Marcos and Cipher spend four hours per day to teach two different classes in the morning and afternoon to those SSF beneficiary students. Morning class is starting from 7.30AM while afternoon is from 14PM. They hope by the end of the four-day long course, those attendees will uncover the inside of the computer plus better understanding of the computer fundamentally.

SSF is looking toward partner with any private donors and other funding partners to expand its computer class with sizing class, desks, chairs and number of computers into at least 15 sets. A set of brand name computer could buy at US$550 while clone or used can be bought from $320 per set. All intended donors or partner can contact directly to SSF via info@ssfcambodia.org.

Computer Teacher

2010-01-24T02:42:00.001-08:00

Description:

SAO SARY FOUNDATION (SSF) is a nonprofit, nongovernment, nonpolitical, and impartial organization working to help poorest of the poor and vulnerable families in the Cambodia’s poorest communities caring for their children and avoid them from all forms of violence, exploitations and abuse through Educational Sponsorship to the children whom living with those impoverished families and support to their parents to setup and expand various small businesses in their communities. Read us www.ssfcambodia.org or http://ssfcambodia.blogspot.com for more information.

SSF is seeking a qualified student who studies Information Technology field, Computer Science or Computer business administration to work with us as volunteer for the position of Computer Teacher.

Additional Qualifications:

The successful applicant should have
the following minimum qualifications
and experience:
• At least two years study in
Information Technology or Computer
Science
• A comprehensive knowledge of
professional computer principles,
theories and practices
• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft
Office (Word, Excel, Access, Publisher,
PowerPoint, Outlook), Internet and
Email, Typing both Khmer and English,
and Graphic design.
• Ability to develop lesson contents
and plan and setup learning system
• Ability to meet deadlines and
prepare monthly progress or narrative
reports
• Strong organization skills
How to Apply:

Interested candidates should send their CVs together with cover letter to Vichetr@ssfcambodia.org

English Teacher

2010-01-24T02:36:00.001-08:00

Description:

SAO SARY FOUNDATION (SSF) is a nonprofit, nongovernment, nonpolitical, and impartial organization working to help poorest of the poor and vulnerable families in the Cambodia’s poorest communities caring for their children and avoid them from all forms of violence, exploitations and abuse through Educational Sponsorship to the children whom living with those impoverished families and support to their parents to setup and expand various small businesses in their communities. Read us www.ssfcambodia.org or http://ssfcambodia.blogspot.com for more information.

SSF is seeking a qualified candidate who studies English literature field to work with us as volunteer for the position of Non formal English Teacher.
Additional Qualifications:

The successful applicant should have
the following minimum qualifications
and experience:
• Verbal English written and spoken
• At least two years study in English
literature or other related fields
• A comprehensive knowledge of
professional English literacy
principles, theories and practices
• Ability to develop lesson contents
and plan and setup learning system
• Happy to work with and inspire
children to hard work in every session
• Ability to meet deadlines and
prepare monthly progress or narrative
reports
• Strong organization skills
How to Apply:

Interested candidates should send their CVs together with cover letter to info@ssfcambodia.org

Web Developer

2010-01-24T02:32:00.000-08:00

Cambodia jails Swede for sex with adopted son

2010-01-19T21:31:00.000-08:00

A Cambodian court has sentenced a Swedish man to six-and-a-half years in prison for having sex with three underaged boys, including his adopted son.

Judge Chhay Kong says Johan Brahim Escori, 62, was convicted on Tuesday on charges of illegal sexual intercourse with his nine-year-old adopted son and indecent acts with two other boys.

He also ordered Escori to pay a four million riel ($1040) fine and be expelled from Cambodia after serving his sentence.

Lax law enforcement and poverty have made Cambodia a prime destination for foreigners seeking sex with minors. But police working with social activists have stepped up efforts to fight the crime, and several foreigners are serving lengthy prison terms.

AP

From sexploitation to Samurais - Haaretz - Israel News

2009-12-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

"A few hours after I landed in Cambodia, I was offered the opportunity to sleep with an 11-year-old girl for five dollars," the Israeli director recalls in a phone conversation from his Los Angeles home. "Something inside of me burst. A 12-hour flight from here, 4-year-olds are forced to perform oral sex 10 times a day for three dollars. And it seems the world is completely uninterested in this phenomenon."
From sexploitation to Samurais - Haaretz - Israel News

Aftercare workshop in Koh Kong provicne

2009-12-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth rehabilitation of the royal kingdom of Cambodia organized a two-day workshop starting from 08 December 2009 to strengthening aftercare standard. This workshop was taken place in Koh Kong province with 150 participants who came from 7 different provinces such as Kampot, Kep, Kandal, Kampong Speu, Preah Sihanouk, Take and Koh Kong participated.

SSF was assigned its Child Protection Coordinator, Ms Sinuon Chea to attend against invitation letter made from the Ministry. This is the first time of SSF staff who had a greatest chance to attend such wonderful workshop externally since we established. Our organization is too small but we were drawn attention by the ministry. That we are grateful about.

SSF is able to exchange with other organizations in region to share about what we are doing as well as learning what other do in the same context. According to Sinoun stressed, we found that the Cambodian government is really wanted to reduce child institutionalized care that is the core value of SSF. SSF wants all children live with their blood families than separation.

Sinoun could learn a lot new skills dealing with teenagers through the workshop and she is committed herself to improve her work since she returns. Sinuon will be attended another six-month training on working with vulnerable children at SSC starting from this late December. At least one week a month that she will be left SSF to attend the training. SSF enjoys to build up her capacity to ensure she can effectively work with the at-high risk teentagers that we focuse at the moment but due to we are too small and major budget we have at the moment is for programing implementation than staff incentive and capacity building therefore we still need to raise money for staff capacity building yet. The Koh Kong workshop was covered by ministry on food and guesthouse while every participant will need to pay aside on transportation and lesson handouts. In a total amount that SSF needs to raise for her training in Koh Kong and at SSC is US$ 250. Support her to acquire her capacity working with vulnerable children at SSF we need your pledge on the amount. Any donation can do at http://ssfcambodia.org/index.php?page=donate

Weekly follow up at community level

2009-12-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

As usual SSF has its mechanism to follow up every supported case at their original families weekly. Weekly follow up will connect SSF and its beneficiaries to ensure they can be done their home-based small business successfully as well as increasing trust among beneficiaries to the organization. Cambodians when become to poor they always live isolate and it is far to reach social services provided. Poor experience discrimination from rich while rich people really don’t want to touch with the poor as they worry becoming to poor like them.

On 21 December 2009, our Livelihood Program Coordinator conducted field visit to Kraing Rohong where SSF partnered with GO to implement integrated community development program assisting 30 poorest households who live in this community. Through the partnership, in April 2009 a 32 meters depth hand-pump well was built. It plays a vital role stopping those poor from buying water to supply their daily need as well as beginning the wells of opportunity. Those 30 families began their home-grown organic gardens in their yards with initiation of SSF. The garden is to build secure food for their families, preventing children and their mothers from malnourishment as well as creation of an income generating means if surplus. At least US$ 30 was able to save by each family a year right now, the residents stressed.

Rin Aek family is one among other families within this village that they began their home-grown garden since the well was established. They adopt SSF consequent growing method to grow which is possible harvest consequently. Rin woke up early morning to water his garden before going to the rice field and he backs home earlier than other household members every day as he needs to water it again for the evening session even though they are too busy with their rice field during the months of December to February as it is harvest time in Cambodia. Rin and at least other 10 families within the village weren’t giving up gardens this harvest season. Rin illustrates us the important position of his garden as it can produce enough vegetable supplying to his family needs as well as they can sell out to the market as well. Four times already that his family harvested and it could profit him a little like US$ 40 beside of supplying his domestic consumption.

As seeing his hard work and endeavor, SSF wants to develop Rin and his family to be a demo family. Rin as well as other four family representatives discuss their possibilities to do so as well as sharing us their concerns generally regarding to their daily likelihood. They concern seriously to their aliveness tomorrow as this year they experienced with the rainfall was too late with a short period it had. Rin is very interest and promised to work hard with his garden if SSF could help his family a little to reduce him from carrying water from the pump-well at least 100 per day. SSF studies his request and found that it could be possible if we could construct a small water basin closest to his garden. The 3Mx1.5Mx1M basin will cost about US$ 60. SSF will not possible to pledge him any amount due to SSF faces with financial crisis and still looking for generous donors or partners to partner with SSF helping those vulnerable. Consider to support his case please do at http://ssfcambodia.org/index.php?page=donate

2009-12-22T06:51:00.000-08:00

As the year draws to a close, please I on behalf of my family [I am Vichetr, my wife-Phanneth, my sons; Heng and Hong], SSF colleagues and our beneficiaries would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and herewith us fully a year. We also use this opportunity to wish you for this Christmas and New Year 2010 with an e-card we have below:

Sok Nhaem family | Sao Sary Foundation

2009-12-10T06:46:00.000-08:00

Sok Nhaem family is very much interest about grow-organic crops consequently harvest routine created by SS. She decided to adopt and began her morning glory garden one month ago. A 21-day growth, she could earn almost a hundred US dollar.

Sok was one among a hundred poor families who benefit through SSF. They were invited to attend a workshop sharing about the 2010 fiscal year plan. The workshop was organized at SSF compound in September 2009. Last financial year [2009], SSF was able to support 50 vulnerable kids and those hundred [100] poor families as SSF could partner with Riverkids, Global Colors, Groundwork Opportunities and other individual donors around the world.
Even though, after nine months with two pigs support from SSF and Global Colors for raising but due to Sok Nhaem family is extreme poor, has ten household members, and only Sok alone burdening her family through collecting tamarind leaves for sale [which is possible to earn less than one US dollar a day] so we couldn’t see any progress than the family is able to manage maintaining a sow that she decided to raise for breeding. Read More...

Home-grown organic garden

2009-12-09T20:05:00.001-08:00

Home-grown organic garden

Posted using ShareThis

Our staff | Sao Sary Foundation

2009-12-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

Sex work lures unemployed

Between 15 and 20 percent of former garment workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the global economic crisis have joined the capital’s entertainment sector, sparking concerns that many have embraced sex work as a last-ditch means of supporting their families, a UN official said Sunday.

Category: General

Posted by: ssf

Lim Tith, the national project coordinator for the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP), said he had arrived at the figure by combining new data with the results of a July survey that found that “declining working conditions” were forcing an increasing number of Cambodian women into the sex trade. Read Article in Phnom Penh Post

A Word From the Director: Know If Any Emergency Grants or Loans for International Non-profits?

2009-11-19T03:38:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Sao Sary Foundation:

We hope that this inquiry finds you well. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for our foundation. Sao Sary Foundation is facing an immediate crisis – due to lack of timely funding we may have to terminate our Child Protection Program which currently assists 50 children in care ranging from room and board, medical care, education, and vocational skills training. Our program affords them the opportunity to be children and not have to worry about the burdens of finding work to support their families. Such desperation makes them vulnerable to being trafficked.

Sao Sary Foundation is seeking funds of US$25,000 to continue operations for our Child Protection Program for a period of 12 months starting from 01 September 2009 to 31 August 2010 while we continue efforts to acquire long-term funding. Any immediate assistance that can be provided to the Sao Sary Foundation would be greatly appreciated than could be described. If you or anyone you know are aware of any emergency grants (i.e. one-time grants that have short/no waiting periods and/or not attached to any parternship agreements), please email us at: ssfcambodia@gmail.com. Additionally, personal donations can be made at: http://ssfcambodia.org/index.php?page=donate.

Thank you for your time and consideration of the plight of these children.

With warmest regard,

Vichetr Uon,

Sao Sary Foundation

View all

Get your own

GO · Projects · Cambodia

2009-11-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

GO · Projects · Cambodia

WHO: Anyone interested.
WHEN:November 14th, 2009 - February 10th, 2010.
WHERE: San Francisco, CA.
WHAT: Groundwork Opportunities has partnered with Marathon Matt to launch "You Can Run 13.1 for GO", a training slash fundraising program to benefit Groundwork Opportunities, which concludes with your completion of the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon on Sunday, February 10th, 2010.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
You Can Run 13.1 for GO includes the following:

A comprehensive training schedule
2-3 weekly professionally coached run workouts (see below)
A weekly email newsletter supporting your training and fundraising
Technical training shirts
A $25 Fleet Feet gift certificate
100+ killer teammates to run with plus social events
Your own personalized fundraising webpage
A fundraising strategy workbook
Ongoing support from Marathon Matt and his team for both your training and fundraising
And much more

PARTICIPANT DETAILS
There is no cost to register for the program. But You Can Run 13.1 for GO participants are asked to commit to a fundraising minimum of $1,300.
Note: We take your fundraising commitment very seriously. We will do everything in our power to help you reach/exceed your goal but it is our expectation that you do everything in your power to play an active role in this process. If you are not comfortable with this, please do not sign up for this race.

WORKOUT DETAILS
Professionally coached workouts take place every Saturday @ 9:30AM, every Tuesday @ 6:30PM, and every other Thursday @ 6:30PM starting on Saturday, November 14th, 2009. The program concludes on Sunday, February 10th, 2010 with your completion of the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon.

Child Protection Program Overview

2009-10-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

SSF's Child Protection Program aims to alleviate child poverty in Cambodia's poorest communities, while preventing all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse against children, especially commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and child marriage.

This is achieved through a comprehensive and integrated one-to-one child sponsorship program that takes care of each child's needs in terms of health, education and social welfare. Currently, SSF supports 50 children, half of which are fully sponsored.

Health: The majority of supported children have had little in the way of medical care before their involvement with the Sao Sary Foundation. Health assessments are conducted immediately when the child has been selected for aid. Additionally their progress is traced through monthly follow up appointments while full medical checkups are conducted every six months, with the goal of improving and maintaining the overall physical and mental health of all sponsored children during their participation in SSF’s Child Protection Program.

Education: In order to ensure access to basic education for all program participants, every child is enrolled in public school. This includes providing bicycles if necessary, all required school materials, pocket money, and daily meals. Moreover, SSF offers informal English and computer literacy classes in order to prepare each child with the skills that are required for success in the workplace and in institutions of higher learning.

Social welfare: The organization places importance on supplemental training that seeks to build social skills that many children do not develop at home. Examples include health awareness, social morality, human rights, legal rights, goal setting, craft skills, vocational training (sewing, haircutting, small business management, etc), and agricultural skills (vegetable gardening, poultry raising, composting, etc).

Shelter: Although the SSF compound provides shelter to children with no other options, its primary focus is to serve as a support within the community to reinforce the organization’s mission and goals. Additionally SSF has pursued partnerships with local Buddhist temples (for boys) and run own compound (for girls) as an alternative to living at home in special circumstances.

Income Generation – Because emergency aid only offers a temporary solution to a long-term problem, SSF encourages supported children to take responsibility for their own future in order to ensure that they will not always need to be dependent upon aid to survive. Following emergency measures that include helping families to settle their outstanding debts that prevent them from doing anything other than pay interest and purchase food for their families, SSF has sought teach children the skills they need to earn money through participation in projects such as the banana cake selling operation located at the front of the SSF compound.

2009-05-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

Wells of opportunity

Author: Sao Sary Foundation

Water is a crucial commodity to life. Despite this, access to clean water is something that many Cambodians in rural areas are denied. In a sub-village of Prey Rongeang, thirty families, who live in severe poverty, were deprived of this basic human essential. The lack of water in this sub-village, called Kraing Hong, not only caused health problems, but financial problems. They were forced into buying in water at an inflated rate, costing them around $0.5 - $1 every day. This meant that the people of this village spent almost all of their small income just on obtaining water, and the rest of their income on other essentials, such as food. Having to spend all of their money simply on surviving meant that this village had no opportunity to lift themselves out of extreme poverty. They were unable to save any money to enable their children to go to school, let alone money to invest in small businesses, or anything that could provide them with a higher income.
Spending all of their money on surviving and stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty meant that many of the villagers became vulnerable to moneylenders. Moneylenders charge a ridiculous interest rate of 10% a day. According to villagers, when they borrow $10 the charge is $1 a day, meaning that in ten days the amount they have to pay back doubles to $20. This obscene amount of interest means that, once a family borrows money, it is very unlikely that they will be able to escape their debt and, instead, find it spiraling out of control. This spiraling debt is often how people fall victim to outside human traffickers, leading to abuse, exploitation, commercial sexual exploitation, child labor and child marriage.
This village suffers severely from outside human traffickers, who come presenting themselves as respected businessmen and promising a better life. With the assurance of work and a way to support their families, many people are quickly swayed into leaving their homes, but the reality when they arrive at their destination becomes quickly apparent. Several boys from the village were taken to work in cities in Cambodia and different parts of Thailand. Many describe the work as slave labor, involving abuse and little or no money. Two boys trafficked to Thailand to work on fisher boats, who managed to escape back to Cambodia, said that they were in constant fear of their lives. Similarly, girls who find themselves persuaded into moving to Phnom Penh, or other major cities, believing that they are going to work as cooks or cleaners, invariably end up sold to brothels. This was the fate of two such girls from this village, who ended up, not only sold to brothels, but thereafter contracting HIV and dying.
Sadly, this village is particularly vulnerable to outside traffickers because it lacks support from the local authorities. Unfortunately, the local village authorities in Prey Rongeang believe that this sub-village supports the political opposition of the ruling Party. The local authorities are, therefore, completely unwilling to give any assistance to the people of Kraing Hong, even when they ask for it. It is obvious then why rich, sharp-looking business men, who offer assistance and the chance at a better life, can easily manipulate these people into being trafficked.
In the 2009 fiscal year, in collaboration with Groundwork Opportunities, SSF found the funding to install a well in Kraing Hong. Well construction began in April 2009, providing the entire village with access to clean water. The well took two weeks to build, with much help from the villagers themselves, who also built a fence around the well as protection from cattle. Amongst these people, five residents were selected to learn the skills required to maintain and preserve the well, so that any problems that arise with it can be dealt with directly by the villagers. It is important that the villagers know how to keep the well in good condition, so that they do not have to waste money in the future on its maintenance, and can sustain the well themselves. By providing the village with a well, it has alleviated a severe financial burden that affected every family. It’s construction has meant that the villagers no longer have to spend their entire income simply on surviving. Through SSF support and guidance, this will even lead to opportunities to save money, which can then be invested in small business ventures to generate a regular income for the villagers.
Along with the well, SSF hope to be able to install home gardens so that the villagers do not have to be reliant on outside sources of income to feed themselves, with the added potential that these gardens could lead to a small source of income. Education will be provided alongside these home gardens about the importance of looking after the natural resources that these villagers have at their disposal, with particular emphasis on the importance of using non-chemical fertilizers. Moreover, SSF plans to organize regular meetings to create Self-Help groups to monitor the well and the village’s progress. This will provide ground to connect the people with their local authority and encourage the villagers into a greater sense of community, turning to each other when they have problems, financial or otherwise, to minimize the use of moneylenders. SSF hopes, through this support, the people of this village will begin to understand and seize the opportunities that they have to work themselves out of poverty. SSF not only hopes to inspire them to save, but also appreciate the resources around them to produce an income. Moreover, it is vital that the people of this village are educated about the dangers and legalities of human trafficking and child labor, so that it ceases to be a solution to their problems. SSF concentrates on solving problems at their root cause. The installment of the well, along with SSF support for the next three years, providing that SSF continues to get the financial backing that it requires, will hopefully alleviate the vulnerability of this village to debt and, therefore, their vulnerability to human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, child labor and child marriage.
About the Author:
Nonprofit organization works to help absolute poor families to care for their children, avoiding them from all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse against, including child sexual commercial, trafficking, child labor and child marriage.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Wells of opportunity

View all

Get your own

SSF was highlighted by the Global Playground

2009-03-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

Emphasis on Education Key to Alleviating Child Trafficking in Cambodia
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | posted by Doug Smith | 0 Comments

Last January, Global Playground had the opportunity to visit the Sao Sary Foundation ("SSF"), located an hour's drive outside of Cambodia's capitol city of Phnom Penh. SSF was founded in 2006 to "help improve the living standard of the poorest of the poor and vulnerable families . . . and to develop support for the education of orphans and other vulnerable children." The ultimate goal of SSF is to ensure that vulnerable children are kept safe from all forms of violence, exploitation, and abuse, especially child trafficking. This was also the lifelong goal of the foundation's namesake, Sao Sary, deputy chief of Takeo province in Kus commune, who was gunned down after intervening in a robbery.

SSF runs a house where students live so they can attend school, develop skills, and generally be in a safer environment than they might otherwise be in their own homes. Children at SSF are considered those particularly susceptible to being trafficked, such as those who have been trafficked before, who live well below the poverty line, or who come from single-parent households or families with physical disabilities and low earning potential. In addition, the beauty of a child and lack of access to education also make a child a likely target for trafficking.

To contribute to their keep and to support SSF, the girls who live at SSF spend hours on end making hundreds of elaborate flowers fashioned out of metal rods and colorful nylon, which are then sold at market for use in weddings or other ceremonies. But not all of the organization's work is at the home itself--much of what the organization does extends into the community. Global Playground saw SSF's outreach efforts firsthand when it toured the Cambodian countryside and visited with several of the families that SSF is helping. One family consisted of a single mother and her daughter who were living in a dilapidated structure, but because the home had no walls the daughter was in constant danger of abduction and trafficking given her beauty. SSF is rebuilding the home. In other cases, SSF teaches families how to run a business and provides them with startup capital to do so. For example, SSF taught one mother whom Global Playground visited how to raise fish and grow rice and morning glories (a marketable vegetable in Cambodia) so that she could keep her family out of poverty and her daughters safe.

Global Playground visited SSF to better understand the import of bolstering education in Cambodia. Board member Doug Smith stated, "Part of the reason Global Playground is operating in Cambodia is because there is child trafficking and education is a means to alleviate it." Although SSF's goal is not education alone, Global Playground does see education as the ultimate preventative measure. "If kids are in school and gaining education to allow them to enter jobs successfully and earn decent income, then trafficking is not as serious of a risk," said board member Doug Bunch.

During its visit, Global Playground purchased the entire inventory of the girls' nylon flowers and will sell them at Global Playground's March 27 event in Washington, DC at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

-Jennifer Rinker

To read the profile of one of the families SSF is helping and to view pictures from Global Playground's visit with the family click here.

Take your action today to protect Cambodian children from child trafficking in the meantime world economic crisis

2009-03-15T03:25:00.001-07:00

Dear readers,

World Economic Crisis has taken everything into trouble even though nonprofit organization likes SSF. Last financial year 08 (started from September 2007 to August 2008), SSF worked with several partners and generous individual donors to offer educational sponsorship to at least 130 children at-high risk for being trafficked as well as supporting 30% of those children’s families to run various small businesses like grocery selling, cupcake business, livestock raising, vegetable gardening and etc. with at least 95% of those supported families are able to maintain their businesses until now (those were extracted and reported you already in our 2008 annual report).

With economic crisis, SSF experiences with very critical challenge as we needed to decrease number of supported children to 50 even though those dropped children themselves and their families cried with begging us to continue our support while we were impossible to do, due to raised fund is very limited for the financial year 2009. But however, even we minimized number of beneficiaries of the Child Protection Program, we still struggle with very shortfall fund and we will enforce to halt the Program soon if we couldn’t find any sponsors.

SSF is rely on you and would like to invite you to be part of us again to maintain fifty [50] supported children (95% underage girls) within the following fields;
• sending them to attend their education at state schools (four hours a day and six days a week),
• to continue their Computer and English literacy classes, life-skills and vocational skills training at the SSF shelter,
• to provide other extracurricular activities and trainings, social recreation activities and etc in the shelter and their community.

To maintain the Child Protection Program, SSF will need financial aid at least US$ 1,000.00 per month (just only $20 per child a month). With the pledge amount, those children will receive a proper care from SSF staff, have a safe shelter to stay and learn, two times a day food allowance and accommodation and can putting their learned skills into practice and etc. at SSF compound.

SSF ensures that all donated money complies directly with your personal requests. SSF provides detailed documentation, photographs, and constant monitoring of your donation. Please visit our website at http://www.ssfcambodia.org for a complete list of our projects needing your help or email me directly via vichetr@ssfcambodia.org.

In case, you would like to donate SSF, you can do via our bank account herewith attached file or go to http://www.ssfcambodia.org/donate.php for online donation.

Sincerely Yours,
Vichetr Uon
www.ssfcambodia.org