Welcome to 2012's first newsletter and may we take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Khmer New Year! Which has been celebrated all over the globe by friends in far corners of the world from Montreal, Hackney, Siem Reap to Sydney over the weekend of 13th and 15th of April.

The biggest challenge for this newsletter is how to keep it brief... with both Trustees in Cambodia for the majority of December, January and February we have many first hand reports on the progress and success of the young adults (YAs) as we had the privilege of spending lots of day-to-day interaction with them, which included:

• Cycling practice on Sunday mornings, continuing on from our participation in the Angkor Bike Ride in December
• Seeing YAs from Anjali House in action as waiters in their work placements
• Attending a play performed by Anjali House with a number of their young adults in the cast
• Having dinner cooked for us by the YAs living in the Sangkheum Centre YA transition house 

 

• Watching many of them playing football and several working as qualified football referees at the Junior football tournament running January to March 

 

• Visiting the two interns at work in the offices of This Life Cambodia

 

• Watching many of the dance performances by Sangkheum Centre

• Taking part in the Giant Puppet parade workshops and evening parade through the streets of Siem Reap 

• Getting together all the YAs from all the programmes for a farewell dinner  - one great by product of the H.O.P.E approach is to get the YAs mixing so they realise they are not the only ones growing up with support and look to each other for peer encouragement.

In addition during February Tanya worked with the YA Educator at Sangkheum Centre so they could jointly run a workshop on careers and skills.  More can be read here...

 

Yes, that's right currently 79 YAs are now receiving much needed support with their education, career aspirations, living expenses and accommodation thanks to the funds you have helped us raise.  Not forgetting on top of this the 9 who have already "graduated" from the programmes and are living independently. 

Of course numbers will change over time but here are a few current statistics of YAs in H.O.P.E supported programmes (NB there is some duplication - for example some study and work, some having life skills training while still at high school)

-10 YAs are in full time employment

-5 YAs are studying at University

-6 YAs are in a Vocational Training scheme

-16 YAs have finished secondary school while a further 37 YAs are completing secondary school (Grades 9 - 12), a great statistic when considering UNICEF's most recent stats note only 29% of boys and 26% of girls attend secondary school in Cambodia. 

-4 YAs have current work experience placements, many others have completed one and are now focussing on their Year 12 exams 

-56 YAs are receiving specialised Life Skills education 

This information not only puts a smile on our faces, but was also key to the major piece of work we as Trustees have been doing this year, preparing a generic document to use for funding applications.  With three years history we now have some great success stories to tell as these figures show.  The funding document is now ready and we are busy researching suitable charitable foundations - any suggestions or ideas on this would be gratefully received.

Sangkheum Center for Childrens Young Adult Programme

This Life Cambodia - Internship Programme

We  look forward to updating you again with more news soon. In the meantime get regular updates at www.hopeforcambodia.org.uk or or .