VOLUNTEER MISSION REPORT

As our volunteer T shirts state Aspire to Change Lives-Yours and Others it was again abundantly clear that our volunteer missions touch lives on both sides. Just as the children, teachers and villagers experience excitement and positive change because of our efforts, the hearts of our volunteers are full of excitement, new insights, and appreciation for the opportunity to share their knowledge and abundance of gifts they have been given in life. Every day in many small and big ways the connections were built across cultures, with smiles and warmth and very limited linguistics.

It is hard to describe what all and how much a team of 20 enthusiastic and hard working volunteers ranging in age from 16-76 years young can accomplish in 10 days. Besides bringing over 1000 lbs of donated supplies (clothes, toiletries, books, art and craft materials, sports and music equipment) we tackled many projects. In the core of our mission was intense teacher training that gave 11 Cambodian English teachers new methodologies and creative ideas to engage students in learning a language that can just as well be a ticket into meaningful employment and out of poverty. While those teachers were learning, their students were taught and entertained by our support team. Some taught English classes, songs, games, puzzles, Legos, watercolor, collage, music, reading and spelling, warm up exercises, frizbee toss. Other volunteers were attending community workshops and training our community workers, preschool teachers, or PE teachers. Library books and teacher resource materials were sorted, art supplies and best student prizes organized. Soaps, toothbrushes and used clothing were distributed. Some of our guys delved deep into our water and sanitation program, figuratively and literally by dismantling water pumps, looking for worn out components and testing water samples.

We visited many of the personally donated water wells and latrines and met the grateful recipients. We were all deeply touched by a mother who carried out her disabled16 year old son to express her gratitude in making her life struggle a little bit lighter by having a latrine next to her house.

Of course we made time to experience culture and history by visiting temples, attending cooking class and learning the steps of the Cambodian dance at our teacher award ceremony.

THANK YOU, AMAZING VOLUNTEER TEAM for your energy, expertise and dedication!

OF ORPHANS AND ORPHANAGES

By far the most positive and rewarding accomplishment on the ground was that after a long process we finally placed our 6 year old orphan girl Sreyneang in a legitimate, Australian run orphanage. After her mother had died a year ago she was taken in by a distant relative family. Sadly, while their own children were reasonably well taken care of, she was totally neglected, dirty, cold and hungry. Whatever we gave her through the school was taken away from her and giving the family extra rice and supplies in exchange for the promise of her care did not materialize. She was made to forage for snails and frogs in the ponds. Despite all obstacles she continued to walk to school alone where she at least got an unlimited amount of warm food for breakfast. At the end we engaged the chief of commune and called the international orphanages. It was difficult to find a placement for her, but Sunrise Orphanage finally sent out their social worker and after a short legal process she was relinquished to the orphanage where her new family awaited: a group of 8 older girls and a sweet group mom. She will have her own bed instead of cement floor and will be going to school every day clean and well fed.

There are a proliferation of "orphanages" in Cambodia, many established to entice money out of Western tourists. At times children have been abandoned or sold by their parents to orphanages or children are called to populate the "orphanage" when the tourist mini vans arrive. Please be very weary of volunteer missions to orphanages or sponsorships of orphan children.

LATRINE COST REDUCTION 

Due to the success and mainstreaming of our Latrine program we are happy to announce that we have been able to reduce the cost of our latrine building and maintenance. Instead of $250 , we are asking for a donation of $220 per latrine. Help us reach our goal of 200th latrine in our second year of this vital program! Give the gift of health and dignity!

VISITORS

We are always excited to welcome visitors from around the world, and we are especially eager to show our donors and supporters the positive effect of their contributions . But the most rewarding are the visits that involve children who make a special connection to their Cambodian peers. The Bartoszek family from Connecticut and their three children got up really early to help with our breakfast program and then participated in our English classes and preschool activities.

NEW SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRESS 

John Chin, one of the volunteers on the January Mission, an architect by trade, was instrumental in sketching a campus master plan that impressed all the local powers that be and we were granted the building permit in record time. A contract was signed with the local contractor who has successfully built for us before.   We were surprised to find materials and construction workers the very next day on the site so we broke ground on January 16 with an impromptu ceremony witnessed by all the Cambodian students and their teachers as well as and our US Volunteer Team.