It always makes us happy when SCAO sends us updates of new improvements or activities going on in the Center. We love sharing these stories with all the supporters and hope they will inspire others to get involved and make a difference!

SCAO Children in Classroom

Vegetable Garden of Hope

We are so happy to announce that the SCAO center recently planted a new Vegetable Garden! In addition to all the fruits and vegetables they were already growing, they have now added Lemongrass to the list. This has turned the children into mini-caretakers as they each have a personal responsibility to make sure the plants and vegetables are watered daily and growing properly. The children love all the new tasks at hand that the garden has to offer and are excited to watch the vegetables grow and eventually eat them. This will teach them that hard work does pay off!

Kids Chasing Chickens

A Coop for the Chickens

In addition to the Vegetable Garden, SCAO built a brand new Coop for the 19 chickens they just bought. Talk about exercise, the children are easily amused by running around and trying to round up all the chickens and put them back in the coop. Not only have the chickens become a great source of entertainment for the kids, but they have also taught them a valuable lesson in farming education and the various ways to reduce food costs.

Your Donations Make a Difference

Please visit our blog often for future updates as to our progress in making all the new efforts by SCAO a reality. Your donations are always appreciated, no matter the amount. It takes a village to raise a child in Cambodia, and we plan on helping as many of our beautiful children as possible. 100% of your donations go entirely to benefit our children and to the construction of the new center. Thank you for your generosity.

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SCAO is planning to open a second education center that will offer free English classes in mid 2011. The new center will be located in a beautiful and authentic farming and fishing village just north of Phnom Penh in the Pursat Mountain region only 12 km north of the present SCAO center.

Free Education to Help More Children

Of course fundraising activities will begin immediately so this project can help more Cambodian children needing the very basics in education and opportunity and who presently live in isolated and impoverished conditions. The people in this village community are very friendly and the local chief welcomes the support of SCAO as an active NGO (non-governmental agency) for this area. The project is planned in three construction phases: a first, second and third floor will be built according to donations that flow in. The free education can begin immediately upon completion of phase one.

SCAO New Building

Building Better Lives

Mr. Samith, the SCAO Director, purchased the land with the severance pay from his former job as a forest administrator and other savings years ago very inexpensively. The estimated cost for the three-story building with all the necessary facilities and using the most cost effective building material (cement) is around $32,000 US. The new education center will still be easily accessible to volunteers as it is only 35 minutes by motorbike from Phnom Penh. The center would attract more volunteers, especially those who want to experience the real countryside of Cambodia. Volunteers can also have the option of staying overnight at the new center.

Management and control can be handled and coordinated by Mr. Samith, Hom and Srey Lat from the mother center. A housekeeper, a cook and a guard for the new education center will be hired from among the local villagers and adequately compensated for their work.

Your Donations Will Make the Center a Reality

Please visit our blog often for future updates as to our progress in making the new SCAO Education Center a reality. Your donations are always appreciated, no matter the amount. It takes a village to raise a child in Cambodia, and we plan on helping as many of our beautiful children as possible. 100% of your donations go entirely to benefit our children and to the construction of the new center. Thank you for your generosity.

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Because of the recent donations from the global community, we have had the opportunity to make renovations to the center and offer some amazing events and activities that directly benefit our children. This is all due to the generous support we’ve received by visiting guests and volunteers, and from those who have contacted and supported SCAO through our website www.savechildreninasia.org.

In addition, we have expanded the awareness of our center through the kind support of sister websites in Germany – www.kinderhilfe-in-kambodscha.org; Spain www.estrellas-de-camboya.org; and Great Britain – www.thescoopfoundation.com/projects.html. The exposure we’ve gained from these sites has allowed a tremendous outpouring of aid and has given more people the opportunity to see the good work SCAO is doing for our Cambodian children! We cannot thank these neighboring sites enough. Please look for future news and exciting updates!

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Mark your calendars: A Rock Night benefit will take place on the 27^th of February. Organized by the Jüchen Children’s Aid Society Association in Cambodia.

The concert that will take place at Red Hot in Jüchen, Germany and will feature bands: Sunday Minds, Freeze Dried Rockers and headliner Fandango. “The 3 bands promise a terrific evening” said organizer Jennifer Glindermann. Dancing will be provided by dance mad DJ Fischkopp.

100% of proceeds from ticket sales go to the Children’s Aid Association in Cambodia, which supports Save Children in Cambodia (SCAO). This concert will help raise funds for the expansion of the SCAO center and the addition of a dormitory to accommodate more children Tickets are available at Polo redhot for €13.20 (incl. booking fee).

For our German readers:

Jüchen rockt für Kinder in Kambodscha!

Endlich ist es soweit! Am 27. Februar veranstaltet der Jüchener Verein Kinderhilfe in Kambodscha e.V. eine Benefiz-Rocknacht. Im redhot von Polo heizen zwei junge Jüchener Bands und der Mönchengladbacher Headliner dem Publikum mächtig ein. „Ich bin glücklich und stolz, dass sich Sunday Minds und die Freeze Dried Rockers bereit erklärt haben, kostenfei zu spielen. Als dann auch noch Fandango zugesagt haben war der Abend perfekt!“ freut sich Organisatorin Jennifer Glindemann. Alle drei Bands garantieren einen grandios tanzbaren Abend – und DJ Fischkopp wird den tanzwütigen Füßen den Rest geben.

Die Einnahmen aus dem Kartenverkauf gehen zu 100% an den Verein Kinderhilfe in Kambodscha e.V., der ein Kinderhaus in Kambodscha unterstützt. „ Wir sorgen dort für den Lebensunterhalt sowie die medizinische Versorgung von 17 Kindern und kommen für die Kosten der öffentlichen Schule auf. So haben die Kinder die Chance, aus Armut auszubrechen und eine furchtlose und sichere Kindheit zu verbringen. Schritt für Schritt begleitet eins unserer Gründungsmitglieder die Entwicklung der Organisation vor Ort. Damit unsere Spenden wirklich zu 100% ankommen!“ versichert die Vorsitzende des Vereins. Mit dem Erlös soll die Erweiterung des Kinderhauses finanziert werden, da zwei neue Kinder aufgenommen wurden und der Schlafsaal vergrößert werden muss. Karten sind bei Polo im redhot für 13,20€ (inkl. Vorverkaufsgebühr) erhältlich. Neusser Str., Jüchen Einlass 19 Uhr Beinn 20 Uhr

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Soaring Spirits
Success stories are rare for an orphaned child in Asia. But with the help of volunteers, fundraisers and generous contributions, these success stories are becoming more common. A prime example is the story of Hom, an orphan that was taken under the care and guidance of SCAO several years ago. Once a deserted child living in the slums of Cambodia, Hom is now attending college and studying to become a veterinarian. This is just one example of the impact this organization has been making on these children’s lives. Every child has the potential to do marvelous things in the world; they just need the reassurance and support that someone believes in them and will give them the opportunity and tools to succeed.

Saving Grace

There is more great news buzzing around the orphanage that is putting hope and faith back into the hearts of many. Cambodia was stricken by a monsoon that caused major flooding and water damage throughout the country. The center was flooded and unlivable for many weeks. Recently we learned that the SCAO childcare center is now officially water-free! In addition, the center recently received a laundry machine, refrigerator and additional books which will help tremendously in everyday activities. It can seem alien that some people are living without the things we use in our daily lives, but even the smallest things are bringing a positive change, offer a brighter future for these kids and an immediate better quality of life.

The Longest Yard

Little by little, these additions are improving the conditions at the center, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. The center would take in more homeless children, but this requires larger sleeping quarters and more facilities. Unfortunately SCAO doesn’t have the funds to support this type of project. However, SCAO does have plans to build an additional child care and education center by April 2011. But with this comes numerous other hurdles including finding a suitable location, added expenses, the need for more volunteers, and of course, more fundraising activities.

In the U.S., the economy is still recovering, but it’s unimaginable in Cambodia. Recently 30, 000 workers lost their jobs which is going to put even more children on the streets. SCAO has become a tremendous haven, resource, family and home to countless children, and will continue to do so in the coming years. As long as SCAO is serving its community, the world becomes a little brighter, happier and safer place.

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“It is much simpler to buy books than to read them and easier to read them than to absorb their contents. Too many men slip early out of the habit of studious reading, and yet that is essential” – Sir William Osler

SCAO Diary: October – November 2009

1. Community Event:

On the second weekend of October, Mr. and Mrs. Samith organized an informative event and invited 30 extremely poor families in the community to inform them of the following issues:

• All children should go to school as education is the only possibility to ensure long-term support for the family.
• Environmental responsibility starts with basic things as how to collect rubbish and get rid of it by other ways than throwing it in the lake or elsewhere.
• SCAO wants to encourage mutual help and support in the neighborhood.
• Promoting and informing about the free English and sewing classes offered by SCAO.
• Vision and mission of SCAO.

At the end of his speech, Mr. Samith, his wife, the kids and volunteers distributed 5kg of rice, soy sauce, fish sauce and noodles to each family.

2. Education and Projects: Li May goes to school and is very enthusiastic about it. She wears school uniform of size xxs. Hom got a sponsorship by a German woman for the first semester of his studies at the Phnom Penh Agriculture University. His enrollment will take place soon.

The library project is led by the Dutch/Chinese volunteer Ginney Liu, resident in Phnom Penh. A large bookshelf was purchased, the existing books categorized. The kids at the center are now more encouraged to use the books as they are always visible and reachable. Also volunteers have started with reading sessions.

We got one more student for the sewing project.

3. Flooding and Illness:

Unfortunately the heavy flooding of the area has again reached the Center and also the school ground. The water rises daily and already the level is higher than the highest level last year. Rains will continue until mid November. This week we will have to stop the English and sewing project as even the paved way from the village to the center is heavily flooded and most children can’t access the school. The public school is also 80 cm flooded and will remain closed for a longer period. The water already stinks and is full of dead fish. Mr. Samith built a wall to protect the inner center from the water but there is not much hope that this measure will prevent the flooding of the kitchen, and other areas of the Center. The only access to the center since last Thursday is by boat or by walking along the wall. Although Mr. Samith remains optimistic, hoping that the rains will stop. Despite of the fun the children were having in the first days of this exciting situation, the worst part is the serious health problems the children have and will continue to result.

One volunteer is remaining at the center. Tourists obviously cannot access it anymore. Baby Long already has painful skin infections.

My friend and I have offered our flats to give shelter for the younger kids and Mrs. Samith. By mid week, Mr. Samith will decide if he accepts our offer if conditions do not improve.

SCAO has to get through this, hopefully without serious effects to the children’s health.

Regards,

André Struve
Save Children in Asia

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