It’s always good when we have something to celebrate and share with our supporters.

The expanded building project has been completed and we now have more room to house, educate and care for the children. This is indeed a great celebration, particularly after the recent floods that forced us to evacuate our facilities. But with the sun and dry weather, SCAO has rebounded thanks to the generosity of our contributors and the hard work of our community.

The Children of SCAO

SCAO linked this inaugural ceremony with a combined celebration and information session, inviting relatives of our children, the poor families in the neighborhood and our cherished volunteers. It was a warm-hearted event in which the SCAO philosophy of the well-being and education of disadvantaged children was a main focus. Additionally, families and parents got to directly experience the purposes and functioning of SCAO, its mission and its vision.

The pictures posted of this event show the energy and excitement on the children’s faces and the pure joy of being part of the SCAO community. All adults — parents, relatives, local community and volunteers — participated in making the inauguration a great success. Sharing food, exchanging stories, and the overall camaraderie and friendship reinforces to our reputation as a caring and loving organization.

The Men and Volunteers of SCAO

SCAO is always looking and finding ways to improve the lives of our children under our care. It is equally important for our contributors to see their donations at work to house, educate, care and help the children become productive members of our community. It is our hope and prayer that our children grow up and give back to other Cambodians in need. Brick by brick, book by book, this is the way we will help rebuild our country and its spirit.

A Big Hug to Our Generous Donors

Because donations directly benefit all the children, we want to thank our recent group of generous donors. A special thanks goes to a group of kind people who randomly found our website. They were so impressed by the work we were doing and the quality of our wonderful site, they made a generous donation. Another donor from Toronto, Canada who has taken us under his wing has just made his second bighearted donation.

The Women of SCAO

Thanks to donations from people like you, we have been able to expand SCAO. For example, we recently started offering sewing classes for disadvantaged children from the community.

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Seymar and Sey taking a quick afternoon nap on their straw beds.

Mr. Samith, working hard on that second floor for S.C.A.O

Li May working on homework in Cambodia

As you can see, everyone is benefiting tremendously from all the efforts and renovations being done at the orphanage. The kids are happy and so grateful for all the support, love and education they receive from volunteers daily. S.C.A.O. has come a long way in helping provide these children a better life, but there’s still a long road ahead.

We need your help:

SCAO is constantly working hard to improve the lives of the children under our care so they can realize a better life. Your donations a big part of our Center’s success and are not only very welcomed and needed, but much appreciated by the children and the Samith family. Please visit our donations page for more info on how you can help.

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There’s a lot of great news coming from  SCAO, and we wanted to share a few of the positive and promising updates we’ve received. In addition to building new dormitories and enhancing some of the educational opportunities, SCAO has been busy at work growing their own vegetable garden and helping their new volunteers adapt.

We are proud of our progress since the floods have receded. The children have returned to the Center and we are rebuilding, growing and furthering our children’s welfare and education. Here are just a few exciting current developments at the Center:

• New Dormitory Addition: Construction to enlarge the dormitory has started under the direction of contractor Mr. Sorn (brother-in-law of Mr. Samith), who came to lend his skills and support from the northern remote Preah Vihear province.
• Vocational Training Sponsored by SCAO: Sey Ha has done something no adult or technician could do. He repaired my motorbike with a few adjustments to the engine that he learned from his vocational training sponsored by SCAO.
• Sewing Project Selling Goods: Our sewing project continues to be productive and rewarding. Items created and sown by the students can be purchased at the Center, such as wallets, bags and shirts.
• Computer Learning Project: Ngorl is taking SCAO sponsored daily computer classes. We have plans of starting a computer learning project at the Center that he will coordinate and help run.
• Maori/Kiwi Culture Meets Khmer Culture: Amy and Summer are two volunteers from New Zealand who lived at the center for 2 months — teaching, supporting, and caring for all the kids with heart, mind and soul!!!! Thank you!!!!

• Garden Fresh: A small vegetable garden including Lemongrass was planted and is now cared for by the children.
• Generous Donor Aids Education: Thanks to a generous donor’s contribution, a motorbike can now be purchased and mainly used by our students, Hom and Srey Lad, to attend their daily University and the English intensive training courses, respectively.

We need your help:

SCAO is constantly working hard to improve the lives of the children under our care so they can realize a better life. Your donations a big part of our Center’s success and are not only very welcomed and needed, but much appreciated by the children and the Samith family. Please visit our donations page for more info on how you can help.

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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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