Newsletter, July 2003

Our activities have officially started in Cambodia

Agreement of cooperation was signed at a ceremony in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cambodia

Greetings from tropical Phnom Penh, Cambodia! Much has taken place with the work and activities related to Children of Cambodia NGO during the last 3 months. With the financial assistance that we recieved in March from the Department for International Development Cooperation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, we have been able to start the Safe Home Project.

In April we found a suitable house/villa, which we rented from the beginning of June. During June the house was prepared for our use. The preparations included purchasing the furniture for the house, and plants and flowers for the yard (The garden has mango trees and banana trees). At the end of June, just before I returned back to Finland, we had the opportunity to celebrate the official beginning of our activities in an formal ceremony in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia.

The ceremony was formal with a warm atmosphere. The Foreign Minister Chhoeung Chamroeun and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding, exchanged documents, shook hands, and raised a toast. In his short speech the minister thanked us for the work that we will be doing to help Cambodia. He also expressed that the humanitarian work, especially that which deals with human rights is extremely welcomed and needed in Cambodia.

One official stage is now achieved. We should be grateful and happy for this accomplishment.

The practical aspects of the work with the child prostitutes and the orphans is just starting though. In this work a lot of resources are needed. Through our NGO it is possible to work in an orphanage as a volunteer. In addition to the professional staff the orphans need adults that spend time with them, play with them, and are present for them. The Children also need more foster parents.

Here above my desk there is a small framed picture. Within the frame there is a label of a tea bag with the following writing:

A man that is driven,
will find the means. —
A man that is not driven,
finds excuses.

Pihla Muhonen, Children of Cambodia NGO