Newsletter, April 2005

The Children of Cambodia NGO wishes you all a Happy New Year! The year of the monkey ended in Cambodia last weekend and the year of the rooster begun, which is believed to bring good luck.

We spent the New Year holiday in Sihanoukville with the girls from the shelter. Just as before, one of the girls got to see the ocean for the first time in her life! Gazing from the ocean to the horizon, she constantly stared out the car window. Sometimes she laughed and sometimes she shouted with excitement. These are the types of moments that become cherished memories for me.

Many good things have happened at the shelter. We were able to increase educational opportunities by increasing the number of subjects. We now have computer and dance classes along with the other subjects, and the girls are enthusiastic about it! Most of the girls have already learned to use a keyboard, and all the girls feel the skill is important. Their learning also increases their self esteem and the process is rewarding to witness.

Through the volunteer work of the dancer Kristiina Vähäsarja, we were able to start a weekly dance program in April. The girls had been hoping for a dance class. Now the girls will practice for a few months, prepare their own number, and perform in the summer dance happening that we will arranged. At the end of Kristiina's volunteer work, we plan to continue the dance classes under the leadership of a Khmer dance teacher.

Thanks to all the sponsors! Your support has allowed us to increase the learning opportunities at the shelter. We especially thank you for the letters, pictures, etc. The girls remember their sponsors. Mail is completely welcome, and the girls always look for it and to them it is the highlight of their day. It is good to get photos from the sponsors as well. Yesterday, one of the girls received her first personal letter from Finland. Joy and surprise were written all over her face. She admired the pictures of the Finnish winter for a long time.

We have continued our visits to the girl's parents and relatives even though many of their parents were involved in trafficking their daughters and the family situations continue to get more difficult. When some of the mothers end up in prison, the young children are taken out of school so they can work. Sometimes they work to support the family's drug habits, etc. Despite this, these meetings are still important to the girls. They are able to tell their families what they are doing and can buy their families some rice and food with money they have saved.

Our other task, providing support to a local orphanage, is also moving forward. A few weeks ago we received permission from the Cambodian Ministry of Social Affairs to start with some activities that we have wanted to start for a long time to really get the orphanage to work. Through this decision we were able to establish a new paid position for the Children of Cambodia's project coordinator. Prak Navy (in the photo) has already begun getting to know the 100 plus children in the orphanage! She works in the orphanage along with two volunteers. Navy also works an occupational therapy student who volunteers with us for an internship from Helsinki.

We can also pay a physical therapist, who is coming to help the 80 disabled children in the orphanage. We have made arrangements with a local organization that already works with disabled children in the Nutrition Center Orphanage. They have space to do physical therapy, but they have not been able to pay trained physical therapists before.

Our work is beginning to grow dramatically!

Thank you for your support and help. A special thanks to our web designer Jani Metsätähti, and others like him, who donate their talents to this work.

Pihla Muhonen
Director
Children of Cambodia