Newsletter, March 2006

Hi,

My name is Tuomo Holi. I have been responsible for Children of Cambodia NGO’s projects in Cambodia since last summer when the NGO’s director Pihla Muhonen moved to Finland.

Our shelter’s girls started their studies in a private Cambodian school in October. Their success at their studies has been very good. Especially their English language skills are good. English language is usually taught in Cambodian schools quite poorly. Thanks for this success goes to our English language teachers, who have motivated and taught the girls since their arrival to the shelter. Studies in high school and university are possible after completing Cambodian elementary school. The girls in the shelter are motivated to study and all of them want to get to high school and later to university. The school is from Monday to Saturday from 07.00 until 11.00.

At the shelter we continue to teach English, computer skills and traditional Cambodian Apsara dancing. Our teachers are all professionals. Especially the dancing lessons have interested the girls and they attend them with enthusiasm. The computer lessons have also been popular, and the girls practice using computers even during their free time. On Mondays we frequently visit the amusement park of Phnom Penh which probably resembles very much the European and western amusement parks in the 1960’s. At the amusement park the girls can enjoy with low cost.

The Orphanage Project is operated mainly by our volunteers, as our Cambodian project coordinator had to leave her job because of sickness about a week ago. At present we have two Finnish volunteers – Emilia Saarelainen and Satu Valle who came to volunteer through Finnish volunteer program. This week a volunteer from the Philippines, Marlowe Vera Cruz, will start working also at the orphanage.

The Cambodian caretakers and the management staff of the orphanage have been very pleased with our volunteers. In the orphanage it is not possible to develop everything quickly, but our volunteers’ example and commitment to their work has helped considerably the living conditions of the children. At present we are buying milk substitute for all the babies, and for all the 1-2 year old children who need it. We have purchased new mattresses which ease the conditions of the children, as well as physiotherapy devices which help the living conditions of the physically disabled children. The physically disabled children have also enjoyed the weekly swimming sessions which the volunteers arrange for them. To the monthly trips which our volunteers arrange we take as much as possible children who are severely physically disabled.

On this occasion I would like to thank our great volunteers who have worked conscientiously and initiatively at the orphanage in conditions which have not always been easy. Also I would like to thank our sponsors and supporters who have helped us to develop our projects and helped the wellbeing of the girls in the shelter and the children in the orphanage.

I have been absent from Cambodia very much because of a traffic accident which happened in November. As a consequence I was taken to a hospital in Bangkok and later to Finland. Because of this accident I have to return to Finland in the beginning of March, sooner than planned. In Cambodia there are not medical doctors who are specialized in wounds which I got from the accident. The period of about two and half years which I have been in Cambodia has been interesting. The corruption in Cambodia has shown itself as widespread and it has made our work sometimes difficult. On the other hand our Cambodian staff and many other helpful people in Cambodia (Cambodian and foreigners) have been indispensable.

I would like to apologize for the delays in answering e-mails and sending sponsorship mail. The work has been sometimes very hectic and the traffic accident has disturbed my work during last months.

Pihla Muhonen is now in Cambodia, but the main responsibility for the work in Cambodia is going to be, at least for some time, in the hands of our Cambodian staff. Especially our shelter manager Ean Nil will be facing important tasks and challenges. We have total confidence in him. We have also hired a new project assistant, Vorn Vath, to help Ean. Vorn Vath will be working in both projects. We will also visit Cambodia regurarily.

Tuomo Holi
Vice Director
Children of Cambodia NGO