News from Cambodia Tomorrow
From: Melanie Curtright <melacurt@cambodiatomorrow.org>
Subject: News from Cambodia Tomorrow
Reply: melacurt@cambodiatomorrow.org
Cambodia Tomorrow
Helping Cambodia's Children Achieve a Brighter Future
Spring Newsletter March 2007
In This Issue
Networking
Beach Trip
University Project
Web Site -- New Look
Sponsor Visits
Contribute Now
Dear Friends:
 
Happy Cambodian New Year Everyone! 

Cambodia Tomorrow has a lot to celebrate this year:
  • English School Project sponsorship renewal continues at a very high rate.
  • Our four University students are doing great and just moved into a wonderful new apartment much closer to their school.
  • Two Board members, Michelle Moon and Elizabeth Gullam, just returned from Cambodia where they did a ton of great work for the children (including a trip to the beach co-sponsored by the Sharing Foundation)
  • The Grossman and Webster families visited their sponsored child and took hundreds of beautiful pictures. 
  • We have a new look to our website.

More on all of our progress is in our Spring Newsletter -- Please read on!

As always, please accept my heartfelt thanks on behalf of the Board and the children
living at Kompong Speu for all of your generous support in 2006. 

Sur Sdey Chnam Thmey!

Scott Nichols
President, Cambodia Tomorrow

Networking 

 

When Board member Elizabeth Gullam was in Cambodia last month, she met with the other non-profit organizations working with Kompong Speu Orphanage.  Elizabeth consulted with The Sharing Foundation and Global Children to see how our university program could be improved and expanded.  She met with Enfants D'Asie Aspeca to coordinate our involvement with the computer school they are installing at Kompong Speu.

 

Many thanks to Ponlok Loeung and the staff of Global Children, Dr. Hendrie and

the staff of The Sharing Foundation, and Jean-Yves Fusil, Mme. Kimlang and M. Chhiv of Enfants D'Asie Aspeca for all their time, insight and support. 

 

Beach Trip

Elizabeth, Lydeth, and Kounann Gullam

Ocheteal Beach, Sihanoukville, Cambodia - one of our favorite spots on the planet.  Is it the clear blue water, the white sand, the sunny weather?  No, what makes the place so special to our family are the times we have joined the kids and staff of Kompong Speu Orphan Center for a couple of days of splashing in the waves and playing on the beach.  This year was our second trip and as much fun at the first.

Pol Sok Ly has a great favorite spot picked at the beach.  Long tables and benches, covered by a thatch roof, with a nearby restaurant kitchen provide a perfect hang-out space.  After arriving at the beach in a group of vans, the kids wasted no time grabbing a bunch of inner tubes and jumping into the water.  Several of the boys are quite skilled at high-flying flips and bellyflops off the tubes into the water.  Along the sand, an entire kingdom of sandcastles was quickly built.  When it was time to eat, Pol Sok Ly ordered from the adjacent restaurant and everyone could take a break to recharge.  It was the beginning of two idyllic days of play and fun.

 
A highlight of this year's trip was the party on the second evening.  Sincere thanks to The Sharing Foundation for helping to underwrite the beach trip and party.  With soda, treats and a karaoke machine, we had a big dance party. Srey Nich, the little girl our family sponsors, did her best to teach me traditional Khmer dance steps.  Although at first I was reluctant to join, she grabbed my wrist and wouldn't take no for an answer.  The children are so skilled and were so patient, teaching me several different dances.  (Let's just say the teenagers' attempt to teach me hip-hop steps weren't as successful, but certainly more amusing to the Kompong Speu kids and staff!)

 

 

One the best things about spending a couple of days with the kids is having a chance to talk with them about their schoolwork, their friends and their dreams.  Many of the children referred to the content of the letters received from their sponsors.  Please know that the care and time you take in writing those letters makes a direct difference.  Thank you for supporting the program!

 

We're looking forward to making another trip to the beach when we next return to Cambodia.

University Project
 

Michelle Moon

 

I just returned from Cambodia, where I was able to spend time with the University students.  I had a great time with these wonderful young men.  We moved the boys closer to the university, so they now walk to school, rather than a commute by bicycle.  They are closer to the center and excitement of Phnom Penh.  The boys will enjoy the city, as well as learn the responsibilities of living by themselves in a safe neighborhood.  The apartment has two bedrooms and two baths and is located behind the National Library, near their university (NUM) and Wat Phnom.

 

While in Phnom Penh, I visited with the university dean.  He confirmed that the boys all have good attendance records and are passing their classes. The boys were also excited to show us their study materials and practice their English. They are all grateful for the opportunity to attend university and have a great sense of curiosity.

 

I also had time to visit with the boys out at the beach in Sihanoukville. I was able to talk to each of them about their goals and interests. I also spent some time with the next group of university students. We discussed what they plan to study at the university and their long term goals.

 

Updated Web Site
 
Melanie Curtright
 
Whew!  After months of promising my fellow board members that I was indeed working on the site, I finally finished.  My version of "Dreamweaver for Dummies" is dog-eared, but I did learn a lot!  Now changes to the site will be easier to accomplish -- in fact, I have a whole list of additions:  more of the beautiful pictures from the Grossman and Webster family visits to KS, links to previous newsletters, and more ways to help.
 
Telling the story of these wonderful kids and getting the word out about Cambodia Tomorrow is so rewarding for all of us on the board, so please go to www.cambodiatomorrow.org and check out all of the new pictures and information on the orphan center and our programs.  As always, your input and feedback is welcome.

Sponsor Visits
 
Cambodia Tomorrow was fortunate to have two of our sponsor families visit the orphanage in December.  The Websters: Curtis and Kay, 9-year-old Maly, who was adopted from Cambodia in 1998, and four of their five young adult children made a visit to Kompong Speu to meet Chanry, the little girl they sponsor. They were treated to an impromptu dance concert.
 

"It was great fun.  We took with us toothbrushes and toothpaste (donated by our dentist), a zillion toys (a large supply of used Duplos and then lots of smaller things) - and a Polaroid camera (so we could leave the kids pictures of themselves).  I suggest that anybody going to Cambodia incorporate a visit related to at least one Cambodia-based charity that they support."

 

Paul Grossman, Janet Mitani and their children, Seth and Sokha also traveled to Cambodia and made a trip to the orphanage: 

 

"Our most important visit was to Kampong Speu.  We took three cases of soft drinks, 77 loaves of bread, 12 digital cameras, digital processing accessories, cash for new musical instruments and nearly 100 lbs. of Legos.  The cameras and Legos were the result of a community service project by our kids.  But the biggest portion of Legos came from a school drive conducted by Chaya Zawadsky and the students at The San Francisco School.  Chaya's class of Second Graders turned the project into a school-wide event and went around to each classroom explaining the project and asking for contributions.   The result was that all of the classrooms donated Legos. Many thanks!

 

The kids at Kampong Speu put on an incredible dance concert.  I would honestly have to call it professional in caliber. 

The kids loved the Legos and were still engaged with them when we left.

 

I took around 200 pictures at the orphanage; many dance pictures, a separate portrait of each child, and several super-sized group pictures.  During the individual portrait process, I looked carefully at each child and tried to induce a smile.  A few children were clearly very sad, but many more, most, were in excellent spirits.

 

The orphanage was clean and well organized; the kids were well fed and well cared for. During our visit, we met Neth, the child we are sponsoring, took her out for lunch and to the monkey park nearby. It was a lovely afternoon, but it was sad to leave her behind."

 

 

We want to thank the Grossman and Webster families for making the trip to Kampong Speu and collecting toys and cameras for the children.  Special thanks go to Paul Grossman, a serious photographer, who took over 4000 pictures during his visit to Cambodia.  Each child and each sponsor will receive a 5 x 7 portrait or the child.  Paul has generously donated his time and expertise and we are collaborating on ways to use his photographs for promotional and fundraising purposes.

 

Thank you Paul, Janet, Sokha, and Seth; Kay, Curtis, Maly, Andrew, Katie, Ken and Alex; Chaya Zawadsky and The San Francisco School and all the Bay Area families who donated Legos, Duplos and digital cameras. 

Contribute Now

Think you can't change another person's life?  Think again!  Contributing to Cambodia Tomorrow will DIRECTLY impact the lives of the children at Kompong Speu Orphan Center in Cambodia.  Either through sponsorship or donations to our general fund, you can make an orphan child's dreams  -- from a university education to a trip to the beach -- a reality.  

 

 Help a Child Today!
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