Aziza's Place October News

A Note from our Assistant Director

I am pleased to have worked at Aziza’s Place for over two years now. The kids at AP are special, especially in their desire to study. I am happy to see how much our kids have grown. Many had never studied before and in two short years they are ready for high school.

The system of our public school makes it difficult for poor children. Uniforms and books cost a lot of money so many kids are held back in the wrong grade until they can save up money to pay. This is true for almost all students at AP. This year we had nine kids ready to skip into higher grades. We worked hard and advanced seven of them this year. This is a big success for Aziza’s Place in 2009.
Our work to improve the lives of children in Cambodia is possible because of your support. We want our friends and supporters to be invested in our children’s futures and our current events. To help us understand about your needs as a supporter of Aziza’s Place, please take our short survey located below. Thank you for keeping our children healthy and our programs strong. - Soy Socheat

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This survey will give us your feedback on how we at Aziza’s Place are communicating with our friends and supporters. Your honesty and interest in helping Aziza’s Place is deeply appreciated. In turn, we are seeking to understand your expectations and any specific areas you feel we should be focusing our efforts. Our partnership with you is profoundly important to us, and we hope to gain insight on how we can best serve you and reach other potential supporters most effectively. This survey is very quick and anonymous. We thank you in advance for your thoughtful contributions and continued support.
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Seven Residents Advance Grades in Khmer Public School

Aziza’s Place education program heralds the beginning of this Khmer public school year a great success as seven resident children advanced into higher grade levels. Accelerating children who have had a late start in public school is the primary goal of the AP education program. Supplemental classes and tutoring–along with the hard work of the students has proven successful for these seven.

In August, the Courtyard highlighted Theara, a 17 year old resident who was enrolled in Grade 2. Had she only advanced to Grade 3 this year (rather than into Grade 7 where she has been placed) she would not have graduated from high school until the age of 27! Early this summer, staff and teachers evaluated which students were most set back in school. Then, AP Assistant Director Soy Socheat set out to establish relationships with the directors of local schools. He successfully located a primary and high school that would place students in a more appropriate grade after paying hefty registration fees and taking an assessment test.

This year marks the first time AP residents have advanced grades. In addition to Theara, AP is happy to announce the placements of Chanthy (15), Chiev (15), Somely (15), and Srey Ny (13). Each began Grade 7 on October 1, the first day of this academic year. Also, Roth (12) and Sengkri (12) both advanced from Grade 3 to Grade 6 in primary school. AP can now proudly say its education program is effectively reaching its goal of advancing its residents through public school with the aid of supplemental classes and tutoring. We wish the students all the best this school year.

New English Class Open to AP Siblings

Aziza’s Place has opened its doors to the siblings of our residents for English class five days per week. The class will eventually hold up to ten students, including AP’s two house supervisors. The computer lab will also be available for these students. The English class and access to the computer lab is part of the expansion of AP’s efforts to encourage family and staff development. Aziza’s Place is excited to have the capacity to offer its educational resources to our community.

Around the World with AP Volunteers

Volunteers representing over 20 countries have shared their time and talents with AP residents. In September we welcomed two volunteers to add to our ever-expanding list. Diana Chende is from Romania, and now resides in the UK. Melanie Haaksma is our first volunteer from Holland. Read more about them.

Diana, a bookworm, is coaching her advanced English class through their first novel. Melanie has introduced our intermediate English students to the concept of a school play. They are trying their hand at acting and costume-making and will have a grand performance for the entire school.

Above, Melanie and Diana stand in front of AP’s gigantic classroom world map. The map highlights the names and countries of past and present volunteers. We are happy to add Melanie and Diana to our map.

Volunteers & Staff to Race for Aziza’s Place at the Annual Angkor Wat Half Marathon

Volunteers Diana Chende and Cath Waugh, along with Director Ali Robbins, will run the 14th Annual Angkor Wat Half Marathon to take place on December 6 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The three are running to support Aziza’s Place education programs. No matter where you are in the world, it’s easy to show your support of Aziza’s Place and our volunteers here in Cambodia! Click on the “Donate” button in the How to Help section below to make a donation through Paypal. Please add a note that you are supporting the Marathon. For more information contact ali@azizafoundation.org.

How to Help: Donate • Volunteer • Share

Your support keeps AP programs running strong. Since its opening, AP’s Karate program has produced 10 brown belt students. At a Karate competition in mid-September, five residents took home prizes. Somley, Segkry, and Roth (left) accept trophies and awards for winning a team competition. We thank our friends and supporters for ensuring that Aziza's Place continues to provide a nurturing home and quality education and programs to our 21 resident children.

Welcome new Friends of Aziza’s Place:
Meaghan McGrath Beaumont, Washington, D.C.
Heather Connell, Sacramento, CA
Kathleen & William Haney, Boyce, VA
Maureen & John Haney, Somerset, NJ
Dixie King, Oxford, MD
May-ying Liou, Sugarland, TX
Craig Nethercott, London, England
Lauren Seaver, Plainview, NJ/Paris, France
Bassam Shamoon, Birmingham, MI
Dinah Taylor, Williamsburg, KY

Click here to make a donation to the Aziza Foundation on behalf of Aziza’s Place.
U.S. donors receive a tax credit receipt for your contribution. UK donors may elect the Gift Aid option so the tax-gross up is received by the charity. Contact ali@azizasplace.org for more information. Thank you for supporting Aziza’s Place.