News from Aziza's Place - November 2010

Dear friends,

This edition of Aziza's Courtyard heralds the many significant changes happening at Aziza's Place, most important of which is the realization of our long held goal to transition the management and operations of Aziza's Place into the hands of Khmer leadership. Until now, the vision for local leadership has always been a focus for the future, signifying an important turning point in the progress of Aziza's Place. After first opening our doors almost four years ago, we're proud to say that the Future is Now as we embark on this exciting phase in our existence.

Leading this charge will be Soy Socheat who has been with Aziza's Place for almost four years and will take on the overall responsibility as the Director of Programs. Starting on December 1, Socheat will be working alongside a new Director of Finance and Operations, Vong Bopha, who brings many years of experience working with larger international NGOs in Cambodia and who is eager to finally devote her time and efforts to working with children. We also welcome Cath Waugh to the full-time position of Communications Director. As many of you will recall, Cath, prior to her appointment, was the longest serving volunteer at Aziza's Place having spent well over a year volunteering as a teacher and with various AP projects, while earning a permanent place in the hearts of our resident children, staff, other volunteers and the larger AP community.

As we welcome new staff members and old staff members move into expanded roles, we also had to say our sad farewells to Interim Directors Alexandra Robbins and Daniel Haney. Ali and Dan always worked with the goal for local leadership in mind and were both excited to be handing over the torch of leadership to the Khmer staff. Ali and Dan also exerted tremendous effort in building and expanding the AP programs to a level of excellence which everyone will now strive to maintain. In this newsletter we send them off with an enormous Thank You for their commitment and dedication over the past eighteen months to the lives of all of us involved with Aziza's Place.

Other significant news for Aziza's Place includes the award of the Select Equity Group Foundation grant, awarded on behalf of Penny Barten. We are honored to accept the grant, which will provide considerable support for the programs and activites for the children of Aziza's Place. Read on for more details.

With Gratitude,
The AP team

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This month we give a special thanks to:

Select Equity Group Foundation • Kevin Ferguson • Mark and Lisa Burgess

Pauline Dennehy • Anne Perfall

Aziza’s Place awarded $16,000 from the Select Equity Group Foundation, on behalf of Penny Barten

The Aziza Foundation is honored to be the recipient of a $16,000 grant from the Select Equity Group Foundation, awarded on behalf of Penny Barten and specifically designated for Aziza's Place. According to Penny, she "couldn't stop thinking about Aziza's Place" after having visited in late 2007 and wanted to find some way to support our efforts.

Employees of Select Equity Group are involved in Select Equity Group’s grant-making process by researching and pitching an organization of their choice during an annual Grant Dinner organized in NYC. Depending on the success of the employee's pitch, funds are then allocated for their chosen organization. We are very grateful to Penny Barten for her success in raising $16,000 for Aziza’s Place, as she presented AP as being unique from other organizations, stemming from our focus on individual growth for each of our resident children along with a nuturing environment and programs that integrate the development of their community as a learning tool. This atmosphere and philosophy allows our children to constantly interact and communicate with the world around them as a means for building their knowledge base and as a basis for giving back to their communities.

We are very thankful to the Select Equity Group's generous contribution and for having the vision to give back in areas where funds are most needed. We look forward to working together in partnership with Select Equity Foundation in the future. Their generous grant will make a significant difference in the lives of the children at Aziza's Place as we put it towards our programs and services providing for now and for the future.

AP stepping into the vision of Khmer leadership

Change and transition is the theme of this month’s activities. We are excited to be implementing the long-held vision for Khmer leadership at Aziza’s Place which has been in the works since shortly after our opening in February 2007. The Khmer staff members have always been encouraged to progressively take on added responsibilities while also being provided with oportunities for training and continuing education. We are incredibly proud and happy to see the Khmer staff now feel confident taking owndership and the lead in directing the management, operations and vision for the future. We see a bright future as Soy Socheat steps into the role of Director of Programs, overseeing the running of Aziza’s Place with a particular focus on programs and activities, and in monitoring the childrens’ progress. Socheat has been with Aziza’s Place since we were established and has a firm grasp on the needs and aspirations of each individual child. He is excited to be taking on new responsibilities in his leadership role for Aziza’s Place.

We are also delighted to be introducing a new Khmer staff member, Vong Bopha, who will fill the role of Director of Finance and Operations. Vong Bopha will join the AP team on December 1st and will be working closely with Socheat while taking primary responsibility for financial reporting, budgets and day-to-day cash management. Once comfortable with her new work environment and mastering all the financial administration duties, Bopha will gradually move into the role of managing the daily operations and AP staff. Socheat and Bopha will work together in strategic planning, developing goals and regularly evaluating program effectiveness.

We also welcome Cath Waugh to the permanent staff of Aziza’s Place. Cath is originally from New Zealand but has made her home here in Cambodia, volunteering at Aziza’s Place for the past 17months. As of October Cath morphed into the role of Communications Director and is excited to be able to dedicate herself to a full-time role at AP. Her role as Communications Director will consist of donor communication; e-media updates (including the monthly Aziza's Courtyard Newsletter); and scheduling and coordination of volunteers and visitors. She is passionate about the aspirations and energy of the AP children and is excited by the prospect of communicating all the latest happenings to our wider community of supporters.

Ali and Dan leave a legacy of excellence

Ali and Dan say farewell to their friends at AP.

In this edition of Courtyard we say farewell to Interim Directors Alexandra Robbins and Dan Haney.  Ali and Dan both initially came to Aziza’s Place as volunteers in late 2007 but kept getting drawn back to the energy and colorful character of the place and couldn’t keep away, ultimately returning to share the director role from the beginning of 2009.  Ali and Dan's hard work and dedication to Aziza's Place has paved the way for the current changes into Khmer leadership.  They worked with love and compassion for everyone at Aziza’s Place and will be missed by us all – the children, the staff, the volunteers and also the wider community of donors and AP networks.  Ali and Dan have left a strong legacy of excellence in AP programs and a striving to reach the best for the AP children and families.  We wish them all the best in their next endeavours as they head home to the US.  Thankyou Ali and Dan for your dedication and inspirational work at AP – we hope to see you soon!

Education Program Revamp

This month we are excited to roll out a number of changes to the AP education program. Intern Darley Tom has been brainstorming with Director of Programs Soy Socheat and together they have come up with a number of improvements and fine tuning of our curriculum. Changes have been made with the aim of creating more structure and greater consistency in our classes. We will also implement evaluation and monitoring methods, for regular feedback from students and teachers to assess the progress of our Khmer, Maths, English and Computer classes.

Our English program is being enhanced in a number of ways. Students are now divided into four different levels which makes it easier for each individual student to be given the attention they need. The schedule has also been changed to enable one volunteer to teach three of these levels, while staff member Yi Makara teaches the beginner class. While our volunteers all provide unique input and inspiration to the children’s lives at Aziza’s Place, it has become apparent that the constant change of teachers can be disruptive for learning. In creating a schedule that allows one volunteer to teach three levels of English for at least 3-6months at a time, we reduce our dependency on volunteers while being able to maximize their teaching role. New volunteer Hayley Carter has been doing a great job in getting this new approach underway.

We have been able to purchase text books for each of the children which will contribute significantly in creating a consistent English curriculum that can be used as a basis for teachers as they develop their lesson plans. A quality English program will hold the AP students in great stead as they build their skill sets to be well equipped for future opportunities.

We are also excited to bring in a new Khmer computer teacher take to the classroom and develop a more structured program for the children in their computer studies. We have hardware resources for the children to become proficient in the use of computers and we are excited to be able to maximize this with guided instruction from a qualified teacher. The children will use their XO laptops and shared desktop computers to create projects that integrate various computer programs, developing another essential skill in today’s technology-filled society.

Bonn Om Dteuk - Cambodia's Annual Water Festival

Chopping coconuts to prepare for water festival treats.

Bonn Om Dteuk is a significant three-day festival in Cambodia, celebrating the end of the rainy season and the reversal of the river flow of the Tonle Sap River. On Saturday the resident children of Aziza’s Place celebrated with a feast of ‘ambok’ – a traditional rice dish mixed with coconut and banana. German visitors Niels Neudecker, Viola Decker and their three friends were entertained by the children’s frantic activities as everyone participated in balloon racing, blindfold games and many other Khmer games and activities. On Sunday and Monday evenings we joined in the celebrations in Phnom Penh city, checking out the fireworks, concerts and enjoying some tasty snacks with a picnic in the park.

We were then deeply saddened to hear that this year’s festivities turned to tragedy with people being crushed in crowds on the last day and our hearts reached out to those families who were affected. We are all thankful that the AP children and staff were all kept safe over the weekend.

Volunteers and Visitors - Comings and Goings

An AP volunteer catchup - (from left to right) Darley,

Marcela, Emma, Hayley and Cath.

Emma Horsfall:

This weekend we said our farewells to Emma who headed home to the UK after six months of living in Cambodia. She brought fun and laughter to our beginner English classes as she taught the youngest students of AP during her lunch breaks, while also working at another NGO in Phnom Penh. The children enjoyed learning new English words and phrases with creative lessons that always included singing and creative artwork. Emma will be going back to find work in her field of high school teaching. Thankyou Emma for always bringing in your smiles to Aziza’s Place – we wish you all the best!

 

Hayley Carter:

Welcome to Hayley who arrived in Phnom Penh at the beginning of November. Hayley is the first volunteer to take on the role as English teacher for three classes and is doing a great job at coordinating the different levels. She will provide valuable feedback as to the feasibility of the new approach to our English program. Hayley is from the UK and has adapted quickly to life in Phnom Penh with her easygoing personality. She has already ventured into the city traffic riding a bicycle, has joined a netball sports team and has taken to meditating with monks. Hayley has a background in Human Resources and will work with the staff and children at Aziza’s Place during the next three months to enhance communication and team-building strategies as we all fit into new roles with the transition into new management.

 

Marcela Grenados:

Marcela is in Cambodia for two weeks of intense mathematics teaching. She arrived from New York and immediately joined us in a fieldtrip to see the water festival activities. With this introduction to Phnom Penh and to the kids at Aziza’s Place she jumped right into teaching the next day. Marcela has incredible energy and enthusiasm for mathematics which is quickly spreading to the children! She has decided to spend her vacation time teaching tricky maths calculations and solving complex maths problems at AP, for which our older students are particularly grateful. Our maths teachers are also enjoying working with Marcela as they learn new ways to explain challenging problems. We are all enjoying Marcela’s passion for learning and will all look at mathematics in a new light after her time here. 
 

This month we also welcomed many visitors to Aziza’s Place. Visitor Kevin Ferguson was inspired by the children’s film productions and generously provided funds for the purchase of an upgraded television to enable the children to view their films clearly. Alex Dahlstrom and her mom heard of AP through connections with Ali and came to see the latest activities of the children. Fiona Poulsen and Ken Wilson from New Zealand joined us in taking the children out to see the water festival activities. They also generously gave some books and games for the children to enjoy. We thank you all for your support and for bringing your energies to the world of Aziza’s Place.

How to Help Aziza's Place - Support • Volunteer • Connect

Are you interested in supporting the children and programs of Aziza's Place? We invite you to become a part of our growing global community by donating, volunteering, or simply connecting us to your network of friends and family.

Click here to make a donation via PayPal. For donations over $400, please click here for wire transfer information. 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. If you are a perspective volunteer, please take a look at our volunteer needs on idealist.org, or simply contact us.

Thank you for supporting the children and families of Aziza's Place.

News from Aziza’s Place – October 2010

Dear Friends,

October has been a month of comings and goings at AP.  The month began with the children enjoying a week-long holiday at home with their families to celebrate Cambodia’s Pchum Ben festival.  Loosely translated as 'Festival of the Dead', Pchum Ben is a traditional Buddhist festival when people remember and pay homage to the spirits of their ancestors.  The roads were busy as people travelled far and wide to visit their home provinces to see family and to enjoy spending time together in celebration and festivities.  Many Cambodian families also followed the Pchum Ben tradition of remembering the spirits of their ancestors by visiting pagodas and giving food and gifts to the monks.    

     After a week away, the AP residents returned back ready and raring to jump into a new school year at Toul Tompong public school.  We are very proud to announce that all of our AP students are advancing into a new grade, with three students moving two grades ahead to come more into line with grade levels for their age.  We ask you to join us in wishing our students all the best as they study hard in the year ahead.   

     In this issue of the Courtyard, we celebrate new opportunities being embarked upon for the wider AP community.  We welcome a returning student, 14-year old Chantou, into our daily education programme.  Removing her from a harsh factory job, we have once again been reminded of the vulnerabilities and difficult realities that our children face. Our Community Outreach programme also helped crystallize a new income-earning opportunity for the family of one of our residents.  We are looking forward to seeing how a sewing machine will make a positive impact on their social and financial circumstances.  

With Gratitude,

The AP Team 

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This month we give a special thanks to:

 Lauren Seaver • The GE Foundation on Behalf of Erik Granskog • Anand & Anita Gangadhran 

Six-year-old Srey Nak Joins Aziza's Place

SreySros (left) pictured with the newest AP resident,

her sister Srey Nak.

We are excited to welcome six-year-old Srey Nak to Aziza's Place. She is the younger sister of two long-time AP resident children, Sreysros (pictured left) and Roth. Srey Nak is extremely shy and timid but the younger girls at AP are taking her under their wing to make her feel at home.  As with most new residents it will take a couple of weeks for her to adjust and feel healthy.  Her previous living environment left her malnourished, with a vulnerable immune system.  Her recent doctor's check-up suggests that in the coming weeks she will be able to begin karate and dance classes.  Sreysros, age 11 and Roth, age 13 have both been at AP for almost four years and have been eagerly asking for their younger sister join them.

 

Roth, Sreysros and Srey Nak have a difficult family background that does not allow them to visit their mother very often. Their mother recently became unemployed and no longer had the means to support Srey Nak to go to school, as she is the sole income-earner. Due to the family stresses and the requests

from her brother and sister, APs Community Outreach program planned for Srey Nak to join us once she reached school age. Due to an uncharacteristically long rainy season, the road out to her house experienced severe flooding. Therefore, the AP team could not reach the family in order to bring her in before the beginning of the school year. Srey Nak is excited to sport her new pink backpack when she begins 1st grade this week. We look forward to watching Srey Nak grow strong and healthy at AP.

AP Welcomes Chantou as Part-Time Student

Fourteen-year-old Chantou.

Chantou first joined Aziza’s Place in 2007. She is the sister of Chanthy, one of the first four residents of AP. In 2008 she left the program and went to live her aunt in a province outside of Phnom Penh where she was able to attend school. The AP team was troubled to find out in August that Chantou had moved back to the city to live with her older sister and had begun working in a garment factory. As a 14 year-old, she had borrowed the birth certificate of an older female in order to obtain a job ironing and cutting fabric. She worked in a stifling hot factory for up to 12 hours a day, seven days per week. Her sister (also a garmet factory worker) did not want her young sister to work, but could not support Chantou on her meager income.

Chantou’s conditions were unacceptable and AP worked out a system to bring Chantou into the program for the full school day. Now she will attend public school and takes part in AP's supplementary classes - English, Math, Khmer and Computer Studies. AP currently does not have the capacity for another full-time resident and so at the end of the day, she returns home to live with her sister. The older sister is working with the AP team to ensure Chantou stays in school and has a safe place to live while she is not studying. 

Community Outreach Program Begins New Income-Generating Venture with Family of AP resident

This AP family will see the benefits of a new

income-generating project.

As discussed in previous issues of Courtyard newsletters, AP’s community outreach initiative involves working with the families of our resident children to help them pursue opportunities and connect them with resources that will improve their quality of life.  Program Coordinator Yi Makara and Intern Mick Johns have been strengthening the relationships with our families by maintaining regular and open communication, working with individual families to establish goals and to find avenues for making positive changes to their living situations.

This month an initiative suggested by one of the families has evolved into an entrepreneurial venture that could also be emulated in other areas.  After seeing a neighbour using a sewing machine as a means of creating an income, one of our families asked AP whether it was possible for them to secure a sewing machine for themselves.  Makara and Mick worked together with the family to investigate the feasibility of the sewing venture and were excited to see the many positive attributes and possibilities it could engender.  The concept itself was very simple: a local seller making regular visits to Steung Meanchey delivering pre-cut fabric then commissions the garments to be sewn together (using the sewing machine) and then returns to collect the completed products at a pre-determined price.  This simple enterprise resulted in the seamstress receiving approximately 15-20cents per sewn garment, which then could translate to incremental weekly revenue of at least $20 for the seamstress which is a significant supplement to the family's meagre income earned by picking trash from the dumpsite.  

In order to facilitate and support this project, AP has agreed to purchase the sewing machine to be used by the family to begin their venture and effectively lease the machine to the seamstress and her family (for a minimal lease payment) for an initial six-month period.  After the six months, the family will make the evaluation whether they would like to buy the sewing machine outright from AP, or continue leasing the machine, or return the machine and replace it with an upgraded one.  If the family chooses to return the original machine, AP will then lease it out to another family on similar terms and conditions. We look forward to beginning what we hope is the first of many creative initiatives that support business ventures of the families of our AP residents without the risk of an unfair debt burden on the family.  

Thanking Mick & Kepi for Six Months of Service to the AP Community

Everyone with Mick and Kepi before they

headed by to Australia.

The AP family extends a huge thanks to volunteers Michael Johns and Kepi Roberts from Tasmania, Australia.  As an Intern, Mick contributed valuable insight and ideas for our Community Outreach Program.  He undertook extensive research into micro-finance opportunities for our families and inspired the AP residents and staff to think about their futures by setting up a program for savings bank accounts.  Kepi's knowledge of marketing and communications ramped up AP's efforts to share more news with our dedicated supporters worldwide through increased Facebook updates and more effective newsletters. Furthermore, she passed on her knowledge to our film students with animated weekly tutoring sessions.  Mick and Kepi were also instrumental in connecting the work experience internships for our older students as well as teaching our intermediate, advanced and staff English classes.  We thank Mick and Kepi for their invaluable support and inspired ideas over the last six months.  Their Australianism’s and humour will especially be missed by us all.  Good on you mates!

AP Kids Compete in Karate Championship

Sengkry takes centre stage to perform his

karate routine.

AP students had the opportunity to show off their karate skills and techniques in their second competition for the year, on October 16th and 17th.  Competition was serious as pairs of students took to the floor, presenting their individual routines to be judged and compared against each other.  The crowd cheered loudly and with the shrill cry of the whistle the judges raised red and blue flags to indicate the winner of each round.  AP students competed against children from various NGOs and private karate schools in Phnom Penh.  Congratulations to Sreyphea and Chanty who both made it to the finals. Sreyphea achieved second place, winning a medal and boxes of snacks that she gladly shared with her friends.

How to Help Aziza's Place - Support • Volunteer • Connect

Are you interested in supporting the children and programs of Aziza's Place? We invite you to become a part of our growing global community by donating, volunteering, or simply connecting us to your network of friends and family.

Click here to make a donation via PayPal. For donations over $400, please click here for wire transfer information. 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. If you are a perspective volunteer, please take a look at our volunteer needs on idealist.org, or simply contact us.

Thank you for supporting the children and families of Aziza's Place.

News from Aziza's Place - September 2010

Dear Friends,

Welcoming new children into Aziza's Place is always an exciting time. The look on a newly-accepted resident's face as he/she enters the AP courtyard is memorable as are awe-filled reactions to; the first big meal, the comfort of sleeping on a mattress, a bright clean school uniform, and the relief on their face knowing they don't have to worry what tomorrow will bring. Troubles melt away in their first night. During these times we see the beauty of the AP community unfold with the other children acting as mentors and friends to the new resident, showing them around, helping them adjust, or giving them one of their precious collections of pens and pencils. This community gives our children the unique experience of being a part of a big family and not simply living in a charity-funded complex. Our philosophy centers on grassroots ideas that will keep our center small and focused on the children and their immediate families. This is an attribute AP will never lose.

In this issue you will meet our newest resident, 10-year-old Ream, bringing Aziza's Place to a total of 22 residents. Each year we evaluate our capacity for new children based on a series of factors such as space (AP's maximum stated capacity is 25 residents), family life, living and working conditions, and age. In keeping with our philosophy to improve the lives of the families of our residents, accepting siblings of current residents is always a priority. We now have moved to only accepting school age children as this is the age where they will be able to  experience and take full advantage of  AP's programs. In this issue you will be introduced to our new resident as well as an insight into the many other great endeavors made possible by your support and ever-strengthening and growing circle of friends in Cambodia and around the world.

With Gratitude,

The AP Team

Funding from Friends of AP Aids Renovation of Girl's Living Quarters and New School Uniforms for the 2010-2011 Academic Year

AP girls showing off their beauty skills to

supporter Susan Elving during her visit

This month we would like to highlight AP supporters, Susan and Arch Elving (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia).  Susan and Arch are long-time supporters of the Aziza Foundation and Aziza's Place and we are thrilled that Susan made the effort to visit Cambodia to see our program first-hand earlier in September. Susan and Arch made an additional donation in September of $800 that will provide all the children with new school uniforms and other much needed clothing items for the year. Along with their personal support, Susan has engaged her women's group, the American Women of the Eastern Province, also based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, to partner with Aziza's Place. We thank the Elving's and AWEP for their continued partnership in support of the growth of the children and families we serve.

Once again Aziza's Place sends its deepest thanks to our partner,  Moms Against Poverty (MAP), based in the United States. Thanks to MAP, we were able to tear down the walls of the girls' living quarters that were compromising the integrity of the AP house as well as to double the size of their dorm area. Now the girls now have a huge living space and enough room to comfortably accommodate up to 15 girls. We invite you to take a look at the construction process and final product in a Facebook album.

Thank you to our generous supporters

Susan and Arch Elving • Lizzie Lutley • Stephanie McMahon • Moms Against Poverty

Aziza's Place Welcomes 22nd Resident Child

Say 'Hello!' to Ream, Age 10

On 12 September, Aziza's Place welcomed 10 year old Ream to the family.  Ream has seamlessly morphed into life at AP, quickly making friends and finding mentors in the older boys. He is eager to learn and wants to try out all of AP's extracurricular activities. He says he is most excited to learn how to use a computer and has never used one before.

     Ream previously lived in a dilapidated shanty house in one of the most slummy parts of the Steung Meanchey dump site. He was fortunate to have his first grade public school education sponsored by People Improvement Organization (PIO), a local NGO serving children in the Steung Meanchy community. But, in order to help make ends meet, Ream would have to pick through trash for recyclables in the afternoons with his older siblings. His single-mother works strenuous hours in a garment factory and so Ream and his siblings were charged with cooking meals for themselves everyday.

     His family is already a big part of Aziza's Place. AP resident Sreypov is Ream's aunt and Sreypov's older sister, Sreymom is also part of the AP team working as a weekend caretaker for the children. Ream's mother is active in the AP Community Outreach program and is invested in making sure her children have a bright future. AP is a great match for Ream and his strong desire to learn. We look forward to watching him grow in our program over the years to come.

Darley Tom Joins AP as Education Program Officer

Aziza's Place welcomed Darley Tom as our Education Program Officer in September. Darley is a graduate student from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts where she is studying Sustainable International Development with a concentration in developing education programs. For the next six months, she will evaluate and help implement new ideas and structure to the education curriculum and program. Darley and the AP team will work together to establish a series of methods to create a dialogue with children, teachers and volunteers to ensure a more effective and sustainable education curriculum. We are excited about making these positive changes and are so happy to have Darley's expertise on the ground here in Cambodia.

Child Savings Plan Kicks Off With Banking Orientation

Mr. Mony, a representative from AMK Bank gives a

presentation on banking and savings to the children

A representative from Angkor Mikroheranhvatho Kampuchea bank (AMK) came to Aziza's Place and provided an orientation on banking and savings to the resident children and staff. Aziza's Place and AMK are working together to develop a child savings program, an idea proposed by AP Intern Michael Johns. The public school system in Michael's native country of Australia offered a child savings plan to students and he grew up understanding the importance of saving. While researching Micro-finance Institutions in Cambodia, Michael realized that his childhood experience of building up savings would be a positive concept to translate to the residents of AP. Currently no other child savings plans exist in Cambodia.

     AP residents receive a small weekly allowance and although their savings would initially be rather small, establishing their bank accounts will set the stage for understanding the concept of saving for their future. As the culture in Cambodia tends to be skeptical of banking, AMK and AP are working to create a foundation of trust in banking institutions. Each child will open their own account in the coming weeks and Aziza's Place will be the co-signatory for the accounts. The children will not have the ability to withdraw money until they are 18 years of age. Furthermore, AP intends to create an incentive program for the children to save throughout the year by matching a percentage of their annual savings. When residents graduate from Aziza's Place they will have a small amount of money saved up for their future and have an understanding of the importance of saving for the rest of their lives.

     Michael began researching Micro-finance Institutions in order to create a partnership for the Community Outreach program before realizing it would be a great opportunity for the AP residents. His research identified AMK's operations as one of the most notable and believed the bank to be critical to the micro-finance industry in Cambodia. In the future AP will work to teach the families in the Community Outreach program about banking and savings and use the child savings scheme as a model to for children to incentivize their families to begin saving as well.

Vacationing to Rabbit Island Thanks to Denise and Jasmine Fisher

This month the AP family took a refreshing and relaxing trip to Rabbit Island, a great getaway spot off the coast of the seaside town of Kep in southern Cambodia. The field trip was generously sponsored by Denise Fisher and her daughter Jasmine who volunteered at AP over the summer. Denise and Jasmine wanted the AP children to have the opportunity to breathe some fresh air outside of Phnom Penh. Rabbit Island was the perfect escape and adventure for the children. Traveling to the island involved a long boat ride (many of the children had never before been on a boat), hours and hours of swimming (a few had never seen the ocean before), and a delicious feast of crabs, fish and shrimp every night. We send our deepest thanks to Denise and Jasmine. The kids, staff, and volunteers had a great trip and it left everyone feeling relaxed and ready for the new school year to begin in October.

AP girls and staff posing on the beach of Rabbit Island

How to Help Aziza's Place - Support • Volunteer • Connect

Are you interested in supporting the children and programs of Aziza's Place? We invite you to become a part of our growing global community by donating, volunteering, or simply connecting us to your network of friends and family.

Click here to make a donation via PayPal. For donations over $400, please click here for wire transfer information. 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. If you are a perspective volunteer, please take a look at our volunteer needs on idealist.org, or simply contact us.

Thank you for supporting the children and families of Aziza's Place.

News From Aziza's Place - August 2010

Dear Friends,

This month our Co-Founder, Amjad Ghori made his second trip of the year to Cambodia. His visits are balanced between playing with the kids and working as Director of The Aziza Foundation, reviewing AP's progress and programs. The record high attendance at Family Night and the kids' scholastic achievements are examples of the impact of our programs that he was able to experience first-hand. In the spirit of these successes and to keep this momentum, the Foundation has allocated increased funding to critical programs such as education, staff training and career development, and our community outreach program.

This issue of the Courtyard highlights some of the new programs and partnerships that we have embarked upon in recent months. We we would also like to highlight some stand-out performances from our children in the athletic arena as six children have been selected to participate in an upcoming Karate competition. Also, fifteen-year-old Srey Mach has been selected to join the Cambodian women's U-18 football team later this month. And the heartwarming story of AP football coach, Sreymao, was featured in The Phnom Penh Post along with some great photos of our football stars. (The photo captions mistakenly represent the AP kids as Indochina Starfish Foundation players, who are in fact the sponsor of this great football program).

Without your support, the Aziza Foundation and Aziza's Place would not be able to provide such amazing opportunities for the future of our resident children. We thank you for supporting us.

- The AP Team

Thank you to our generous supporters

Adam Cooper • Denise and Jasmine Fischer • Alex Garrod • Ben and Maria Mays • McIlnay-Rogers Family Foundation • Rafick Ramadan • Joe and Dixie Shulman

This month we would like to highlight the support of Ben and Maria Mays (UK) and Sharon McIlnay and Gifford Rogers(USA). Ben and Maria volunteered with AP in 2009 and have been loyal pen pals and supporters of our program ever since. Sharon and Gifford have supported AP since its founding and have been integral part of our progress. We are grateful for your partnership and continued investment in AP.

Local Hotel Partners with AP for Student Work Experience

Four resident children began their summer holiday work experience with the Boddhi Tree Hotels in Phnom Penh. Thida, Somley, Vun and Chanthy are working in pairs at two Boddhi Tree locations. They will gain experience rotating as cooks, waiters, finance and administration interns. Last month's issue of the courtyard highlighted AP's new work experience program and skill-building workshops that are preparing children 15 and older for life outside of AP. Now, eight residents are taking part in this program.

The Boddhi Tree, under the direction of General Manager Mr. Manuel Garcia, has been operating in Phnom Penh since 1997. Since then, it has trained and employed over 600 young adults from the largest NGOs in the community. The Human Resources team at Boddhi Tree has created a program especially for the AP students that will give them an basic overview of the hospitality business. Aziza's Place is honored to have The Boddhi Tree as a community partner.

Volunteer Susan Rosas, a social worker and graduate student at the University of Chicago, conducted the first skill-building workshop as part of the work experience program. She will host a series workshops from now until the end of September that focus on building skills such as interviewing techniques and creating a resume and/or portfolio. They will also be engaged in talks with professionals within various industries in Cambodia and learn more about how to apply for university.

Reproductive Health Education Trains Nine Residents

Resident children took part in a week-long workshop by Karol & Setha, an acronym for "Knowledge And Reflection on Life and Sexuality Through a Holistic Approach." The program is designed for adolescents between the ages of 15 and 18 to link critical thinking with a clear understanding of sexuality within the context of relationships. This course is not an everyday anatomy class, but works with adolescents on issues such as identity, peer pressure, communication, sexual intercourse and elements of a lasting and loving relationship. Four Khmer trainers led the workshop, working to correct common myths and taboos in Cambodian culture about these issues. Aziza's Place always works to find ways to provide the tools that will give our young adults the opportunity to prepare themselves to make healthy decisions and to have positive relationships.

AP Becomes A Member of NGO Education Partnership

Aziza's Place has been accepted as a member of the NGO Education Partnership (NEP), a coalition of organizations in Cambodia that seek "to achieve equal and timely access to high quality education for all Cambodian people." As a member of NEP, Aziza's Place will join the dialogue between government, schools and organizations who are all working to advocate for education Cambodia. The collective voice of NEP believes that education is a human right and a pillar of a good society. Therefore, it advocates for the improvement in the the quality, legitimacy, and access to education. Joining NEP is part of AP's long-standing philosophy to share resources and information in order to improve the quality of life for the community it serves.

Khmer Music Program Begins, Combines Music and Heritage

Thanks to the efforts of Peter Mayer and April Johnson, eight Aziza's Place students began a traditional Khmer music class in August. The program is taught by Mr. Sinat Nhok who works with Cambodian Living Arts, an organization working to revive traditional Cambodian art forms. Mr. Sinat is highly trained in classical Khmer wedding music, an ancient Khmer music style. Few Cambodians are trained in this style of music, offering a unique opportunity for AP students to learn an important part of their heritage along with experiencing the joy of playing an instrument.

Peter and April are dear friends of Nader Ebrahimi, Aziza's Place Co-Founder who passed away in March 2009. While volunteering at AP, they were working with Nader to fulfill their collective idea of giving the children access to music education. Peter and April have been eager to make this dream a reality in his honor. They reached out to their network across the United States and were able to raise the funds necessary for the music program for one full year. Their incredible efforts have brought the power and influence of music into our visual arts curriculum.

Families and Friends Celebrate Graduation at Family Night

This month the AP community celebrated the great accomplishment of all 21 students graduating to the next grade in public school. After a great performance of traditional Khmer dancing and singing from the kids, a ceremony recognized the outstanding achievements of each student. The kids were rewarded with a new backpack to begin the next school year. The evening was filled with pride from parents and children alike as a record 80 people attended the festivities.

Join AP on Facebook

On the AP Facebook page you can view more photos of our monthly family nights and earn about current events. We invite you to be a part of our growing online community, giving our volunteers, visitors, and friends a slice of everyday life here in Cambodia.

AP Visitors and Volunteers

August brought many new visitors and volunteers to Aziza's Place. Amjad's life-long friend Mark Arnold and his 15 year old daughter, Amy, visited Aziza's Place for the first time. As close friends of Aziza and Amjad, AP had a special meaning and impact on them. Amy is already planning her next trip back to AP when she graduates from high school.
This month we also welcomed volunteers Jasmine Fischer and Emma Horsfall. Emma and Jasmine have been coming to spend time with the kids on Saturdays, and now Emma will be teaching our beginner English students. Welcome to our team Emma and Jasmine.

How to Help Aziza's Place - Donate, Volunteer, Connect

Are you interested in supporting the children and programs of Aziza's Place? We invite you to become a part of our growing global community by donating, volunteering, or simply connecting us to your network of friends and family.

Click here to make a donation via PayPal. For donations over $400, please click here for wire transfer information. 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. If you are a perspective volunteer, please take a look at our volunteer needs on idealist.org, or simply contact us.

Thank you for supporting the children and families of Aziza's Place

Aziza's Place News - June/July 2010

Dear Friends of Aziza's Place,
As the children of AP prepare for their summer holidays, we are proud to say that all twenty-one children have passed to their next grade in public school. We praise their hard work and reflect upon the immense accomplishments of these children who have had the odds stacked against them. For the first time AP will have thirteen children enrolled in junior high and high school next school year posing the question, "What's next for AP children?" This issue of the Courtyard outlines how the AP team is working to achieve its goal to equip the children with the life-tools, skills and values needed to become productive citizens of their community.

Many existing aspects of the AP program are already working towards this goal, such as requiring that students earn their high school diploma and also particpate in our high-quality, in-house English, computer, and visual arts training. In addition to these initiatives, this summer we’re excited to announce a new phase in our program that includes workshops, community service projects, and a work experience program. These programs are structured to help our residents navigate life outside of AP and enable each child to carve out their own path based on their individual interests and skill set.

We invite you to congratulate the children on a fantastic year at school and to take a hands-on role in their success. This is possible by providing moral support and mentoring or textbooks and sponsorships for university, inititaives we expand on in this issue. It is your invested support that will enable a future of economic and social self-sufficiency for the resident children of Aziza's Place.

Wishing you a safe and relaxing summer,
The AP Team

Thank you for Supporting Us

Aziza's Place would like to highlight the following individuals who made an impact through financial or in-kind donations this month. You keep our children healthy and our programs vibrant, thank you for your dedication and generosity.

Edward J. Higham and Family - Armonk, New York
American Women of the Eastern Province - Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Susan and Arch Elving - Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Peter Mayer and April Johnson - Brooklyn, New York
Melanie Ryan- Hanover, Massachusetts
Michael Bednark - Brooklyn, New York
Gemma Pinnatel Bove - Barcelona, Spain
Lauren Cawdrey - Brooklyn, New York
Graham McLachlan - Chicago, Illinois
Sophia Sapp - Eugene, Oregon
Nyra Lang - Brooklyn, New York

MAP Raises the Roof- Once again, Aziza's Place would like to recognize Moms Against Poverty for replacing the leaky roof before the rainy season began. MAP has been a partner of AP for the past three years and we are grateful for all they have done for us.

Janice Juszczak - Janice volunteered with AP from January to April 2010. She has continued to support us from home providing funds to purchase a brand new MacBookPro. This laptop will primarily serve our film program, but will be an enormous asset to our regular program as well.

Stephanie McMahon- Stephanie volunteered from October to January 2010 as an English teacher. We are grateful to her for the great goodies she sent from the U.S. (clothes, beads, footballs, toys, oh my!) Her friend Dominic Afzali who is a lawyer working in Cambodia was generous to bring these donations all the way from California.

Natalie Robbins- Natalie, the Grandmother of Director Ali Robbins, was generous to donate her laptop computer for Aziza's Place administrative needs. We are grateful that she took the plunge and switched to a MacBook, making her the most technologically savvy grandmother around.

Vafa Talieh- Vafa is a long time friend of AP Co-Founder Nader Ebrahimi and has been donating children's vitamins to Aziza's Place for many years. She generously gave a huge box of vitamins, medicine and books to a staff member returning to AP from the U.S. this month.

Sophie Cooper, Margarida Santos, and Riya Gosrani - These three remarkable girls, ages 9 to 11, from South Hempstead High School in London did a fundraiser for Aziza's Place before the end of the school year. Sophie is the daughter of the Aziza Foundation UK Trustee Adam Cooper. We thank them and their supportive classmates for helping AP.

Work Experence, Next Phase in Child Development Begins

As the school holiday from August to September commences so has the work experience program designed to introduce children fifteen and older with skill-building and responsibility. AP staff and volunteers are pairing up with eight children to support them in finding an internship in their field of interest. So far, four children have successfully begun their work placement. The children are matched with local business partners whose managers care for the growth and well being of the children. Weekly check-ins with their supervisors keeps the AP staff alert as to what type of work they are doing to ensure they are having a positive experience. Below, the internships of four residents are outlined.

Hair Stylist and Beautician- Eighteen year old Theara is working at Eriq Amtalla Hairdressing in Phnom Penh. Here she is learning the basics of being a hairdresser and beautician by professional stylists from around the world. As her teachers and many of the clientele are English speakers, she is gaining the added experience of learning the business through the English language. After only three weeks in this position her confidence has greatly improved.

Video Production Company Interns - Rotha, age sixteen and Chiev, age seventeen, are working with Mr. Tim Vann at his video production company. Mr. Vann is the current AP film education teacher and taught these two students in last year's film class. This work experience will expand upon their film production knowledge in a professional setting that includes working on television series and pilot projects.

Sales Clerk - Srey Mach, age fifteen, working at a local stationary store. Her experience revolves around customer service and business. She is now entering 9th grade and has expressed interest in going into business and management.

Along with work experience, the children will participate in workshops that begin the discussion and thought process for the future living outside of Aziza's Place. This includes talks with professionals in various industries. This program is in its early stages and will lead to support in finding vocational training, entering the job market, and applications for those eligible for university. The first graduate is expected next year.

AP supporters can join our initiative to help residents transition to adulthood by becoming a mentor. Mentoring is possible through guided and supervised emails with our residents. This is a great opportunity to share your experiences and advice. If you are interested in mentoring, simply reply to this newsletter email and we will send you more details. We will again call on our generous supporters when our graduates are preparing to attend university. At that time you will have the opportunity to sponosor a resident, with enrollment costs averaging about $500 per term. Aziza's Place is grateful to the community in Phnom Penh and around the world that is working to secure a future full of opportunity for our resident children.

AP Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary of Volunteer Cath Waugh

The children and staff of Aziza's Place are so lucky to have had Cath Waugh part of our lives for the past year. Cath is compassionate and hard working and a friend and confidant to all of us.

Cath was inspired to travel to Cambodia by her Khmer friend in New Zealand and after finding AP at idealist.org, volunteered teaching advanced English class for three months. Her love for Cambodia meant her few months became a year-long commitment and she took a job teaching at a private English school. While this new opportunity meant she could no long teach daily classes, she still committed to AP daily and worked on projects such as the website and volunteer blog. Cath never missed a weekend field trip and tutored students in the evening.

Cath, Sreymom, and the New Zealand Community

Cath is involved with a very strong and generous church community back in New Zealand and keeps them up to date with life at AP. This involvement encouraged a New Zealand youth group Equippers Church Kids (all of whom are under 12 years old) to hold a Christmas fundraiser to provide new clothing for the AP residents. Her reach extended even further when she became involved in the future of Sreymom, an older sister of an AP resident who was caught in human trafficking. Cath worked hard to find the Open Arms Training Program, a year long vocational training program that sponsors women in vulnerable situations. While the Open Arms stipend was very generous, Sreymom would still need supplemental income for daily living. Cath again pulled together support from New Zealand (read more in the next article).

Cath took a much deserved six week trip to Europe in July 2010. We are so grateful to Cath for her constant generosity and friendship. Thank goodness she is coming back for six more months. We will do our best to convince her to never leave.