The city of Phnom Penh clears out in mid-April as Cambodians travel to the countryside to celebrate the Khmer New Year. This is a special time for Khmer's to be with their family and friends and take part in traditions that prepare for a successful year. Imagine the fear of one Aziza's Place resident who returned to her province to find that her family had been evicted from their land. Despite owning a land title, the government sold the land to a large sugar cane production company. In compensation, her family received a small plot of land without property rights. Their livelihood has been severely affected without hope of ever being fairly compensated.
In spite of overarching challenges like these in Cambodia, Aziza's Place is a stable, long and short-term resource for children and their families. Our education and development programs strive to prepare children for a future of opportunity, while our community outreach works with families to find solutions for their immediate needs. In this edition of the Courtyard, you will see 5 short films directed and produced by AP film students. The films were made as part of our Film Education program which prepares our children with a vocational skill but (like many of our other programs) also allows them to express their creative voice. As invested members of the AP community, thank you for supporting our efforts on the ground. From the Aziza's Place family to yours, we say Susaday Chol Chnam Thmey! Happy Khmer New Year!
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