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