News from Aziza's Place: October - November

Dear friends of Aziza's Place,

As the Aziza's Place residents get older, they embrace opportunities to step outside and take on new responsibilities. In this month's Courtyard newsletter the eldest AP residents are proud to share their experiences of their completed summer internships. We all saw these six residents return from their workplaces with a sense of purpose and responsibility, a sense of independence and confidence, as they all took on new roles and learned wide-ranging skills relevant to their unique areas of interest.

Another display of initiative and creativity was demonstrated by five AP residents who took up a request to put together a documentary for a local NGO in Phnom Penh. Earlier this year we connected with Attitude Centre for Education (ACE) who provided valuable leadership training courses for Aziza's Place residents. These residents look up to the ACE staff as positive and encouraging role models and were delighted to utilise their skills in film production as a way of giving something in return for their learning from ACE. Read below for further details about their film project.

Other significant news at Aziza's Place is the arrival of a new resident. Navin (Vin) is eight years old, and younger brother to one of our long-time residents Rotha. Vin has settled in quickly and was excited to join in a fieldtrip to Koh Kong in early November. This was a wonderful welcome to the Aziza’s Place family and an occasion to spend quality time with all the AP residents and staff. This trip was a three day adventure to a province of Cambodia where most of the AP children and staff had never been before. We were delighted that previous volunteer Hayley Carter could join us and for the three weeks she came to visit. We welcome Hayley back and in this newsletter say a big thank you to volunteers Raelan Barbosa and Peter Levitan. As with all our volunteers, they both brought unique insights to Aziza’s Place, providing valuable support for the AP staff and children.

Yours Gratefully,
Aziza's Place

Join us on Facebook • Watch our Video •  Visit our Website

Meet the AP residents • See photos of AP's latest activities on Facebook

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Thank you for your generosity in October and November:

Matthias Witzel • Rotary Club of Southport Links

HEROtsc • Hayley Carter's Community of family and work colleagues • Mohammad A Ashur

Michelle Dubyk • Fatma Rufai • Tara Haggiag • Marcela Granados 
 

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Aziza’s Place Welcomes New Resident, Navin (Vin)

Vin enjoyed getting to know the other AP

residents and staff during a fieldtrip to

Koh Kong.

We are all excited to welcome 8-year old Von Navin (Vin) to Aziza’s Place. Vin is younger brother to long-time resident Rotha (17years). Rotha quickly took Vin under his wing after his arrival in October, helping him study and adapt to the AP routines and activities. Although he has a quiet personality, Vin has already become good friends with the other boys his age. He has entered public school in Grade 2.

Vin previously lived in an extremely remote rural area of Battambang province with his mum, who raises her family alone after her husband passed away from illness several years ago. Without any land for growing rice or crops it is very difficult to make ends meet. Both Rotha and his mother requested for Vin to come to Aziza’s Place. After visiting and assessing their situation, AP staff agreed that Vin met the criteria to join Aziza’s Place at the beginning of the school year. Previously Vin would walk for more than 1 hour each way to access school at a local pagoda in the province. However the quality of education in rural areas is limited, as apparent with Vin still learning the Khmer alphabet after three years of study. Now Vin goes to public school with the other AP residents, a short 2minute walk away. With the supplementary classes at Aziza’s Place in Khmer, Maths, Computer Studies and English, Vin has already shown he is a bright student and will be able to advance his learning considerably in the next few years. We see Rotha and Vin strengthening their family bond and look forward to seeing Vin grow up alongside his brother at Aziza’s Place.

AP's Eldest Residents Reflect on their Summer Work Internship Experiences

Rotha enjoyed gaining experience in IT

development during his internship at 

NokorIT in Phnom Penh. 

Last month the Internship Program came to a close after many months of hard work and dedication from the students and staff. The internships began August 1st and were completed at the end of September. Many months of planning went into the program, as the students participated in a number of job preparation trainings where they learned a variety of skills necessary before entering the workforce. The six participants did an amazing job sourcing their internships independently in the area of their individual interests.

AP staff conducted a number of monitoring field visits to the students placements to see the work environments first hand and develop a relationship with the students supervisors. The students completed a ‘Midway Report’ halfway through their internships, which encouraged them to reflect on their experiences and create goals for the remainder of their placements. Once the internships were completed, each participant presented photo’s during a final presentation that summarized their experience overall.

Each student had a unique experience as they describe in the following paragraphs:

Chanty : Chanty worked as an Art and English teacher at a local organization, ELIC. He is a talented artist with a passion for encouraging others to express themselves through art. He enthusiastically biked to his internship every day eager to see his students. “I feel so happy to work at ELIC. I enjoy it there. I like all the kids and they like me.”

Theara : Having previously worked in a salon, Theara decided to continue on this path and spend her internship at SreyMom Beauty Salon. She developed a close relationship with her supervisor, and is eager to spend more time at the salon whenever she can. “My favorite part of my internship is learning about manicure and makeup.”

Rotha : Rotha spent his internship at Nokor-IT, a Phnom Penh based international IT company. He has a special interest in web design and applications. He integrated well with his colleagues and received positive feedback from his supervisor. “I felt surprised about people there because they are very friendly people and kind to me.”

Chiev : Architect Design Intelligence (ADI) welcomed Chiev for his internship. Taking a strong interest in architecture, Chiev was happy to learn about building, landscape and interior design, site planning, making model homes and more. “My favorite part of my internship is to make models and drawing plans.”

Sreymach : Sreymach was welcomed into LySrey Vyna Medical Clinic for her internship. With an interest in the medical field, she gained valuable experience by organizing the medicine, learning how to read medicine labels, and improving her communication skills while occasionally acting as the clinic cashier. “They teach me a lot, and really want me to know what it is like being a doctor”

Ven Sophy : Ven spent his internship at Vulnerable Children Assistance Organization (VCAO), an organization in the Phnom Penh dumpsite community of Steung Meanchey, serving underprivileged children. Ven taught a class of 20-25 children basic computer programs. “They (the students) like me and they always say hi to me, they want to learn from me, and the teachers there like me!"

Overall, we are very proud of the internships students and are excited to continue the program next year!

AP Film Students Produce Promotional Film for ACE

Sreymach and Chiev - filming in action. 

As mentioned in previous Courtyard Newsletters the Aziza’s Place Film Program was a groundbreaking program in Cambodia, started in 2009. For the first year of the program five Aziza’s Place residents took part and another two residents completed the program in its second year. These residents have all maintained their enthusiasm for film production. In August this year Chiev, Ny, Theara, Cheng and Sreymach took their learning to the next level by producing a film for the Attitude Centre for Education (ACE) a Khmer-run NGO located in Phnom Penh.

During participation in life-learning courses run by ACE, their staff were impressed by the AP film students' motivation and passion for making films, and their previous film projects. They subsequently asked the residents if they would be willing to create a promotional film for ACE. The five AP residents mentioned above agreed to commit their time to the project during their break from Khmer Public School. They have been delighted to maintain a strong partnership with ACE, whose staff are all encouraging, positive and strong role models for them. ACE staff were impressed by the professionalism, team approach and commitment to the project displayed by the AP residents as they worked together to write a script, film and edit to produce a final product. ACE will use the film to promote and raise funds for the many great projects they run. The AP film students were excited to utilise their skills for the benefit of others while boosting their own sense of confidence and independence by taking on such a valuable project. See the film the AP residents created here.

Aziza’s Place Residents and Staff Enjoy a Trip to Koh Kong:

Everyone enjoyed a refreshing time together during a trip

to Koh Kong.

Thanks to the Generosity of Mr. Matthias Witzel, Rotary Club of Southport Links, HEROtsc and Previous Volunteer Hayley Carter's Community of Family and Work Colleagues

This month the Aziza’s Place residents and staff were all privileged to enjoy a refreshing trip to Koh Kong – a beautiful location on the coast of Cambodia, close to the Cambodia/Thailand border. This was the first time most of the residents and staff had been to this province so it was an adventure for all. The field trip was made possible through the sponsorship of generous donors, including Mr. Matthias Witzel, the Rotary Club of Southport Links, HEROtsc, and previous volunteer Hayley Carter's community of family and work colleagues.

AP children and staff all enjoyed the trip immensely. The itinerary included outings to waterfalls, swimming, relaxing on the beach, exploring mangrove forests, and a visit across the Thai border. The children were eager to capture all these highlights through numerous photographs, some of which can be seen here on facebook. We are so grateful to the generous contributions provided for the trip, which became a fantastic opportunity for the children and staff to spend quality time together, to take time out of the city and to see and learn more about their country.

Volunteers Raelan Barbosa and Peter Levitan Utilise their Expertise to Support Aziza’s Place

Peter enjoys time with Ven at a Special Dinner (left);

Volunteer Rae spent September and October at

Aziza's Place (right).

September and October brought new volunteers to Aziza’s Place, who were each able to provide support through their areas of specialty and expertise.

After learning of Aziza’s Place during her travels, Raelan Barbosa from Canada was drawn to the idea of volunteering for two months and contributing her expertise as a social worker with the AP staff who work daily with the AP residents. Rae’s volunteering at Aziza’s Place opened up an opportunity for the AP staff to evaluate our discipline and rewards strategies together. She offered valuable recommendations and new ideas that encouraged the staff as they work together to maintain a positive environment for the day-to-day life of the Aziza’s Place residents. Rae also provided extra support by working on various administrative tasks, teaching English classes with the AP Housemom’s, and tutoring support for the youngest residents. She quickly fitted into the day-to-day activities of Aziza’s Place and her two months volunteering flew by rapidly. We thank Rae for her valuable input and hope to see her back to visit Aziza’s Place sometime in the near future!

The arrival of Peter Levitan in October was also very timely. Peter’s experience in marketing fitted in well with the water pump project mentioned in our previous newsletter. Peter visited Aziza’s Place for three weeks and worked closely with AP’s English teacher Rob Rushworth to fine-tune strategies for developing the water pump project; to capture its practical application and potential to meet a vital need for many households in rural Cambodia, while keeping the AP residents involved so they learn throughout this process of project development. Peter also used this project as a focus in presenting a workshop of basic marketing concepts to the two advanced AP English classes. Peter’s input provided valuable insight for which we are so appreciative – we look forward to keeping connected!

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 - September

Dear Friends of Aziza's Place,

The summer break from public school certainly doesn't mean the learning stops at Aziza's Place. These last two months have been a time of extra learning and adventures for all the AP residents and a special time for two residents who experienced many 'firsts' during their trip to the UK with Co-Founder Amjad Ghori.

August was an exciting time for visitors, with Amjad visiting AP for the third time this year. We were also delighted to meet Aziza's Place supporter Jenny Dutton who visited for the first time and long-time supporters (through Basmati), Raphaël Surber and Susanne Jäger who came as part of their annual visit to Aziza's Place. All the guests were present for Family Night during which the AP residents performed a well-practiced rendition of 'The Girl Who Cried Wolf', along with a dramatic Khmer dance performance.

As highlighted further below, all the AP residents took part in an exciting new project guided by English teacher Rob that gave the children an opportunity to think practically, problem-solve and even introduced them to physics as they worked together to build a water pump which transports water across horizontal or vertical distances, built with items found in most Cambodian households.

Just prior to the commencement of the 2011-2012 academic year at the Khmer Public Schools, the AP residents were all involved in an Enrolment campaign in the Steung Meanchey community, encouraging families to enrol their children in their local school before this date.

Finally, we want to express our sincere appreciation for the commitment and dedication shown by Intern Elodie Douillard-Potet during her time volunteering at Aziza's Palce for the last five months, and to Maxime Rovere who came to AP for all of August to experience Aziza's Place first-hand. And we were delighted to see former volunteer Emma Horsfall when she returned to Cambodia for a 10-day visit. We are all ever so appreciative of the unique contributions that each of our volunteers brings to Aziza's Place.

Yours Gratefully,

Aziza's Place

 

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This month we thank you for your generosity:

Basmati-Authentic Help - Raphaël Surber and Susanne Jäger

Jenny Dutton • John Xu and Grace Xi Chen (Give Me A Chance Charity)

Hannah Cooper, Anna Allen and Zaria McClement (South Hampstead High School)

Terranova Family • Lisa D'Aguiar

 

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New Experiences for Two AP Residents Exploring the UK

Cheng and Ny enjoying new foods and flavours

during their trip to the UK.  Pictured here Cheng and

Ny are accompanied by 2010 volunteers Hayley and

Emma, and Hayley's friend Nick, in Manchester, England.   

In August 2011, two AP residents, Ny and Cheng, were the recipients of an 11-day trip to England as a reward for their leadership skills and all-round achievements at Aziza's Place. Cheng was hosted by AP's Co-founder Amjad Ghori while Ny was hosted by Adam Cooper (a Trustee of the Aziza Foundation UK) and his family. They also stayed with former volunteer Hayley Carter, who acted as their tour guide on a visit to her hometown of Manchester. Their English-speaking abilities impressed all who met them, and their character and poise in an unfamiliar culture and surroundings made them exceptional representatives of Aziza’s Place. See here for an insight into Ny and Cheng's UK memories, captured through photographs taken with their new cameras donated by Jenny Dutton - a first-time visitor and Supporter of Aziza's Place. When asked to describe their experience of leaving Cambodia for the first time and travelling so far away, Ny and Cheng had the following to say about their journey:

"My Favorite Crazy Adventure" - Ny Expresses Her Impressions of the UK:

  Hello my name is Channy (Ny). I am 14 years old. I arrived at Aziza’s Place on August 13, 2007.
  I really enjoyed my time in the UK. Everything was just like a new world for me. It was my first time on a plane, on a train and also to be outside of my country. I couldn’t believe that I was on the plane on the way to London. I felt very excited.
  Whenever the plane went up and down all my blood went down to my feet. I felt like there was nothing in my body, I got sick. It was a very long flight for me. 
  England is very different compared to Cambodia. The buildings are very organized. The traffic is different, in London they drive on the opposite side of the road than in Cambodia. It was very confusing. The temperature was very cold for me; on the first night when I slept I wore jeans because I was so cold! It was very strange also when I came back from a movie and it was 8:30 pm and was still light. I was wondering like what!!?? 8 pm and it's still light!!! It was very funny because in Cambodia it is always dark at 6 pm.
  This was one of my favorite crazy adventures that I won’t ever forget!

"London is very different to Cambodia!" - Cheng describes his UK Experience:

  Hello my name is Cheng and I am 15 years old. I have been at Aziza’s Place for four years. I am really enjoying living at Aziza’s Place because they give me education, fun and help to give me a new life.

  I went to London with another resident from AP, Ny, and I was very happy. It was my first time on a plane, train and also my first time leaving my country. When I got there I went shopping with Amjad, his friend Irina and Ny and on the way back I took pictures in the park. That evening I went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant and after that I went to a movie. I really enjoyed it because it was my first time to do these things in my life.

  The next morning I went to Hyde Park, it was very beautiful. The day after that I went to Amjad’s office to meet his friends who were very nice people. Then we all had lunch and I had Chicken Pasta and Salad. It was really good!

  London is very different to Cambodia. Eating was different because they don’t eat rice every day like I do at home. In the future I want to continue my studies in London if I can because the people were really nice, they have a good university and I am really impressed with their technology.

AP Residents Enthusiastically Take Part in Cambodia's National Education Campaign

Chiev places an enrolment

poster on a fence in the

Steung Meanchey community,

encouraging families to

register their children in school.

As a member of the Cambodia’s collaborative NGO Education Partnership (NEP), Aziza’s Place participated in the nationwide education campaign to encourage Cambodian families to enroll their children in public school. The children of Aziza’s Place were excited to share the positive education message and distribute posters for families in Steung Meanchey (previously Phnom Penh’s dumpsite). The main objectives of NEP’s 2011 education campaign for Cambodia are to:

• “increase the enrolment rate by encouraging more parents to register and support their children for schooling;
• ensure that all children, girls and boys, have the same opportunity to attend school;
• raise awareness among communities on the importance of education as a key to break the cycle of poverty, making parents aware of their responsibility to bring children to school”.

The AP children all took these messages on board and felt privileged to share in the responsibility to talk with families in their community, encouraging others to see the importance of education. Dressed in bright white Aziza’s Place t-shirts, the AP children broke into groups of 4-5, initiating discussions with parents and children and putting up posters in prominent places among the houses built atop the dumpsite. The children at Aziza’s Place show every day in their hard work and dedication to learning that education is not something to be taken for granted in Cambodia. This was reinforced again in their eagerness to share the positive education messages to the people in their own community.

AP Residents Keep Active with Summer Break Activities

AP residents Roth and Sreyphea
collect and measure the water
transported vertically using the
second water pump model. 

Innovative Do-It-Yourself projects take a lot of trial-and-error, patience, testing, calculating, recording, and making improvements by thinking outside the box. The AP residents are all learning these attributes as they take on an exciting new project guided by English teacher Rob. The project introduces a basic water pump, all constructed with items found in most Cambodian households. The pump can be used to transport water vertically or across horizontal distances and does not require petrol, diesel or any other fuel for operation. As the children know well, these water transport needs are very relevant to life in Cambodia, particularly in the countryside where many households lack access to electricity and where people are required to walk long distances to access water for home or farm use.

In the last two months the AP residents worked with Rob to develop two versions of the water pump. The first model pumped water from the ground to the first level of the Aziza’s Place building (a vertical height of 3.1 meters) at a rate of just over 2 liters in 3 minutes, using hosepipe, a bucket, and physical arm-power (to rotate the bucket). All calculations were made by the AP residents. They are currently working with models that can later be scaled up in size for increased capacity. Their efforts to make improvements with the second model were impressive. Adding in a bicycle wheel and adjusting the hosepipe to work more effectively, the second water pump moved 10 times the volume of water – 21.7 liters of water up a vertical height of 3.1 meters in 3 minutes! The next step has been to power the water pump using a swing. You can see the children enjoying these results on video here.

The project has been recorded online for others around the world to participate, make comments and try their hand at producing improved results. See the Water Pump Instructions online. The AP children have been inspired – we all look forward to seeing their future results from the next new and improved versions!

AP Residents Inspired by AMK Bank Presentation

Nang Kinal from AMK Bank shares about his own
work experience, with the high school residents
of Aziza's Place. 

Through the AP Internship Program the eldest residents have been learning invaluable skills and know-how relevant to the working world and to their field of interest. Their perspectives have been broadened and they can visualize widened options and renewed goals for their futures. As further encouragement to build on their aspirations, the high-school aged residents were all inspired by a presentation from Nang Kinal (Head of Marketing) of Angkor Mikroheranhvatho Kampuchea (AMK) Bank. Kinal described the typical path for working in AMK bank – through internships, university studies, work promotions and experience – and illustrated how this experience is applicable to all aspirations, encouraging the AP teenagers to pursue their goals, take up opportunities to increase their skill-base and take a step-by-step approach in building up their knowledge and capabilities to fulfill their dreams.

The second part of Kinal‘s presentation encouraged the residents to think about saving. With AMK specifically directed towards working with people from low-income circumstances by providing a range of tailored micro-finance services, Kinal highlighted that everyone can save. He talked about the reward and satisfaction of saving for a purpose. The AP residents found the presentation thought-provoking, identifying some ideas they had heard before, but coming away with a fresh perspective. We are appreciative for AMK continuing to connect with Aziza’s Place in a partnership that we look forward to continuing into the future.

Special Thanks to Elodie for Five Months of Service to AP; Thank You to Volunteer Maxime; And Welcome Back to Previous Volunteer Emma!

Left:  Intern Elodie with Bopha.  Right: Maxime

explains basic concepts of the French language

to AP residents. 

Aziza’s Place sends a special thanks to volunteer Elodie Douillard-Potet from France who became a big part of the Aziza’s Place family during her recent five-month residency. Her university studies (at Université De Franche-Comté in France) focusing on Project Management were put into practice as she guided the children in various projects during the months she spent as an Intern at AP. Elodie was perceptive in identifying areas where the children could expand their knowledge, and connected with other organizations and individuals to implement various workshops and learning opportunities for the children and AP staff. She organized a successful first-aid workshop, a hip-hop dance class and photography workshops for the children and guided a number of other projects with the children. Elodie also became a good friend to the AP House Moms as she taught English and started Computer classes with them. Elodie was always dedicated and hard-working – we already miss her smile around Aziza’s Place. We’re very happy to hear she will be back in Cambodia in 2012 to work in an orphanage (where she volunteered in 2010) on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, and look forward to her visits. Thank you Elodie!

Maxime Rovere came to Aziza's Place in August, timing his trip with Amjad's (AP Co-Founder) third trip to AP for the year. Previously working with Amjad, Maxime had heard a lot about life at Aziza's Place and was inspired to contribute his time to volunteer with the children at AP. Maxime is from France and was able to teach French language lessons to five enthusiastic residents. He also taught English and Computer classes with the AP House-Moms while enjoying volleyball and football games with the children during his free time. The children and staff enjoyed Maxime's energy and the older boys especially loved having some competitive spirit added to the volleyball court! We wish Maxime all the best with continuing his studies of Finance in France.

We were also excited to see the return of volunteer Emma Horsfall during her visit to Cambodia for 10 days in August. Her previous students Ream, Sreynak and Lina were especially delighted to see her again. Emma volunteered at Aziza's Place in 2010 but has kept in touch. It was lovely to see her again and for the youngest residents to show off their much improved English abilities since her time at AP just under one year ago. Thank you Emma, and all the best with your return to the UK.

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 - June/July

Dear friends,

  As the school year comes to a close for Cambodian Public School, the resident children of Aziza's Place get ready to embark on a change in their routines and activities for the next two months. The six eldest AP residents are eagerly anticipating new challenges and responsibilities as they seek to enter into work internship programs during August and September. In preparation, these AP residents have spent the month of July pushing past their fears and building confidence after identifying their own areas of interest and beginning the process of contacting people via email or phone calls. They then visited and interviewed for opportunities when potential openings arose. With each step they have assumed a new mantle of independence vital for their personal growth, while also providing them the chance to explore learning opportunities that match their goals through the internships they enter.

  In this same vein, some of the the AP residents have been participating in specially designed life skills activities in the last few weeks, including practicing their map-reading and orientation skills around Phnom Penh. Read below for further detail.

  Other AP children participated in a unique dance performance in a group of 100 children from five NGO's in Phnom Penh. The project spanned nine weeks of rehearsals, resulting in a powerful display of contemporary dance that expressed a message of environmental awareness. See photos on the AP Facebook page.

  While the AP children are pursuing their interests during the summer break, AP Staff are also involved in enriching their knowledge base. Soy Socheat participated in a week-long intensive Management Training Course conducted by a Cambodian organisation named VBNK which specialises in providing tailored programs for Cambodian managers.

  This month we also want to thank Rafick Ramadan for his commitment to Aziza's Place as he participates in the London Triathlon on July 31 and attempts to raise funds on behalf of The Aziza Foundation. We wish him all the best as he swim's, run's and cycles extraordinary distances for a worthy cause!

Yours Gratefully,

Aziza's Place

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This month we thank you for your support:

Carmel Lewin - Thames Wharf Charity • Marcia Bockol

A Norton (Encore Icons LLC) • Craig Nethercott • Network for Good

Kathleen Reardon • Mark Lameier • Mike Brennan

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Rafick Ramadan goes the extra mile for Aziza’s Place

Aziza's Place children send their best wishes

to Raf for his entry in the London Triathlon,

July 31st. 

  The London Triathlon would be a daunting thought for most of us – but not so for Rafick Ramadan (a work colleague at Credit Agricole: London Branch - of Co-Founder Amjad Ghori) who has committed to swim 1500 meters, cycle 40 kilometers and run 10 kilometers in this competitive event on July 31st. This London Triathlon is described as the largest triathlon in the world with more than 13,000 entrants participating. Aside from the impressive task of completing such an event, Rafick has also endeavored to raise £2,000 for The Aziza Foundation. Rafick has himself been a supporter of Aziza’s Place for the past several years and wanted to do something extra this year. Now friends and supporters can show their support for Rafick’s triathlon training and for The Aziza Foundation through Raf's Just Giving website. We are very grateful to Raf's commitment to Aziza's Place and wish the best for a successful effort! Thank You Raf and Good luck!!

Six Eldest Residents Prepare for Summer Internships

Rotha heading out to pursue his interest in

Computer Technology for a two month

work internship.

  Embracing opportunity is a key value and main focus of our efforts at AP. The Cambodian public school closes from August 1st to October 1st, and we viewed this time as a great opportunity for some of our residents to gain valuable work experience through volunteer internship placements.

  Our six eldest residents have been participating in a specially tailored in-house Career Counseling program for the past several months and now have the opportunity to put what they've learned to the test. The program began with encouraging each of these older residents to embrace their natural talents and skills, and to think about how they could evolve these into their career interests. Through this process, each participant identified a career or job in which they expressed strong interest. The Career Counseling program assisted in fostering their unique passions and different areas of interest, including computer technology, the medical field, creative arts, architecture and hairdressing. In June, the eldest residents began searching for internship placements based on their particular career interest. As they were undertaking a job search for the first time, we guided them through this process.

  To assist the participants, a ‘Job Seeking Strategy’ workshop was conducted by the Attitude Centre for Education (a Phnom Penh-based local NGO) which focused on several basic skills necessary to enter the Cambodian job market: how to write and build a CV, interview skills, and how to use local Cambodian resources to search for jobs and internship placements. The AP teenagers very much enjoyed the course, and are utilizing their new skills daily in their efforts to land a summer internship. In addition, we have had many preparation sessions, one-on-one meetings, and provided them with strategic timelines and guidelines to ease the load.

  Their progress to date has been impressive. These six eldest residents have overcome their initial fears and have made great headway towards landing internships of their liking. We will continue to follow their progress and provide updates of their work and accomplishments during their two month internship period.

AP Teenagers Practice Valuable Life Skills



Venn, Cheng, Sreymach and Ny read maps

of Phnom Penh before heading out on bicycles

to find specific locations in the city. 



This month, our residents began participating in new and exciting ‘Life Skills’ activities. With summer vacation on the horizon and public school classes slowing down, we have had a great opportunity to create a variety of valuable life skills activities for the AP teenagers to participate in during their free time.

  As residents of Phnom Penh, it is extremely important for the children to understand the geography of their city and be able to navigate the main roads.    The activities thus far have been focusing on navigation and map reading skills, reading addresses and being able to locate them accordingly, and seeking the help of others when necessary. In pairs, the AP high school residents have been going on small scavenger hunts around Phnom Penh, looking for specific locations provided to them and answering questions based on the location they have been sent to.

  However the streets and signage in Phnom Penh can often be difficult to follow, thus providing them with a challenging yet rewarding task. Finding an exact location sometimes requires that the children ask others (shop owners, motodop drivers, pedestrians, etc) for help in pinpointing the place they are looking for. As the AP teenagers have discovered, this is a skill in itself, as being able to reach out for help and use people as a resource is often crucial in achieving success.

  The AP residents have enjoyed the activities and often return to Aziza’s Place with smiles and stories. We look forward to continuing these important activities and developing their skills further.



Be Prepared: International SOS Staff Teach Basic First Aid Training at Aziza's Place



Senior Nurse Theavy teaching Sreythy the

art of bandaging a severe bleeding wound.  

Sreythy then practiced on Bopha as her patient. 

 An exciting event took place in June thanks to the initiative of volunteer Elodie Douillard-Potet who has been researching and arranging extra learning opportunities for the Aziza’s Place children and staff. Elodie connected with staff from the International SOS Phnom Penh Medical Clinic and arranged a half-day basic first-aid training course for everyone at Aziza’s Place. The workshop was an interactive afternoon of learning as the children and staff all absorbed vital skills to prepare them for unexpected emergency situations.

  The workshop was arranged by International SOS staff Sotheavy Sok, Ed Creagan, Aine Flanagan and Gareth Bright. Senior Nurse Theavy and Paramedic Ed led the training session with demonstrations and activities for the children also to take part in. They introduced:

• techniques and methods for responding to situations of danger; 
• a step-by-step process to follow if someone is choking – including strong back slaps to dislodge the airway obstruction, the Heimlich Maneuver if choking is serious, chest compressions, placing the patient into the recovery position;
• the appropriate response for a person with serious bleeding;
• and the response for a person with broken or fractured bones.

  The workshop presented a lot of information which was all taught in an interactive manner that enabled the children to get involved and grasp important practical skills. Upon completion of the workshop the children and staff were all presented with certificates to congratulate them on their new knowledge. See photos on the Aziza's Place facebook page. The children were also delighted to share this knowledge with their parents and siblings during the Aziza’s Place June Family Night that soon followed the workshop activity.

  Many thanks to the staff of International SOS Phnom Penh Medical Clinic for taking the time to arrange and develop the first-aid training for the Aziza’s Place children and staff. Everyone enjoyed the activity and came away with invaluable skills and knowledge.

AP Director Soy Socheat Steps Up for VBNK Management Training

AP Director of Programs, Soy Socheat, with

Sengkry, Roth and Theara. 

Staff training is an important focus for Aziza’s Place as a means of developing the capacity of individual staff members and in turn, developing the organization itself. This month Aziza’s Place Director of Programs, Soy Socheat, attended a Management Course run by VBNK – a local organization focused on improving the effectiveness and quality of development practice and management in the social development sector in Cambodia. To do this VBNK offers management and leadership development training courses, facilitation, coaching and consultancy for local and international organizations working within this sector.

Socheat participated in VBNK’s five-day management workshop, ‘Managing Your People’, which provides managers with effective Human Resource Management tools so they can improve the performance of their organization. The topics the course covered included:

• Dynamic roles and competencies of managers
• How to work effectively with different views of people in the workplace
• Methods of delegation and staff motivation
• Building teams through effective communication
• Individual and organizational learning
• Implementing effective appraisal and evaluation systems for staff

Previously Socheat has had little formal training in the field of Management and so he was eager to enhance his capabilities with outside support from specialists. He said the training taught him valuable tools and processes that can make a difference to the effectiveness of the organization as a whole. He said he enjoyed hearing about ways for staff to be motivated, for goal-setting and evaluation, for effective relationship-building and communication from a management perspective, and for staff to build their skills within the workplace and develop as individuals, making for an environment of growth and learning. He came away with a multitude of new perspectives and insights which he was excited to absorb and now implement within his Director role at 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 - May/June 2011

Dear friends of Aziza's Place,

In this edition of Courtyard we want to highlight the progress of AP’s resident children as they step-up and extend themselves through the variety of programs and activities that are an integral part of life at Aziza's Place. As each child grows and expands their horizons and capabilities, we, the Staff and Volunteers are also pushed to adapt and modify our programs to keep or get a few steps ahead of each resident child’s tireless quest to learn and grow.

A first and significant major development is our good-fortune in convincing Rob Rushworth to sign on as a permanent English teacher for the four AP English classes. Many of the AP residents have been studying English for more than four years with the help of our many volunteers who eagerly took on the teaching responsibilities during their time spent at Aziza’s Place. Our very varied volunteer universe provided our resident children with an incredible opportunity to learn English while also exposing them to the volunteers' different backgrounds and experiences. While each child made tremendous strides in learning the language, particularly their speaking abilities, we recognized that for further improvements and for the children to step up to new levels, they clearly require a skilled teacher to lead them by developing a consistent and structured English program.

Another major development last month was the opportunity for the eldest residents to attend a leadership and personal development training course and learn skills which they’ve since had a chance to employ by playing a role in organising the May Family Night and in other fun activities with the remaining residents. See below for further details.

Our final important endeavour this month was coming to the aid of the family of an AP resident who reached out to Aziza's Place for support when their house collapsed into a pile of wooden planks and rubble with the onset of Cambodia’s rainy season, which typically begins in May/June every year. Aziza's Place supplied some much-needed building materials as part of our continued commitment to help our resident children, their families and their communities.

Other highlights featured this month are: a warm welcome to Elodie Douillard-Potet as an intern from the Université De Franche - Comté(France); and grateful acknowledgement of a $6,000 ’Enterprise’ grant, received from Global Fund for Children (GFC), an organization dedicated to help many worthy projects around the world that focus on improving the lives of children.

Yours Gratefully,

Aziza's Place

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Thank you for your contributions in May/June:

Special appreciation is extended to Bridie Ryan, grandmother of previous volunteer Hayley Carter.  Her donation to Aziza's Place was made in memory of her husband, Jim Ryan.

Thank you also to: Peter Tabri • Stephanie McMahon • Thomas Ragot

AP is delighted to receive support from the Global Fund for Children

AP residents prepare to take a bow after their role-play

performance during May's Family Night event. 

Aziza's Place is honored to become a recipient of a $6,000 'Enterprise' grant from Global Fund for Children (GFC), an organisation that 'provides capital to strengthen innovative community-based organisations serving the most vulnerable children and youth'. GFC awarded their first grant in 1997 and now Aziza's Place is priviliged to join nearly 500 other GFC grant recipients and partners who come from 78 countries around the world. In assessing eligibility for the grant GFC prioritises organisations who focus on the most vulnerable children; organisations who are rooted in their community and operate with community input; organisations that illustrate effectiveness and that empower children being served; those that emphasize innovation, strong leadership, adaptability, potential for sustainability; and those that have a recognised and trusted reputation. The 'Enterprise' portfolio focuses on programs that recognise the holistic educational, economic and social skills that vulnerable children and youth require to develop into productive adults.

The funding from the GFC grant will go a long way in strengthening the programs offered at Azíza's Place. We are delighted to be able to use the funding to deepen our life-skills programs for the eldest AP residents, to invest into holistic counseling programs for all the children, to improve staff capacity through training courses, and to contribute towards the salary of our permanent English teacher. We look forward to fulfilling these opportunities and to building a long and successful partnership with GFC.