Courtyard Archive

News from Aziza's Place: October - November

2011-11-29T23:38:00.000-08:00

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)

2011-11-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-29T23:30:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-29T23:25:00.000-08:00

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:

2011-11-29T23:19:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-29T20:51:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-29T20:37:00.000-08:00

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

2011-09-30T02:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-30T02:24:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-30T02:20:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-30T02:15:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-30T02:09:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-09-30T02:03:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

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

News from Aziza's Place - June/July

2011-07-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

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

News from Aziza's Place - May/June 2011

2011-06-16T00:57:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-16T00:56:00.002-07:00

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.

AP English Program is Advanced to the Next Level

2011-06-16T00:56:00.001-07:00

Rob with the Beginner English class -

Ream, Sreynak and Lina.

Exciting news for the Aziza's Place English program came about in early May when we welcomed Rob Rushworth to the AP team as a permanent English teacher. Rob’s enthusiasm for teaching English is infectious and the children have all been challenged and inspired to learn more through projects he has initiated in each of the four classes. Rob originally hails from England, but has been living in Cambodia for the past six years and has wide-ranging English teaching experience in Phnom Penh schools as well as in less formal teaching environments - including his own initiative, teaching the children in his residential neighbourhood.

Aziza's Place education program recognizes the importance of learning the English language, particularly when considering the job-market opportunities that English skills open up. In the past the AP residents have enjoyed the different insights and contributions from our volunteers who have all provided their own uniqueness in teaching the English classes. However in order to make our English program a priority we recognised that the benefits of hiring an experienced English teacher on a long-term basis are essential. Rob's expertise and experience will nurture the children's English capabilities in a structured way, focusing on all aspects of English learning including speaking, listening, writing, reading and grammar. He has already provided insight into simple ways to improve the program such as developing a pace of learning suitable for each class, restructuring the classes for balance and variety and to place each resident in their appropriate level. He is also developing a project-based approach that incorporates all aspects of language learning whilst combining other vital skills such as internet research for the eldest classes, and creativity in presentation with colorful posters produced by the youngest classes.

Rob, we welcome you to the Aziza's Place team!

AP’s 9 Eldest Residents Attend 'Attitude Forum'

2011-06-16T00:56:00.000-07:00

(Top) AP's eldest residents attending the

Attitude Forum. (Bottom) Chiev in front

of the ACE entrance.

In early May, AP’s 9 eldest residents attended a 2-day “Attitude Forum” training course, conducted by Sokchea Saing, the director of the ‘Attitude Centre for Education’ (ACE). ACE is a Phnom Penh based organization with the mission to equip young people with the leadership skills and the confidence to bring about positive change in Cambodia, and to support them in becoming effective role models in their communities.

The “Attitude Forum” focused on many aspects of character development and learning to understand the world around you as a young adult. Some elements of the course included:

• the effectiveness of conflict resolution

• the importance of developing good relationships between family, friends and the community

• improving self confidence, bravery, and leadership capacity

• utilizing teamwork to build social and working network

• embracing change in a positive way

After the course, the participants shared their newly acquired knowledge and skills with the rest of the AP residents and staff in a presentation. Chiev was enthusiastic in sharing that "the best part of the training was learning to open my mind to learn how to communicate with other people", while Rotha reported that he enjoyed everything about the course - "I was really interested in learning about how to make a plan for my future". Theara talked about the value of having a positive attitude. It was a treat to listen to each of the attendees share all they learned and see how passionate and keen they were to share their information with the rest of the team.

Our residents were thrilled to participate in this creative, dynamic and participatory course and they returned to AP enthusiastic, empowered, and excited! They are filled with love and forgiveness, understanding and compassion and are ready and well equipped to build a harmonious and cohesive community around them. We would like to extend our thanks to ACE for providing our 9 eldest residents with such a positive and enriching experience, and we look forward to working with them again!

AP Residents Working Together Results in Successful Family Nights; and Delicious Spring Rolls!

2011-06-16T00:55:00.001-07:00

AP residents enjoy a 'spring-roll making' competition.

(Top left) Competition is underway. (Top right) The winning

team celebrate. (Bottom left) Vegetable preparation.

(Bottom right) Sreynat smiling brightly.

As a way to put the learning from activites such as the Attitude training into practice, we have been focusing on ways for the AP residents to be leaders, take on responsibilities, and work together. Family nights have become one way for our eldest residents to take on greater responsibilities. Each month two of the eldest residents will take charge and work together to choreograph / arrange the performances, decide who will act as MC's and develop the structure of the evening's events. The team in charge reports their plans and progress updates at two staff meetings during the month prior to the event. Chiev and Rotha took responsibility for May's Family Night, with a karate demonstration and a role-play being the main events of the evening. They also took charge of the decor, setting up the stage with curtains and decorating the walls with balloons. It was heart-warming to see the young adults stepping up as leaders among their peers and working together to create a successful family night event.

Children's Day on June 1 was also a fun, simple and innovative way for the children to demonstrate their ability to work together in friendly competition with each other. All 21 AP residents were split into three teams and participated in a 'Masterchef'-style competition with the aim to make the most delicious spring rolls! Each team had their own style as they raced to the market to purchase vegetable-fillings and return to AP to chop the food and prepare delicious and beautiful cuisine for the staff to taste as the judges. One team illustrated efficiency and effectiveness with specialised roles for each team-member, while another team showed off their skills in creating artistic decorations and the third team tried mixing up the flavours with their fillings and sauces. The event was a great success providing an opportunity for the children to work together and demonstrate their skills in developing strategies and teamwork - while also revealing an unprecedented enthusiasm for eating vegetables! See more photos on the AP facebook page. We all look forward to the next round of competition.

Rainy Season brings Housing Emergency for Family of AP Resident

2011-06-16T00:55:00.000-07:00

Through the Aziza's Place Community Outreach initiative we keep in close connection with the families of AP resident's. With regular contact with these families we reiterate our commitment to support them as a facilitator/connector to services in their living quarters and their respective communities.

With the onset of the rainy season in May, one family approached Aziza's Place to request support for the rebuilding of their house. The typical housing of families living at the Phnom Penh city dumpsite in Stung Meanchey is a simple one or two room structure, built on stilts to lift the house above the dirt and the rubbish underneath. The first rains of the rainy season quickly makes apparent the flimsiness of the wooden structures that have degenerated in the harsh environment. The family’s meagre income gained from collecting and selling recyclables provides little room for funds to be used during such emergency situations. When the house of one AP resident collapsed Aziza's Place contributed to the repair and rebuilding by providing nails and roofing materials. The family was able to contribute some of their own funding, while accessing some further support from other local NGO's. Such emergency situations make us painfully aware about the vulnerability of the families of the residents of Aziza’s Place and proud of our ability to help out as necessary.

Elodie Douillard-Potet Returns to Cambodia for Internship Role at Aziza's Place

2011-06-16T00:54:00.001-07:00

Elodie begins her Internship role at Aziza's

Place.

Aziza's Place is privileged to welcome Elodie Douillard-Potet who has joined us as an Intern from the Université De Franche-Comté in France. Elodie is helping to re-shape the Internship/Volunteer role at Aziza's Place. Previously, English teaching had been a large element of the volunteer role and now with the a permanent English teacher in place, our volunteers will have the opportunity to work on other projects during their stay and can apply their specialist skills to best suit the needs for supporting the children and staff.

As a component of her univeristy studies focused on Project Management, Elodie's internship involves developing projects with the AP children and staff. Elodie has been involved in wide-ranging roles, including: drawing up individual profiles for each of the children, working on ideas for connecting with other NGO's, teaching staff English classes, and coming up with some great ideas for the children's activities including the implementation of a first aid training workshop to be run by local staff from the International SOS Hospital.

An added feature of Elodie’s talent was showcased when she surprised the staff and children with her Khmer language skills within the first few days of her stay. Little did they realize that this was Elodie’s second visit to Cambodia and that she’d previously lived in Cambodia for nine months volunteering at an orphanage on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, approximately a year ago. Consequently, she seamlessly transitioned to the rhythm and way of life at Aziza’s Place and in Phnom Penh - as evidenced in her hiring of a moto within the first week of arrival! We thank Elodie for her dedication and hard work and for already coming up with many thoughtful ideas suited to the needs of the AP residents. We are thrilled she will remain at AP until the end of August and all look forward to enjoying the next three months learning, sharing and working together at Aziza's Place.

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

2011-06-16T00:54:00.000-07:00

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

News from Aziza's Place - April/May 2011

2011-05-10T21:34:00.004-07:00

Dear friends of Aziza's Place,

This month the AP Courtyard comes from the setting of Cambodia's hot, dry season. April is typically Cambodia's hottest month and this year has been no exception! April is therefore the perfect time for Cambodia's biggest nationwide holiday - Khmer New Year. This year we celebrated Khmer New Year with a party of games and fun at Aziza's Place just before most of the children headed home to spend some time with their families, most of whom return to their home provinces during this Holiday.

This month’s issue also features the successful culmination of three-month dance project undertaken by seven resident children of Aziza's Place in partnership with performers from other NGO's, Chibodia and New Future For Children. All the participants staged an eloquent modern-dance performance, displaying the results of the hard work and dedication invested by the children under the guidance of dance instructor Stephen Bimson.

As we have highlighted in previous issues of Aziza’s Courtyard, Aziza's Place integrates certain core values which we feel express our raison d’etre, namely: 'Respect - for ourselves, each other and our surrounding community; 'Honesty - we believe that trust is the foundation of a genuine relationship; 'Caring - looking out for each other each and every day; 'Unity - living as a family, listening to one another and working together'; and, 'Opportunity - embracing the chance to reach our potential'. These values embody the spirit and belief of Aziza's Place and are the basis on which we live as a community. This month we focus on how our emphasis on 'Opportunity' is advancing our Aziza's Place staff, who have been participating in workshops geared towards building and nurturing their capacity and their potential as a team. The workshops strengthened staff support and explored effective strategies for improving communication and problem solving while providing a healthy and positive learning environment for the children at Aziza's Place.

We (sadly :() extend our heartfelt thanks and farewell to volunteer Leila Antakly who has left a lasting impression with her love and dedication for the resident children of Aziza’s Place and with her remarkable fundraising efforts. We also give special recognition for the impact that former volunteer Hayley Carter has been making from her home in the UK with her fundraising efforts. Please read on for more detail!

With Gratitude,

The AP Team

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We would like to thank the people who supported Aziza's Place in April:

Susan and Arch Elving and the American Women of the Eastern Province (Saudi Arabia) for their generous annual donation

Ed Higham for the matching gift of his employer - New York Life

Mary Norton - a long-standing friend of the Ghori family

Kevin Ferguson - a friend of Aziza's Place intending to establish a new project in Cambodia and looking to the principles of Aziza's Place for guidance.

Ian McCourtney and Jorge DePablo • Enrique Alonso

AP is Honored to Receive Support from Hayley's UK Community: Her Family, Friends, and the Rotary Club of Southport Links

2011-05-10T21:34:00.003-07:00

Hayley with Sreynak and Theara, during a

horseriding fieldtrip Hayley organised in

January 2011.

In this Courtyard edition we would like to highlight the generous support and commitment to Aziza's Place from former volunteer Hayley Carter. Hayley returned to the UK in February this year brimming with enthusiasm from her volunteering experiences which she then relayed to her family and friends so convincingly that they all decided to contribute funds to Aziza's Place. Hayley held a presentation with the Rotary Club of Southport Links and used the online fundraising tool 'Just Giving' to enable her family and friends to show their support. After sharing her experiences and her love for the 21 Aziza's Place residents, they all responded with a generous contribution in excess of £1200, surpassing even Hayley's initial lower fundraising targets. We are so grateful to Hayley and her wider community whose giving shows a sparkling reflection on Hayley’s generosity and love for the Aziza's Place children. Thank you all for making an impact on the lives of the Aziza's Place children and their families.

Sorseday Chnam Thmey - Happy Khmer New Year!

2011-05-10T21:34:00.002-07:00

Many traditional Khmer games provided fun and

entertainment for the Aziza's Place children, staff

and teachers as we all celebrated the most

significant holiday on the Cambodian calendar.

The sounds of fun, games and laughter could be heard from the Aziza's Place courtyard on April 8th, signalling the start of Khmer New Year celebrations. The smashing of clay pots, musical chairs, blindfold games, powder throwing, dancing and karaoke were all part of the fun as the AP children, staff and teachers all took part in traditional Khmer New Year activites. The courtyard was brightly decorated with balloons and streamers, and packages of sweets were given out as prizes to the winners of each game.

As a significant holiday on the Cambodian calandar, Khmer New Year is a time when Phnom Penh becomes noticeably quiet and people travel near and far across the country to spend time with their their families. Most of the AP residents and staff enjoyed a one week holiday. At Aziza's Place we believe the children's connection with their families is important and so Khmer New Year is a holiday when some of the children travel further than their usual weekend visits home, travelling with their parents or siblings to visit their extended family and friends in the provinces of Cambodia.

AP Residents Showcase their Creativity in a Collaborative Dance Project - "Dance Made In Cambodia: Revolutions"

2011-05-10T21:34:00.001-07:00

The dramatic finale with all the performers coming

together in their final pose.

For the last three months, seven Aziza’s Place residents have been excitedly taking part in a project that challenged them and extended their creativity of dance in ways that they had not experienced before.

‘The Dance Made In Cambodia: Revolutions’ was a collaborative project among three local NGO’s that introduced contemporary dance in a self-chereographed performance, guided by the expertise of dance artist Stephen Bimson. Children from Aziza’s Place, Chibodia Children’s Home and New Future For Children joined together and performed routines that emphasized their creativity and reflected the months of hard work and dedication they had all invested. The three month process taught the children valuable lessons of commitment, working together, empowerment and ownership of the performance as each performer took on a major role for developing the piece.

The performance was very different to traditional Khmer dance that the children normally practice and stretched their skills and imagination with techniques inspired from ballet, yoga and other dance art forms. Stephen’s focus and aim as a dance teacher is to use the art form of dance “as a vehicle through which unheard voices can be vocalised; for participants to gain strength from the sense of pride and accomplishment of a performance; striving to create work for social groups in a manner that is empowering to the performer”.

The performance was made up of four sections that flowed seamlessly from one to another. The dance began with a demonstration of the stretches the dancers would routinely do to build their strength during the three month dance preparation. Each of the NGO groups then performed a routine they had practiced individually. They then all came together in a piece that combined all the dance performers in a dramatic finale. The feeling of achievement from the performers was immediately apparent on their delighted faces as they bowed to their audience at the completion of their final performance at Sovanna Phum, a reknowned venue and organisation focused on the promotion of Khmer arts and performances.

The dance was presented twice, the first night being an occasion for the other children from Aziza’s Place, Chibodia and New Future For Children to see their fellow residents perform, and the second night at Sovanna Phum as an opportunity for the public to enjoy and support the children. Overall the project was a fantastic success. Click here for photographs of the performance.

Staff Training Enhances AP Staff Capacity

2011-05-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

AP Staff: Lim, Makara, Socheat, Bopha, Cath, Lani,

Phat and Ya - excited to be working together and

enhancing their skills in staff training workshops.

The value of ‘Opportunity’ at AP is reinforced with the resident children on a regular basis, as we encourage the children to embrace the chance to reach their maximum potential. This however does not stop with the children, but extends to the staff and entire AP team as well.

To further enhance the staff capacity, the AP staff participated in a series of specially tailored training sessions created to further develop teamwork skills, self-care practices, focus on personal development, responsible care giving, and more. For the past 6 weeks the team has been working closely with Indigo, a counselling service in Phnom Penh that facilitated the extensive trainings. English psychologist Katrina Tickle and Khmer psychologist Sothearwat Sieng, who specializes in team building and group learning activities, led the sessions.

The sessions were creative and dynamic, and allowed the staff to spend quality time together while learning valuable skills. The staff appreciated the good mixture of group participation activities, brainstorming sessions, sharing of feelings and team building exercises that took place during the trainings.

Each session focused on a few key points, all of which pertained to enhancing the ability to care for the AP children with the highest quality care possible.

Some main points the training focused on were:

The importance of self-care, personal development, and identifying staff needs
Self supervision and learning to obtain support from the team
Formal listening skills that can be used to support the children and each other
How to identify a problem/behaviour within a child that requires professional assistance
Formulating an action plan based around providing support for peers and children

The training program was an incredible success! The staff left each session feeling rejuvenated and confident with some new strategies to provide the children with the care, love, and support that they need, and the skills required to do so. We are thankful to Indigo for tailoring the program for us and helping us to become better caregivers.

A Big Thank You to Leila from all of us at Aziza's Place!

2011-05-10T21:33:00.001-07:00

Sreynak, Leila and Sengkry

This month we also have the opportunity to say thank you to volunteer Leila Antakly who finished her three month role at Aziza's Place in mid-April. Leila hails from New York and has had wide-ranging travel experience as an independent consultant for various profit and non-profit organisations. As highlighted in last month's Courtyard newsletter, Leila put in tremendous effort for building more fundraising support for Aziza's Place. She also built a strong connection with the children of Aziza's Place by teaching the three levels of English classes. Leila was the second volunteer to take on the newly structured classes as the only teacher teaching all three levels. This in itself is quite a challenge but Leila took it on board and established a great rapport with all of the children. She continued teaching the staff English classes and she also found the time to mentor the children in their film projects by providing expertise and support, and also starring in the new AP documentary film.

Leila quickly became a friend to the AP staff and children and found many ways to support the AP team. She encouraged the children to identify and pursue their passions and abilities and continually opened their perspectives to the wide-ranging opportunities available to them if they are willing to work hard.

Thank you Leila for your input and for your dedication to the children at Aziza's Place. We look forward to keeping in touch and seeing you when you're back in Phnom Penh!

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

2011-05-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

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

News from Aziza's Place - March 2011

2011-03-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

Dear friends of Aziza's Place,

On February 14th, Aziza’s Place celebrated its 4th Anniversary by hosting over 200 guests comprising of families of AP residents, partner NGOs, and other friends and supporters in the Phnom Penh community. And did we celebrate in style! The stars of the evening were the AP children who were decked out in their performance attire or in newly printed Aziza’s Place tee shirts. They practiced long and hard on their creative presentations and performances that made their families and friends proud. When we think back four years to the time when Aziza's Place was a journey yet to be discovered, we are humbled to witness the incredible growth and strides the children have made in the intervening years and how their progress has helped evolve the AP vision: for AP residents to learn the life tools, skills and values to become productive citizens of their community, economically self-sufficient and socially empowered.

This edition of Aziza’s Courtyard will feature the 4th Anniversary celebrations as well as highlight several new Programs that have been introduced to meet the evolving needs of our resident children, their families and their community - such as Career Counselling for our eldest students (six of whom will be turning 17 this year); a new Food Program where teams of children are provided instructions on cooking a meal per week for their fellow residents and the Staff; and, continuing efforts in our Community Outreach Program. We also take the time to give our heartiest thanks to our former Education Officer Darley Tom who worked as in Intern for Aziza's Place over five months and provided some valuable insight and recommendations on ways to improve our supplementary education programs. And we acknowledge the voice of current volunteer Leila Antakly who has shared her love of Aziza's Place with many of her family and friends and welcomed many of them as new supporters of AP. Thank you all for your generosity.

With Much Gratitude,

The AP Team

We extend our gratitude to the following people for their support in February / March:

Marylee Fleishmann • Gemma Pinnatell Bove • Keirnan Murphy and Danielle Baron • Forrest Williams • Maud Gabry • Gwendolyne Willis • Irina Bogdonova • Jeremy and Alison Connick • Heather Connell, who we were delighted to see when she visited Phnom Penh in March

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A special thankyou to Kevin Ferguson and Jeff Cheong who visited Aziza's Place and provided a well-received photography class for the AP residents. The children enjoyed experimenting and applying their photography skills with the new camera also donated by Kevin and Jeff.

We are also delighted to meet and host Steve, Michelle, Annelore (12), Henry (10) and Beatrice (6) Fleischmann who made a two-week stop at Aziza's Place a focus of their three-month Asia tour. The Fleischmanns quickly felt at home among the Aziza's Place residents and, after a few moments of intrigue, the AP children and Fleischmann children became fast friends. As a Board member of the US-based Aziza Ghori Charitable Foundation, we welcomed the opportunity to show Steve and his family the daily workings of Aziza's Place and the small impact that we're hoping to make on the lives of our remarkable resident children. Thank you for your insight and encouragement for us all at Aziza's Place.

Leila Antakly inspires support for AP through Facebook

2011-03-30T01:55:00.000-07:00

Summer and Jennifer had to see Aziza's Place

themselves after hearing about their friend

Leila's experiences with the AP children!

This month we want to emphasize the incredible energy and passion for Aziza’s Place, from current volunteer Leila Antakly. Over the past three months Leila has become part of the Aziza's Place family and has shared her enthusiasm and love of the AP children with her family and friends all around the world. Leila has a gift of connecting people and by giving them insight into her work at AP she has inspired many others to support the activities and programs of Aziza’s Place. Through the FundRazr application on Facebook, Leila connected more than 40 supporters who made financial contributions to the Aziza’s Place programs, raising enough money for Accident and Hospital/Surgery Health Insurance for the Aziza's Place staff and children. Thankyou all for joining with us in building a bright future for the children and families of Aziza’s Place.

Leila’s experience also inspired her friends to such an extent that her friends Summer Nasief and Jennifer Ven came to experience AP firsthand. They were welcomed as special guests in English classes where they spoke about their lives in Dubai and Los Angeles and answered questions from the children. Their visit included energetic Yoga and Self Defence sessions with the AP residents, and time with some of the older children to inspire and mentor them in thinking about opportunities for their futures. Thankyou both for sharing your time with us at AP during your visit to Cambodia.

Fourth Year Anniversary Birthday Party Celebrates AP's Achievements

2011-03-30T01:50:00.000-07:00

Aziza's Place children, staff, and friends,

enjoying AP's fourth birthday party.

On February 14th Aziza’s Place was abuzz with activity as the resident children and staff geared up to enjoy and share our fourth anniversary celebrations with friends and family. The AP courtyard was transformed with bright colours, with over one hundred chairs adorned in gold fabric set up for guests, facing a stage created especially for the evening's festivities. New artworks were on display, including a mural painted by resident Chanty - the 'Tree of Growth' which incorporated bright smiling photos of the AP residents in celebration of 'Growth and Good Times'. The AP house was a hive of activity, laughter and excited energy as the children prepared for their performances, dressed in traditional Khmer dance costumes, applied makeup, put on jewels and coiffed in extravagant hairstyles, ready to appear on stage.

The evening's performance included traditional Khmer dances and music, an address by co-founder Amjad Ghori and Directors Soy Socheat and Vong Bopha, a hip-hop performance by the children, residents Rotha and Ny sharing about their experiences at Aziza's Place, and testimonials by AP family members. The evening continued, with delicious food shared with family and friends, complete with a 4th Anniversary cake. We wish you all could have been there! You can see photos of the celebrations on our facebook page here.

The Anniversary evening included the debut of our new AP film, created by our film students with the help of volunteer Leila Antakly and film teacher Tim Vann. Please follow the link to view this production, undertaken completely by the AP film students: new film here!

AP Residents Focus on their Future with Career Counseling Program

2011-03-30T01:43:00.000-07:00

Guest speaker Prasnar Yi from Nokor Group IT

presenting to AP's Career Counseling group

about his work experience in the IT industry

in Cambodia.

Aziza’s Place is in a state of perpetual growth and as the kids get older, and their needs change, new ones arise and we focus our efforts to meet these evolving needs. Recognizing that many of our children were turning 17 this year, we initiated a Career Counseling Program for our 6 eldest residents: Chiev, Chanty, Rotha, Ven, Sreymach and Theara.

The six participants either are or will turn 17 in 2011, but are not necessarily at the right grade in their public school due to their prior experience of attending school only intermittently. Many AP residents were unable to attend public school before living at Aziza’s Place because they were assisting their families by working instead. In lieu of this, many are on different timelines in regards to their graduation, which posed several challenges when designing the program. However, as with everything else at Aziza’s Place, we’ve tailored the focus of the program around meeting the individual needs of each child and the results from the first few meetings have been very positive.

The program currently focuses on encouraging the young adults to begin thinking about their strengths, passions, and interests. With the world at their fingertips, we’re encouraging the students to think outside of the conventional career box and learn about the interesting variety of jobs available to them in present day Cambodia. Reflection exercises, specially tailored individual meetings, and guest speakers from a wide variety of careers and sectors are a few examples of activities within the program. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure the participants gain internship/volunteer experience in several areas of work that interests them within the next year. This will assist them in deciding what to focus on in their post secondary studies.

A New Appreciation for Cooking as AP Launches a New Food Program

2011-03-30T01:05:00.000-07:00

Theara, Rotha, Sreyphea and Navy at the market,

selecting the best vegetables for dinner.

Aziza’s Place is proud to announce the launch of the AP Food Program! Facilitated by Chef Seaklim, the program teaches the kids all of the skills, techniques and hygienic practices required when preparing a meal from start to finish. Commencing in early February, the program involves small teams of residents learning the gamut of skills necessary to prepare a meal under the tutelage and guidance of Chef Seaklim.

For the first month the program was held solely in the Aziza’s Place kitchen, allowing the kids to familiarize themselves with basic knife skills, food hygiene, and proper storage methods. After those basic skills were mastered, the participants then stepped out of the kitchen and into the market! The participants now go on a shopping trip to the market early on the Friday morning they will be preparing the meal. At the market they get first-hand experience in important life-skills such as identifying fresh produce, the process of bartering with a food vendor, and the importance of developing a healthy relationship with regular salespeople.

At the beginning of every month Chef Seaklim prepares recipes that the teams will use to follow along with during their lesson. Chicken Curry with Noodles, Fried Rice With Pork, and Fried Beef with Vegetables are examples of dishes that have been prepared by teams thus far. An added benefit to the program is the wide range of English cooking and food terminology that the AP kids now have in their extensive vocabularies.

The AP Food Program’s experiential teaching style is at the cornerstone of Aziza’s Place approach to learning. Interactive, and engaging, the Food Program has created a deeper interest within the kids to become involved in one of the crucial everyday skills that will be required in their daily lives outside of AP.

Community Outreach Program Connects AP Families with Employment Opportunities

2011-03-30T01:01:00.001-07:00

AP's Community Outreach initiative is an ongoing project aimed at working with the families of our resident children by connecting them with resources and linking them with opportunities that will improve their quality of life - through opening doorways and opportunities for families to connect with resources such as health initiatives or job and income-earning opportunities. The Community Outreach team has been engaging regularly with the families of AP residents, communicating to them the services and facilitations we can provide, but the responsibility to seek our assistance lies entirely in the hands of families and conversely, to respond and to be motivated in taking up the connections opened up for them.

Program Coordinator Yi Makara has been involved in the Community Outreach Program from the outset. Though he has met with many challenges he perseveres with admirable patience, encouragement and resourcefulness in thinking about the situation for each of the AP families. He has been instrumental in building strong relationships with the families through regular visits and phone calls, and coordinating them to attend the Aziza's Place monthly family nights.

Most recently we facilitated employment for the mother of resident Sokty, along with her cousin. They have started working in cleaning and assistant chef jobs at a restaurant established by Vann Pisey, a strong supporter of AP and previous short-term employee as a temporary accountant dating back to 2007 and several years since. The jobs will provide AP family members with regular and reliable income as well as Accident and Health Insurance benefits and allowance for annual leave and sick days. These employment conditions present a considerably safer working environment compared to those of the unpredictable roles of collecting trash and recyclables around Phnom Penh. We encourage the AP families in their new endeavors and support them as they develop work experience and strive to improve their living situations.

AP Extends Many Thanks to Education Officer Darley Tom

2011-03-30T01:01:00.000-07:00

Darley and Channy -
Christmas 2010

This month we would like to extend our sincerest thanks to former Education Officer Darley Tom. Darley jumped right into the adventurous spirit of Aziza’s Place when she first arrived in September 2010, including an AP vacation to the beach with all 21 AP children. It didn’t take her long for her to fall in love with Aziza's Place.

As part of her graduate studies of Sustainable International Development with Brandeis University, in Waltham, Massachusetts, Darley did some valuable work in evaluating the state of Aziza’s Place' supplemental education programme. She worked with Program Director Soy Socheat and made recommendations for ways to make our classes more sustainable and effective. She was great at offering to help out where needed - working with staff to select new English textbooks to enhance our curriculum, improving AP resources such as the volunteer guide, and connecting with other similar NGO's.

Sadly Darley had to return home earlier than planned due to injury. We look forward to receiving the outcomes of her written research at the end of the month, which considers the experiences and approaches to education programs by various children’s NGO’s in Phnom Penh. Thankyou for your insight and input into the Aziza's Place programs Darley. We wish you all the best with the completion of you studies and hope to see you again someday!

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

2011-03-30T00:50:00.000-07:00

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

Happy New Year from AP - January/February 2011

2011-02-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

Dear friends of Aziza’s Place,
The start of a new year gives us time to reflect on the events and changes of the previous twelve months experienced by everyone associated with Aziza’s Place and our efforts to provide a small group of very special children and their families the guidance, assistance and love with which to achieve their modest dreams.
Looking back on 2010, we are proud and delighted to report that Aziza’s Place has made great strides: the resident children have made enormous progress in their physical, emotional and educational development and now conduct themselves with an air of confidence that was previously missing; with a small amount of financial assistance and plenty of guidance, some of their families have been able to improve their financial and employment prospects; and, the transition to a Khmer-led management team has provided permanent staff members a dose of an increased sense of security while the introduction of various new programs allow them the opportunity to enhance their skills and pursue areas of interest outside of the center. Finally, the Aziza’s Place family of friends and supporters continues to grow as evidenced by the constant stream of visitors and steady flow of volunteers many of whom return for visits while others commit to staying longer as staff members.
Much of this progress and success is directly attributable to you….the friends, supporters and family of friends of Aziza’s Place. For your continuing financial support as well the support of your time, we are eternally grateful. Thank You from all of us at Aziza’s Place for making 2010 a veritable success!!

Amjad Ghori
Co-Founder, Aziza’s Place

In this Courtyard we reflect on some of our highlights and achievements in 2010 and we introduce a new staff member, Vong Bopha, who joined us in December as Director of Finance and Administration. We would also like to highlight the generous donation received from the Staff and Charities Committee of Credit Agricole – Corporate and Investment Bank (London Branch) and the first-time visit of the leaders of Mothers Against Poverty (“MAP”), a long-standing and devoted supporter/Partner of Aziza’s Place.
At the start of 2011, we gladly welcomed back former volunteers Lani Warsh and Janice Juszczak, the former coming back to join the Staff as the Coordinator of Programs while the latter visited for a short two-week trip to spend time with the resident children. We extend a warm welcome to new volunteer Leila Antakly, who will be with us for the next three months, as we a huge Thank You to Hayley Carter who brought great insight and support to all of us during her time at AP as a volunteer.
As the first issue of the Courtyard for 2011, we wish you all the very best for 2011 and look forward to bringing you news of Aziza’s Place throughout the course of the year.

With Much Gratitude,
The AP team

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Thankyou to our supporters who generously gave to Aziza's Place in December 2010 and January:

Kaylie Wallace and her sorority 'Pi Bheta Phi' who organised a fundraiser at the University of Virginia • Raquel Martin • Karen Alexander • Stephanie McMahon • Tony Morrow • Vicki Jurist • Narendra Bhatia • Limon Shur • Joel Allen • Ken Borg • Mike Brennan

Credit Agricole Corporate Investment Bank - Christmas fundraising efforts making a difference for Aziza’s Place.

2011-02-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

This month we would like to extend our warmest thanks to the staff of Credit Agricole Corporate Investment Bank (CA-CIB) and the Charities Committee who finished off 2010 by generously supporting Aziza’s Place with a fundraising Christmas Fair. They heard of Aziza’s Place through the passion and dedication of AP’s co-founder Amjad Ghori who also works at CA-CIB in London. Their fundraising efforts, selling cakes, biscuits and candies baked by CA-CIB staff, along with toys, gifts and books and a first-time donation by the Charities Committee totalled £3050!. We are grateful to be included as one the several charities supported by CA-CIB (London Branch).

Aziza's Place welcome's Mom's Against Poverty (MAP) to Cambodia.

2011-02-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

The MAP mom's are welcomed into Aziza's Place.

In January we were excited to meet some special visitors who have made a real difference to Aziza’s Place since our founding. Mom’s Against Poverty are a US Non-profit organisation created by a group of mothers who are passionate about improving the lives of children around the world. Their vision is to advance the quality of life for children facing poverty, through education and improved health services. MAP has supported the children and families of Aziza's Place through regular and significant funding grants consistently since our opening in 2007.

A group of seven ladies from MAP were excited to meet the children and staff of Aziza's Place, who in return enjoyed welcoming them during their time here. While spending time with the children, the ladies also generously took the children on a shopping trip to the market to purchase new clothes. All of us at AP send our heartfelt thanks to MAP and are excited that the mom’s have been able to see firsthand the differences they are making in the lives of the AP children and their families.

2010 Highlights as AP steps into the New Year.

2011-02-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

AP residents celebrating the end of 2010 with a

Christmas party.

14th February 2011 will mark the fourth Anniversary for Aziza’s Place. In this Courtyard we highlight some of the achievements of AP in 2010 as we approach this four-year milestone.

• Staff Transition - Management responsibility for Aziza’s Place transitioned to Cambodian staff – Soy Socheat and Vong Bopha working together as Director of Programs and Director of Finance and Administration.

• New Residents – We welcomed 10-year old Ream and 5-year old Sreynak to Aziza’s Place.

• Academic Achievement - All AP residents easily passed to the next grade in public school. More than half our AP residents are now enrolled in junior high or high school.

• New Volunteers - 13 volunteers joined the Aziza’s Place family in 2010. Our internship program established early in the year has attracted volunteers for a longer time commitment, with nine of our volunteers in 2010 staying for three months or more.

• Community Spirit - Family nights, a cornerstone in our efforts to connect with families of AP resident children on a monthly basis saw continued improvement in attendance numbers, including up to 80 attendees one month, all of whom who get to share the learning and growth of their children.

• Community Involvement – Our Community Outreach program continued to expand as we identified employment opportunities for family members of AP residents and also helped develop small-business opportunities, including acting as an intermediary between families and micro-finance institutions that would consider funding their projects.

• Work Internships - Our Work Experience Program allowed eight AP residents to get a taste of the “real world” as they interned at several of our Partner organizations such as Boddhi Tree Hotels in Phnom Penh, Eriq Amtalla Salon, Mr. Tim Vann’s film productions, and a local stationery store.

• Social Development - The eldest AP residents completed a week-long workshop with Karol & Setha “Knowledge And Reflection on Life and Sexuality Through a Holistic Approach”. The workshop was valuable for the AP teenagers in opening up support and encouragement for their healthy decision-making and in establishing positive relationships.

• Curriculum Enhancement – The AP Education program was thoroughly vetted and changes were made creating more structure and consistency to our curriculum, particularly to our English classes. These changes include the purchase of text books and developing a framework for our English curriculum that volunteer English teachers can follow.

• Creativity Enhancement – Emphasis on traditional Khmer music and dance programs was a continuing feature of our efforts to provide opportunities in the Arts to our residents. In addition, the subject matter in computer classes was elevated by the hiring of a qualified Khmer computer teacher to match the ever-increasing interest and skills of our residents.

• Child savings plans in place as AP children set up their own savings bank accounts at AMK Bank.

These are just some of the many milestones and highlights of 2010. As each AP resident grows and develops, everyone associated with AP have been forced to keep and continue providing a variety of new opportunities to meet each resident’s hunger for knowledge, experience and learning. A primary focus of our goals for 2011 will be to formulate ideas and convert them into opportunities for our older residents preparing to leave AP in the coming years. Initiatives like our work experience program will become an integral part of for life after Aziza’s Place. We will also continue to focus on expanding our Community Outreach Program by closely tracking the projects and measuring their progress in an effort to fine-tune our approach, resources and, ultimately, success. We are all eagerly looking forward to the exciting things in store for 2011 but also very aware of the challenges we will face achieving our objectives.

STAFF PROFILE: Vong Bopha, Director of Finance and Administration.

2011-02-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

Bopha together with her

new friend Sreysros.

In December we welcomed Vong Bopha to the Aziza’s Place team. She has jumped right into her role as Director of Finance and Administration and has already become an important part of our lives at AP. Her love and compassion for the AP children is apparent as she has taken the time to get to know each of our residents and settled in to find her place at AP. Read on to learn more about Bopha as she answers questions about herself and AP:

What are you excited about at AP?
I am delighted to be here with the children at AP, hearing their laughter and seeing their smiles. AP is a place for children to grow and learn. It is a safe, warm house with a colourful courtyard. The children are lovely, friendly and each has their own talents. AP is a place for them to build their knowledge and life skills, to shine and grow. Even though we come from different backgrounds at AP we live together like one family, of which I am so happy to join.

What was your previous experience before coming to AP?
Before working at AP I gained experience in Finance and Administrative roles. While studying Finance at night school, I worked as an Admin and Finance Manager at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies for 6 years. I also worked as an Accountant at The Bible Society for nearly five years where I had the opportunity to build my skills in administration and finance, human resource policies and establishing procedures and protocol for meeting the need for clients from different backgrounds.

How would you describe yourself? What hobbies do you enjoy?
I am a friendly and easygoing person. I am hard working and patient and I like to help people in need. I like to watch the news and listen to music during my free time. Table tennis and skating are my favorite sports.

What do you do at AP?
As the Director of Finance and Administration I am enjoying my responsibility for the oversight of AP’s financial system. I’m also enjoying working in the AP environment, in the oversight of the children’s living, caring for their health, their growth and learning, and in supporting everyone to live happily and peacefully together.

What do you see in the future for the children of AP?
I believe that the children of AP have bright futures ahead of them as they use their skills and knowledge gained by living at Aziza’s Place. They are positive examples for their families, their communities and for other children in the future. We aim for AP to continue to provide space for children to grow and shine.

What is your favorite memory at AP so far?
I love to see the children work together during family nights. They all make the event possible, from the lovely and cheerful MC’s, Navy and Sokty, to the modern dancers complete with fancy hair and clothing styles. All of the AP residents show much excellence!

Previous volunteer Lani Warsh welcomed back as an AP staff member.

2011-02-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

New and old faces arrive to Aziza's Place and enjoy

spending time with the children and staff. New

volunteer Leila, with previous volunteer Lani who

has returned to work at AP in 2011.

This month we eagerly welcomed back Lani Warsh. Lani volunteered at AP from January – May in 2010. She showed much dedication to the children and families of AP with her involvement as an English teacher and working alongside Yi Makara to get our Community Outreach Program up and running. After heading home to Canada in May 2010 Lani decided she couldn’t keep away and so we are excited she has returned to work at AP as a Program Coordinator for one year. 2011 is looking to be a busy year with new projects and initiatives being developed and so we are happy for Lani to bring her hardworking commitment to the AP team. Lani will work alongside Makara in expanding the Community Outreach program. She will also focus on the opportunities for our older students as they look towards what they want to do and where they'd like to go when it comes time to graduate from AP. Welcome back Lani!

Volunteer news: Leila Antakly jumps into Volunteering and Janice Juszczak returns!

2011-02-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

In January we also welcomed volunteer Leila Antakly. She has taken on teaching AP English classes for our students and staff. Leila has many wide-ranging skills and is enthusiastic about doing as much as she can at Aziza’s Place. She is excited to pass on her experience in the world of business to our students and in giving her advice and ideas for fundraising for AP. She has also been getting involved in mentoring our film students' in their current film project. The next three months look to be eventful for Leila and all of us at AP as we all work together and learn from eachother.

We are delighted that previous volunteer Janice Juszczak has been able to make another trip to Cambodia for two weeks. Janice previously taught our advanced English and staff English classes. The children were excited to show how much their English had improved since she was here in early 2010. Janice helped the children practise their conversational and reading skills. Thank You Janice for your continued dedication and care for all of us at Aziza's Place.

AP extends a Big Thank You to Volunteer Hayley Carter.

2011-02-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Hayley facepainting with

Navy and Sreysros.

The last three months have flown by for volunteer Hayley Carter and all of us at AP who have been privileged to get to know her. Hayley has been teaching English to our AP residents, while helping to shape our new curriculum for English classes. She has given much insight and support for our staff as she used her knowledge and experience in Human Resources to make suggestions for effectively working together and communicating as a team, particularly during the time of transition of staff.

With her warm and down-to-earth personality Hayley quickly and easily fit into the AP team. During Hayley’s three months at AP she showed incredible dedication to the children and always made time to listen to the AP staff. One highlight of her trip was a horse-riding fieldtrip she coordinated that enabled the AP children to ride horses for the first time – a very unique experience in Cambodia! Hayley will really be missed by us all and we hope she can return sometime soon. Thank You Hayley!

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

2011-02-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

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

News from Aziza's Place - November 2010

2010-11-30T01:27:00.001-08:00

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

2010-11-30T01:27:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-30T01:26:00.003-08:00

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

2010-11-30T01:26:00.002-08:00

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

2010-11-30T01:26:00.001-08:00

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

2010-11-30T01:26:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-30T01:25:00.001-08:00

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

2010-11-30T01:25:00.000-08:00

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

News from Aziza’s Place – October 2010

2010-10-29T00:50:00.000-07:00

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

***************************************************************************

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

2010-10-29T00:49:00.003-07:00

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

2010-10-29T00:49:00.002-07:00

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

2010-10-29T00:49:00.001-07:00

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

2010-10-29T00:49:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-29T00:48:00.001-07:00

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

2010-10-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

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

News from Aziza's Place - September 2010

2010-09-27T03:43:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-27T03:43:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-27T03:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-27T03:41:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-27T03:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-27T03:39:00.000-07:00

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

News From Aziza's Place - August 2010

2010-08-24T01:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-24T01:27:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-24T01:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-24T01:21:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-24T01:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-24T01:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-24T01:09:00.000-07:00

Aziza's Place News - June/July 2010

2010-07-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

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.

Update on Sreymom, AP Sibling Rescued From Trafficking Scam

2010-07-25T23:54:00.001-07:00

The human trafficking plight of Sreymom was discovered in December 2009, when AP staff received news that she was going to be sent to Malaysia. Through the support of AP staff and volunteer Cath Waugh, Sreymom is now training to be a hairdresser and beautician at Open Arms Training Program, where they subsidize her studies, rent and have even provided her a bicycle to get to and from work. Sreymom is very happy in her program and excited at fulfilling her dream to work as a hairdresser and beautician in a professional salon.

To contribute to her living expenses, Sreymom now works at AP as the Sunday caretaker. She cooks and looks after the children allowing our regular 24-hour/day caretakers a much-deserved day off. Along with the income from this position, Sreymom is lucky to have the support of Phillip Havill and the Challenge for Change mentor program located in Wellington, New Zealand. Cath was a mentor for this program and is working with Mr. Havill to organize a fundraiser. Due to Sreymom's global support system, she now has the opportunity to start over and begin a career that she loves. Read more about Sreymom's story here.

July Family Night and Community Outreach

2010-07-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

July's family night was full of fun and great food as always. This month the children prepared a Karate showcase and dance performance exhibiting a brand new dance. Teachers, family members and volunteers had fun hanging out and watching the show. We encourage supporters to log onto the Aziza's Place Facebook page where we post current events and photos about life in our dynamic children's home. It is a great way to stay even more connected.
This month Aziza's Place was able to recycle the salvageable roofing tin from the roof replacement last month. The tin was given to the parents of AP children whose homes were in dire need of protection in the heavy monsoon rains. Thanks to MAP's partnership and good communication with the families of our residents, Aziza's Place and three other families are feeling more secure with new roofs this rainy season.