Every child is an artist

Every child is an artist

(Picasso).

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Nd939YnfLNZmuQ4x/

August 2021

One Spirit, One Heart, One Community   

                                   

       You can help us by sponsoring the Shanty Town Spirit program:

             To support communities to improve their quality of life.

  Email us 

  Contact Ermine Norodom: +855 (0) 17 49 27 19 (French and English)

shantytownspirit@gmail.com

Make a donation

ABA account 000143748

Or PayPal us

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Shantytownspirit 

dévouement sans faille auprès des démunis

 https://www.cambodgemag.com/post/cambodge-parcours-princesse-ermine-norodom-et-le-d%C3%A9vouement-sans-faille-aupr%C3%A8s-des-d%C3%A9munis

Solidarity between Associations and partners

 

 AEFC Association d'Entraide des Français du Cambodge  is a french association , which is acting to help and support French Community in Cambodia providing a vast support, in all kind of problems or situations, they are also helping NGO’s which have lost donors because of the Covid 19.

 L’aefc is receiving a lot of food from Kiwimart Cambodia  to be distributed to the French communities in trouble and also too different NGO’s who are working with the most vulnerable communities of Phnom Penh. 

Shanty Town Spirit had been one of the beneficiary among other Association to receive groceries  such as dry biscuits, snacks, noodles and many other Items.

Those groceries have been distributed on a regular basis to the most vulnerable communities in different slums. 

The huge amount of supplies gave us the opportunity to support our NGOS partner’s such as Little Heart, Genesis of Transformation, Light Of Mercy.

Because of the sanitary crisis (Covid 19) some people lost their job or loose a part of their salary, so without L'aefc and Kiwi Mart it will be more difficult for them and for us to support them.

The donation is so welcome and give them the chance to help the communities with their food support, so that families can still eat and keep their usual good spirit.

Because of Covid 19 situation is very hard for all of us to continue, nor for French communities neither for foreigners. Regarding all NGO’s in general, participation is less  that it was used to be, so it makes to situation even worth.

For the last distribution of food,  we were very happy to have with us  Mr Bruno Bogvad correspond to L’aefc, like this he manage to have a correct picture of how we are using the donation and how it’s like in the life of the disadvantage communities.

Bruno was very surprise and happy to see families receiving us with big smiles. We were able to manage  spending quality time with the kids of Boeung Trabek, they all spoke to us a lot on different subjects such as life, school.   They were very proud to make us discover their environment.  They were excited about this visit, and try their best to keep us as long as they could.

Thank you so much to L’aefc and kiwimart-Cambodia for your support and for your good heart since the sanitary crisis begins.

 

 One Spirit, One Heart, One Community   

                                   

       You can help us by sponsoring the Shanty Town Spirit program:

 Click on Make a difference or Email us

  Contact  Ermine Norodom: +855 (0) 17 49 27 19 (French and English)

norodomermine@gmail.com

Words by Nathalie Bonpain

Mama’s Kitchen in Shanty Town

 Mama's Kitchen is a project born in response to the global pandemic Covid-19 with a mission to deliver plant-based nutritious food to the most vulnerable in our society. They believe that no one should ever go hungry, be it humans or animals.

Shanty Town Spirit Association is very grateful to Mama’s Kitchen for their food deliveries they were able to organise for the families in the Community in Boeung Trabek.   They were able to provide 150 nutritious delicious vegan lunches to the most vulnerable people - children, elderly and disabled - in the slums.

Mrs Yulia Khouri, the head of this new Program of Mama’s Kitchen is really trying her best to provide food to the poorest.

Clearly there is huge need of nutrition in the large impoverished pockets of this city. Yulia can be very proud of her fantastic & very hardworking team she has, and she is very happy to be able to support manies communities in need. . 

Mama’s Kitchen, at the beginning of the Corona Virus, came three times a week to deliver those meals, but now the situation is getting better in our community, it turns to be one time a week, because the Association wants to help other poor people. 

People in the Shanty Town are waiting for those meals, distribution is made every Monday  , the beneficiaries of this programme are coming with a provided ticket.

At first, the target are children, elderly, and families who lost their job.

They are very excited, waiting for the Association to come.

Mama’s Kitchen and Shanty Town have a very good communication, turning around the slums after the distribution and planning the next distribution.

Everything is going very well.

Thank you to all the team of   Mama's Kitchen for your support during this difficult time.

Fabulous time in Shanty Town

Last year during five weeks, we had the great opportunity to have one of our best intern that we never had before : Mathieu Membrez, age 18 ; coming from Switzerland.

Mathieu told me that this internship was one of the greatest experience in his life. 

Before, he was just having a normal life, studying, with wonderful parents, in a good area in Geneva.  But one of his dream was to travel for a human association in some part of the world.  

Meet people who had nothing, and be aware of their life couldn’t be compare to his.

Being able to help the poor communities as much as he could, and offer them his help his, during the time he was in Cambodia.

In July 2019, he had the chance to make his dream become a reality.

He came during 5 weeks in Cambodia helping Shanty town spirit Ermine Norodom Association. Taking part as much as he could in the association, providing people with what they need, (sanitary products, soaps, rice, etc..) He discovered that those people had not much in their life but had such a great heart.

• He went with Ermine and other interns during various missions to the Shanty Town Spirit  he was helping in buying sanitary products, and deliver them to the communities.

Thank you to Ermine, Maira and all the other people who surrounded me during this time.» 

- He took this opportunity to take pictures, in order to use them after for the Shanty Town Blog.

- He had also been in charged of writing 11 short stories for the Shanty Town Spirit’s blog.

During those 5 weeks, it has been an incredible and unforgettable experience for him.  

As he said « First in my way of thinking. Having seeing so much poverty with my own eyes,  and being able to see the differences all over the world ».  

« It was a little bit difficult at the beginning but it was such a wonderful experience. 

 For him, after having such experience, helped him increase the confidence in himself, and realize how lucky he was being able to follow Shanty Town  Spirit Project.

He also admitted, that the first time in a Shanty Town, was very difficult and disorienting for him. How could people leave there ?  but those people are just amazing, the families in the slum have such a great heart, emotional heart.

What he enjoyed the most was going to meet the communities of the slums and visiting centers that shanty Town is helping, being able to see that people with nothing are so pride to show me what they have.  They do have practically nothing, as we can say from our point of view and way of living : how can they  leave with so little?  They are amazing and happy with what they have. 

- during his internship, he also took part of the distribution of food, rice, etc… and was very proud and happy to do it.

« I have a big regret for the moment is that I am not gonna be able to go back sooner enough  to Phnom Penh, to help Ermine and Maira  witch do a such a great work.

I keep a very good memory of what I did with Shanty Town Spirit, I had a very good experience of life and more for me.  I took, part of so manies  different activities , and I really thanks the people I met for the great opportunities offered to me.

When I left Phnom Penh after 5 weeks, I said I am sure of it, one day I will go back there and continue the work with Shanty Town Spirit and see again all those wonderful person I met.

 Shanty Town Spirit is a wonderful Association who work with the families of the communities in te slum.  Actions, works, represent a very great amount of work and they do succeed in what they do.

You can  give your support and help them to help others.  Any donations is welcome, money of course, but also in kind  (clothes, hygiène kits , school materials, etc…)

On last thank you to  Princess Ermine Norodom, I am looking forward to go back again there as soon as possible. 

                                                  One Spirit, One Heart, One Community                                      

                   You can help us by sponsoring the Shanty Town Spirit program:

      Click on Make a difference 

Contact  Ermine Norodom: +855 (0) 17 49 27 19 (French and English)

norodomermine@gmail.com

Phirun Prak (Arun): +855 (0) 96 663 6666 (English and Khmer)

Victor sky.phi@gmail.com

Words by Nathalie Bonpain

Life amongst the graves

We paid a little visit to the community living in the slum of Smor San ! The particularity of this slum is that it is situated on the exact location of a cemetary. Indeed, its inhabitants installed their homes and live amongst the colorful graves of an old graveyard ! Important to know here is that no Cambodian people are buried here, since the khmer culture is opposed to cemeteries and preaches that people should be burned.

We began with a distribution of hygiene supplies: some toothpaste, toothbrushes, some soap and clothes. We had enough goodies for at least 120 people, everybody was thus very happy because they all could manage to get something of their own ! 

Then, we went to the house of a disabled family taken over by Shanty Town Spirit, including a grandmother, a mother and her four children. We talked with them for a while and they showed us around their little habitation. The oldest boy and the grandmother are the only members able to bring money to the family. The grandmother washes dishes and the boy manages to find small jobs around the area, despite his disability. Maira, with the help of Shanty Town Spirit, provides them basic supplies to support them (clothes, hygiene products, medicine, food). 

After that, we met another grandmother from the community, who told us that she had problems with her eyes and that she needed help. We noticed that she might be needing a cataract surgery. We spoke with her and managed to get her one since then. It is thanks to the dedication of volunteers and the generosity of the donors that grandmothers like her are able to be healed and to live freely in dignity ! 

Everybody deserves the right to have access to hygiene, health products and decent clothes. 

                                                 One Spirit, One Heart, One Community                                      

      You can help us by sponsoring the Shanty Town Spirit program:

Click on Make a difference

                   OR contact  Ermine Norodom: +855 (0) 17 49 27 19 (French and English)

norodomermine@gmail.com

           Phirun Prak (Arun): +855 (0) 96 663 6666 (English and Khmer)

    arun.aenorodom@gmail.com

    words by Matthieu Membrez

The excellent school results of the Boeung Trabek kids !

We paid another visit to the Boeung Trabek community ! Indeed, we had some donated clothes to distribute, and Ermine needed to see the kids of the community to check on their school results as well ! So we were first welcomed by Sokear, one of the first children that Ermine took care of, and then joined by Srey Net, Srey Nith, Srey Lip, Ron and Terry’s grandmother ! They were all very happy to see us ! 

We first began with the clothes distribution, which were mainly girls’. In these moments, we have to remain as fair as possible so that every child gets about the same amount of things. We let the girls pick what suited them best and they were all delighted with what they received in the end ! Everyone deserves to have decent clothes and to feel good-looking in them ! 

Then, it was time for Ermine to check on the kids’ school results, as she does every month. Everyone handed Ermine their grades of the month and she gave rewards to the children who had worked well and progressed since the previous time. It is important for Shanty Town Spirit to keep a little stringency regarding the school results, so that the children understand the importance of school, education and hard work in life ! Because every kid has the right to go to school ! 

We were very happy to note that almost every child is below 10 in the class ranking !

It is always a very precious and joyful moment to go visit the community of Boeung Trabek a few times a month ! The kids always welcome us with big smiles and warm hugs ! 

                                              One Spirit, One Heart, One Community                                      

                                You can help us by sponsoring the Shanty Town Spirit program:

                                                           Click on Make a difference

                             OR contact  Ermine Norodom: +855 (0) 17 49 27 19 (French and English)

                                                          norodomermine@gmail.com

                                       Phirun Prak (Arun): +855 (0) 96 663 6666 (English and Khmer)

                                                            arun.aenorodom@gmail.com

                                                           words by Matthieu Membrez

Sokear’s dream job !

Ermine and some other Shanty Town Spirit volunteers including Maïra paid a visit to the Boeung Trabek community: we didn’t come over empty-handed ! Indeed, Nathy has very kindly donated her bike to Sokear, one of the very first kids looked after by Ermine who is now almost 20. Sokear was very happy about that since he was actually in need of a bike to go to work and to school ! 

Sokear took us to his house to see his family and his friends: Srey Nett, her grandmother and Srey Nith were there and they kindly invited us to stay a moment with them. So we talked for a little while: they told us about their school results, their job and how the children of the community were doing. Then, we talked about what they dream to become later. Sokear, for example, wishes to become a lawyer and is about to enter law school ! Thanks to his faith and his determination, and also thanks to the work of the donors and the volunteers, Sokear can get closer to his dreams ! 

After that, we visited a few of the usual families of the community, all always delighted to see us ! On that day, we came with bars of soap, toothbrushes and clothes for the kids ! All the children were able to get themselves one of each ! It really was a wonderful moment ! 

                                     One Spirit, One Heart, One Community                                      

      You can help us by sponsoring the Shanty Town Spirit program:

Click on Make a difference

                   OR contact  Ermine Norodom: +855 (0) 17 49 27 19 (French and English)

norodomermine@gmail.com

           Phirun Prak (Arun): +855 (0) 96 663 6666 (English and Khmer)

    arun.aenorodom@gmail.com

 words by Matthieu Membrez