True Heart : Maria Barbosa de Lima

Her name is Maira Barbosa de Lima, she is 65 years old, and Brazilian. She is graduated in Accounting, and Bachelor in Theology focused in Anthropology and Social Services. 

She is retired now, and before she used to work as a Financial Manager in different companies in São Paulo in Brazil. She worked for many years as a social worker in poor communities with the street’s  kids in São Paulo, where she even sheltered 15 of those children.

 Until today she keeps in touch with them and some are now married... 

She left Brazil in 2008 and went to United Estates to improve her English, she  then arrived in Cambodia in January 2009 and has been in there since.

 She is a Christian missionary and in the bottom of her heart she truly believes that God guided her where she is now. 

She came to Cambodia with the vision to communicate with people, in order to spread the gospel and helping the poor communities to transform they lives.. Firstly she learned khmer language, through this to built the relationship with local people. She focused on the vulnerable children with dysfunctional families in the poor communities.

 She connect the children with public schools, provide them all kind of support they could need : financial, counseling, professional training, spiritual guidance etc... 

She is helping different NGOs and Poor families from the poorest communities  supported by Shanty Town Spirit Ermine Norodom Association,  checking the school results, taking them to the dentist, doctor also when needed, visiting the families to get to know their physical and spiritual needs..

 Maira organized outdoor events, swimming pool, teaching English and bible studies. A lot of things to carry on, she is doing an amazing job helping everyone with all their difficulties she as a  tremendous amount of work and  she is so much  devoting to help Shanty Town Spirit and the other NGO’s. 

One very last project is to transform an acquired room in the Boeung Trabek slum to become an activities place such as  teaching all kind of subjects, English, extra classes, Art etc…. after the Covid crisis it is a project to begin. 

Maira is a multi task person, she is also teaching English to disabilities children  at Light of Mercy NGO. 

Maira is doing all that from her heart as a volunteer, she feels so much joy and happiness when she see people and families getting out of the slums, improving their life and having a good job or proper home. 

Finally not forgetting to mention that Maira is fostering a little girl : Sothea , for more than 7 years, providing her a proper living and a good education. 

Thank you very much Maira for the tremendous work you are doing with us, Shanty Town Spirit and all the other people you are supporting.

God bless you Maira for your kind heart helping everybody and everyone. 

                                   
                                             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

Words by Nathalie Bonpain

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

SHANTY TOWNS AND COVID 19

Let us give you some news about our Shanty Town and the terrible virus which occurs actually around the world.  Everybody speaks about a « pandemic », terrible of the entire world.

We got some inside information about how is life in the community in Boeung Trabek Phnom Penh.

Life is more or less the same than for us in the big cities.  

One of our kid reports that nobody is going out, there is no school at all, children are taking this time as holidays, unfortunately….  They don’t have the necessary tools to follow classes online, no internet, no computer. So they are waiting for the school to re-open… 

They are all afraid of the virus  so they don’t go out.  They are very serious about it, and don’t want to be sick or give illness to the Elders.

They receive information from BTV, Khmer news, khmer times, Facebook etc..

Khmer New Year had been cancelled, rules are very strict around that : nobody out of the country, provinces and Phnom Penh.  If people don t respect the rules and if the person is taking time off of work, he or she will not get paid.   If the person is going for Khmer New year, he or she won’t be able to come back to Phnom Penh or to their province  before at least 15 days.  Officials mentioned that this festive period will be reported after the Corona Virus period to be able to enjoy better.  

All very hard for everybody around the world.

One easiest thing for Asian people is the mask, they are used to wear them.  Comparaison is made to European People who are not wearing those masks.  It would be so easier for everybody to take the same measures…  Asian’s people start to complain about this… Not wearing masks is a lack of respect for others…

But it is, also, necessary for us to provide to the poor communities masks, hands gel and hygiene products, cause it’s not easy for them to buy, they don’t have money to buy them.  Shanty Town Spirit , because of Corona, can’t take over the usual turn around ; but we ensures that they receive all they need  during this crisis (especially rice and hygiene products).  Thank you to Sokear and Maira to keep the link between the community and the Shanty town spirit NGO.

This period is really really difficult for them.  Because regular traffic is off, small jobs two.  Most of the parents lost their job during this awful period and they  keep smiling. We are hoping  it’s just for a short period of time…  We are very happy to see that they are helping each other very much.

They are all afraid of what is going to happen.    But all convinced that it’s gonna end soon…

When ? hum, we all don’t know, but we do hope for the best to come.

Keep your ears open, a smile on your face… and wash your hands….

Thank you for keeping them in your mind best luck to all of you and keep safe…..

                                   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

ART ACTIVITY IN SHANTY TOWN With Terry Douglas and Unseen Youth

Wonderful afternoon with the kids in one of our Shanty Town.

It is for the 3rd year now that we receive the visit of the Pastor Terry Douglas together with the Unseen Youth Group.  Visit around arts, body painting, dancing, singing.

It is a real pleasure for the kids to take part of those activities.  They recognized Terry Douglas and the Group.  A very nice welcome had been reserved for them.

A lot of songs

Body painting

Thank you very much to all for this afternoon.

                                       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

Nathalie Bonpain: +855 (0) 15 652 691 (English and French)

  bonpainnathalie@gmail.com  

                                                         words by Nathalie Bonpain

NEW UNIFORMS FOR THE KIDS

Thank you to the WIG, Women International Group, to having had the opportunity to deliver new uniforms to our kids from the slums.

The WIG is an active group who bring a diversity of resources and experiences together for social, cultural and educational enhancement. They raise funds and donate these via grants to worthy community projects in Cambodia.  They represent a huge number of women, from various countries, who meet together every week and try their best to help the others.

We receive a donation from them.

Sokea helped us to build the list of the kids, age, heigh, school grade,  etc…  It represents a lot of work, because if sometimes the uniforms are not the correct size, Sokea help them for the exchange.

Each of them need 2 uniforms per year.

They are so happy when they receive their uniforms, it is a real gift for them to receive new clothes.

They use it on daily basis to go to school but also when they need to be well dressed.

This year, 65 kids received their uniforms, but we need more.  There are a lot more of kids who need the uniform each year.  One uniform costs 10 dollars.  Help us to be able to help more children.

                                       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

Nathalie Bonpain: +855 (0) 15 652 691 (English and French)

  bonpainnathalie@gmail.com  

                                                         words by Nathalie Bonpain

                           --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LES NOUVEAUX UNIFORMS POUR LES ENFANTS

Merci au WIG, le Groupe International de femmes, établit à Phnom Penh, qui nous a permis de donner de nouveaux uniformes aux enfants des bidons villes.

Le groupe des WIG, est établit à Phnom Penh depuis de nombreuses années, groupe actif, organisant diverses et nombreuses activités afin de pouvoir collecter de l’argent et d’ainsi aider de nombreuses associations sur Phnom Penh.  Ce groupe est composé de femmes de toutes les nationalités, et elles organisent beaucoup d’activités pour arriver à mettre en place ces activités et donations.

Nous avons eu la chance de recevoir une donation de leur part

Sokea, qui est un des jeunes que nous suivons depuis le début, nous a beaucoup aider pour définir la liste des enfants.  En fonction de la taille, de l’âge, de leur niveau scolaire.  Sokea les aide également quand les uniformes ne sont pas de la bonne taille, donc il va procéder aux échanges.

Chaque enfant reçoit deux uniformes par an.

Chaque enfant est particulièrement heureux de recevoir ces uniformes.  Ce sont des tenues qu’ils sont très fiers d’arborer.  Ils les portent pour aller à l’école et également lorsqu’ils ont besoin d’être bien habillés.

Cette année nous avons pu délivrer 65 uniformes, mais nous avons encore beaucoup d’autres enfants pour qui nous ne pouvons pas encore leur fournir ces habits.  Donc nous devons trouver encore plus de fonds pour cela.

                                     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

Nathalie Bonpain: +855 (0) 15 652 691 (English and French)

  bonpainnathalie@gmail.com  

                                                         words by Nathalie Bonpain