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.

L’Aquaponie enfin à Light of Mercy

L’Aquaponie enfin à Light of Mercy

Le 17 novembre, nous avons eu la joie de participer à la cérémonie d’ouverture du système d’aquaponie Koya Project au sein de la NGO, Light of Mercy.

L'aquaponie, Koya Project, est un système qui unit la culture de plante et l'élevage de poissons.

Dans ce système, les plantes sont cultivées sur un support composé de billes d'argile. La culture est irriguée en circuit fermé par de l'eau provenant d'aquarium où sont élevés les poissons. Des bactéries aérobies issues du substrat transforment l'ammoniaque contenu dans les déjections des poissons en nitrate, directement assimilable par la végétation. L'eau purifiée retourne ensuite dans l'aquarium.

Le mot aquaponie, traduction de l’anglais aquaponics, est un mot-valise formé par la fusion des mots aquaculture (élevage de poissons ou autres organismes aquatiques) et hydroponie (culture des plantes par de l'eau enrichie en matières minérales).

Light of Mercy est une NGO catholique, dont Sœur Marie Adelphe en est la directrice.  Cet NGO permet à 31 jeunes en situation de handicaps d’avoir un lieu de vie.    Cela leur permet d’aller à l’école, d’apprendre à vivre ensemble, et également d’apprendre d’autres disciplines comme le chant, la danse, l’informatique et le dessin.

Il y a actuellement 31 jeunes se répartissant comme suit :

• 1 jeune en situation de handicap

• 9 aveugles

• 13 sourds

• 2 jeunes en situation particulière

• 7 jeunes vulnérables qui deviennent les yeux des jeunes aveugles dès que nécessaire

En ce jour spécial, et pour débuter cette cérémonie d’ouverture, trois jeunes filles ont interpréter une danse Khmer de bénédiction.

Ensuite le Père Pierre Hang Ly Soun à procéder à la bénédiction de tout le système, et en même temps, la chorale, composée en particulier de deux jeunes aveugles, qui lisaient en braille et chantaient en même temps.  C’était très impressionnant.

Ce système va ainsi permettre à toute la communauté de Light of Mercy d’avoir des légumes et des poissons, et ce de manière régulière pour leur propre consommation.  Il s’agit également d’un Centre de Formation pour les jeunes en situation de handicaps, afin d’apprendre ce métier ; qui va leur permettre d’allier leur passion à leur futur emploi.

Nous avons beaucoup apprécié cette cérémonie très touchante et tous ces jeunes si enthousiastes et resplendissant de joie de vivre.

                                      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

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Aquaponic at Light of Mercy

On Saturday 17th November, Shanty Town Spirit went to the NGO Light of Mercy for the opening ceremony of the Aquaponic system, Koya Project.

Aquaponics, Koya Project,  refers to any system that combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. 

In normal aquaculture, excretions from the animals being raised can accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity but in an aquaponic system, water from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system where the by-products are broken down by nitrifying bacteria initially into nitrites and subsequently into nitrates that are utilized by the plants as nutrients. The water is then recirculated back to the aquaculture system. 

As existing hydroponic and aquaculture farming techniques form the basis for all aquaponic systems, the size, complexity, and types of foods grown in an aquaponic system can vary as much as any system found in either distinct farming discipline.

Such a system had been implemented at Light of Mercy home this Saturday.

The Light of Mercy Home (LMH) provides children with disabilities a home and center where they can attend school and live together with other children who have similar challenges. 

LHM not only supports them to receive formal education, but also provides other extracurricular activities such as extra classes to learn music, dancing, computer skills and simple craft skills.

 Through the care and activities provided, LMH aims to prepare them to lead an independent life.

There are in total 31 children :

• 1 disabled

• 9 blinds

• 13 deaths

• 2 children with specialities

• 7 vulnerable children who also helps to be the eyes of the blind ones ;

Sister Marie Adelphe is leading this wonderful home with helps from volunteers.  It’s a tremendous work and she is very proud of all of them.

On that special day it was a real pleasure to participate in the opening ceremony.  It started with a Khmer Blessing Dance by three beautiful girls.

Then Father Pierre Hang Ly Soun invoked the blessing of God for all of us and sprinkled the holy water to the Aquaponic system, and at the same time, the choir composed by at least four kids, and especially two blinds ones, who were singing and reading in braille was impressive. 

The Aquaponic system will allow Light of Mercy to have vegetables and fish to eat on regular basis without additional costs.  And will also be a training center for those kids, which will give them the opportunity to combine their passion and their futur employment.

It’s was a very nice and profound ceremony.

                               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

Solidarity Trip were a hit at local Hip Hop NGO Tiny Toones

Solidarity Trip and Shanty Town Spirit joined forces to visit local NGO Tiny Toones Cambodia to bring smiles into the hearts and faces of the 100 children who receive a free education everyday at the centre based in Chbar Ampov, just over  the river from Boeung Trabek.

Former Tiny Toones student and now teacher, bboy "Slick" doing what he does best!!

Solidarity Trip were so impressed by the talent of the children there, especially in break dancing and hip hop, they kindly decided to purchase and donate three fans for the dance to the hot and sweaty dance studio and a new t-shirt for each child. The t-shirt were a spritely yellow to match the bright enthusiasm of these students.

Solidarity Trip members distributing t-shirts

Tiny Toones manages to operate and provide educational services to children everyday aged from 5-18 years, who would otherwise not be in school due to poverty. They survive only through donations and all the teachers working there were former students as they use a peer model to teach and inspire.

Solidarity Trip family joining in the fun

It was a fun-filled afternoon with the Solidarity family joining group dances. Madam Stephanie even presented her moves, springing into a handstand as the audience cheered. So touched by the experience, Solidarity Trip plans to continue to support Tiny Toones alongside their support for Shanty Town.      tinytoones.org

Madam Stephanie showing her moves

                                     One Spirit, One Heart, One Community.                                        

You can help these kids

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

Jessica Sander: jessicasander87@gmail.com (English)

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

Arun.aenorodom@gmail.com

NGO - Partner - Movie : The Other lives of Kattia

The movie about the life of Kattia Huy, president of our friend NGO Cambodia for United Children's. The trials Kattiamoni went through during her childhood in Cambodia, naturally designated her to be the perfect ambassador for disadvantaged children in Siem Reap and then to become the president of United for Cambodian Children.

Kattia Huy with kids from BOeung Trabek slums

Indeed, the life of this girl from an influential and wealthy family changed dramatically on April 17, 1975, the day of the capture of Phnom Penh by the Khmer Rouge and the beginning of a regime of terror that was going to decimate more than three million Cambodians. Since that day, the life of Kattiamoni has radically changed.

After overcoming the abominable living conditions imposed by the Pol Pot men, she managed to flee to Vietnam and then to Europe. Over there, she had to relearn freedom, happiness and forgiveness. After years of reconstruction, today more than ever, Kattiamoni wants to help the children of his country through the NGO United for Cambodian Children, offering them access to education and an environment in which to build a decent future for the following generations.

Watch the movie

Phnom Penh - Event - Charity : Beautiful and generous evening for the children of the slums

Diplomats, princes, businessmen, artists, friends of Luu Meng and Kattia Huy, they were more than a hundred who responded to the call of the NGO United for Cambodia Chidren's in order to raise funds for the children of Boeung Trabek. The evening was generous, several photographs and paintings offered by French magazine Cambodge Mag and individuals quickly found buyers at the auction. It was a first for the restaurant Uy kuyteav BKK, it was a first for the young NGO, it was a success ...

Diplomats, princes, businessmen, artists, friends of Luu Meng and Kattia Huy

Luu Meng thanked the NGO president for choosing Uy kuyteav BKK for this first charity dinner, and also His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Ravichak, who has come as a friend and supporter of the NGO as well as many members of the royal family who came to support this initiative.

Friends of Shanty Town Spirit and United for Cambodia Children's

A royal dinner...

The cockail in Uy kuyteav BKK

Ermine Norodom, Luu Meng and Prince Nari

With Kattia Huy and Luu Meng

More than 100 people attended the event

Luu Meng and His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Ravichak

Luu Meng and Kattia Huy

Family and friends

Ermine Norodom with a friend

Cambodia - Solidarity : Auction for Shanty Town Spirit children

Sofitel's first auction was held on Sundays in favor of poor children in the slums of Phnom Penh. A little more than fifty people had made the trip to admire the works of the collective of gallery K-Bach artists, to admire the work of the painters and sculptors, to attend a quite unusual event or simply to support the team of the NGO Shanty Town Spirit, beneficiary of 25% of the revenue generated on this occasion.

First auction in Sofitel for disvantaged children from the slums

Only a few artists works generated some exchanges between bidders, and rare are the paintings that reached unreasonable sums. For the occasion, Shanty Town Spirit also set up a booth selling a few products, calendars and postcards, whose sales, went directly to the benefit of the NGO.

Jessica Sander and Ermine Norodom (Shanty Town Spirit)

Works of generous artists in the lobby of the Sofitel in Phnom Penh

Ermine Norodom with artist FONKi

A little more than fifty people had made the trip

One Spirit, One Heart, One Community. 

You can help these kids

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

Jessica Sander: jessicasander87@gmail.com (English)

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

Arun.aenorodom@gmail.com