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

More Food for the red zones

Thank you to all the donors and friends for your kind donations in kind and money. We couldn't do it without you.

More food arriving to the community near by Doeum Kor Market red zone this morning for Polo'S.O.S Emergency message and his neighbors. no foods to eat during lockdown. We are very thanksfull to all the donors. 

as soon we receiving donation we are buying more foods for them.

One Spirit, One Heart, One Community 

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

             To support communities so as to improve their quality of life.

  Contact us 

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

norodomermine@gmail.com

Make a donation

ABA account 000143748

Or PayPal us

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

Shanty Town Spirit Visit Pot's Family

We manage to bring two bicycles. We managed to buy because of the financial help from our donors.  

A big thank you to them, those bikes are essential as they live far from the city and tuk tuks are expensive.   

One bike is for his wife so she can do the food shopping, and the other is for his two sons to enable them to go back to school when the schools reopen. 

One Spirit, One Heart, One Community   

                                   

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

             To support communities so as to improve their quality of life.

  Email us 

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

norodomermine@gmail.com

Make a donation

ABA account 000143748

Or PayPal us

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

A wonderful encounter with Pot's family.

Pot is a 40’s years old disabled Cambodian. He is in the street, begging for his family, for five years.  We know Pot for two years by passing a front of him everyday and helping by giving him some supplies every time we can.

He lives near the province of Kandal, 30 minutes away from his spot in a little house with his wife, children and his in-law family.   We got there in March 2021 and were welcomed by the full family.

His wife Chanak is 30’s years old, she worked for a long time in the field of agriculture with her family. Until she got her last daughter, who is now three years old.  She is now taking care of the whole family. She and Pot got married in 2012 and together they have three children.

The eldest is a boy of 12 Theara, the second, a boy of 6 Thearith and the youngest, as said 3 Theary.  They were all attending Jompok'aek School until Covid19 pandemic starts.

They no longer go to school, so their father: Pot teaches them when he comes home in the evening.

Pot is disabled since he was born, he had poliomyelitis. (a contagious disease caused by a virus (the poliovirus) that invades the nervous system and can lead to irreversible paralysis.

Twice a day Pot takes a motorbike taxi (eight dollars to come to Phnom Penh each day two return ways) Money he has to beg for.

Six years ago, he worked as a volunteer in a church, receiving food for his family in exchange. But unfortunately, the church closed, and Pot found himself without a permanent job. 

With his disability it is very difficult for him to find a job, so he receives regular help from Shanty Town Spirit. 

During our visit we faced the extremely difficult situation they are in.   We manage to bring two bicycles. We managed to buy because of the financial help from our donors.  

A big thank you to them, those bikes are essential as they live far from the city and tuk tuks are expensive.   

One bike is for his wife so she can do the food shopping, and the other is for his two sons to enable them to go back to school when the schools reopen. 

They also received baby milk, fruits and some money from Shanty Town Spirit to compensate this day of work as we ask him to stay home with his family. On that day he had swollen feet, so he was very happy to have a day off. 

We also discussed with them different ideas we could put in place so that Pot would no longer beg, for example: sell tissue masks, or fruits along the streets etc...   Not so easy for the moment.  Any new Idea is most welcome if you have some.

We take every possibility into consideration.

We keep on looking how is the best way to help Pot and his family, even though the world is facing a tremendous epidemic.

Let’s hope to find solution for this wonderful family.

Thank you for them and Shanty Town Spirit for your support during this difficult time.

One Spirit, One Heart, One Community   

                                   

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

             To support communities so as to improve their quality of life.

  Email us 

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

norodomermine@gmail.com

Make a donation

ABA account 000143748

Or PayPal us

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

Shanty Town Spirit's Babies enlighten in the bossom of the families.

Dental care to University of Puthisastra Dentistry

Dental care for underprivileged Children.

For the past two years now, our association Shanty Town Spirit has been accompanying every week a group of six to ten children to the Dental University of Puthisastra Dentistry. 

We would like to thank the dental University for their dedication to our association. Your amazing support and contribution help Shanty Town Spirit to provide essentials needs to some of the most vulnerable kids and families living in Cambodia.

https://www.puthisastra.edu.kh/news-events/dentistry/up-launches-curriculum-review-working-group-2/

                                                                                                    

               

These children and families are not fortunate enough to be able to afford dental care, and most of them have serious dental problems. That is why regular follow-ups are done at the University of Puthisastra, for many of these children it is the first time they go to the dentist. They are stressed but happy to have access to dental hygiene. The dentists offer their services free of charge, for scaling, tooth decay extraction etc…  A checkup is organized every 6 months. 

                                                                                         

     

Shanty Town Spirit Association still need to pay for the extra care such as, crowns or dental surgeries, so that the child can have a complete treatment when needed and provide the transportation by tuk-tuk, lunches and drinks. 

During the Covid19 period, the Dental University opens and closes its doors depending on government restrictions. We are looking forward to the reopening of the dental University so that we can continue the dental care of these children. In the meantime, and more than ever we continue the distribution of hygiene products so that the children can still have access to hygiene.  

One Spirit, One Heart, One Community   

                                   

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

             To support communities so as to improve their quality of life.

  Email us 

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

norodomermine@gmail.com

Make a donation

ABA account 000143748

Or PayPal us

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

ពិធីប្រគល់សម្ភារៈសិក្សាដល់កុមារក្នុងអង្គការ Shanty Town Spirit_CNC TV

7 years old Saronne need you

Shanty Town Spirit help to rescue a little girl of 7 years old, who definitely needs help form our donors. Her mother died in September 2020; her brother Virak is actually leaving with his handicap’s dad. They are really poor, and it’s dangerous for Saronne to keep leaving with her father, as he is co-locating the room with other men. 

                                                            Maira, Saronne and her Mum

Maira, our social worker, who is already assisting another girl, offered to take her at her place. But for this action to be realized our Association needs additional funds. We managed to get fund from donors since now, but it starts to be very difficult at this point of crisis. Saronne was going to school, despite their poverty, she was in grade 6 before her mother died.

 Before she died, the couple could earn just enough per month for the 2 children to go to school and to survive. Both parents were working. But since the mother died, it is not possible for the father to manage to earn enough to have the 2 kids to go to school anymore and both of the children Virak and Saronne had to collect the rubbish to help his handicap father. 

                                                                  Saronne and Sothea

So, with the help of Shanty town Spirit and nice hearted people, Maira manage to take Saronne in her home to give her a decent life and a decent education. Saronne is now going to private school, she is doing school online at the moment and excel very good. 

In order for her to go to school and to help Maira to give her a good life, Shanty Town Spirit needs 150 dollars per month, this amount will cover education, food, hygiene and all the other think that a little girl would need. 

Before the mother died, Maira was helping this family and keep on fighting to help this poor family as much as she can. Saronne needs help right now, we are counted on generous people like you to help Shanty Town Spirit and Maira to give her a good life.

 Thank you for her.

                                            

                                                         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 

                                                             norodomermine@gmail.com

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

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

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