Au coeur de Shanty Town

The courageous and sweet children of Light of Mercy !

We paid a visit to the Light of Mercy Home, which Shanty Town Spirit is used and very pleased to often collaborate with ! 

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. The center is held by generous and kind Sister Marie-Adelphe.

All the children were very excited to see us, especially since we came with presents for Light of Mercy: indeed, we brought them 120kg of rice and other multiple food basic supplies, such as oil, spices, sugar and all sorts of sauces ! 

Some of the kids then explained us the functioning of their aquaponic garden, which was installed last year by Koyaproject and with the help of Shanty Town Spirit ! Three disabled young adults were trained to take care of the garden and to teach the functioning of it as well. Those young adults have developed, because of their disability, very particular and useful skills, such as crafting various objects with wood, or fixing the plumbing for example. 

                                      

After that, some of the kids offered to make us visit the center: they showed us around the dormitories, the music classrooms, the khmer music classrooms and the computer room. 

And in the end, some volunteers were even taught by the kids to say their names in sign language ! It was such a funny and heartwarming moment ! 

Every child, however their mental or physical condition, deserves to express themselves as they want or to be active and useful to society. For example, one of the blind young adults now works in a “Dine in the dark” restaurant and is very happy to be able to have a job ! We congratulate him and all the other children of Light of Mercy for their courage and determination ! 

                                                   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

Nice association gathering for a long-lasting partnership !

We had the chance to be invited by Flame to visit a new project of theirs: a youth center that they were able to build thanks to very generous donors in one of the poor communities of Phnom Penh. They are also paying the teacher themselves for a period of three years. 

The action of Flame is based on the idea of “The Full Circle”, which represents the process of a child from slums becoming a young leader: “The kids you help emerge as confident leaders in their communities, inspiring others in education, service and leadership.” (https://www.flamecambodia.org/our-mission ). Flame is an association that Shanty Town Spirit is used and very pleased to collaborate with. 

The center we visited is a day-center where the kids of the community mainly come to learn khmer basis. They can also be helped with some school homework and receive support if they have issues with their families.

We came with presents for the kids: each of them would get a pencil-case full of school supplies ! We also had a limited number of backpacks that the children would get if they won little games. 

They therefore played various little games in front of us ! They were all very happy to have some unusual company that morning ! 

At the end of the class, they all went back home in a special tuk-tuk set up by Flame for them ! 

Seeing those kids happily and safely gathering in this environment is such a heartwarming feeling. It is thanks to the generosity of the donors and the hard work of the volunteers of Flame that such things can happen. Thank you to Flame for their trust ! 

                                                        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

Happily studying with Maira !

We went to visit the community of Pre Tacom with Maira, as she does every Sunday. Pre Tacom, which was formerly situated on a river that is now dried up, is one of the slums whose children are taken care of by Maira. 

Every Sunday, she goes there to teach the smallest kids of the community various subjects, such as little stories from the Bible, painting and drawing, or crafting little objects. 

On that day, the kids learned the story of queen Esther, and they all made a little drawing of her, which they adorably gave to the volunteers ! They were all very concentrated to make the most beautiful and colorful drawing ! 

Then, it was time for the distribution. Indeed, the volunteers had come with hygiene products for every child, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes and soaps. We had also brought some donated clothes for the kids. They all received their little something and were very happy ! 

It is such a marvelous feeling to see all these children gathering together and playing, drawing and laughing with each other while learning new things ! Every kid deserves to go to school and to learn in a safe, comfortable environment. 

                              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

Every woman deserves the right to feel pretty !

With the help of a few volunteers, we visited Boeung Trabek’s community (which is the first community taken over by Shanty Town Spirit). As usual, all the people were delighted to see us coming with gifts. 

We proceeded to a distribution of various hygiene products, school supplies, clothes and a few jewels that had been donated to the association a few days prior by Nathy. Everybody received something special, the kids as well as the women ! The atmosphere was joyful and everyone was smiling and happy ! 

In the name of all the volunteers working with Shanty Town Spirit and especially the women and kids who were able to benefit her beautiful donations, we thank Nathy very much for her generosity. These kinds of moments with the community are possible thanks to all the donors like Nathy and all the volunteers ! 

As we can see on these pictures, everyone was enchanted by Nathy’s beautiful jewels. All the ladies managed to get one of their own, and it suited them beautifully! Because every woman deserves the right to feel pretty and feminine ! 

                                               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

Vaccin your pets

We had the opportunity with the Veterinary Hospital Animal Mama to go to one Shanty town in able to spay/neuter, vaccinate, deworm, and microchip the community animals. After a busy morning and amazing response from the local residents, they were able to vaccinate, deworm, and microchip 24 cats and dogs and desex 20! 

 And they gave 50 dozes of human de-worming to the inhabitants - to ensure that humans are also clear from parazites!!! "
Their community work is so important to them and they love the opportunity to collaborate with effective NGO’s who are making a difference. 

Humans and other animals live together and can share many of the same health problems including rabies and hookworm. 

Rabies kills up to a thousand people each year in Cambodia, and they are only the reported cases. Animals and children who live together closely in the slum areas like the one they worked at today are at a high risk. 

Hookworm is another killer and they provided deworming treatments for both the animals and the humans. 

Spay/neuter controls the population, reduces the spread of disease, and reduces unnecessary suffering. 

Communities like this one can handle a small number of animals, but when they breed above a certain level, there is often not enough money available to feed them properly and certainly not enough to give them medical treatment when needed.   They do their maximum for their loving little animals, and they consider them as being fully part of their family.

We are so proud of their team who worked in difficult circumstances to get the job done. A huge thank you to everyone who came out and for those who remained behind to keep the veterinary clinic open for the public as usual. 

We also want to thank their Volunteer vet, Camilla, who has been amazing here working with Animal Mama over the past week.

More info on  http://www.animal-mama.com

                                      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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Vacciner vos animaux !

Nous avons eu l’opportunité avec l’Hopital Vétérinaire Animal Mama de nous rendre dans un de nos bidons ville le 14 novembre, afin de procéder à la vaccination, vermifuge, castration et stérilisation de plus de 25 animaux.

Il est important pour nous de pouvoir agir auprès des animaux afin de protéger les hommes des maladies comme la rage, qui tue plusieurs milliers de personne par an au Cambodge.  Et ce n’est qu’une estimation.  

La rage est un fléau au Cambodge, et avec les animaux vivant avec les hommes sans etre traiter, il est difficile de lutter contre cette maladie.  Et ce, tout particulièrement dans les bidons villes.

Le ver parasite est également un autre fléau ; tuant à la fois les hommes et les animaux.  Il est crucial de vermifuger tout autant les uns que les autres.

La stérilisation et la castration des animaux, réduit la prolifération des maladies ; et toutes les souffrances liées à cela.

Les communautés, comme celle-çi peut prendre en charge qu’une petite partie des animaux, mais quand ils ont l’argent pour les élever et les nourrir, ils n’ont malgré tout pas les fonds pour pouvoir les vacciner.  Ils font leur maximum pour leurs compagnons, car ils les considèrent comme faisant partie intégrante de leur famille.    Donc ce type d’action reste très important pour eux.

Nous sommes très fiers de cette équipe qui a pu effectuer un tel travail ; et ce dans des circonstances pas toujours faciles.

Un grand merci à toute l’équipe d’Animal Mama, et tout particulièrement à Camilla, volontaire ce jour-là, pour le fantastique travail et la dévotion auprès de tous ces animaux.

Animal Mama est une clinique vétérinaire privée, mais qui propose des soins gratuits pour les animaux des personnes démunies.   Ils ont aussi un rôle de refuge pour les animaux abandonnés et malades.

Plus d’information sur  http://www.animal-mama.com

                                      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

Un Avenir assuré grâce à de bons résultats scolaires/Just study and believe in the future

Un Avenir assuré grâce à de bons résultats scolaires / Just study and believe in the futur

Comment réussir sa vie ? la meilleure façon de s’assurer un avenir réside dans les études que tout un chacun peut faire et dans les moyens qu’il se donne pour y arriver.

C’est pour cela que nous suivons les enfants sur le plan scolaire dans les familles défavorisées.  Nous sommes derrière eux pour les faire travailler et faire en sorte qu’ils puissent s’assurer un avenir, autre que ce qui pourrait leur être donner, en ayant eu la malchance de naitre dans un bidon ville.

Cela de manière régulière, nous surveillons les carnets de classe, s’ils vont bien à leur cours supplémentaire, s’ils suivent bien les cours en général.  Et dès que l’un d’entre eux à de bons résultats, il obtient un vélo.

Vélo, qui s’avère être le Saint Graal pour tous ces enfants.  Grace à cela, ils peuvent aller à l’école plus rapidement, moins fatigués, et ils peuvent s’amuser pendant leur temps libre.

C’est le cas de Nath Putheara, qui a obtenu un « Certificat d’appréciation » pour les cours d’anglais qu’elle suit, elle est en grade 4 et a obtenu la quatrième place.  Elle a eu son vélo, qu’elle voulait rose, très girly.

D’autres ont la possibilité d’effectuer un stage dans un établissement, comme cela a été le cas de Sokear, qui a fait un stage chez Infinity Insurance.

Ou encore nous leur offrons des sorties cinémas, Kids city ou faire un bon repas.

Les récompenses sont nombreuses mais ils doivent bien travailler pour obtenir cela.

Lorsqu’ils ont des difficultés dans une matière, nous nous assurons de leur faire suivre des cours de soutien dans cette matière, ainsi ils peuvent rattraper leur retard.   

Mis à part pour Ron, qui lui non seulement travaille très bien, mais qui aime tellement les maths qu’il veut continuer les cours de soutien même s’il en a pas besoin.

Toutefois, il nous est plus facile d’aider les enfants dès le grade 1, comme cela ils ont toute leur scolarité devant eux.  Nous rencontrons quelques difficultés avec les enfants qui ont commencés l’école à 13ans.  L’Association n’a pu les prendre en charge qu’à partir de ce moment-là.  Donc, nous faisons tout ce que nous pouvons pour leur faire comprendre combien il est important d’étudier pour avoir un emploi correct.

Just study and believe in the futur 

How can those kids be sure to have a real futur in life ? Well the answer is simple : STUDY, and then everything becomes possible.

This is why we are helping the kids in the poor families. We give them the opportunities to study properly by keeping track of their results.

On regular basis we are visiting them, questioning them if they are going to class, if they are following additional classes for which we pay for.  

And as soon as one of them is getting good results, he or she received a reward.  Most of the time they are expecting a bicycle.  But they have to be at least in the first five in class.

Having a bicycle is very important for them, they can go with it to school and it makes their life so much easier.

This is the case of Nath Putheara, who received a « certificat of appreciation » for her good marks in English.  She got her bike, pink, and was thrilled when she received it.

Others got the opportunity to do an internship in a company, Sokhear did one at Infinity Insurance.

Or we take them for a movie or to Kids city, or for a good meal.  All those things that they can’t have in their life.

There are a lot of rewards, but they have to study and get proper results

And when they face difficulties, we are giving them some additional support.  They can have support classes, so that they can keep on with the others.

Which is not the case for one of them, Ron, who is working really well at school, and gets very good marks, but love so much mathematics, he wants to have additional classes even though he is in the first one in class.

However it is easier to help those kids as soon as they start school, in grade one.  Like this we can be part of the entire scholarship.  It is more difficult for the kids with whom we started when the Association was created.  They were already 13 years old, so they have to get back with their delays.  Not so easy but we have success in this two.

Studying in class is the answer for a proper future.  

                                  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