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

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

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

A precious afternoon with the kids of Little Hearts !

We came by the foster home of Little Hearts, in the countryside of Phnom Penh. This absolutely marvellous place is held by Tony, who decided to help orphans of the Phnom Penh province in need and give them a future. Without the intervention of an organization like Little Hearts, these children would have a bleak future placing them at risk of malnutrition, exploitation and abuse, severe poverty and at worse, an early death.

38 kids from 5 to 20 gather and play all around the vast green garden ! 

There, we distributed each kid a bag containing hygiene supplies, such as a toothbrush, a large tube of toothpaste and 4 bars of soap. Every child got one of his own !

Right after that, some of the children kindly offered to make us visit the foster home. So they showed us around the rooms where the kids sleep, divided into four different dormitories and beautifully decorated by them ! Then, they showed us the bathrooms, the kitchen, the computer room and finally the classrooms ! 

Some of the oldest girls then explained us the functioning of their aquaponic garden, which was installed a few years back by Koya Project and with the collaboration of Shanty Town Spirit ! Tony made up a special time table so that every kid gets to take care of the aquaponic garden and understand its functioning. This project turned out to be very useful for them ! Indeed, it consists of a fish tank constructed below ground level to keep the fish nice and cool. There is also a vertical garden for leafy green vegetables and 3 media beds which are already yielding bumper crops of the children’s favourites which include ‘morning glory’. (https://koyaproject.org/little-hearts/ )

While some of the kids were happily playing in the garden and others peacefully drawing the classrooms, we were chatting and laughing with a little group of them. They explained about how their life at Little Hearts was great and how they were always having fun all together ! 

This afternoon with the kids of Little Hearts was a precious moment of sharing and joy, and we are forever grateful for the work of associations such as Little Hearts ! 

                                  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

A musical and colorful morning at Tiny Toones !

That day, a few volunteers of Shanty Town Spirit and Ermine visited the Tiny Toones youth center ! Tiny Toones is an association which Shanty Town Spirit is used and pleased to collaborate with ! Their mission is to provide a safe, positive environment for at‐risk youth to channel their energy and creativity into the arts and education, empowering them to build self‐confidence in their daily lives, aim for better employment possibilities, and feel supported pursuing their dreams (Source: https://www.tinytoones.org/about-us-2/ ).

We actually came by to hand in a dozen of boxes full of clothes for kids that had been donated to the association. We thus thank Calzedonia for these gifts to the children !! 

First, and as they are used to, the kids played various games in front of us to warm themselves up. Amongst all the colorful graffitis on the walls, they were joyfully chasing one another and playing the musical chairs while dancing.

Then, it was time for a little snack ! All the kids came in line to receive two juices and two bars of chocolate from the volunteers of Shanty Town Spirit ! 

And last but not least, we went to the dance-class room and the kids held a little dance show in front of us ! It was a wonderful moment: seeing all these children happily dancing and laughing together ! Even the volunteers were invited to dance ! 

Then, it was already noon, and all the children went back home for lunch ! They let the place for the afternoon group, which is for the older kids !

                                    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