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_Bayon TV

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

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

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

Sokear’s dream job !

Ermine and some other Shanty Town Spirit volunteers including Maïra paid a visit to the Boeung Trabek community: we didn’t come over empty-handed ! Indeed, Nathy has very kindly donated her bike to Sokear, one of the very first kids looked after by Ermine who is now almost 20. Sokear was very happy about that since he was actually in need of a bike to go to work and to school ! 

Sokear took us to his house to see his family and his friends: Srey Nett, her grandmother and Srey Nith were there and they kindly invited us to stay a moment with them. So we talked for a little while: they told us about their school results, their job and how the children of the community were doing. Then, we talked about what they dream to become later. Sokear, for example, wishes to become a lawyer and is about to enter law school ! Thanks to his faith and his determination, and also thanks to the work of the donors and the volunteers, Sokear can get closer to his dreams ! 

After that, we visited a few of the usual families of the community, all always delighted to see us ! On that day, we came with bars of soap, toothbrushes and clothes for the kids ! All the children were able to get themselves one of each ! It really was a wonderful moment ! 

                                     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 wonderful afternoon at the Swimming Pool

Thank you to Kathleen Gees, because of her, a very nice afternoon could have been organized at the swimming pool.

All the kids were full of joy and happiness.

Sokear, once again, enjoyed to take the role of organiser.  He took the responsibility to pay attention to all the kids, helped them for the lunch, and took part of all the activities in the pool.

They all played a lot

And the lunch was delightfull

Thank you again to Kathleen, and a special thank you to Maira, who was also an asset during 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

                                                         words by Nathalie Bonpain

Little Girl with a Big Smile: Portrait of Terry

Meet Terry. She is 11 years old and arrived to Phnom Penh from a province two years ago. She lives with her Grand mother- Mrs Uk who is her main caregiver. 

11 year old Terry & her infectious smile

She started school when she was eight years old and struggled a lot with her studies. After moving to Boeung Trabak, Terry would spend her free time walking around the dusty streets collecting plastic bottles and rubbish for recycling, in order to make enough money to go to school. 

Terry in her school uniform & her friend

Terry used to see the Shanty Town Spirit team visiting her slum community and wished that one day that they might notice her and help her. One day her wishes came true when Ermine came to meet her grandmother. Ermine saw Terry's magnificent bright smile and knew she needed to support Terry with her schooling so she could just be a little girl and not have rummage the streets to make a few dollars. 

Having fun on a Shanty Town Spirit recreational outing

Since joining Shanty Town Spirit, Terry is very motivated to work well at school and her goal now is to be in the first 10 of the class because she wants to prove herself worthy of receiving the program's support. We know Terry is already worthy but we encourage her to aim high and do her best. Her grandmother Mrs Uk also receives a modest allowance so Terry doesn't need to collect the rubbish anymore. 

This is just one example of how Shanty Town Spirit is helping one child to reach towards her potential. We have many more. Help us Help them! 

                                    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