GlobalGiving.org: Summer Arts Camp for Orphans in Cambodia

2011 Summer Arts Camp For Orphans in Cambodia

Barbara Rosasco — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:26:19 GMT

Recap & Review: Summer Arts Camp 2011

Our 2011 Summer Arts Camp hosted 67 campers for a fun filled 6 week session during the summer break from school. Hosting 67 campers, the 2011 Camp saw a 50/50 mix of new campers and returning campers with children coming from an AIDS hospice, the Phnom Penh Municipal Orphanage and children our own AIDS Patient Family Support Program.

The structure remained as in previous years, with resident Apsara Arts Association students actively engaged to offer Campers a warm welcome and extra assistance as needed. Campers participated in a curriculum that included a an introduction and /or review of the basics of Cambodian dance, introduction to traditional Khmer stories, music and instruments. Teaching staff included Senior Apsara students apprentice teachers and staff teachers. Some campers also participated in music lessons, which depended upon availability of instruments. Campers who completed the full 6 weeks session received a certificate of achievement and participated in the end of session recital performance and party.

A new play was introduced in 2011 as a modern compliment to the traditional Cambodian dance experience. This new play was expressed in dance with characters portrayed as animals in the forest. This new play centered upon a theme that showed how corruption and abuse of can impact a community, and was meant to provide moral insights to students that can easily be transferred to modern daily life in Cambodia.

The new play was performed at the recital performance and the closing party was attended by members of the clergy, staff from the Orphanage and a few parents from children from our AIDS Patient Family Support Program.

Originally started as a trial program in 2009, we will continue the Summer Arts Camp as long as dedicated funding support can be found .

To everyone who made this Camp possible, please accept our heartfelt thanks and the thanks of children who attended the 2011 Summer Arts Camp.

With best wishes for 2011, we look forward to haring another summer with you and the children in our Summer Arts Camp.

Barbara & Mark Rosasco

Summer Arts Camp 2011 gets last minute reprieve!

Barbara Rosasco — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:14:51 GMT

Getting into position requires flexibility

2011 Summer Arts Camp reinstated due to generosity of last minute donors !

Our 2011 Summer Arts Camp , initially cancelled for 2011 due to lack of funding, received a last minute reprieve due to unexpected generous donations. The 2011 Summer Arts Camp is hosting just 65 students, a lower number than before, to an abbreviated 6 week session.

2011 Camp , which began in August 2, will provide 6 weeks of instruction in traditional Cambodian dance and music to 65 enthusiastic campers which include 35 children from the Phnom Penh Municipal Orphanage, 20 children from a local AIDS hospice and 10 children from Kasumisou Foundation’s AIDS Patient Family Support Program.

Campers will continue to build skills in the performing arts, as well as building self discipline, self esteem and an understanding of the power and responsibility of volunteering . As before, Summer Art Camp classes will be taught by Senior students of the Apsara Arts Association , under the guidance of staff teachers. Peer mentoring is a key part of this program, where disadvantaged children can learn from their peer teachers, who are now advanced to rank of student teacher.

More information on the Apsara Arts Association, its students and performances can be seen on the Kasumisou Foundation website at www.kasumisou.org.

Our sincere thanks to all who have continued in support of our efforts to continue the Summer Arts Camp. We would be grateful for additional donations to help us ofset related expenses for this program.

Barbara & Mark Rosasco

Campers learn about posture

Practice! Practice! Practice!

Practice and hard work makes great dancers!

Working toward this goal...

Links:

Photo gallery for Summer Arts Camp & Apsara Arts Association

Funding Goals Met for Summer Arts Camp for Orphans

Barbara Rosasco — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:54:07 GMT

Funding Goals Met -Summer Arts Camp for Orphans

Thank you! We did it! Your generous support of our project campaign during the GlobalGiving Open Challenge has made it possible for 75 orphans to attend 8 weeks of Kasumisou Foundation’s 2009 Summer Arts Camp.

Thanks to your support, we have now been welcomed onto the GlobalGiving.com website, which should significantly broaden our exposure through personal and social networking as well as a result of the prominence of GlobalGiving in the media and within the non-profit arena.

Campaign results:

Donations made to our Summer Arts Camp for Orphans project totaled $ 6,400 from 77 donors, with net proceeds of $5, 584 ( 87.25%) to coming Kasumisou Foundation and $816 (12.75%) retained by GlobalGiving which is also a non-profit organization.

As most of you know, this was our first project campaign with GlobalGiving. Like all new things on-line, there has been a technology learning curve.

For the past 10 years, at Kasumisou Foundation, we have tried to thank each of our donors personally by letter. However, in reviewing our successful campaign, we have learned that the information of donors who had checked “ anonymous” is not available to us. Consequently, our only method of contact to these donors to personally express our heartfelt thanks is via project updates through the GlobalGiving site.

We would like to continue our long standing tradition of direct contact with all of our donors and in this regard we would be grateful if you would send your contact information to us at kasumisou.foundation@gmail.com .

Other news:

New website launch:

Mark has just launched a new website for Kasumisou Foundation. To see photos from our 2009 Summer Arts Camp, please visit the new website at www.kasumisou-foundation.info . Click on the “WHAT’S NEW” tab and there is a link will take you to the photo album.

Permission based email list change:

We will soon start using a top rated permission based email firm to handle our future campaign emails. Our goal is to eliminate annoying duplicate emails and have a 100% permission based email list. This will also you an immediate “opt out” ability should you wish to be taken off our list. Again, there is a technology learning curve and we are doing our best to be current with the times.

Questions or Comments:

Please contact us with questions or comments at kasumisou.foundation@gmail.com .

Thank you again! Our efforts are only possible because of the generous support of friends like you!

Barbara & Mark Rosasco October 16, 2009