Educate Cambodian Kids Impacted by AIDS

As we have often said, a  large part of the success of each of   project is its ability to have sustained funding. 

You are receiving this project update because you  may have, in the past, been a supporter of out program to help indigent mothers impacted by HIV/AIDs to support their chidlren,  and we hope that you will again consider supporting this effort as we move toward Giving Tuesday, on December 1.

During the month of December, recurring donations, which can be as small as just        $10.00 per month, can receive a one month match from Global Giving.  Donations may be made directly to the FSP program here or to our Educate Cambodian Kids Impacted by AIDS micro project , also posted on GlobalGiving.

Since 2000, our AIDS Patient Family Support Program has  continued a 15 year effort  to protect fragile children impacted by extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS. Beyond the social support that we provide for our current roster of 37 families and approximately 70 children, we  provide  access to education for the children in the FSP.

We are proud to say that our strategy works ! In Cambodia where it is estimated that only 40% of Cambodian students graduate from high school and the average educational grade proficiency is 6th grade, we  take great pride that our  FSP program has children graduating from high school in spite of the giant challenges of extreme poverty and families impacted by HIV/AIDs. We even have a few who have made it to college.

The children all returned to school in October to start their new year.   These children benefit from our education  program because  they can  start each year with a new school uniform, a new  book bag and proper school supplies and avoid the stigma of being immediately identified as the “ poor kids” at the start of the term. We pay the extra  weekly  " teacher fees" that are a part of the reality of underfunded  public education in Cambodia, as teacher salaries are grossly inadequate. Consequently , teachers assess each student additional " fees" these fees , and depending upon the grade level, the fees  can add up to as much as  $30 per month for students to receive proper instruction in the public schools. Without the fees, students are not given proper lesson instruction, teachers ignore questions in class and will not provide key information to enable middle and high school students to pass proficiency exams.

Our  FSP  home care team , visits each family at least once per week, and quite often more than once per week. Our Team in addition to monitoring the general condition of the family,  is also tasked with trying to keep kids on track at grade level. In the event that remedial or supplemental  tutoring is required or indicated , our program will provide  the funds to access these services and monitor progress. . Our strong focus  on education has created results over the years, with the large majority of our students passing each year on  to the next grade . Many of our students have  graduated from middle and high school and we currently have  2 in  our college program.  

These accomplishments, while ordinary in the developed world, are often " firsts". The child may be the first in the family to achieve any literacy,  or the first family member  to achieve graduation from   elementary school, and for the great majority of our FSP families, the children who graduate from middle school and high school are truly " firsts". All of this requires a slow, consistent and focused effort to help these kids overcome the challenges of living in extreme poverty, illiterate parents and social stigma.

We are proud to say that our efforts over these many years does move these kids forward toward the day when they will step forward  and step out of their current situation of inherited poverty.    We are deeply grateful to our generous supporters for their long time support and hope that you will again join us in our efforts to help these children.

Barbara & Mark Rosasco

Update on   Educate Cambodian Kids Impacted by AIDS !  ( please see our new  project  link Educate Cambodian Kids Impacted by AIDs 2015-Part 2)

July 15   is Globalgiving.org Bonus Match Day

 As a Five Star Superstar Partner

We can earn a 50% match to your donation!

 Details of Match day:

• $115,000 in matching funds available
• Once funds run out, donations will no longer be matched
• Starts at 9:00:01 am EDT   and ends at at midnight EDT
• Online donations can be matched, including GlobalGiving Gift Cards
• Maximum donation eligible for match is $ 1000 per donor per each project

Other Bonus Opportunities

•   $1000 prize for most funds raised
•   $1000 price for most unique donors

Make your donation work harder by participating in the GlobalGiving Bonus Match Day on July 15. We are deeply grateful for your support of our programs!

Continuing our efforts,

Although the micro project segment you originally supported  has ended , the project continues on and can be found   in our Educate Cambodian Kids Impacted by AIDS 2015 Part 2. The project  update below  is a continuation of our initial project. We hope that you will consider supporting our ongoing efforts to improve access to education for Cambodian children.

We are deeply grateful for your past support of our programs and we hope that you will again consider supporting our kids.

Educate Cambodian Kids Impacted by AIDS

Helping our students to break the cycle of inherited poverty

A large part of the success of each of   project is its ability to have sustained funding.  Education is a long term and ongoing effort.

Since 2000, our AIDS Patient Family Support Program has  continued a 15 year effort  to provide  access to education for the children in the FSP. We are proud to say that our strategy works ! In Cambodia where it is estimated that only 40% of Cambodian students ever graduate from high school, we have children graduating from high school in spite of the giant challenges of extreme poverty and families impacted by HIV/AIDs that these kids face. We even have a few who have made it to college!

None of this would be possible without the support of you, our donors. Your support has changed the lives of these children, giving then a real chance at a better life, moving from a life of inherited poverty to a possibility of being able to stepping into the middle class. The power of education is immense! We currently support 39 students in this program.

We are always grateful to you, our donors, for your continued support.

Barbara & Mark Rosasco

Links:

• Educate Cambodian Kids Impacted by AIDs 2015-2016 Part 2