Help Give Cambodian Young Adults Independence

As we pass two significant landmarks, H.O.P.E’s fifth anniversary and more significantly the milestone of supporting over 100 Young Adults (“YAs”) in Cambodia, I bring you news direct from the field as I recently returned from my annual (self funded) trip. 

I saw for myself some great work and we are so proud to be a small part of the success of so many  disadvantaged young Cambodians – thank you for your help.  The bad news is, to continue supporting all these young adults we need to raise new funds and ask you to kindly consider swapping this week’s coffee for a small donation to our work.

Turning to my visit when I met with each of the Project Managers at the three Partner Orgnaisations H.O.P.E supports and got to see the results as well as discuss challenges and issues.   The highlight of the trip was having dinner one evening in the Cambodian capital, Phnom   Penh, with six of the young adults from Sangkheum Centre.  We have been supporting the Centre since the inception of its Young Adult Programme (“YAP”), so we are delighted that two are working in IT, one working as a football coach, and three at university seeking to be an Engineer, an English Teacher and a Medic.  A further six are making their way in the world in Siem Reap.  This success would have been unimaginable without the programme.   Meanwhile back at the Centre they are turning their attention to 24 “young adults in-waiting”, 13-18 year olds in need of dedicated resources and education to prepare for life beyond institutional care. 

At Salarrin Kampuchea, we have helped them since 2010, initially to set up a one year Life Skills
course for their older students and now supporting the third generation about to sign up.  I met up with some of the students at the new Youth Employment Services Centre, a new resource in Siem Reap, providing essential help with career advice and job seeking.  The Life Skills classes have enabled the students to be far better placed to gain employment in the future.

We have known This Life Cambodia (“TLC”) since it was just three members of staff.  On to their third office, out growing previous ones and employing 28 local staff, H.O.P.E now supports two of their programmes.  The
Intern Programme is on to its second generation with the first two interns now employed full time at TLC and the next two making great progress with their degrees and work experience. 

This year we extended support to a new programme, vocational training for 14-18 years trapped in the prison system in a country with no juvenile justice or first time offender units.  Desperate young adults caught for petty crimes are sentenced to as many as four years in prison.  I was able to visit the prison and see the juvenile prisoners attend training to be mechanics or electrical engineers.  So far the results are impressive, no trainees have become repeat offenders, when previously this was 60% reoffened within just six months.  Three have even set up their own business.  Critically all have been reconciled with their families, despite the stigma of prison. Another example of great progress with a little focussed help and support.

We have all learnt a lot over the first five years, not least that out in the big wide world the young adults have so much to face. Unfortunately with the success of our work we have seen an increase in cases where young adults have deep rooted problems transitioning from institutional care (heightened sense of abandonment and
isolation, lack of self esteem, easily led astray into gambling or alcohol etc). There is a vital need for Social Workers and yet there are very few qualified social workers in Cambodia.  In 2013 we have helped First Step Cambodia (“FSC”), a Phnom Penh based NGO, run a six month training programme in Siem Reap, with 19 adult participants.  Each social worker can help at least 10 YAs per annum which will make a huge difference to their future.  I was able to attend one day of this six month course and see for myself the amazing training that is being provided.  Even though it was in a different language it was clear the participants were gaining so much
knowledge, experience and confidence.

So in summary I was able to see for myself the wonderful projects we have been able to support  - THANK YOU again for continuing to help us help them.

As I write this update, I am less than a month away from my annual (self funded) trip out to Cambodia to see for myself how things are going.

Monitoring progress is a major part of our Memorandum of Understanding with each of the organisations who have Young Adult Programmes supported by H.O.P.E.

As a minimum the project managers must submit a written report to the trustees every quarter outlining not just successes but also issues so we may then be able to help, often sharing experience from one of our other partner organisations.  However in practice we hear from them even more regularly, via email, facebook and skype calls, as they often can't wait to tell us what's happening.  The only downside to this is it makes me feel far away here in London, and I know how fast things are developing as so many amazing people are putting serious effort into the country's future - the next generation.  Since my last visit there has also been an election and while there has been no change (Cambodia has one of the longest serving prime ministers Hun Sen who has been in power since 1985), there was significant support for the opposition demonstrating the Cambodians are becoming more empowered to drive change.

I have timed my trip so it coincides with the new Social Worker Training we have supported, and I will be fortunate enough to attend one day during the fifth session of a full week of detailed training and also discuss with the project managers who are based in the Cambodian capital, their aspirations for a full time centre in Siem Reap.  I am also visiting the local prison to see in action the vocational training for juvenile prisoners that H.O.P.E supports as well as meeting the project directors from each of the organisations.  I hope to see some of the young adults in action at work or on their way to study and I look forward to reporting back.

2013 has been a quiet year for H.O.P.E in terms of fund raising events and we can only carry out this great progressive work with your help and donations.  Please spread the word about our great focussed work and if possible make a much needed donation.

Many thanks