Education for 300 Urban Poor Children

From the Director ...

We are so blessed to enjoy the support of our beloved donors, partners, friends and brothers and sisters, from different organizations, companies, churches and schools – from around the world.
It enables us, in turn, to bring blessing and hope to increasing numbers of vulnerable children (and their families), struggling in poverty.

So much is happening! A new building is currently under construction and then in July, we will welcome 50 new children (and their families) onto the programme - all possible because of your support.

Thank you so much!
Channy NOP
Director, SC  

New development phase ...

We have been able to expand operations even further and are now working in a fourth community, Prey Tea (pronounced Pray Dear! An excellent suggestion…)

The original 3 Sunshine communities are in reasonably close proximity to one other and so all have been serviced from the one “office” building. Prey Tea however, is further out – towards the airport – in north-west Phnom Penh. We have now purchased land here and begun building new premises to service this area.

Prey Tea children now attending school ...
Even without the new building, the Sunshine team is already hard at work. Children are no longer spending their days doing recycle rubbish collecting. 

A new UNESCO study has found that almost a quarter of Cambodian children aged 7 to 14 are forced to give up school, in order to work.

“In reality, when your family needs food, working becomes more [urgent] than school”, Ros Sopheap, director of Gender and Development for Cambodia.

SC works to break the “education vs. work” cycle of despair by providing access for children to school, whilst at the same time, working with the parents to economically empower them.  Although not without its challenges, Sunshine parents are encouraged to see the long-term value of their children remaining at school for as long as possible. (Currently Cambodia's completion rate for upper secondary is just 23%). 

We have seen the model work in our other communities and look forward - with your help - to seeing similar results at Prey Tea. 

Dreams are coming true ...

At the other end of the development cycle, we are thrilled to report that three students from the original Sunshine community are now attending University! Without Sunshine’s support, it is unlikely any of them would have gained even a basic primary education. Sunshine allowed them to hope and taught them to dream. We are incredibly proud of all three.

GO
Familiar to those who attended the Sydney Dinner last year, Go was the first Sunshine student to attend university. He continues his studies for a Bachelor of English Literature at Human Resource University.

CHANDY
Studying for a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Build Bright University.

DARI
Studying for a Bachelor of Sociology at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

Meet Dari

Like so many Sunshine children, Dari’s parents were rural migrants, arriving in Phnom Penh in 2005, seeking a better life. Despair quickly set in as they found themselves unable to meet even the most basic needs of their 2 young children for food and education. Without Sunshine’s assistance, Dari's life could look very different today. Children like her, struggling in squatter communities, are at very high risk of sexual abuse, drug use (especially glue sniffing), violence and gang related issues, child labour and human trafficking.

Once on the Sunshine programme, Dari thrived. She proved a bright, able student and a hard worker. In the past 10 years she has managed not only to complete her primary and secondary education but now (at 23 years of age) has been accepted into one of Phnom Penh’s most prestigious universities.

Dari is studying Sociology – working hard – not enjoying Statistics so much! However, she has good support from Sunshine; has made friends and is focused on her end goal. She is a beautiful, vibrant young woman with a bright future, thanks to Sunshine.“Because I am from a poor family and was supported by Sunshine Cambodia, I would like to become a Social Worker and help others like me.” 
 
"May God bless all those who have blessed me and so many other Sunshine children. I hope that Sunshine will be able to continue supporting other children, to at least grade 12 or even through to university, like me."We wish all three of our university students every success in their studies. They are wonderful role models for the younger children.

Sunshine Sponsors

We are so grateful to you all. Our three university students, Dari, Go and Chandy would not be where they are today without sponsor support.
 
Although it is not possible for sponsors to correspond with one particular child, you are always welcome to visit Sunshine, to see for yourself the difference your sponsorship is making.  
 
We are delighted to see a number of younger people (often on quite modest incomes themselves) signing on as child sponsors. We also have a number of families now who are sponsoring one Sunshine child for each of their own. Our heartfelt thanks to all.

On behalf of all the Sunshine staff, family and children ... thank you ... thank you ... thank you.

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