Seeing 'Sew Empowered' women enjoying the opportunity of empowering less fortunate women (and a man) from the slum ...



... through vocational training ...



... is truly inspirational and although it's only a small drop in the ocean, it fits Millennium Development Goal # 1 - Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, as well as Millennium Development Goal # 3 - Promote gender equality and empower women.

It's interesting to watch as everyone focuses on the task at hand and concentrates on getting the treadle momentum just as it should be ...



... in order to get the machine stitching just as it should. While the seven trainees were doing their thing, others gathered to watch ...



... including a mother whose 2 week old baby was enjoying drinking his milk through a new teat on his bottle which is especially designed for babies with cleft lips. The baby is also scheduled to have the Smile team of doctors perform an operation on his cleft lip within a couple of weeks.

Take a minute to think about this little baby boy who was born with a cleft lip, living in a slum in the developing world, about to receive a free operation that will change his life, from Doctors who are prepared to travel around the world to perform this life changing operation. Free operations on cleft lips for children in developing countries - What an excellent service!

The 'Sew Empowered' team in Toul Tom Poung always enjoy having visitors, so it was good to have Peter and John visit.



The team continue developing their skills ...





... as they complete orders and monitor stock in stores ...



...and work on new samples to present to the market.



The 'Sew Empowered' initiative greatly assists women in the developing world, who are usually more disadvantaged than men, as it provides them with an excellent environment in which to work.



Depending on the team members literacy levels, the project offers capacity building options that include, but are not limited to:-

~ Book keeping
~ Time management
~ Marketing
~ Sales
~ Purchasing
~ Stock taking
~ Manufacturing costings
~ Financial planning

It is great to be a part of a project that empowers the women ...



... as it challenges them to learn, develop and grow, with a goal to manage a sustainable business.

... continues on the Koh Krobey site ...



... as Mission Direct's Team 2 ...





... continue working alongside the local team of construction workers.









The great new undercover area, which is included in this stage of the building, will provide us with an interim facility that will greatly assist us in expanding our vision to reach out to develop the whole community, as we offer a range of seminars and services that will include, but are not limited to the following:-

~ health care
~ sustainable solutions
~ capacity building
~ micro enterprise and micro finance
~ vocational training
~ children, youth and adult programs

How exciting! In the meantime, the team ensure that there's always time for some fun in the trenches ...



... and on the playing field ...



... and a change of plans on the plan ...



... and a quick smile for yet another photo shoot!







And all this is taking place while we entertained and networked with our guests, Barry, Lesley and Rithy ...



... from Partners Against Poverty. It's great to have the opportunity of getting together with like minded people.

The kids ...



... enjoyed playing on the construction site ...



... and this little guy put his bricklaying skills to the test ...



... after Paul ...



... kindly gave him a quick lesson after setting him up with the necessary resources.

Kate certainly looked as though everything was going according to plan and if the construction manager is happy, then I guess everyone is happy!



The team are so excited and waiting expectantly for the time when they will be able to use the new facilities, especially the multi purpose undercover area. Excellent!

Jessica also visited the site ...



... where she was put to work ...



... and took time out to get down and get dirty as she played with the kids who were making the most of the opportunity to play in the cool damp sand under the shade of the tree.

... continue to equip and empower individuals, as we offer holistic programs for the disadvantaged.

We are encouraged by the people's response, as we play our small part in promoting the enrollment of children in primary education and by the ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education in our projects, in keeping with Millennium Development Goal # 2 - universal primary education and Millennium Development Goal # 3 - gender equality.

It was casual day at FOH ...





... as the students gathered to celebrate ...



... with those enjoying a birthday this month.



...

Our MC for the afternoon did an excellent job ...



... and following the presentation of gifts we all enjoyed a lovely meal together.

At TLC ...



... the children enjoyed a fun learning experience with Mission Direct displaying their talents off the building site ...



... and in the English class ...



... while others concentrated on the computers capabilities, as well as their own.



Their are those who are in no hurry to leave the class in order to linger longer with the teacher in order to gain the edge over their peers ...



... and those who want to meet the guests, Peter and John ...



... and Jessica ...



... and those who manage to score a lift to the centre in the Tuk Tuk.



Shani added great value to the project, as she conducted a number of sessions on health care for the parents and children during her visit ...



Matt and Paul ...



... were keen to assist as they offered their acting skills to take part in a skit that depicted the difference between the performance of children who had eaten breakfast, as opposed to those who had gone without.

Paul also assisted Shani in getting her message across on the importance of eating breakfast ...



... by positioning himself in the audience and generating a number of questions that begged just the right answer from Shani, that all the parents needed to hear! What a duo!

Through the academic and learning centres, we are committed to providing the parents with training directly relating to the Millennium Development Goals, especially the goals related to maternal health, reducing child mortality and promoting gender equality, just to name of few.

Scheduling visits to the homes ...



... of the children attending the centres ...



... provides us with a great opportunity to share a laugh ...





... and to hear the testimonies ...



... passionately delivered by the children and parents ...



... as they express just what it means to the family ...



... to have their children enrolled at the centres.

... opportunies fill the people with hope, so it was great when we met the people ...



... from the slum at the old dump site at Steng Mean Chey ...



... who want to have the chance to attend a sewing skills training course with the team from 'Sew Empowered'. It seems like only yesterday that we started the sewing skills training course in 2006 and we look forward to seeing a new group of seven women learn the trade.

A training program has now been designed and the group will commence their first session in early February after the necessary equipment and related items have been purchased.

While we were in the slum ...



... one of the men who was part of the group relocated from the dump site to a new site several hours drive from the city reported on his ill health since moving ...



... as well as the numerous other challenges that face those that were relocated. Having seen a few of the government relocation projects, we know only too well what he was talking about.

While we visited the slum, Sandra ...



... an Australian nurse who has been running a medical clinic in the slum, was kept busy with requests for dental appointments.

This cute little guy is 10 months old ...



... and we were told that his parents 'took off' and left him with his auntie when he was only 5 months old. Auntie is HIV positive and so is her child. I wonder what the future holds for this little man!

Visiting the girls in the 'Hairdressing & Beauty' course was a special treat. When we arrived they had almost completed a beauty training session and it was great to see them in action.



The girls are doing really well and we are delighted to see the hope they now have for the future. It's great to offer skills training to those who haven't had the opportunity of a formal education so that they do not have to miss out on a career.



They're passionate about learning the trade and it's great for us to see how far they have come since their days in the slum by the riverside. Excellent!

Some of the ladies from the Koh Krobey village project ...



... attended a personal development training session with a few of them bringing their little ones with them ...



... which means they are ...



... getting a head start on their personal development by attending with their mum (or mom, depending on where you come from) before moving on to something a little more interesting ...



... like roaming around outside in the dirt ...



... and loving it!

... we discussed the next stage of the building project ...



... which will commence shortly when 'Team 2' arrive from the UK.



In the village ...





... the littlies were presented ...





... with a new cuddly toy ...





... while these young ones were taking time out to enjoy a snack.

... opportunities continue at the learning centre ...



... where we have been inundated with volunteers ...



... and the students and team have enjoyed having assistance for the program ...



... from Louise, Laura, Jakki, Katherine and the rest of the team.

Sam and Matt were clearly amused when they visited with Paul and Shani and the children tested Paul's 'çarrying capacity' ...



... while these young ones ...



... enjoyed a 'big whiz' from Jakki and Shani. Guess who would be first to get tired of the fun and games. Not the little ones!

In the meantime ...



... there's always plenty of action behind the scenes ...



... with the administration of the project.

Sara achieved great results in his tertiary studies and finished in the 'Top 20' students at his university ...



... and attended a formal presentation ceremony to receive his award.

... is underway and so is the first stage of the Koh Krobey building project on the second site. Mission Direct's first team has arrived in Phnom Penh and team members have commenced their stage of the project.



This year we have a total of 5 Mission Direct teams who will be working with the locals on the site from January through to April. Excellent!



How exciting. It's looking great!



In addition to the land fill and boundary fence, the contruction includes additional toilets and laundry, a new kitchen and large undercover multi purpose area. The multi purpose area will be a great addition to the children's learning centre and will also be a great interim facility to accommodate community training and development sessions in until such time as the Community Recreation building is completed.

... partner ~ Riverview Gift Shop ~ has a selection of baby singlets and girls and ladies silk screened T Shirts available. So drop in and see Aron ...



... and make a purchase that supports the project that is equipping, empowering and enriching the lives of Cambodian men and women.

Another 'Sew Empowered' partner ...



... has opened it's door at 965A Albany Highway, East Victoria Park, Western Australia.



So now, in addition to the convenience of shopping online at www.u-chus.com or attending u-chüs parties, everyone has the added bonus and opportunity of shopping in air conditioned comfort ...



... as they check out all the items Glennys has sourced from various groups operating in the developing world. The stock from our 'Sew Empowered' team includes table runners in variety of fabrics, silk and organza and cotton cushion covers, scarves etc. A number of items have been reduced for the opening sale.

Show your support for fair trade by joining Glennys and make your impact on the lives of those less foruntuate by shopping at u-chüs.

You can keep up to date with fair trade by following Glennys's Blog on the u-chüs website.

u-chüs is a member of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand :)

We also had the opportunity of meeting Antonia ...



... who has a jewelry business in Phnom Penh known as 'Khmer Creations' which employees 7 women. Antonia is currently working with Glennys at u-chüs and the ladies checked out the 'Sew Empowered' children's sample range of T Shirts to pick and choose designs for the next order.



It is always interesting to discuss 'Fair Trade' and projects in the developing world and we got to do this while enjoying great fresh ground coffee from Costa Rica served at 'Antz Inya Pantz'. So now while you are checking out the fair trade stock in u-chüs, you can drop in for some fresh ground coffee over the road. Who knows where the beans will be from on the day you visit.

... in Perth ...



... gave us the opportunity to catch up with friends as we met with Amanda ...



... Haydn ...



... Bridget ...



... Kelley ...



... and Paul ...



... who presented a power packed message on 'Identity' which was sure to inspire, motivate and/or challenge everyone at the service. It was a great message to catapult everyone from wherever they are at and certainly propelled us into all that awaits us. Excellent! If you missed the message, be sure to get a copy.

It was lovely to have the opportunity of spending time with Barbara ...



... who has been with us on our journey right from the beginning at Riverview.

It's always great to see Kim (sporting a broken arm he received during training for a charity bike ride) and Dougie (still in one piece) ...



... Steve and Don ...



... and Ray ...



... and it's always a joy to see Bryan!



We were treated to a surprise when we joined Phil and Lissa for a meal with Ian and Tram Han at their home ...



... as they had gathered members of the Cambodian Community residing in Perth ...



... to meet us and hear about the Cambodian projects. We had a great time discussing the current state of play in Cambodia and it was inspirational listening to the stories and challenges experienced by each of the guests in days gone by.

We also had the opportunity of getting together with Craig, Charlene, Leah and Caleb ...



... and Paul, Kristy, Tyler and Zack ...



... and Jayne who is interested in volunteering with us in Cambodia ...



... as well as a host of others over the festive season.

We have had a great time in our Perth home, thanks to our gracious hosts, Phil and Lissa ...



... who generously provide our beautiful home away from home.

... to you all ...



... from everyone at Empowering Cambodia. We look forward to seeing you in 2010!

... was a special treat for everyone and the kids were excited as they patiently waited for the proceedings to commence ...



... and soon after the TLC team presented their item of Christmas Carols ...



... with everyone joining in ...



... and then the children's items were underway with traditional dancing ...



... followed by the 'Kindy Kids' ...



... and the 'Majesty' team with a wonderful upbeat rendition of 'Jingle Bells' ...



... followed by a 'Modelling' competition ...



... with an excellent display of confidence and deportment ...



... from all the boys and girls who entered. The winners were later presented with their prizes which they were all very happy to walk away with!



The next item on the program was a duet from a couple of team members ...



... and this was followed by a lovely rendition of the Nativity ...



... which once again ...



... displayed the children's talent.





Pastor Sara ...



... introduced our visiting Pastor Saneth and after the message ...



... the children continued with their part of the program with singing ...





... and dancing ...





... a very entertaining portrayal of 'Heaven & Hell'. You choose!





The community youth items were great ...



... with sweet voices complemented by the traditional dancing.



Patrick addressed the children, team and audience ...



... and then it was time for Santa to present the gifts ...



... and receive a hug ...



... and 'High 5' ...



... and give the thumbs up ...



... before everyone headed off downstairs to 'Party'! After the children and parents were all treated to their meal, we finished off the day with some team presentations and the obligatory team photo shoot!



Once again, the team and children put on an excellent concert for all to enjoy and we trust our latest volunteers to the village, John and Charmaine ...



... had a great time!

... joined us to serve in the projects ...



... and has certainly had a full schedule since arriving mid November.



As you know from an earlier post, within an hour of arriving in Phnom Penh, Bernardita stored her backpack under the table at the Christmas Fair and served customers together with our team from 'Sew Empowered' and she hasn't stopped since!

Bernardita, a Teacher, has been a great asset to the projects and here's a snapshot look at what Bernardita has been doing at 'Centre of Peace' children's home ...









... and 'Family of Hope' student education centre ...















... and TLC learning centre ...





... and all of the students and staff from the projects have come to know her ...





... not only as a visiting teacher ...



... but friend as well.



Bernardita, besides assisting the 'Sew Empowered' team at the Christmas Fair, also took time out to assist the team by packing stock ...



... and designing colour coded systems to manage stock in the stores and packed the teams Christmas hampers.



In fact, there wasn't much Bernardita didn't do during her service with Empowering Cambodia. Bernardita is certainly an answer to prayer and it has been our privilege to have her share our home and serve alongside us and here's what she had to say about her experience ...

My experience in Cambodia

I spent a month in Cambodia. The main idea of my month was to go and be useful, helping Patrick and Carol in all that they needed. I enjoyed it very much, teaching English, doing some Bible lessons, crafts and packing bags.
What I didn’t realize was that the one receiving help was me. Going to each of the centers, living with Patrick and Carol, getting to know them was such a blessing for me.
I am now, not only touched by the love of God, but changed in my thinking and the way I see life and people. There is so much to do here and in the whole world; I strongly believe that we can do something and something big and beautiful as they do, beginning with loving and teaching kids.

Bernardita

Certainly a 'Win-Win' and we look forward to the next time we meet, wherever and whenever that may be!

Thank you, Bernardita, and be blessed as you travel and tour before returning to Chile!

... has had a number of orders to produce, including Calypso's children's costumes ...



... jewelry bags ...



... and hand made silk screened T Shirts ...









... and are excited about the expansion and development of the project. With orders already exported to Australia and the USA ...



... the team are excited to add new T Shirt markets to their list with Riverview Church placing an order and Gwen ordering for her business.



Pheakday has been sharing her time between the city and village project in order to monitor production in the village.



It's always a great day when orders are packed and the girls were happy to fill the boxes with their hand made items.





Excellent!

The TLC schedule has been humming along and the children's health continues to improve as they partake of the nutritional ...



... and hygiene programs.



The children enjoyed having their photos taken in their new uniforms ...





... and the senior girls brought their school reports in to be recorded ...



... with a couple of the girls presenting their certificates ...



... after having achieved 1st place in their English studies, so that's great!

The rehearsals for the upcoming Christmas Concert are well underway and we have deliberately avoided rehearsals so that we get a nice surprise on the big day! Stay tuned for the annual finale!