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We received donations to assist our friends at the Cambodian language school who suffered from a flood in October. 2009 was a tough year. First the school was threatened because the landlord for the school property was about to sell it and force the school to close.

Through generous donations, we were able to purchase the land and give it to the school so that the school could continue, hopefully forever. Then the flood came and closed the school for several days. Food was scarce during this time. Community Friends received additional donations to buy food and also bicycles for the children.

The director of the school, Cha Cha, is an amazing man who founded the school to assist the poorest of the poor children in the area. He teaches them English and Japanese so that one day they can more easily find employment in the city through the tourist industry. Cha Cha supports the school out of his own pocket from working as a part-time tour guide. Cha Cha sent these photos after the children received the bicycles and food.

Thanks,

Carsten Henningsen

It has been difficult to travel to Siem Reap recently due to the flood caused by the typhoon on the 28th Sept from Vietnam. The typhoon went through Cambodia. The whole country has been badly effected, especially the provinces bordering the Tonle Sap lake including Siem Reap. Up to now, the water level has gone down about 30cm. The rice crop now is submerged.

People are worried that their crop might be ruined, and they will not have enough food to eat the following year.

The school has been closed for 7 days now. I don’t know when I can begin teaching again because the village and the school are still under the water. In the photos, you can see some of my students who are in need for help. They hope that someone can help them overcome their obstacles.

Thank you for any help,

Cha Cha
School Director

The language school in rural Cambodia was threatened with closure when the landlord put the school property up for sale. A generous donor from the USA came forward and made a gift to Community Friends which allowed the school’s founder to purchase the property on behalf of the school. The children celebrated for days when they heard the news that the school would continue.

Carsten Henningsen

Although the 27-year war in Sri Lanka in now over, it has not been safe to visit Ulla village where our relief efforts first began. We hope to reconnect with the village later this year.

Community Friends’ work began in the village of Ulla, in the Arugam Bay region of Sri Lanka. In the weeks following the tsunami, our co-founders Carsten Henningsen, Deva Ratnakara, Seevali Ratnakara, Dr. Thilina Karunathilake and Jeeva Maddumage led a group of volunteers to Ulla. Carrying food, medicine, water-purification equipment, hundreds of battery-less flashlights, and stacks of artwork sent as well-wishes by school children in Portland, Oregon, they were among the first people to reach this remote village with tangible help.

Since those early days, Community Friends’ interaction with the community has been accomplished through the village school, its teachers and principal. Funds raised by Community Friends helped pay for new school uniforms, new school books, and other critical items needed to get the school functioning.

Almost immediately after getting to know the community in Ulla, it became apparent that there was an urgent need to properly feed the 100 or so children coming to the village school each day. In fact, we learned that this need predated the tsunami, serving as an indication of just how significantly the community was suffering and how inadequate the local economy was in supporting the basic needs of the families living there. So it became immediately clear what was needed in Ulla.

We developed a program with several goals in mind:

1) feed all the children in the community,
2) maximize school attendance,
3) encourage community involvement in the Program,
4) maximize the nutritional content of these lunches,
5) achieve self-administration of the Program.

Working together with the parents and community educators, we developed a School Lunch Program. 50,000 hot meals were served by parent volunteers in the first two years since of the program. And we are very satisfied in saying that school attendance has increased by over 25% since this Program began.

The village and local government have taken over this Program and are able to continue this important work without additional assistance from Community Friends.

Jay Goodfriend

Community Friends has a new friend in Cambodia. We have made a small grant to a school that promotes bilingual literacy to school-age children. Multi-lingualism is a profound enabler of self-sufficiency and in the context of Cambodia, an outstanding alternative for young people who are looking for a better path forward. The school serves the poorest of children and graduates have gone on to find jobs in the tourism and hotel industry. The school teaches English as well as Japanese.

The school’s founder writes, “I have 176 students in total and I teach 3 classes. I have 24 orphans whose parents died of HIV, landmine, and the last battle between Khmer Rough and Government during 1995-98. The orphans live with relatives and with a lot of dificulties. Students keep complaining about their family situations that turn them to work on the farm instead of school. As a result, students with potentials have to give up study. As you know, books and clothing are basic needs for children. My objective is to provide those needs for them as much as I can so that they can have equal opportunities to access to education. I don’t want my potential children to end up uneducated. That would be a great loss for the country.”

When I first found the school, they had no books, paper or pens. Some children were unable to attend because their families could not even afford clothes. Community Friends purchased T-shirts so that even the poorest children could attend. We also provided school supplies, helped secure two computers and purchased bicycles. The children were thrilled.

The school’s fouder writes, “Yesterday and the day before yesterday I spent some time buying Tshirts, books, pens, 5 bicycles, teaching tools and uniforms for the children. We had a wonderful time together. We sang our favourite songs and danced together in circle. We laughed joyfully. The children were suprised to receive such gifts from you. Now they use new uniforms to go to school. They say million thanks to you, and they also want to have your address, because they wish to send you some letters and drawings, so I will send those to you as soon as they finish their work. Anyway,on behalf of the children I wish to extend my gratitude to you for the wonderful cause of the children here.”

Carsten Henningsen