Michelle Mullineaux's 40th Birthday Wish for Cambodia!

Thanks to wonderful supporters like you, Sustainable Cambodia and Sustainable Cambodia Australia are improving the quality of children's lives, helping their families achieve sustainability and self-sufficiency through wells, irrigation systems, schools, agricultural training, and empowerment programs.

 

We strive to be as efficient with funding as possible. We have only native Cambodians for paid staff, and everyone else works as unpaid volunteers. We spend nothing on marketing, and all contributed funding goes directly to the Cambodian village and school projects. But there are still a lot of costs involved, including well-drilling, pumps, cistern lining, water pipes, seeds, school building material, books and school materials, etc. Funding is always a challenge, and is our only real limitation. So we are always thinking, "What can we do about this?"

Well, one of our supporters didn't just "think about it"... She came up with a solution! And she took action! Read below about how Michelle Mullineaux used her birthday celebration to help dozens of children and their families...
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How You Can Make a Difference!

Michelle Mullineaux and Brad Cronk recently returned from a trip across Cambodia. While in Cambodia, they were moved by the dire conditions of the villagers in the rural areas. In Michelle's own words, after returning from an amazing trip across Cambodia, "We were inspired by this crazy idea, to throw together a fundraiser for Sustainable Cambodia so we could give back to the wonderful people we met, who nourished our minds and hearts".

In lieu of gifts for her upcoming birthday, Michelle created a fundraising page on the website www.CrowdRise.com to raise funds for Sustainable Cambodia. She set a goal of $5,000 to purchase a "Village Basket". (The "Village Basket" is one of the SC pass-on gift programs, which includes wells, water filters, rainwater harvesting, training and seeds for vegetable gardens and alternative crops, and the the opportunity to raise honey bees, or start fishponds and raise ducks, or have pigs and cows).

Michelle's friends contributed birthday gifts to the project, some small, others bigger. And by the time her birthday arrived, her efforts were SO successful that they had raised $5,700!

The results of Michelle's birthday gift will last for years. Children will have opportunities they might never otherwise have. Families will be empowered, and as part of the pass-on program the families will "give back" to other families in nearby villages. Michelle's birthday gift, from all her loving friends and family, will be at work in Cambodia for years to come.

If you would like to create a Fundraiser Page, email us at sponsors@sustainablecambodia.org, and we'll help you create an event that will really change lives!

To help the children of these families with education: Click here to sponsor a child today!

Big Smiles with UWC's Scholarships!

Dear Supporters,

Thanks to great supporters like you, Sustainable Cambodia and Sustainable Cambodia Australia are improving the quality of children's lives through education. Together, we develop village preschools, primary schools and education outreach projects, and support our University Scholarship Program for students who graduate from these rural schools.


With your support more than 1,900 students are currently studying in our education programs. Thank You! Students in our rural schools have extra motivation to do well because SC/ SCA provides a scholarship to attend Cambodian Universities for every student who graduates and passes the state University entrance exams. In exchange, our scholars are committed to "giving back" through community service.

Additional inspiration and motivation comes from a fantastic program through which the students can compete to participate in a scholarship to an overseas university through the annual United World Colleges (UWC) scholarships.

The UWC scholarships provide the opportunity for students to study in one of the 13 UWC universities spread across the globe. UWC is founded on the concept that education is a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. Through a UWC education, our students can gain an international perspective on world issues as they study with students from diverse backgrounds, cultures and nationalities, pursuing a prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

Every year, our students are given the opportunity to compete for a place in one of the UWC schools. In this month's issue of our newsletter, we are sharing the stories about our past students who received UWC scholarships, and honoring the latest addition to our group of UWC scholars: Sima Nam Leng, who has received a 5-year scholarship to the United World College of South-East Asia (UWCSEA) located in Singapore.


Read on to find out more or...

UWC experiences!

Sokhna Vor, graduated from UWCSEA in 2011 and is currently studying in Earlham College in USA on a full scholarship.

"My two-year experience at United World College of South East Asia in Singapore has a massive impact on my life as a whole, which has fostered me to proliferate and to grow independently. This prosperity was not just from what I learned in school, but from the willingness to learn, to engage in and to ask questions."

Stapor Phoung, graduated from UWCAD (United World College of the Adriatic) in 2010 and currently attends college in Methodist University in USA.

"I am right now majoring in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and minor in sociology. I love the fields of social science, such as history, sociology, politics, geography, and especially, inter-cultural studies. "

Somealea Phoung, graduated from Lester. B Pearson United World College in 2009 and is currently a Junior student in the University of Oklahoma where she is studying International Studies.

"SC is everything behind my success and without Sustainable Cambodia, I cannot go this far. I feel honored and blessed to be a part of this organization. Sustainable Cambodia does not only teach me about academic, but also provide me with strength and compassion toward others. I also realize that having a successful life is not about how smart or rich we are, but how much can we help other to succeed and have a better life."

Sopheaktra Chhim, currently a 2nd year student in UWC-USA (United World College of the United States of America), will graduate in May 2012.

"I learned to become a global person with a wide range of perspectives and a strong base because this international community was a place where it grew adolescents to become the world leaders in the future. In addition, I started to profoundly understand that dreams do not always happen on their own so I had to make them come true, simply put, I became a dream chaser."


Sinh Chhinh Lor, was awarded a 5-year scholarship to UWCSEA, and will graduate in 2014.

"UWCSEA has become an important part of my life. The friendship and kindness of everyone in this school makes me feel warm and protected.

I have been involved in community service, like Tabitha Global Concern, KolkataGlobal, Food from the Heart social service, and Fen Yang Primary School social service, and also a singers' group, rock climbing activities, etc.

Opening eyes, opening minds and opening hearts, I have learned to understand more about other people's feeling and their hard conditions. I have learned to offer help to other people, especially those in need, and take an interest in and enjoy friendships with people of all cultures and backgrounds."

A Change in Her Life!

We are pleased to announce that our student Sima Nam Leng, who attends our KBFC school in Kravanh District, is the proud recipient of the newest 5-year United World College (UWC) scholarship to the United World College of South-East Asia (UWCSEA) in Singapore.

Nam Leng is 14 years old this year and has two sisters.

Nam Leng will begin her school term in the fall of 2012 and will attend the international school for 5 years, thus graduating with an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma in May 2017.

Nam Leng applied for this prestigious UWC scholarship hoping to gain an international perspective on world issues from her peers, a diverse group made up of 98 nationalities.

She aspires to help develop Cambodia in the future with her new knowledge and skills. She hopes to work as an ambassador of Cambodia to aid in reducing corruption in Cambodia and to improve the quality of life of Cambodians by reducing environmental pollution in the country.

A girl dedicated to her education, Nam Leng follows a hectic 6-day routine. She begins the day at 5 am by helping her mother with the household chores before heading off to KBFC in the mornings, and then to her state school, Hun Sen Phnom Kravanh High School, in the afternoon, returning home only at 8 pm for dinner.

"I want to tell to the students that if you want to earn a UWC scholarship, you should study hard and learn a lot of general knowledge. Moreover you should not be hopeless, but you have to be confident and believe that you can.

I also want to say thank you to SC very much. SC-KBFC is very beneficial for me and all students. If I didn't have KBFC, I would not have gotten the UWC scholarship. Moreover, SC always helps poor students who don't have opportunities to study, to come back to study, especially KBFC helps me to work hard for my community, which helps a lot of hopeless students to be better and better. KBFC is like a parent."

Nam Leng's success story is one we, at Sustainable Cambodia, take deep pride in and continue to share her joy as she journeys on to a new chapter in her life beyond the shores of Cambodia.

Student's Parent Education 2012!

Dear Supporters,

Thanks to wonderful supporters like you, Sustainable Cambodia and Sustainable Cambodia Australia work side-by-side with thousands of rural villagers in four remote districts of Pursat to help them achieve sustainability and self-sufficiency through wells, irrigation systems, schools, agricultural training, and empowerment programs.One challenge in our remote villages is that many rural parents, who have very little education themselves, are not strong advocates for the academic education of their children. There are many reasons for this. One is lack of understanding about how education is a major tool to empower their children with useful knowledge and life skills. Another is that parents often need for their children to leave school to earn money for their families to survive. For these reasons, their children often drop out of state school by 9th grade and begin their work lives with very few skills and limited education. This limitation entraps them in the cycle of poverty.

Pictured below are children working in the market to supplement their family income.

With your support, Sustainable Cambodia helps to educate village parents on the importance of education for their children. These workshops are helping villagers to understand how staying in school can change their children's futures and employment opportunities.
Through improved literacy, math, science, computer skills and knowledge of Cambodia and their world, they can create success in their work and can become effective problem-solvers in their lives and in their communities.

Now many parents are sending their children back to school.

Read on to find out more or...
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New Lives for Return Students!

According to the World Bank report released in 2011: approximately 90% of Cambodian children are enrolled in state primary schools for their basic educations; however, less than 50% of those students advance to 10th grade where the courses provide more substantive knowledge and life skills. Of those students who make it to secondary school, another 10 to 16% drops out before graduating from high school.

To decrease the number of students who are dropping out of school, Sustainable Cambodia has created the Students' Parent Education Project.

So far, this project has been a success as more than 60% of the students who had dropped out of state school have now returned at the urging of their parents.

Pictured below are some of those very students!


To help the children of these families with education:
Click here to sponsor a child today!

A Change in Her Life!

NOUN Soklin, 15 years old, is an orphan living in Sthanny Village in Svay Art Commune with her aunt's family. She has two brothers.
When we talked with her, she said: "My parents passed away many years ago, but I don't know the year of their death. I only know that my father died by HIV, and then my mother died when she gave the birth of my brother. Because of our poverty, my aunt told me to quit school and to help her do the housework. She thought that education is not important for me."

Soklin continued: "One day, the teachers from SC organized a meeting with all the parents in my village to talk about disadvantages of dropping out of school and advantages of education. My aunt was one of the villagers in that meeting. After, my aunt realized how my education is important and wanted to send me back to school right away. With the support of SC teachers, I can now come back to school regularly in both state school and SC school."

Soklin also corresponds with her School Life Sponsor from Germany and her Home Life Sponsors from the U.S. who send wonderful letters of encouragement and inspiration for this admirable student!
Soklin smiled and said: "I am very happy to come back to school. Thank you teachers for your help. When it's difficult for me to do an exercise, you are always here to help and motivate me. I love studying Khmer, and I hope that I will become a good teacher in the future."

Successful Crop-Loan Project 2012!

Thanks to supporters like you, Sustainable Cambodia's empowerment model is continuing to expand, helping thousands of rural villagers in central Cambodia through education and community development programs.

One challenge in these villages is that many parents - who earn their living by farming - cannot make enough money to sustain their family. There are two root causes: Often they don't have the training and experience to grow crops other than subsistence level rice farming, and they rarely have the capital to invest in buying livestock, seed, farming equipment and irrigation systems that will help generate income and boost livelihood.

With your support, Sustainable Cambodia helps these villagers with the training and the capital they need to create a sustainable livelihood through which they can work their way out of poverty.

The program includes training and oversight to ensure that the families will have success, and incorporates a crop loan program for these families. These are families to whom banks would not traditionally lend - the poor, women, and those without collateral. Without the SC program, their only alternative would be to borrow money from predatory local lenders who charge exorbitant interest rates and are often violent if their terms are not met.

The crop loan system Sustainable Cambodia uses is modeled after the microloan program created by Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Grameen Bank, Muhammad Yunus. He said of the process: "If banks lent to the rich, I lent to the poor. If banks lent to men, I lent to women. If banks required collateral, my loans were collateral free."

Crop Loans Improve Villagers' Lives!

People who express interest in borrowing money to start or expand their business are screened by their community leaders. If they are deemed suitable borrowers, they are accepted into a self-help group made up of 10 to 20 members. Self-help group members receive training from Sustainable Cambodia staff and leaders in their community about agriculture and livestock so that they can maximize their profit. Families in the self-help groups are typically given a loan of between $30 and $50. These loans have a very low interest rate, and interest earned is collected and utilized by the elected village committees for community projects in the villages.

We currently have 81 self-help groups and 839 families involved in the project!

Children Smile With Their New Bikes!

Sustainable Cambodia, with the help of supporters like you and Sustainable Cambodia Australia, is improving the quality of children's lives through education and community development. There are more than 1,900 students currently studying in our education programs!

One challenge for many students from poor families in our target areas is that they cannot travel from their distant homes to their local school because of lack of transportation. Their families are unable to afford to buy the children a bicycle so that they can get to school in a timely fashion. The result is often that they miss lessons, subsequently get low marks, and may even drop out of school.

With your support, Sustainable Cambodia can help them now!

Giving A Bike Can Change A Child's Life!

The purpose of the Bike Sponsorship project is to help our children whose homes are in distant villages get to school on time and regularly. With a bicycle, the student is given the opportunity to attend all of their classes, earn good grades, and to graduate high school.

More than 15% of the children from our remote outreach schools - SC and Sustainable Cambodia Australia schools - drop out of school before they graduate. This is often because they are late for their classes or cannot attend their classes due to the lack of transportation. By providing these students with bicycles, we reduce their drop out rates and help them succeed.

88 students are receiving bikes through the Bike Sponsorship program this year. These children are now able to attend school regularly and get better grades in their classes, both in our education program and in the state schools.

Students are also using their new bicycles to help friends and relatives, by sharing or riding in pairs, so one bike can benefit more than one child.

Last year 13 Sustainable Cambodia students received a scholarship to study at University in Cambodia. By providing bicycles, we can give the poorest students the same opportunities! Please consider helping us with this important work, by contributing the SC Education Program.

Sewing Class 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thanks to supporters like you, Sustainable Cambodia had a very successful 2011 working towards sustainability and self-sufficiency through wells, irrigation systems, schools, training, and empowerment. It is not too late to sponsor a student, give a pass-on animal, or contribute to the purchase of a well. Click here to Donate now!

Sewing Training Provides New Lives to Young Women!
Did you know that 30% of female students from poor families in Cambodia drop out of school because their families can't afford school supplies, supplementary class fees, and transportation?

To help those young women improve their lives, Sustainable Cambodia has created the Vocational Training Project to teach them to sew so that they can run a small business at home.

Currently, 8 female students who were forced to drop out of school are receiving sewing lessons. The class size is limited by the number of sewing machines that Sustainable Cambodia owns (5).

This project has been so successful that the Singaporean Team from Sa Baay Organization has asked them to make beautiful and functional laptop sleeves for them to sell (see below).

New Life for Children in Kravanh Bright Future Center!

Sustainable Cambodia is able to improve the quality of children's lives through community development and education programs in many villages, in three poor rural districts in central Cambodia.

Poverty is a root cause of students dropping out of school. The Cambodia SES Survey found the literacy rate in rural Cambodian areas was a mere 64%. In the area around Kravanh, one of the remote SC locations, poverty is widespread. Making matters worse, many students live so far away from larger villages that they are unable to get to a traditional school. And with the poverty, their families can't afford the school supplies, supplementary class expense or transportation to help their children continue in school.

Sustainable Cambodia's education project in Kravanh district is called Kravanh Bright Future Center (KBFC). KBFC provides children with school supplies, bikes, supplementary classes, dormitory and other support. With your backing, we are able to help these children get back to school regularly. With your help, we improve the quality of their education. Because of your commitment, they can finish high school successfully.

KBFC Makes a Change in children's lives!

The purpose of the project is to provide children from these poor families with hope, and with the best quality education, helping them to graduate high school and have the chance for higher education.
KBFC currently has 194 students enrolled, all students in grades 7 to 12 from poor families. KBFC helps them with school supplies, bikes, supplementary classes such as Khmer literature, English, Mathematics, Physic, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science.


KBFC also provides dormitories to the students whose houses are very far from the state school so that they have more access to education in both the state school and KBFC.

Currently, there are 25 students living in the dormitory in KBFC.

KBFC also helps small children in 7 enrichment schools in Bakan and Kravanh districts in Pursat, with 386 students in that program. Those students come to study English everyday with their local teachers.
The project has been very successful. Children are able to study regularly and get good study results in their classes.

From SC's KBFC school projects, we have had 25 students so far who have finished high school successfully and moved on to university on an SC scholarship. And one student even earned an international scholarship to study in Singapore... Imagine growing up in a remote village in Cambodia and doing well enough to earn a scholarship to Singapore! This is an example of what you help make happen through your support.