First Step of TMYW

Tell Me Your Wish (TMYW) is a charity that I, my friend (Malita), and 2 juniors (Vuttei, and Phanny) created it up for helping children in Cambodia. The initiative idea was started from the time that we joined National Youth Conference 14th at National Institution of Cambodia.

At that time, we watched the children from one orphanage dancing on the stage with their smile and we clapped along with them. We thought that if other orphans, street children, or other vulnerable children have a chance to dance, to study like those orphans did, then there would be more smiling face from many children in Cambodia.

And Yoshi! After talking to each another about our commitment, we began our mission by drafting what we was going to do. We firstly found name for our charity, logo, the scope of our charity, charity place, and other necessary things. We spent almost 6 months for preparing our charity. Actually, we failed many times in the process of preparing. the failure here was also including the time that we planned to meet, and discussed, but we couldn’t make it due to our tight schedule. We used to feel awkward, and worried that whether we can make it or not. Should we go on or stop?

Thinking back to the previous time that we committed to help children, so we can’t stop, and we had to go on, even we couldn’t reach our target 100%.

During December 2014, we found 1 school at Arey Ksat called “Morkot Pich Primary School”* where lacked of thirty sets of 3rd grade books. Teachers there told us that they urgently need it since the new class had already started but the students didn’t have books to study yet. Therefore, we called on help from people we knew by promoting online. As you can see at the poster below, the poster was not that good since we are not professional, so we only made thing that we could do.

Poster for TMYW Charity

As you may note in the poster , we managed to go to the school on 18 January 2015 for donating the books that we bought by donation money from our friends. Besides donating that books, we also set up other activities in our agenda such as singing and playing game with students there.

Special Performance (Photo by Phanny)

Playing with Students  (Photo by Phanny)

Playing with Students (Photo by Phanny)

 It was our first time to conduct such a charity, and because of our participants,  our charity activities went so well and it was so much fun. We  specially thank to our  donors, and participants who made TMYW charity fulled of laughing and smiling.  Also, we hope that you will join us again in the near future. Again, let me thank so  much for your donating and paticipation, and please accept our apologize if there was any inconvenience caused.

Group Photo (Photo by Theany)

Participants, and Teacher Phearum before Going Back Home (Photo by Phanny)

Founders, and Teacher Phearum before Going Back Home (Photo by Phanny)

Participants Going Back Home (Photo by Phanny)

By Virya

 * Thank to my classmate, Mesa, for place information. 

Shining Future

Photo by: Uncle Thon

As education plays an essential role for children’s future, right to education has been protected by both international and domestic laws. In reality some children are sent to school while some are not able to fully access to right to education yet. Children are encouraged to go to school to seek for knowledge by their parents because their parents aware of education values, whereas some parents don’t know or ignore its importance. At the same time, minority of poor parents, who are not able to afford their lives properly, can’t send their children to school even they desire to do so.

The pictures above illustrate one tutor class in Kandal Province. The class was about grade 7 Mathematics, and because it is an extra class they have to pay teacher for 20,000 Riels (approximately $5) per months. Parents sometimes owe the payment, but their children still come to class, and teachers still teach them as usual. This kind of situation occurs as a result of understanding. Teachers said they cannot send students back home while those children try very hard to come to class. Teachers further told that they have no choices beside waiting until students’ parents have money to pay or teachers often insist them to pay if there is no payment for 2 or 3 months. Some students comes from poor family, but they are outstanding, so teachers cannot leave them out.

Knowing that poverty is an obstacle for smart and talent students bursts me into tear; however, seeing them smiling while studying gives me a feeling of joy, and a high hope of their bright future. Though this, although poverty give them a hard time to access to education, but I believe that understanding and encouragement, which come from family, society, and especially from teachers, are probably play as a sharp sword for those children to fight against that monster (poverty), and found their shining future.

VIRYA

Awareness of Rights of Child

To show how much you know about Rights of Child, please spend your value time to answer the below questions.

Cambodian BAMBOO

Yesterday I read the article with the title “Cambodian Youth: Bamboo, Shoot is the Future Bamboo” in Official Blog of William E. Todd, U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia. He stated that “I firmly believe that supporting Cambodia’s children, from nutrition to health care to education, is the best investment that we can make in this country’s future. The government and the international development community have a big role to play, of course, but charitable giving can also have a significant impact”. This statement is really near and dare to my heart, and I strongly support this idea. Besides reveling his opinion in Cambodian children, the article also provide more information about John and Cammie Rice who making the contribution on opening Rice Academy in Phum Russey runs by NGO Called the Cambodian Children’s Fund.

For more information you can load into the main sources by clicking here.

VIRYA

Kids who I’m Proud of

Can you guess what the kids were doing in the below picture?

Photo by: VIRYA

On 23 September 2014 was the day that I met some kids who I am so proud of at Kohporthivong pagoda. Difference from other kids from other pagoda, where I went to during this Pchum Ben Day, Kohporthivong’s kids earned money with their own effort instead of begging for money.

You might wonder why I said like that. When I first arrived there, several kids came to me and my family, and I immediately thought they definitely came for begging again as other kids who I met last week. Surprisingly, they didn’t do so, in contrast, they just walked in front of us, and their behavior was just like “please come after me to the pagoda entrance, and I beg you to give me a chance to look after your shoes while you are in pagoda. When you are back please just giving a small amount of money for my service.” More interesting thing was when my mother tried to give them some money, they seemed hesitate to get those free money. At the same time, I noticed that they all had good attitude since after getting the money they said the word “thank you”. This word made me feel that those kids will become precious human resource someday if they obtain good education.

Again, I am proud of them neither because they worked at this younger age nor left everything because of earning money, also I have no intend to encourage them to keep doing this work, and forgetting to find their real future which exists at school. The proudest thing is that they didn’t ask for help while they could work or earn by their own hands. I am of view that they give value to their hands the most by not using it for begging.

VIRYA

Another Hero Exist

Be a Cambodian for 23 years, I haven’t done anything to help my society yet. In contrast, I have found some people who have spent some of or almost of their whole lives to assist other people, particularly Cambodian. I am really proud of them, and I do hope that I enable to do as them someday.

This morning I read about one of Australian, Glen Hulley,  who came to Cambodia for a trip last year, however, he has met with a stranger who changed his mind, and made him giving up everything to come up with the idea of helping children, not only Cambodian, but also other Asian who are currently facing all form of abuse activities. I really admire his kind heart and hoping he keep going on this activities. I am of the opinion that he is a real hero who comes to bright up the children lives that needs help.

If you wish to know more about the story of him such as who is the stranger, what did the stranger say to him, and how could he come to this helping conception, please refer to the main source by clicking here.

 

នៅក្រោមភ្លៀងធ្លាក់ (Under the Rainfall)

រូបថត៖ វិរិយ៉ា ​

កាលពីម្សិលមិញ នៅទីក្រុងភ្នំពេញមានភ្លៀងធ្លាក់ជាខ្លាំង ហើយនៅតាមបណ្តា​ផ្លូវ​មួយ​ចំនួន​ក៏​មាន​ទឹកលិច​ធ្វើឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​លំបាកដល់អ្នកធ្វើដំណើរផង ដែរ ហើយអ្នកដំណើរខ្លះក៏បង្ខំចិត្តចូលជ្រកភ្លៀងសិន​ រងចំារហូតដល់​ភ្លៀង​ស្រាក​បន្តិច​សិន​ទើបបន្ត​ដំណើរ​បន្តទៀត​។​នៅពេល​ដែលភ្លៀង​កំពុង​តែធ្លាក់​ ខ្ញុំក៏បានថតរូបមួយសន្លឹកខាងលើនេះឡើង។ តើអ្នកទាំងអស់គ្នា​យល់យ៉ាងណាដែរចំពោះរូបនេះ? មែនហើយ! វាមិនមែនជារូបថតដែលថតបានស្អាត និង​ច្បាស់​ដូច​អ្នក​អាជីព​នោះទេ​ ម្យ៉ាង​ទៀតក៏​មិន​មែនជារូបថត​ដែលប​ង្ហាញ​តែពី​ទិដ្ឋភាព​របស់ទឹក​ភ្លៀងដែល​កំពុងតែ​បង្អុរ​មក​នោះ​ដែរ​​ តែវា​ជា​រូបថត​​មួយ​ដែល​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យខ្ញុំ​មាន​ភាព​ក្ដុកក្ដួល​ និង​ខ្លោច​ផ្សា​ជា​ខ្លាំង​ចំពោះ​ជីវិត​ពិត​របស់​ក្មេង​ម្នាក់​។

 សូមពិនិត្យមើលរូបថតដោយយកចិត្តទុកដាក់បន្តិច នោះអ្នកទាំងអស់គ្នា​នឹងឃើញថា នៅពីមុខឡានពណ៌ខ្មៅ មាន​ក្មេង​ម្នាក់​ ដែលខ្ញុំ​ផ្ទាល់ក៏​មិន​អាច​កំណត់​បានថាជាក្មេងស្រី ឬប្រុសនោះដែរកំពុងតែរត់​សំុ​ប្រាក់​ពី​អ្នក​ដំណើរ​ក្នុង​អំឡុង​ពេល​ភ្លៀង​កំពុង​តែធ្លាក់។ ថ្វីបើខ្ញុំពុំអាចកំណត់​អត្ត​សញ្ញាណ​របស់​​គេ​បាន​ ប៉ុន្តែ​អ្វី​ដែល​ខ្ញុំជឿ​ជាក់បំផុតនោះ​គឺ ក្មេង​ម្នាក់​នេះ​ ឬក៏​គ្រួសារ​របស់​គេ​ គឺ​មា​ន​ជីវភាព​ខ្សត់ខ្សោយ​ ក្រ​លំបាក​ ទើប​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​គេ​សុខ​ចិត្ត​ទំលាក់ចោល​នូវ​ភាពអៀន​ខ្មាស ហើយ​លើកដៃ​សំុប្រាក់ពី​អ្នកដ​ទៃបែប​នេះ។ ពិភពលោក​នេះ​ពិត​ជា​អយុត្តិធម៌​ណាស់​មែនទេ​? ហេតុអ្វី​បានជា​មនុស្ស​​ដូចតែគ្នា​ តែអ្នកខ្លះ​បែររង​ទុក្ខ​លំបាក​ នៅពេល​ដែលអ្នក​ខ្លះ​កំពុង​តែ​សើច​ស​ប្បាយ។​ បើសិន​ពួ​ក​គេ​អាច​ចែក​រំលែកនូវ​ក្ដីសប្បាយ​នោះជាមួយគ្នា ​នោះពិ​ភពលោក​នឹង​លែង​អយុត្តិធម៌​ហើយ​មែនទេ​? ពិភពលោក​នឹង​បាន​ស្ងប់សុខ​ហើយ​មែន​ទេ​​? ​បើ​ដូច្នេះ​មែន​ ហេតុអ្វី​មិន​ចែក​រំលែក​ខ្លះ​ទៅ?

 វប្បធម៌ចែករំលែកគួរតែមានសម្រាប់កុមារ ពិសេសកុមារកម្ពុជា ដែលកំពុងជួប​ប្រទះ​នឹង​បញ្ហា​ ហើយ​សង្ឃឹម​ថា​ថ្ងៃ​ណា​មួយ​កុមារ​​នៅកម្ពុជា​នឹង​​​​​ទទួល​បាន​សិទ្ធិ​ដែលពួកគេគួរតែទទួលបានយ៉ាងពេញលេញ ហើយទទួលបាន​នូវការ​ការពារ ការអប់រំ សេវា​សុខភាព និង​ការគាំ​ពារផ្សេងៗទៀងពីសំណាក់​ក្រុមគ្រួសារ អ្នកជុំវិញខ្លួន និងពិសេសពីរដ្ឋ។

វិរិយ៉ា

Cambodian Law

You can find some Cambodian laws related to Child Rights by selecting below:

1. Cambodian Constitutional Law (KHM),  Cambodian Constitutional Law (Eng)

2. Civil Code (KHM)

3. Labor Law (KHM)

4. Law on Nationality (KHM)

5. Law on abortion (KHM)