June 09 Update!

Dear Friends,
So much has happened, and I am relieved to finally be taking the opportunity to share some of the great progress we have been making. Once again, I apologize for not communicating more regularly. On several levels, my e-newsletters make the events real for me, since they connect me to my community(s) outside of my life in Cambodia, and are a great opportunity for me to reflect on a life that all too often moves too fast.

Since I last wrote we had a few milestones; Aziza School had it’s 3 year birthday on May 1 (and 3+ years since I went to Cambodia), Lakeside School turned 1 on June 1, and June 24th was the 4 month mark since the of many of our students families from the Dey Krahorm slum.
Three years brings with it an opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments and a chance to share with all of you what we do. We also have the challenge of growing pains as we take on initiatives in all directions, and a longer list of great opportunities to invest in our student’s futures.

Two noteworthy accomplishments that I am proud of are (#1) the community involvement that we see with our student team leaders, who are the primary force behind the operations of the schools. These students are amazing, and as they volunteer they get work experience and extra opportunities to learn. The other accomplishment (#2) is our medical clinics and dental services, which we offer weekly, not only for our students but for the whole community. We treat and educate a lot of sick people, ease their suffering, and prevent disease from spreading or their problems from getting worse, which is the root of much poverty. The medical training we have been offering to our older students and staff, as well as other NGOs, is designed to have them be a front line resource for their community (aka barefoot doctors), complete with certificates, taught graciously by Dr. Annie Chen-Green from New Zealand.

These results are on top of our regular classes of English, computers, and leadership we provide to over 200 students at our 2 schools.

Our focus is not only on skills that we know will bring job opportunities, but also on life skills and holistic education. We have many great partners and volunteers who bring our students art, photography, soccer, dance and yoga. One great partner is Kundalini Yoga Cambodia, who has trained 2 of our students to be yoga teachers. Read about this great program and our opportunity to support our student to become a certified teacher of kids yoga.

The Eviction: Village Earth previously sent my letter of some of the events and trauma we were experiencing after the eviction, and I have now posted a student’s letter regarding her experience of the eviction; see the Student Letter posting. Reflecting back, little good came of this for the people we work with, but there are many instances of human triumph, and I am convinced that nowhere is the human spirit stronger and more resilient than in the slums of Phnom Penh. Our photography teacher Maria posted some moving pictures and comments on her blog (a true work of art). http://blog.onphotographycambodia.com/2009/01/27/bassac-river-front-in-phnom-penh-cambodia-before-2-am-24th-of-january-2009--after.aspx

In the aftermath of the eviction, many of us fought hard to serve those who were too traumatized to take care of themselves and their families. Our student team leaders had an excellent opportunity to demonstrate their leadership skills, and worked very hard to help their community. While we only helped a small portion of the people that were evicted, Aziza School was an emergency response center, and it was a time where I worked harder and with more focus than I ever have. Many, many thanks to the people who have donated so we could help people in crisis.

My friend Nader, who passed away in March, was a big help during this crisis, and will be missed.

An unfortunate reality is that you rely on me to paint the picture of what our students are like, and I truly cannot find the words to express what beauty and greatness they possess. I wish I could just open my mind and you could see what I see. We hope that you will “invest” in them, and their potential.

Our little organization isn’t as small as it once was, and we produce results more than ever. To do what we do requires the compassion and commitment of you, and we hope that you can give, find others to give, hold a fundraiser, or do what you can. We need people to invest in the futures of young people with great potential. Let me know how I can assist you.

Thank you,
Drew & the Aziza Team

PS – There is a video by Al Jazeera English that I am in; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emYlQf-7piA