Making a difference from afar at Thanksgiving

As hard as it is to believe, November is here again and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. For the first time in 10 years I am actually celebrating Thanksgiving here in the US, a strange experience after years of trying desperately to find a turkey dinner in Cambodia! The truth is that I’ve struggled to write this letter because living in California again I feel further from the amazing projects and daily inspiration of JWOC. Then I realized, this is how our donors and supporters feel!

 It’s hard when I’m here to remember the villages that didn’t have clean water, but always had a smile; the scholarship students who every time they saw me ran up and told me about their latest accomplishment and the hundreds of students that flock into our school to study English, learn basic IT or just to read a book in our peaceful and clean library. Like everyone I’m consumed by my own kids’ lives, my work, getting dinner on the table and in the day- to-day business of life, and I forget the everyday struggle so many people face in Southeast Asia and the amazing work that JWOC does to help them better their lives.

This year alone we’ve brought clean water to 13,000 children in Siem Reap through our Clean Water for Schools initiative. We’ve had over 700 students a week pass through our gates and attend our classes or enjoy our library, we’ve given 36 new scholarships to students who otherwise would have no chance of going to university and expanding their horizons further than they or their parents ever imagined. All of our projects continue to grow in strength and impact communities in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Writing this I’m reminded of how proud I am of what we’ve accomplished.  I say ‘we’ because without our donors Brandon and I would just have had an idea, nothing more, it’s because of you that we were able to take that idea and see it grow beyond what we ever thought possible!

This letter is a thank you to you and a heartfelt plea to also remember the communities JWOC is a part of. Like you I no longer have a daily reminder of the work we do for the people of Southeast Asia, but also like you, I’ve been touched by them, by their perseverance, by their gratitude and by their smiles. I look forward to going back and seeing first-hand all the work JWOC is doing, but for now, please join me in going online and donating so our projects can continue and we can make a difference from afar.

Happy Thanksgiving and Many Blessings,

Andrea

JWOC Founder

P.S. If you are already thinking ahead to buying holiday presents, remember JWOC Gifts – they are a great way to show you care! 

Sreylin shares her story.

 A recent JWOC Graduate, Sreylin Chum, shares the experiences she had whilst volunteering for four years in JWOC’s Free Classes Project.  In this post she discusses the knowledge she gained, the opportunities it provided, and her future goals and aspirations. To find out more about JWOC’s Scholarship Programme click here

  I had been teaching many different children and adults classes while I was volunteering at JWOC. From what I remember, I had been teaching both children and adults classes for about three years and only adult classes for the last year before I graduated from university. It means, I had been teaching in Free Classes project at JWOC for the whole four years at university.

I have learnt quite a lot from my volunteering at JWOC such as, teaching skills/ techniques, lesson planning for children and adults class, time and classroom management, students monitoring and controlling and student’s error correction especially using student centre approach etc. Besides direct teaching, I had been attending almost every teacher development workshop so that I have absorbed a lot of knowledge related to teaching. I believe it was vital. Moreover, I know how to use teaching resources and create games, extra activities and materials and interact with my students very well.

I feel that four years teaching English experience at JWOC is fantastic because it could turn me to be a professional teacher plus I studied English at university so it has helped me to improve my English and my teaching a lot before graduating. I also wanted to volunteer with other projects at JWOC, just time flied so I couldn’t change or volunteer with the different project. Anyway, I was so glad to be a teacher at JWOC. I love teaching students at JWOC very much because it was the best memory. I cannot describe how much love JWOC and I have learnt from JWOC because it is more than you can say or tell.

Now, I am working as a coordinator for young adult preparation and integration program at Anjali House in Siem Reap.

By volunteering at JWOC, it definitely makes a big change to my life and helps me find a better job. Without volunteering experiences at JWOC, I would not be able to work in my position today. Now, with my work I teach life skills and English to young adults so it is a great opportunity for me to use the knowledge I have gained from volunteering at JWOC and at university.

My dream is to run a small NGO, providing all the children in the countryside the same opportunities to access to their education in order to help reduce the illiteracy in Cambodia or I want to work in the international non- profit organization for my future job.

JWOC is an amazing place to train me to be a professional teacher and give students the same opportunities to study. I can say that, JWOC gives me everything I do have now and I won’t be able to forget JWOC and what JWOC has provided me especially, I had made many friends and helped teaching hundreds of students. Gaining and Sharing at the same time at JWOC, Isn’t it marvelous?

All in all, I would like to appreciate for all support from JWOC and I personally believe that JWOC always makes a difference! With a great slogan “See a problem, solve a problem”.

By Sreylin Chum

Stories from Community Liaison and Assistance

In this post we look at two of the people helped by JWOC’s Community Liaison and Assistance Project. This project was started last year in response to the extended flooding that hit Cambodia and other parts of Southeast Asia. Our activities were initially relief work but as the water went away we started to work more with recovery efforts such as repairing roads. Through our ongoing Liaison work, matching people in need with services and facilities offered by other NGOs, we are able to help strengthen communities’ ability to cope with emergencies by improving their food supplies and economic situation. We can’t prevent emergencies but we can help to make families less vulnerable.  

Vegetable Success!

Noeurn lives in Antangkun, a small village 30 kilometeres ( 18 miles) from Siem Reap. Like most people in Cambodia she is a rice farmer, working alongside her husband. Noeurn has tried growing vegetables at home in the past using techniques learnt from her parents but often the results weren’t good and she felt her efforts were not rewarded.

Since joining JWOC’s Home Vegetable Garden activities Noeurn’s success with vegetable production has increased greatly. She said “I received technical skills training and materials assistance from the project and now I am skillful in vegetable growing”. Using the materials and knowledge provided by JWOC Noeurn is able to grow enough vegetables to both enhance her family’s diet and have surplus to sell at the market.

JWOC’s Home Vegetable Garden activities involve practical training sessions on all aspects of vegetable production. The participative sessions are run by a local expert who has long experience in training villagers about modifications to traditional farming techniques that make a real difference to production.

To see pictures from one of the training sessions please take a look here.

A Chance at a New Livelihood

Touch is 20 years old and from Peam village a rural village in Siem Reap Province. She is from a rice farming family but was keen to develop her vocational skills so she could start a new job that would earn her more money. Our Liaison team worked with Touch to find out more about she wanted to learn and were able to enroll her in a free sewing course.

Touch is very happy with the new course and all she is learning and she shows real commitment to making a change for herself. She told the team “Sewing skills are useful for me to run my own shop in my home-village to make money for supporting myself and family. Even though the training place is very far from my home-village, I don’t mind. I learnt a lot from this course- not only sewing skill also business concepts from trainer.”

The Liaison team continues to match many people with services including training courses, language classes and medical assistance.  

A note from Seng, Clean Water Manager

In this post new Clean Water Manager Seng talks about the current Clean Water activities and what is coming up next. 

I am Seng and I have been working two months as Clean Water Project Manager in Journeys Within Our Community organization, but I was previously a scholarship student and I have been volunteering in clean water project more than three years. Before starting my work for JWOC, I had been teaching at secondary school for 9 years. Having been volunteering with the Clean Water Project for 3 years, I had noticed that this project is very important to the local community. I really like the project. I hope to use my chance at JWOC to get better by trying all my best, because helping JWOC is really to help the community, Cambodian people, which suits my aim. I really want my people to be better. This job is really the step for me to get success.

Nowadays, we are about to finish the present village, Ta Kam village, that is in Dounkeo commune, Puok District, Siem Reap Province. Much improvement has been seen in the village, the people have enough water to use, clean water to supply their lives and changing some habit in doing the hygiene practice, because of good implementation and hard work of scholarship students.

At school, we had just finished only specialized training of the teachers and we had to stop because there was a big holiday, at the beginning of July to the end of September. What we finished at school, I think it was very successful because all teachers were cheerful with our project and they joined with us happily and they were able to understand what information we provide them easily. I hope the next step in the project at school, student training, will also get good achievements.


During October, we are going to work in the office to prepare for the new village and school that will start in November because of much rain and flood during October in the rainy season in Cambodia. Anyway, we are waiting for new scholarship students to come while most students in the team have graduated.. The processes over the next few months will last longer than before because we implement the Clean Water Project in two different places, school processing on Saturday and village processing on Sunday.

Thank you for reading my update and for supporting Clean Water in Cambodia!

2012 Back to School Wish List

UPDATE: We have now received funding for all the items on the list! Thank you to everyone that donated and helped make Back to School a success.

Back to School! This familiar phrase is all around us now, signifying the end of the summer vacation and the start of another school year! 

For many parents and grandparents it’s a time of buying all that is needed for the new school year- books, uniforms, pens and more. This September we’re asking that alongside your regular purchases you also buy something for a child in Southeast Asia. 

JWOC has a Back to School Wish List of things we need to help us give children the opportunity to learn and create. Take a look at the list here and see what you could donate. 

2012 Back to School Wish List

Uniform set for a school child - $10

Uniforms are compulsory in the state schools in Laos, but the cost is prohibitive for many of those living in rural areas. By providing a uniform you are providing an opportunity to go to school. The set consists of two shirts or blouses and two skirts or trousers plus a pair of shoes.  

Mark your donation – Uniform 

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JWOC Teacher sets - $14

JWOC’s Free Classes Project relies on its enthusiastic and committed teachers to be able to deliver free but high quality English and Computer classes. This teacher set provides our teachers in Cambodia and Laos with the basics they need to run their classes. Each set consists of 3 refillable board markers and ink, 1 board eraser, 1 folder to keep all the paperwork neat and a copy of the Teachers’ Book for the course they teach. 

Mark your donation- Teacher set

Muang Nga Teacher packs- $20 

Limited government funding on education means public schools don’t always get the budget they need. These teachers’ packs make sure that the teachers at Muang Nga Primary School in Laos get at least the essentials so they can get started with their classes. Each pack consists of pens, markers, chalk, attendance books, report paper and other needed school stationary. 

Mark your donation- Muang Nga

Class set of mini-whiteboards- $25

These mini-whiteboards help make language learning fun by providing scope for numerous interactive games and practical activities. These will be used in our Free Classes in Laos, enhancing the lessons of students of all ages and levels. Each set consists of 20 boards, pens and erasers. 

Mark your donation- Whiteboards

Class set of mini-white board pens- $4 

Last year we were fortunate to have sets of mini-white boards funded for our classes in Cambodia. This year we would like boxes of replacement pens so teachers can keep using the boards for fun and participative activities. 

Mark your donation- Pens

Visual aids kit- $25

Visual aids and props can really enhance a lesson, whether for children or adults. Tactical learners especially appreciate being able to handle the new vocabulary while role plays allow teachers to take situations out of the textbook and into real life. We would like to provide two kits for Muang Nga School to help our teachers teach and our students learn. 

Mark your donation- Visual Aids 

Class set of English course materials - $40 

Being able to study English for free is an amazing opportunity for disadvantaged children living in Southeast Asia. JWOC’s Free Classes provide this chance to over 700 students. These sets of course materials provide our young students in Cambodia and Laos with their own copy of the textbook and workbook. 

Mark your donation- English 

Complete set of language learning flashcards- $55

Flashcards help make lessons more interesting, interactive and fun, benefiting both our teachers and students. These complete sets cover all key vocabulary at each level we teach in Laos. The cards are in colour and laminated making them eye-catching and durable. 

Mark your donation- Flashcards 

Reading and Drawing class materials - $100

Opportunities for reading and creative activities are very often lacking from the public school timetable due to the time constraints caused by having too few schools and teachers. JWOC’s Reading and Drawing Classes in Laos give children those opportunities. The set of materials consists of children’s books in the local language, colouring sheets, crayons, coloured paper, glue, scissors and more and will replenish the set bought last year. Mark your donation- Drawing 

Toys for the library toy box- $100

Our library is getting more popular by the day and it’s time for some new toys. We would like to double our number of building blocks, add to our range of puzzles and introduce a few new soft toy characters. For children coming from some of the poorest households in town our library and its toy box are a wonderful opportunity to play and be creative. 

Mark your donation- Toy Box

Pre- School Mats - $60 

The pre-school classroom at Muang Nga School in Laos is in need of a set of replacement floor mats. These mats make a comfortable and clean playing and learning area perfect for small ones attending the growing pre-school class. 

Mark your donation – Mats 

CD Player - $35

Our school in Cambodia has been using the same CD players since it opened and a couple of them are now giving up on us! We need to replace them as being able to provide listening practice via the course CD is vital for our older students and for our younger students sing-along songs are a great way to learn. 

Mark your donation – CD

Computer for lesson preparation -$450

Our scholarship student teachers running our Free Classes in Laos currently don’t have regular access to a computer, relying on the small number offered by the university or having to try to work in internet cafes.  We would like to provide them with a dedicated laptop to allow them to prepare lessons and research teaching methodologies and resources online as well complete their university assignments. 

Mark your donation- Computer

5 hula-hoops - $25

Despite many children having not had the opportunity to use one before hula-hooping has become a huge hit at JWOC’s school in Cambodia! At any time of day you’ll find several children practicing their skills or inventing new moves. The hoops are also incorporated into learning activities and games in the library and kindergarten.

Mark your donation- Hoops

10 class sets of certificates- $15

In our Free Classes in Cambodia and Laos we award certificates to all students that successfully complete their English or Computing course. Receiving a certificate is a proud moment for all our students and for the adults it provides them with proof of a qualification they can use to help to apply for jobs. Recognizing their hard work and achievement spurs our students on to study well again in the future. 

Mark your donation- Certificates 

Thank you!