Habitat for Humanity Cambodia July E-newsletter

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e Hope Journeys program in Cambodia continues to grow bigger and brighter. is summer, Habitat for Humanity Cambodia hosted two back-to-back Hope Journeys in June and July, bringing incredible experi- ences to participants, staff and home partners. We had the privilege to host returning loyal supporters, as well as Habitat for Humanity International Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Reckford for a second time. An international board member of Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) and Habitat Cambodia WatSan project donor Scott Sellers led the first group. He was joined by his wife Keely and their children Ross, Kaitlyn and Alyssa as they returned to Cambodia for the third time. ey were joined for the first time by their two older daughters Danielle and Brianne as well as Mat and Valerie Smith and their two young sons atcher and Sumner, Deborah Emri and daughter Olivia, Dana Hamilton and daughter Tamar, and Lala Baldelovar of HFHI Asia Pacific. e group spent their entire seven-day jour- ney in Siem Reap. eir trip began by learn- ing about the history of Cambodia and over- all development needs of the country with a visit to a floating village on Tonle Sap Lake. eir group’s build projects included reno- vating the traditional wooden Khmer-style house of Loy Khei and his wife Yu Chhun in Char Rokar Village, Angkor Chum District together with the homeowners and construc- tion workers as well as building four toilets in nearby Kork nong Village for the families of Soeung Huor, To Nga, Yin Chantrea, and Phuot Chheng. Lack of clean water and proper sanitation facilities are major problems faced by a major- ity of rural families. In Siem Reap alone, fiſty percent of families do not have access to clean water, and seventy percent do not have access to a proper toilet. e Sellers family is fund- ing a project in Siem Reap that helps more than 400 families and more than 700 school children in three villages to gain access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities. e group was able to meet with members of local Sanitation Action Groups, Water User Groups, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene groups active in local schools. e partici- pants were able to see first-hand how commu- Issue 59 | 1 | June - July 2014 nities are mobilized around their commitment to bring about behavioral change, guided by the principles of Community-Led Total Sani- tation approach, a community mobilization approach that Habitat Cambodia applies in its WatSan projects. In just two days, the Hope Journeys program team comprising Habitat Cambodia staff and HFHI staff (Tamara Foglio and Liza Vega- Smart) was ready for the next Hope Journeys group led by Jonathan Reckford, who was here along with his daughter Lily, Richard Georgi, Steve Hennessey, Steven and Larissa Herda. is group began their journey in Phnom Penh and concluded their experience in Siem Reap. ey first learned about the more recent his- tory of the country by visiting Choeung Ek (e Killing Fields) and Toul Sleng (Genocide Museum). e group learned about housing issues while visiting informal settlements in Phnom Penh, and the specific needs of families who are vulnerable because of HIV/ AIDS, and had the opportunity to visit the current living space of their home partner Soy Long; she, her mother, 14-year-old son and twelve-year- old daughter were living near a dumpsite in a space made from scrap wood, with a worn-out tarpaulin for their roof. e visit there set the entire journey into perspective, allowing them to understand the prevailing problems of the country more deeply. One of the participants, Larissa Herda said, “is experience is very moving. You will never really know the depth of the problem until you see it first hand, and view these harsh realities faced by families in their day-to-day lives.” e group worked all week alongside Soy Long to build her family a new four-meter by six-meter brick house in Trapang Kror Per village, Kandal Province. ey also met other Habitat Cambodia home partner families Journeys of Hope Hope Journey dedication celebrations

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Transcript of Habitat for Humanity Cambodia July E-newsletter

Page 1: Habitat for Humanity Cambodia July E-newsletter

The Hope Journeys program in Cambodia continues to grow bigger and brighter. This summer, Habitat for Humanity Cambodia hosted two back-to-back Hope Journeys in June and July, bringing incredible experi-ences to participants, staff and home partners. We had the privilege to host returning loyal supporters, as well as Habitat for Humanity International Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Reckford for a second time.

An international board member of Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) and Habitat Cambodia WatSan project donor Scott Sellers led the first group. He was joined by his wife Keely and their children Ross, Kaitlyn and Alyssa as they returned to Cambodia for the third time. They were joined for the first time by their two older daughters Danielle and Brianne as well as Mat and Valerie Smith and their two young sons Thatcher and Sumner, Deborah Emri and daughter Olivia, Dana Hamilton and daughter Tamar, and Lala Baldelovar of HFHI Asia Pacific.

The group spent their entire seven-day jour-ney in Siem Reap. Their trip began by learn-ing about the history of Cambodia and over-

all development needs of the country with a visit to a floating village on Tonle Sap Lake. Their group’s build projects included reno-vating the traditional wooden Khmer-style house of Loy Khei and his wife Yu Chhun in Char Rokar Village, Angkor Chum District together with the homeowners and construc-tion workers as well as building four toilets in nearby Kork Thnong Village for the families of Soeung Huor, To Nga, Yin Chantrea, and Phuot Chheng.

Lack of clean water and proper sanitation facilities are major problems faced by a major-ity of rural families. In Siem Reap alone, fifty percent of families do not have access to clean water, and seventy percent do not have access to a proper toilet. The Sellers family is fund-ing a project in Siem Reap that helps more than 400 families and more than 700 school children in three villages to gain access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities.

The group was able to meet with members of local Sanitation Action Groups, Water User Groups, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene groups active in local schools. The partici-pants were able to see first-hand how commu-

Issue 59 | 1 | June - Ju ly 2014

nities are mobilized around their commitment to bring about behavioral change, guided by the principles of Community-Led Total Sani-tation approach, a community mobilization approach that Habitat Cambodia applies in its WatSan projects.

In just two days, the Hope Journeys program team comprising Habitat Cambodia staff and HFHI staff (Tamara Foglio and Liza Vega-Smart) was ready for the next Hope Journeys group led by Jonathan Reckford, who was here along with his daughter Lily, Richard Georgi, Steve Hennessey, Steven and Larissa Herda. This group began their journey in Phnom Penh and concluded their experience in Siem Reap.

They first learned about the more recent his-tory of the country by visiting Choeung Ek (The Killing Fields) and Toul Sleng (Genocide Museum). The group learned about housing issues while visiting informal settlements in Phnom Penh, and the specific needs of families who are vulnerable because of HIV/AIDS, and had the opportunity to visit the current living space of their home partner Soy Long; she, her mother, 14-year-old son and twelve-year- old daughter were living near a dumpsite in a space made from scrap wood, with a worn-out tarpaulin for their roof. The visit there set the entire journey into perspective, allowing them to understand the prevailing problems of the country more deeply. One of the participants, Larissa Herda said, “This experience is very moving. You will never really know the depth of the problem until you see it first hand, and view these harsh realities faced by families in their day-to-day lives.”

The group worked all week alongside Soy Long to build her family a new four-meter by six-meter brick house in Trapang Kror Per village, Kandal Province. They also met other Habitat Cambodia home partner families

Journeys of Hope

Hope Journey dedication celebrations

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Excerpt from an essay by Ross Sellers (shared during the farewell dinner)

We all seek family, whether we have one, had one, or desire to continue the next generation on down the line.

As much as this trip has been about serving others, it has been more about the existence of family, not only blood, but also those that have I have just met, yet had the opportunity to watch and learn from. You see, family is a beautiful blessing, especially when more members are added to the frame of our life’s picture, because one of my biggest desires was to be an older brother.

However, family is not only blood, but it’s also the friends you choose because no man is an island. And, family is taken for granted. I want to just relinquish that which I know I am lucky to have, and that we’re all lucky to have. And, if perhaps there are some people in this room whom are wishing there were still family members of theirs still push-ing breath back and forth, then know I am a friend, and I am family too, because brothers and sisters can be found amongst crowds. They walk close to us, and far from us, but they walk just the same as we do, and maybe they are missing something in their life, just the same as all of us may be as well. Life is a fragile thing, and it’s a beautiful thing as well because it’s the existence of sorrow that allows us to understand joy.

Editor’s note: Ross Sellers is the son of our international partners, Scott and Keely Sellers. This was the family’s third Hope Journey to Cambodia.

during a community visit. It was then when Jonathan Reckford was able to see the families he built with in the 2012 Hope Journeys, Meng Nat and her children and Theoun Visal and his siblings. Reckford was very delighted to see them doing well in their homes and said, “They are so much healthier now. Seeing the transformation in their lives makes me want to work for Habitat forever.”

During the Siem Reap portion of their journey, the group visited a water and sanitation project and spent time playing traditional games with children at one of the primary schools that Habitat Cambodia supports.

Everyday it took each group at least one and a half hours to travel to their site just to be able to serve; it was extremely hot and humid in the day and rains poured in the afternoon, but they all happily stepped out of their comfort zones in order to serve others. The dedications that each group experienced were full of joy.

Everyone felt that something extremely worthwhile had been accomplished

Ross Sellers and his construction buddy

and found it difficult to say goodbye to the home partners. “It brings me so much joy seeing the happiness in a home partner’s face during dedication,” Scott Sellers said.

Indeed, the week allowed the Hope Journeys participants time to understand families’ living conditions; listen to their hopes and dreams and simply share fun moments together. “I have been coming here with my family for three years now, and my favorite part is being able to build relationships with the families we serve and with Habitat Cambodia. I treat them all as my family here in Cambodia,” said Ross Sellers.

Hope Journeys are unique travel experiences designed by Habi-tat for Humanity, that provide an opportunity for participants to help transform communities. In addition to working alongside home partner families, the participants connect with communi-ty people and different stakeholders to gain a solid understand-ing of the many challenges faced by those living in poverty. They witness firsthand how Habitat for Humanity transforms lives, and become a part of the solution to poverty housing for the long-term. Jonathan Reckford and Scot Sellers were in the same Hope Journeys in Cambodia in 2012. The Hope Journeys participants bring not only generous funding for communities, but also warm smiles to families, and each participant gains a different sense of appreciation of the meaning of ‘giving HOPE’ and ‘family.’

The third and fourth Hope journeys in Cambodia were suc-cessfully completed, and promises to bring more support to many families in the next years. Indeed, old friendships were celebrated, and new friendships and great memories were built in the ever-growing Hope Journeys family.

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“Before our build began, we also visited the house and community where Soy Lorng lived. She was soon to be a new Habitat homeowner. The conditions she and her family were living in were some that no one should ever have to deal with. Soy Lorng lived with her mom, 14-year-old son, and 12-year-old daughter on an empty lot near a garbage dump......Basically all of their belongings were on a platform, and they had positioned a tarp overhead. On rainy nights everyone got soaked, and the “roof ” threatened to blow off at any moment. Visiting this community made building a house for them all that much sweeter. The best part is now the family has a decent and safe place to live..... They finally have a roof over their heads and know they will be safe.” ~ Lily Reckord, age 14 - daughter of HFHI CEO Jonathan ReckfordTo read Lily’s blog on her trip follow the link: http://www.habitat.org/blog/building-with-dad-cambodia

Hope Journeys 2014

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Hope Journeys 2014

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Page 5: Habitat for Humanity Cambodia July E-newsletter

The thirty-six-minute video, narrated in Khmer with English subtitles, which documents in great detail, the steps in facilitating the delivery of secure land tenure through Social Land Concession (SLC) which highlights the partnership between Habitat for Humanity, the Battam-bang government and the Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development program (LASED) of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, was launched.

The video has been an ongoing documentation since 2008, involv-ing hundreds of photographs, and hours of video and interviews with the Battambang Municipality Governor, members of the Battambang Municipality Technical Working Group, Prek Preah Sdach Sangkat Chief, community leaders, as well as project beneficiaries and Habitat Cambodia staff from the Battambang Office. The video is now being shared with other informal settlement communities still numbering around 2250 household residents living on informal settlement sites within Battambang, as well as with NGO Network Partners and gov-ernment officials.

Secure land rights and the way of providing them are important fordevelopment and poverty reduction. Land resources in Cambodia face multiple pressures and demand as never before and as a developing country, still lack the tools, systematic strategies and support necessary to deliver secure land rights for all. Secure land rights and the way of providing them are important for development and poverty reduction. Land resources in Cambodia face multiple pressures and demand as never before and as a developing country, still lack the tools, systematic strategies and support necessary to deliver secure land rights for all.

Fortunately, a program emerged in June 2008 from the Cambodian government’s interest to test different approaches for providing the

poor with access to land and livelihood assistance between rural and urban area. The government prepared a “Civic Engagement Frame-work for SLC” which recognizes that it must broadly mobilize society to implement SLCs and has thus agreed with the World Bank that in addition to the main LASED program, programs where communities work directly with NGOs should be piloted.

Habitat for Humanity Cambodia began an important and ambitious test project in Battambang aimed at securing land rights for hundreds of families living on public lands. It involved the development a pilot community built on a SLC in Prek Preah Sdach. The initial three-year project that was extended to up to five years had three major components: Piloting SLC implementation in urban areas, NGO capacity building, coordination and sharing of lessons learnt, and public awareness and capacity building of SLC. With workable and appropriate strategies, methods and tools in delivering secure land tenure within three communities in Battambang district, the project has grown more pronounced and resolute over the five-year program implementation.

The video is supplemented by a Best Practice brochure that is also being distributed to various stakeholders in target areas. This project plays an extremely fundamental role in determining and providing se-cure land rights to the poor. One of its higher goals is to be replicated in other urban areas in Cambodia.

Habitat for Humanity Cambodia continues to implement the SLC project in Battambang through the support of Habitat for Humanity Australia.

SLC Steps Video Launched

Still shots from the Social Land Concession Steps video

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Construction Continues in Smile Village

Cluster One building at Smile Village

After going through some inevitable delays, the construction at Smile Village is again progressing.

Habitat Cambodia worked with PSE in rede-sign the first cluster. Instead of multi-story structures, the units are now single-story. The changes which had to be made to the design of the roof and other features called for careful consideration and planning. The new one-story design eliminated the need for stair-wells and added three additional living units, allowing PSE and HFHC to select three more families for this first structure.

With the target for completion of late Septem-ber, a team of skilled workers has been work-ing on the building. The doors and windows are in place, and work is progressing on the roof. We also have several Global Village vol-unteer teams joining in over the next several weeks, and they will be focusing their efforts laying bricks for the walls of the three new units to finish work and get the original twelve and three new families moved in.

Habitat Cambodia continues to actively seek funding for Smile Village. More developments on the project will be reported in the coming issues.

New Low cost HouseThis past April, HFH Cambodia Construction Supervisors led a quarterly workshop with the focus on identifying low cost housing design options, the obstacles related to the con-struction process and maximizing volunteer effectiveness during construction. Staff from HFHC Projects and Volunteer Program teams participated in looking at alternative design options, cost estimates, and strategies for maximizing results. A particular emphasis of the workshop was low cost and affordable housing options for people living with or af-fected by HIV/AIDS, orphans and vulnerable children (PLWHA / OVC).

Focusing on these design options, as well as benefiting from feedback from our home part-ners has meant further modifications to some designs that have been implemented. Ad-ditionally, through responses from our skilled workers regarding some more traditional Khmer materials and techniques used in the

actual construction, some designs were identi-fied to be inappropriate to be built during the rainy season. Ongoing design modifications have led to stronger, more weather resilient, and better looking homes.

One design that some of our Global Village volunteer members will recognize is the 4m by 5m detached house. Outstanding design elements of this home include interior and exterior plastering for better weather protec-tion, fewer wooden roof beams due to the addition of concrete perimeter beams, a short

zinc “wave” porch roof, and a short concrete slab front porch. To date, this design has primarily been used on homes in our Chabp-deum Chivet Thmey (New Start New Life) and project and Building Homes Building Positive Lives project in Phnom Penh and Kandal.

The home design includes an attached latrine and water collection jars at the rear of the building, and the family also receives a water filter. Based on project location, and distance from materials suppliers this home can be built for approximately US $2400.

Bou Savoeun was able to set up a kiosk and sell goods under the eaves of her front porch

Highlights

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Global Village Update09-18 May: A Global Village team of nine members from the United States built a new home in Takeo Province. When not build-ing, the team took a tour of a pepper farm, learned how to make a Cambodian mattress and visited local historic sites. On their final build day, the team sang local songs, danced, and shared a farewell meal with the home partner family and skilled workers.

17-26 May: A Canadian GV team of twelve completed the foundation work for a new home in Kok Kleang Village in Phnom Penh. During their time here they also visited with nearby school kids, saw the local pagoda, visited markets, took in other tourist destina-tions including a boat trip on the Mekong River.

31 May – 11 June: A six-member GV team from Canada, originally destined for Thai-land, came to Kandal Province instead.The team built a wooden home in Prek Ra-ing village for our Chapadem Chivet Thmey (New Start New Life), and had time to visit the tourist attractions. Although the team ended up here, the sum gain is that HFH has another new home partner.

07 – 14 June: An eight-member Hands and Hearts GV team from Australia built a home for a family in Kandal Province as part of our Building Homes Building Positive Lives proj-ect. They also visited the Steung Meanchey dumpsite where the family was living. The team was able to take time off from building, to catch up with the family who benefited from their build on a previous trip to Cambo-dia. We are grateful for the project funds that the team members raised.

Viva VolunteersViva Volunteers

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MAKE A DIFFERENCEBecome part of a Global Village

volunteer team

For more information visit:

www.habitat.org/gv/

Page 8: Habitat for Humanity Cambodia July E-newsletter

Global Village UpdateJune 11-15: The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) Global Village team of eleven volunteers completed a home during four days of building in Kandal Province. During their visit the team had the opportu-nity to learn about Habitat Cambodia’s low-cost housing designs from our Construction Team Leader Sok Chandarith. On dedication day, the group sang songs and danced with the skilled workers and home partner during a farewell meal together.

26 June – 04 July: The Scotch College Global Village team from Australia returned once again this year to build more homes in Phnom Penh. The 18-member team worked on two homes, completing the foundations, walls, toilets and plastering. On dedication day, the team ate, sang and danced with the grateful home partners - a double celebration for two new homes.

28 June – 13 July: Fourteen members of the Ballynahinch Rugby Football Club from Northern Ireland tackled a new brick home in the Angsoul District of Phnom Penh for our Chapadem Chivet Thmey (New Start New Life) project. The GV team also made time to visit the home partner’s current house near the Steung Meanchey dumpsite, tour the Smile Village project site as well as many of the local tourist attractions around the city. On dedication day, the team and home part-ner, along with the skilled workers sang and danced and enjoyed a farewell lunch.

29 June – 05 July: Saeum Team, a group of eight Global Village volunteers came from Korea to Pouk Chas village in Siem Reap where they worked alongside the home partner on construction of a new Habitat home there. At the end of their visit, they had a celebratory meal, and also presented the home partner with the generous gift of a new, much needed bicycle.

Viva VolunteersViva Volunteers

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Page 9: Habitat for Humanity Cambodia July E-newsletter

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25 July - 05 AugustGlobal Village Team from USA in Takeo

01 - 10 AugustGlobal Village Team fromUSA in Takeo

03 - 10 AugustGlobal Village Team fromKorea in Phnom Penh

07 - 20 AugustGlobal Village Team fromJapan in Phnom Penh

09 - 17 AugustGlobal Village Team fromCananda in Phnom Penh

16 - 22 AugustGlobal Village Team from Japan in Battambang

17 - 23 AugustGlobal Village Team from Korea in Siem Reap

26 August - 04 SeptemberGlobal Village Team fromJapan in Phnom Penh

02 - 11 SeptemberGlobal Village Team fromJapan in Siem Reap

02 - 15 SeptemberGlobal Village Team from Japan in Phnom Penh

Project Update

Upcoming EventsThe Projects Team in our Battambang Office recently conducted a one-day training session for local residents on home ownership and maintenance.

Twenty-one families from six communities took part in the session. The objective of which was for them to gain information about the process of proper home construction, use of the right materials and how to maintain a home. Participants were also able to share their own knowledge and experiences.

Our Battambang staff also responded to the needs of fifty families affected by heavy storms there at the end of May.

Twelve families received shelter kits in the Thmor Kol District, as did thirty-eight in the town of Battambang. Among the items HFH Cambodia typically includes in the shelter kits we distribute are a water filter, zinc metal sheeting, nails, basic tools and basic house repair information.

Home Ownership and Maintenance Training

Home maintenance workshop

Proper toilet construction demonstrationWater filter kit distribution

Disaster aid recipient in Battambang

Page 11: Habitat for Humanity Cambodia July E-newsletter

Special Feature

Interview by Chhay Veasna, Volunteer Coordinator HFHC Siem Reap

Chhay Veasna (CV): Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

Rin Ratha (RR): I am 23-years and was born in Kampong Cham province. I have two bachelor degrees, one from the Royal University of Law and Economic in Economic Development and another from University of Cambodia in English Literature. I graduated from both universities in 2012. I spend most of my free time being a volunteer in social work.

CV: When did you start to do volunteer work, and where? What made you want to start volunteering?

RR: I have been a volunteering since I was a freshman at both univer-sities. I first started to volunteer as an English teacher at Good Shep-herd Mission, where I taught orphans English language. I volunteered there because I wanted to help poor children, particularly the orphans who do not have as many chances as other children. Those children will be a good resources for Cambodia in the future. I think it was a good opportunity for me to contribute to my country and have a chance to share what I know with those kids.

CV: When did you start to volunteer with Habitat? What did you think about your first time volunteer with Habitat?

RR: I have volunteered with Habitat since October 2011. I first worked with a Global Village team from Hong Kong. At that time, my English was not very good and it was my first time speaking to foreigners. I worked with them for two days and at first was not very confident, but I did have a lot of fun working with the team, and since then, I have gained more confidece with English, and have learned so much.

CV: What are you assigned to do when you volunteer with Habitat Cambodia?

RR: I would act as a facilitator and interpreter to coordinate work be-

Volunteer Interview: Rin Ratha, HFH Cambodia – Siem Reap Office

Rin Ratha at Habitat Youth Build 2014 in Phnom Penh

tween the Global Village teams the skilled workers, and home owners during the build. I also help with building the homes and work alongside the volunteers when needed, moving sand and stone to build the foundation, laying bricks, mixing cement I also make sure that the volunteers are working safely during the build.

CV: What do you think of Habitat Cambodia after volunteering for so long? Does Habitat really make an impact on local communities?

RR: Habitat Cambodia is a non-profit organization that helps com-munities to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness by building houses. Decent housing is a basic human need. When the poor don’t have a good house, it has an effect on their family and their health. They are not able to send their children to school because they do not have the capacity to earn more money, so the children must often drop out when the family is forced to move from place to place. By building houses for the poor in communities, Habitat Cambodia gives the fami-lies hope and happiness. Moreover, Habitat Cambodia also provides opportunities for youth to volunteer, so that they have chance to help their communities. CV: What make you interested and keep volunteering with Habitat?

RR: I want to have the chance to help my country and also improve myself. At first I was really shy and not confident speaking English with foreigners. After I started volunteering with Habitat Cambodia, I have had many chances to speak English with foreigners and learn about other cultures. One thing I have learned about Global Village volunteer is that no matter where they are from, they work very hard and pay attention to the small details. But when they are finished working, they also like to play! What I mean by that is their work and their happy time are separate. Every volunteer that I meet is also really polite. When I started working with them for the first time, everyone always said “Thank you” and “Sorry” all the time, and I thought it was really strange at the time. From then on I have also tried to be more polite to everyone I work with all the time. Lastly but most importantly, when I volunteer with Habitat Cambodia, I have the chance to help improve the future of my own country by helping to build houses and creating hope. CV: Personally, what do you think about volunteering and what would you recommend to today’s Cambodian youth?

RR: The word “volunteer” has a deep meaning to me. I am really happy when I volunteer. When I am free from my work, I always look for a chance to volunteer doing something. Cambodian youth are an important part of our society; we need to help our society from both inside and out. From inside, we can use our knowledge to contribute to society. From the outside, we can contribute by using our energy. If we do these two activities together, I believe that our society will develop quickly in the future. All in all I would like to say that, “The more we volunteer, the more we can develop our country.” I am very thankful to Habitat Cambodia for giving me the chance to volunteer in my community, and help my country. I have learned so much. I hope that what I have shared in this interview will inspire other youth to participate in building the future of Cambodia.

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Page 12: Habitat for Humanity Cambodia July E-newsletter

We are pleased to welcome Men Sereysambath as our new Construc-tion Supervisor. Sambath holds a diploma in Geo-technical Engineer-ing and a Bachelors Degree in English Education. He comes to us with over five years experience in the construction field in the private sector.

[email protected]

Yan Phally is well known to many of our Global Village teams, and we are happy to announce Phally as our newest Volunteer Engagement Coordinator at our National Office in Phnom Penh. Phally holds a Bachelors Degree in Sociology, and has many years of internship and volunteer experience with HFH Cambodia and other NGOs as an Eng-lish teacher and interpreter.

[email protected]

Arrivals and Departures

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Farewell to Vong Chhim Vannak, our Housing Finance Manager. Van-nak brought a level of professionalism and competence to his position that resulted in colleagues across the region taking notice. He has been seen as a resource from which added value was brought to not only the Cambodia office, but also all of AP. Vannak will be assuming the role of National Rural Finance Coordinator with the FAO, a UN organization starting next month.

We say goodbye to Kea Sarith, our long-time Construction Manager at the National Office. Sarith was an integral part of our new sustainable house design implementations, and oversaw many special builds in-cluding the Jimmy/Rosalyn Carter Work Project, Khmer Harvest Build, Smile Village, Mekong Big Build, and Habitat Youth Builds with his talents and commitment to our mission in Cambodia. We wish Sarith nothing but good fortune in his future endeavors.

We must also announce the departure of our colleague John Zaidi, our CFO of the past three years. Our loss is Habitat for Humanity Asia-Pacific’s gain however, as John became the Regional Finance Manager for the AP Regional Office in June. John’s demonstration of leader-ship and initiative across many areas of the Habitat portfolio has led to good internal financial controls. We would like to thank John for his dedicated service.

Neang Chamroeun, Credit Agent for our PPHCDP Project, has been with Habitat Cambodia since 2009, and is now moving on. Our warmest thanks to him for his efforts and deep dedication to his work. Chamroeun’s relationships with our home partners has been invaluable, and we will all miss him.

Page 13: Habitat for Humanity Cambodia July E-newsletter

What is Give2Habitat?

Give2Habitat is an online fund-raising platform, making it quicker and easier for you to raise awareness and funds for the vital work of Habitat for Humanity building homes, communities and hope for families in need of a safe, decent, affordable place to live.

Why use Give2Habitat?

Give2Habitat allows you to le-verage the support of your own online social networks, and add your voice to the global Habitat for Humanity community.

When you start fund-raising with Give2Habitat, you’ll have your own personal fund-raising page where your friends can donate and support Habitat for Human-ity in a specific community, city or country.

You can tell your own story of what you are doing to help

Habitat’s work, post comments, updates and images, as well as track progress as you raise much-needed funds.

Then linking to your existing Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts, it’s easy to share your fund-raising story, and rally support from friends and family all over the world.

With Give2Habitat, you’re part of the community!

Wonderful people from all over the globe use Give2Habitat, all united by the Habitat vision of a world where everyone has a de-cent place to call home. Give2Ha-bitat allows you to work alongside others around the world who are dedicated to ridding the world of the scourge of inadequate poverty housing.

It’s a sustainable way to give ! Fund-raising online eliminates many of the expenses that com-

with traditional offline fund-rais-ing, like promotional materials and event costs. Plus, it significantly lowers administra-tive costs for Habitat for Human-ity. So, more of your money goes directly to help families in need.

3 Ways To Become Involved

• Start a Support Page

Help us raise essential funds; start a fund-raising page and rally your friends for support.

• Find a Project and Volunteer

Find an upcoming project and take on a rewarding challenge to help us change lives in Cambodia

• Donate Now!

Help break the cycle of poverty & build long-term financial stability for our home partners.

Show your support for HFH Cambodia!Create your very own fund raising page

www.give2habitat.org/cambodia

Issue 59 | 13 | June - Ju ly 2014

Page 14: Habitat for Humanity Cambodia July E-newsletter

Join HFH Cambodia’s Social Media Network! Become a Fan on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/habitat.for.humanity.cambodia

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HFH Cambodia address: #35Bis, St. 478, Phsar Duem Tkov Commune, Chamkar Mon District, Phnom Penh City, P.O. Box: 2452 Phnom Penh 3Tel/Fax: (855) 23 997 840 E-mail: [email protected]

Or Kunh!

Habitat for Humanity Cambodia says thank you to our corporate and international partners and our affiliate tithe donors.Together, we will continue improving lives and building communities in Cambodia.

I N T E R N A T I O N A L P A R T N E R SThe Charitable Foundation, Elton John AIDS Foundation, International Children’s Care Australia, Japan Social Development Fund, World Bank

Paul and Aileen Munn and Activate Church, Towerbrook, Scot and Keely Sellers

U N I V E R S I T I E S A N D S C H O O L P A R T N E R SPannasastra University of Cambodia, Norton University, Build Bright University

Royal University School of Social Work, Logos International School

Northbridge International School, University of Cambodia, Zaman University

C O R P O R A T E P A R T N E R SCoca-Cola, Cambodiana Hotel, The Blue Pumpkin, ANZ Royal Bank

M E K O N G B I G B U I L D 2 0 1 3 P A R T N E R S a n d S P O N S O R S

A F F I L I A T E S a n d G L O B A L V I L L A G E D O N O R S

Central Delaware Habitat for HumanityHabitat for Humanity DALLAS

Habitat for Humanity EAST BAY/SILICON VALLEYHabitat for Humanity AUSTRALIA

Habitat for Humanity GREAT BRITAINHabitat for Humanity NEW ZEALAND

Habitat for Humanity CANADASAN GABRIEL VALLEY Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity MALAYSIAUNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity ST. VRAIN VALLEYWESTMINSTER COLLEGE Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity GERMANYHONOLULU Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity SEATTLE-KING COUNTYCENTRAL DELAWARE Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity ANCHORAGESAN DIEGO Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity CHINA (Hong Kong)Habitat for Humanity NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA

Habitat for Humanity NORTH WILLAMETTE VALLEYHabitat for Humanity LACROSSE AREA, Inc.

Habitat for Humanity of ROWAN COUNTYHabitat for Humanity Greater CINCINNATI

Habitat for Humanity HARDIN COUNTY, Inc.Habitat for Humanity GREATER LOS ANGELES

Habitat for Humanity GREATER LOWELLHabitat for Humanity GREATER BOSTONHabitat for Humanity EAGLE & LAKE COUNTIESHabitat for Humanity INLAND VALLEYHabitat for Humanity DESERT FOOTHILLSHabitat for Humanity DOUGLAS COUNTYHabitat for Humanity METRO DENVERHabitat for Humanity METRO WEST / GREATER WORCESTERHabitat for Humanity WEST HAWAIIHabitat for Humanity OAKLAND COUNTY, MIMIDLAND Habitat for HumanityWEST PASCO Habitat for HumanityST. JOSEPH, MO Habitat for Humanity GREATER BIRMINGHAM Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity GUAMHabitat for Humanity International - USA Global Village VolunteersHabitat for Humanity of SOUTHWEST UTAHOTSEGO COUNTY Habitat for HumanityHofstra University Habitat for Humanity CCFauquier Habitat for HumanityDaimler Financial Services, GermanyMorgan Stanley Global Impact FundingAmerican Express MGP & WPGMrs. Catherine Nicolini RiceBetsy MeyerTinara Choing

USA Global Village Team HFH Seattle-King County

Daimler Financial ServicesHFH Greater Birmingham

HFH Great BritainHFH AustraliaHFH Germany

HFH of Eagle and lake CountiesNorth Willamette Valley HFH

Kulczyk FoundationHFH of La Plata CountyHFH Northern Ireland

Black Hills HFHHFH New Zealand

HFH CanadaHFH of Yankton CountyHFH of Douglas County

Coca-ColaDavies Paints Philippines