Hello everybody!

I have been living in Cambodia and it is located in Southeast Asia, sharing borders with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Following French colonization, Cambodia went through various revolutionary regimes. In 1975, the radical Khmer Rouge devastated Cambodia, taking the lives of over two million people with knock on effects throughout Cambodia. Unfortunately removal of this murderous regime was accompanied by the Vietnamese which led to a prolonged civil war.
After the war, the toll on the people was immense. Most of the people remaining had lost members of their families, leaving countless widows and orphans. In addition, many were left disabled from war and it’s after effects such as land mines. The people faced many obstacles to normal life such as ill health, lack of education, unemployment and in particular poverty. Moreover, the psychological trauma from years of war, compounded by the enduring suffering of many survivors, began to manifest in dangerous behavior. An increase was seen in drug and alcohol addiction, the spread of communicable and venereal diseases, violence within families, sexual abuse of children and smuggling of children for sexual abuse, as well as other criminal activities. Besides this, It small country want to have a lot of educational system like English, leadership skill and information technology and we are still developing country. This aspect we need a lot of human resources to develop by improved knowledge above. So I determination myself to study hard to make all things in my country extremely transferred.
I would like to take this occasionally to express my story to all of you. My name is khorn Sokheng, 21 years old. Lately, I have been studying year 3 at Royal University of Law and Economics in the field of Law. I come from remote area at Prey Veng province that it does not have enough school, hospital, electricity and also have many poor people.
Studying with the school that doesn’t have sufficient material coincidence with very needy family make me very difficult to school sometimes I push myself to walk to school that it very far away. My mother sells Khmer cake and father stay at home without work anymore. After I have no class at school I always bring Khmer cake to sell in the village to get some money to support family and my study. And for my sister, she has her own family thus she needs to complete her to. I nearly give up my study at grade 12 because of anything get stuck in my family. In spite of all these things happened to me but I more often memorize the word “I must be keep on my studying at university.”
You know, I was extremely delighted to my high school passed exam. I graduated from high school I wanted more than anything to continue my study to university but this was not realistic for my family as we are peasants. Because of situation of my parents they are so old and cannot find money to support me to keep on studying at university and they expected me to find job to earn money instead of studying.

Phnom Penh was arrived by me in 2008 I am so excited all the high way and with building and everything new for me. By working as a construction worker and a little bit support from my sister and uncle I can keep on my university class but everything is not enough like school fee, rent house, electricity, food and water.

I was very happy for my first step at university that I did think I won’t have my present in this class. Everything is transfer by having a lot of friends without discrimination despite of I am the poor student. In good destiny I saw an information board advertising student leadership scholarship at Attitude Centre for Education. I was very excited so I applied it immediately and having wait a few days and soon after ACE staff called me to study Attitude Forum that it the basic training course it made me very changeable by getting a new lesson from the trainer like I can collect my feeling, brave, open mind and other special things. However, they contacted to interview and some ability test as well.

Currently, I am a scholarship student, law volunteer trainer, project assistant of Cambodian Kids Care which means I have place to stay. On the other hand I can help by what I can do and one more thing I can share to everybody what I have learnt from school and my life experience because I thought that If Cambodian people brain can rapid growth our country would be better than what we still was.

Group living in ACE make me very happy because everybody love each other like brother and sister. We mutual help, learn together by sharing club, debate club, playing sport, and what especially ACE provided me leadership training who Mr Saing Sokchea is a skillful trainer.

In hobbies I do physical exercise, reading book, news event, history, other law document, and also English to build and develop my knowledge. In a head only goal that I want to study abroad are International Criminal Law and International Relationship.

In short, to begin with I would like to extend my profound gratitude to all donator who always spend energy and time to give generous gift to us without thinking its big burden. I have no anything back but I have merely try study hard, hard working and does everything make my life success.

Thanks for your time reading,

Sokheng

Hello! My name is Channak Sam 21 year old, march. Takeo province is my birthplace I have four siblings, two younger brothers; I’m a second child in family. My father 58 year old, he stays home and mother 60 year old, she has sold foods meat on the edge road. She couldn’t be able to work without my sister helps. My sister stops study to help my mother work since she grade 6th until now. Sometime I want to give up my study to help them but she said, we have tried like this because we didn’t want anybody like them.
In 2008, I finished high school and I decided to continue my study at Phnom Penh on the field of Civil Engineer. I do love my subject and I hope I can help my family and my country.
The first I came to Phnom Penh alone and I asked for my friends to stay with them. I live in the small narrow house that only 2 people is available to stay but we need 5 friends to stay to reduce money expend. I never thought from day to day. What I need to do beside of my study? I have no ambition for my future when living with them. Living in the rent house with the people comes from the remote area, want to learn much more about leisure in Phnom Penh and always go outside when have free time. My futures seem like a firefly. Since this time I always find a scholarship in everywhere until I found ACE. Thanks so much for recruited me as the scholarship student and thanks so much for more experience living at the rent house. During one year, I’m doing as the admin assistance. ACE provided me a lot of things, what I lack of, and leadership. In this course I knew the way we live in society using communication, self-confident, getting to know myself, set goal for future. Attitude Forum is also importance for lead me to be proud to make communication with each other, know how to solve problem when it occurs.
Those things have been happened to my life. Over one year a go! I have been living at Attitude Centre for Education. I feel very happy, that ACE gives me one more year to stay. Thanks for electricity, supporting materials, good advice, a perfect dorm, special training, fresh environment, good friends, communication, working group and to be a leader.
Now a day, on the fifth November, I’m going to be the third year student in the field of Civil Engineering only one more year later I will be graduate and I wish I could continue to study abroad related to my field.
By the end, my bright future is being happened because of your support. Thanks so much for your helps, especially Mr Saing Sokchea thank for let me know let me clear.
Best Regarding
Channak Sam

My New Life in ACE!

Dear Friends,

My name is Vuthy, 19 years old. I come from a poor family at Svay Rieng province, Cambodia. My family and I have gone through so many difficulties in life. My father left us and the homeland to do army at Cambodia-Thailand border since I was five years old. He then didn’t return back since he found a new girlfriend. I lived with my mother and sister in our small house. My mother worked so hard to earn money to support me and my sister to study every day. She managed everything in our family. I wanted to help her but I couldn’t do it. My sister had to give up on her studies in grade 6th to help my mum earning money for our family. She didn’t want to give up school, she loved studying and she’s one of the smart students in her classes. She worked very hard as a garment worker in the capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. My family is a farmer so I must also help grandfather in the farm since he’s old. I tried to study very hard because my school was about 25 kilometer from my house. After I had finished high school I didn’t know “Where I wanted to go? What I wanted to do? What I can do?”
Luckily, my cousin Synoeun had told me about Attitude Center for Education and she also suggested me to apply for a scholarship at the center. I started to apply for the scholarship and I did pass the interview and obtained a scholarship for my study at a university. Before I was granted the scholarship I had to participate in the Attitude Forum and also leadership training in ACE. Because of those trainings I was able to improve my inner self. I had become another person with so much confidence in myself. I was able to improve my communication and problems solving skill as well as net working.

On March, 1st 2010 I was so excited! I moved to live in the Attitude Center for Education (ACE)! It was the first day in my life that I moved to stay in a dorm! On the first day I wanted to cry as soon as I put my feet in ACE. ACE supports me so much with my scholarship dormitory and studying at university! It provides me with many opportunities to get to know other NGOs, participated in many trainings and I can also make any discussions with other scholarship students who are staying in ACE where required. In ACE I can also use computer get a free access to the Internet, Email and a lot of others things. Before coming to ACE I had no idea at all about computers. I had never seen one before; I didn’t even realize that computers existed! But they do exist!! Hence when I saw them at ACE I didn’t know how to turn them on? What can I do with them? Eventually my computer skills have been improved so much. Teacher Sokchea SAING has been very helpful to me as well as to other scholarship students. He always gives me many great advices. One of his philosophies that I will always keep in mind is “The Cambodian people must be transformed before we can transform Cambodia into a better country!” Hence we must help people in Cambodia by providing them many relevant trainings such as Leadership, to help them initiating net working, build up self-confidence, to believe in themselves that everything is possible if we put our heart and soul into it. I have passed my knowledge and have shared many of my experiences to a lot of other students especially from slum areas. I give them many advices and opinions on “Life Plan” and how to success in studying? I feel proud of myself because of many things I have done to help other underprivileged students.

Nowadays, I’m volunteering in ACE, Rudi Boa and Saing Sy Center which are the main projects of Cambodian Kids Foundation. Of course, I’m excited when I can be of any helps to a lot of other students but I would never forget my studying. I’m studying Information Technology and English. I love my subjects very much! I’m also one of the leaders in the study club at my university, even though I’m busy with my studying I’m very happy to spare my busy time to help others achieving their dreams.

In my free time I like reading books and net surfing on computer to help improve my knowledge in the area of my studies and also in my English communication skills. I want to be the best student in my class! And also to fulfill my dream in the future so I don’t mind of studying very hard right now!

Finally, I would like to thank you “Sharron” and “Your family” for your amazing generosity in having been supporting me to study at university! If it wasn’t because of YOUR support then I wouldn’t be standing where I am right now! And I wouldn’t be able to achieve what I’ve achieved so far in life!! To acknowledge your support I will try to study harder and will share my knowledge and what I’ve learnt from university to other students especially those underprivileged students who never have a chance to go to school. THANK YOU!!

Love

Vuthy

Welcome the Newest Student to ACE

Hello everybody! I am very happy to introduce myself to you all. My name is Sotheara Suon and I am 20 years old. I was born in Kandal province, Keinsvay district. I am an oldest child in a family of five sons and a daughter. Currently I’m studying at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) majoring in Khmer literature.

While I was studying at high school I always had a wish of passing all my examinations with a (C) grade as it’s very venerable if you’re studying in the countryside and could obtain that grade. As a result, my dream became true! It was not just only me feeling satisfying but so did my whole family as well as my friends! I was really proud of my achievement!

I moved to Phnom Penh in 2008 after I had finished my exam. Initially when I arrived to Phnom Penh for the first time in my life, I knew nothing about my way around in the city. I did not know anyone nor did I have any relatives or friends to stay with. I felt very upset and was very stressful as everything was new to me. Luckily, life in the city has taught me many new things that I had never knew before when I was staying in my home town. Everything is absolutely different from the countryside such as: many roads, lifestyle, the way city people thinking and the list would just go on and on. As days pass by, I become increasingly understandable the way life in the city work. In Phnom Penh, I do not only learn from my university but also from other events that are happening to me and society. My knowledge is mounting up step by step. I then later learn to appreciate those hardships I had encountered during those times because they were my best teachers I would never have a chance to learn from any schools or universities and I would not have learnt to appreciate my life much had I not encountered those issues. Additionally I was very lucky enough to befriend with many good people. They assisted me whenever I faced any issues. They encouraged me to stand up when I lose fate in myself; they encouraged me to become a stronger person whenever I fell down. My friends usually brought knowledge with them to share with me. We had joined many workshops that provide information on current issues happening in our society.

Fortunately, one day I was offered a scholarship to study Khmer Literature at RUPP, again it was a great news for me especially my parents! However along with this happy news, I was still struggling to adapt to a new environment in the city and I also knew that I had to encounter many other financial difficulties such as paying bills for: accommodation, water, electricity and especially foods. Sometimes I dreamed of obtaining another scholarship for accommodation from another university or NGO however it was only a dream. And I thought that dreams do not exist….

One day, one of my friends whose name Phearith, gave me an opportunity to participate in a 2 days course called “Attitude Forum” which was conducted by Mr. Sokchea SAING. After completing the course I was very surprised of how much knowledge I gained from the course! I was pretty much interested in the course, the way him conducting the course as well as administering the class! I was not only impressed with his lesson but also including his teaching skill! He is a very dynamic teacher who I have never and ever met in my whole life! And because of the course I was able to make more good friends such as Savy, Synoeun and so on. They are very interesting people; they shared their ideas with me and my friends. They told me about the Attitude Centre for Education and recommended me to apply for the scholarship there. As it is a centre which provides many opportunities for underprivileged students from slum areas as well as countryside to be able to have a place to stay, to attend university and especially to facilitate personal growth in youth. As a result, after I filled out the form and answered the four questions which basically related to my Background, Attitude and my Vision, it took me almost four months later to hear exciting news from ACE! However I didn’t mind those months I had to wait for the result of my application, as it was one of those contented news which you wouldn’t mind waiting for!

Staying at ACE has given me so many prospects in life. I have learnt so many things from other scholarship students; we have shared various ideas with each other. We have made good memories together. We help each other, cook and have meals together; all the 15 of us. ACE is much better than other places which I have been. It empowers us to be able to join in various trainings which are conducted by Mr. Sokchea, to have fate in ourselves, to look up high and reach our goals, to become brilliant potential leaders and most prominently the provision of opportunities for us to contribute in helping developing our community and overall Cambodia!

In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to all the members of Cambodian Kids Foundation who continue spending your precious time and energy in supporting all the underprivileged students in Cambodia thus for us to be educated and have a bright and the best future! Your support means so much for us! Also I would like to thank teacher Sokchea who has given me the best opportunity to stay at ACE, without you I probably wouldn’t have met more good people and wouldn’t believe that our DREAMS do exist if we are strongly committed! Finally I’m very appreciative for everybody in ACE who has welcomed me with full compassion and has volunteered to assist and has shown so much support to me. THANK YOU ALL!!

Best regards



Sotheara Suon

Dearest Lovely Parent

Kampong Thom, 10th July 2010,


How are you both? Firstly, I would like to acknowledge your kindness having given me the chance to attend school since I was young. Especially, mom works extremely hard and would never take any days off, having the cheapest food, saving every penny so that I could afford sending me to school. I would never disregard your generosity. I sincerely ‘Thank You’ for everything you’ve done for me! I totally understand that, you have been working so hard. However I honestly have no choice, I must continue on my studying, I couldn’t give it up for a job since primary school like others to feed their parents. I really don’t want the kind of jobs which you both have been having. But I have committed to study hard, putting all my heart and soul into my studies in an expectation that I will be offered a very good job upon my completion of studies. I hope to help our whole family with a much better living style than what we’re having nowadays.

Even though I am looked down by other people on my capacity due to my appearance, nevertheless I will never alter my goal and even work harder to reach my dreams. Although, they are keeping their eyes on my ability and mock back at me when I couldn’t make it through the national examination, I am determined to even trying harder to turn all my dreams to fruition. Every morning I would hear the sarcasms from others: “….you, don’t study hard, your parents work too hard for you why don’t you give up your studies and help them, your parents can’t support you for the rest of your life. You are a girl, what’s the point of you to have a higher education. How can you study far away from home? Where will you live in the city, living in pagoda like boys would be impossible..Girls can never have a good job, just get married and look after the kids. Beside you are too poor, too short and unattractive so who would offer you a job?...”

All of these ironic words have kept inside my mind, penetrated into my heart and soul for the last few years. And in the worst case I was hopeless and helpless, I used to hate people, always wanted to be left alone. I had always have negative thoughts regarding my appearance, I was hesitated of whether continuing on my studies, I couldn’t find out the way to achieve my dreams, there was no improvement at all in my daily performance as days passed by, and as the result I couldn’t pass my national exam. Mother and father, I would like to apologies that you have been disappointed because of me. I am so sorry.

Parents, please don’t wait for me at this weekend as I am taking a two days short course ‘Attitude Forum’ that is exceptionally important for the improvement of my life. It’s like I’m awaken from the negative thoughts that I used to have. I’ve learnt the way of becoming a successful person. I am now an open minded and optimistic person, happily accepted communication from others, and wouldn’t want to be left alone like I used to. I value myself, and of everything else I possess. I am now determined to make my dreams happen, enter and join a new world which I had never knew before. I want to live as a bird where they can fly to wherever they wish and understanding everything in the society.

I would like to acknowledge Mr. Sokchea SAING and all its members for having built this school. Without the school I can never become who I am today.

I wish you all the best.

Moly

My Life is Hopfulness !!

Everybody and every student always have their own dreams and want the dream to come to fruition one day, especially long for a bright future and have a very good job in the future. My name is Men Vantha and I come from a small village of Svay Rieng province. Currently, I am studying in the second year of Management at Build Bright University and also a scholarship student of Attitude Center for Education.

I have 2 sisters and one brother. My two sisters had given up school since they were studying in high school, grade 8 due to the financial difficulties in my family and my brother is presently studying in primary school, grade 6.
I had graduated from high school in 2008 and kept on my studying in Phnom Penh. Living in Phnom Penh was a very difficult experience for me as I have no relative and then I decided to rent a house with my friend. The renting cost was $60 per month. All my expenses on; tuition, study materials, English language and renting cost were all paid by my mum. I spent $80 monthly and it was really a huge amount for my whole family. My mum worked extremely hard while she was ill to afford sending me and my brother to school.

One day, I was told by Mr. Put Set to study free English at Aziza school which is an American-based organization. There I had a chance to improve my English. 6 months after I had been studying at Aziza school, I heard excellent news for my life that, Attitude Center for Education (ACE) was recruiting for underprivileged students who are from all the provinces in Cambodia to offer the scholarships. After hearing this information, I rushed to apply and then I had joined “Attitude Forum” Training that provided by Mr. Sokchea SAING. The training has transformed me into a new person, by changing my attitude toward my future and reminds me of who I really am, opening mind, forgiving, problem solving, self-controlling, and especially the definition of LIFE. A few weeks after the training, I heard the exciting and incredible news that I had been offered the Scholarship!

While staying in ACE I am offered a chance to join the Youth Development Leadership Program with other scholarship students. The training has influenced me and taught me about leading’s operation such as: what is leading? How to become an effective potential leader, have a self-confident and self-motivated.

After my mum passed away in November 2009 I became a hopeless, helpless and stressfulness person but the Leadership Program made me understand clearly the meaning of life and I always encourage myself and tried harder to make my dream come true. Although sometime I feel so lonely but I would always think about my future and my goal. I would always remind myself that life is hopefulness so that I can encourage myself every time I feel tired or upset.

Currently I have been given a brilliant opportunity to be a project manager at Rudi Boa Centre while I am only 20 years old. I could not have achieved this much without the support of ACE & Cambodian Kids Foundation!

I have three fundamental dreams in my life. First dream is to be able to help other people and especially vulnerable children in the slum area. Second dream is to open a school in my homeland for all the children and youth. The final dream is to train myself to become a professional trainer of “Attitude Forum” and “Leadership Program”.

In conclusion my special thanks are due to Cooper’s family and all the CKF heroes in Australia for your generosity and supports in establishing CKF. Without all of your help I would not be standing where I am right now! I would also like to thank teacher, Saing Sokchea who is the one that I have been inspired by because of your good role model, constant support and encouragement. Who has taught me a good attitude, strong leadership and who would always remind me of a concept of helping and sharing with others. Thanks also to my other ACE scholarship friends for your valuable suggestions and who would always give me a new hope.

Best Wishes

Men Vantha

Mr. Sokchea SAING conducted the Attitude Forum to the first Lawmaker

ACE conducted Attitude Forum to the first Cambodian Lawmaker, Mr. Sam Sundoeun and his 36 disadvantage students. Of which 11 female students stay in his house during their studying in Phnom Penh, where it takes 30 minutes by the car from ACE.

They do need ACE to help with building them how to open-minded, have a better relationship with their managers, families and friends who live in the house where many people come from different places. The Forum was really inspiring, touching and helped them to discover the real happiness and future plan.



Long-term Leadership Course

The long term leadership course, which takes six months for completing, had started on 1st October, 2009. After completing the theories then we will have other six month to do the internship. The program is usually conducted for three days a week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6:00pm- 8:45pm which has been initiated and volunteered to train by a CKF leadership professional trainer, Saing Sokchea.

There are currently 19 attendees including 6 CKF staffs, external and internal students who are living in the Attitude Dormitory. The participants have had six months studying theories then they are given an extensive practice needed to develop their knowledge of the realistic attitude in leadership.

With this add-on value to education, in return students applying their leadership skill in their work places, local councils, social change groups and within their own families and with peers. This course would help the young people within the positive role models.

There are 4 main topics to be taught during the six months period of training. Those topics are such as ACE Ground Rule, Leadership Skill, Guest Speakers, and NGO Learning.

There are 5 chapters to be trained in the three months period of Leadership Skill, such as the following:

The Across Culture of 9 potential guest speakers, who came from different countries and 4 of them, came from Australia and other from Cambodia, USA, and Canada. All of them shared the experience, western culture, traffic law, education system, the scholarship trip to abroad, how to use money and the Global Climate Change, and also the advantage part of their successful lives.
In addition, with the NGO learning course that takes other three months, we got many vital training like Child Protection, Monthly Report, and Quarterly Report, Writing proposal, First Aid, how to do Fund raising and how to make the budget lin


Leadership Development Skill at Sihanouk
In this month we had two trainings.
After the amazing forum last year, four NGOs decided to invite us conducting other follow up training on February, 10-11 / 2010 at Sihanoak province 5 hours far from Phnom Penh. There were 28 participants who attended our leadership training; five were from Good Will School, which is the school for the young kids in the village. Six were from Maloptapang (a big NGO that has approximately 170 staffs), six from Phoumville and 11 from Stoeung Hua. The participants ranged from 20 to 40 years old.



Attitude Forum for former Khmer Rouge



Sokchea SAING offered the special basic short course called Attitude Forum for Chrok Teak community in Oral mountain area, Kampong Speu. There were 22 participants, 17 females from 20 to 75 year old. They are school director, school committees, teachers, farmers and few of them had never been to school, some indigenous people and some are former Khmer Rouge.

We have found the problems that our participants necessitated to solicit for our helps. Those problems are such as relating to poverty, no education, violence, alcohol and HIV.
Attitude Forum is an emotional course. The coacher Saing Sokchea persuades the participants step by step especially how Attitude Forum affects their life. A statement from one of our participants, Mrs. Siem Oun said “I do want to say thank you so much to the Attitude Forum and teacher Sokchea . Since July 2009 it seems like l am living in a new lifestyle. I live with happiness, enjoy my life. I am able to control myself and be calm down whenever l got angry”.



Attitude Forum for Youth School in Boeun Kak Slum


The first weekend of March, Sokchea SAING conducted the Attitude Forum for 31 youths for Youth School in Boeung Kak slum. There were 4 candidates who had applied for a job at Saing Sy Center. Attitude Forum facilitated us to select the best candidates to work with our NGO.

“I stopped going to school since I was in grade 7. Nowadays, I am a builder but I want to be an English teacher. Now I understand so I’ll start school again by next year.” Phally said.

ACE scholarship students
The ACE offers accommodation for university students in Phnom Penh. These students come from the provinces but without sufficient fund to support their studies. The ACE students, who live in the centre dormitories, are given a leadership training scholarship and receive a free accommodation.
In total there are 14 students but 8 of them have become staffs who work with all CKF projects. And the other six students are assisting and volunteering to the staffs. After the leadership training they will do the internship with some of our projects and our partnership NGOs. Every weekend and whenever they are free they always volunteer in either ACE or one of our other three CKF projects.
There were three students became the top team leaders in three months period. They have become dormitory coordinators.
ACE students have helped Rodi Boa Centre painting the classroom, backroom wall and teaching students. They volunteered to help building Saing Sy Centre, aiding the Outreach Program and translating. Now they are able to make a good team work, responsible and strong leadership. They are striving to empower their leadership to the communities.

Youth Development Leadership Program ‘Internship’ (YDLP)

The ‘Leadership Training’ Internship was successfully conducted to 37 participants of youth in Rudi Boa Center by Synoeun and Vantha on the 4-5th, 7th, and 21st of May. The purposes of the training are to empower youth with the leadership skill, providing them with new concept of self-improvement skills, applying the positive attitude and to ensure the students making a change in their lives.

They second group of YDLP is going to complete their internship by June, 2010.



‘Saing Sy’ Inauguration Ceremony



On Sunday 9th of May, we had the Saing Sy School inauguration party in Kompong Thom Province. It was awesome! There were more than eight hundreds participants including students & parents participated in our drama, traditional and hip hop dancing, games and meals from 3- 8pm.


A New Life of an orphan boy

On the inauguration Ceremony day, we found Veth, a 12 years old boy who had been living with a foster family next to the Saing Sy School after his mum was murdered by his step father 6 years ago. Unfortunately Veth had been treated like a slave in his foster family. He was extremely over-worked. He had to get up 5am every morning to do all housework including: fetching water from the well to home, washing, cooking and all other jobs. He has been suffering from malnutrition due to the insufficient of foods intake. Hence his body is covered with skin and bone and his left hand was seriously infected and full of pus. He was almost lost his hand. Fortunately he was taken by CKF staffs to the city to have his hand operated. The operation cost us approximately $US100, excluding foods, transportation and accommodation.

Veth is currently staying in ACE since he was discharged from the hospital. He refuses to go back to his foster family. We are considering of having him registered to one of the private schools in Phnom Penh.

This boy is now safe and has fully recovered. With the support of CKF, he is going to become ONE of the successful leaders in Cambodia.



Zoo Visiting

On Friday 14th, a trip of 13 ACE students and staffs to Tomao Mountain Zoo was organised as it was King’s Birthday. Everyone had so much fun by having a picnic, singing ACE and CKF songs, and enjoyed seeing wild animals.



ACE purchased the Cambodia Daily Newspaper
From now on everyone at ACE is going to have an opportunity to improve their English reading and vocabulary with the Cambodia Daily Newspaper. The newspaper is also helping them to update to the current news in the society.



ACE Study Club
A group of study has been established by ACE Team Leaders to improve their English and sharing other knowledge and experience they have learned from their university.




Selecting the ‘Nursing Scholarship’ students



On 22-23rd May, the Attitude Forum was conducted by Mr. Sokchea SAING to 20 participants who were from DDD, Saing Sy Centre and the scholarship student candidates. The main focus of this training was to select 2 nursing scholarship students for our projects. Unfortunately we haven’t found one. The re selecting process will be taken place at Saing Sy Centre in the third or fourth week of June.

ACE Staffs Evaluation
On the 30th, we have had the ACE staffs’ evaluation. The reason of this evaluation was to find out how to make ACE better and especially to improve staffs responsibility.

My Experience in Australia

Sokchea Saing visited Australia for 5 weeks from 23rd March to 2nd May, 2010 where he had a chance to meet our CKF heroes, joining CKF fundraising, participated in the Advance Leadership program and Rotary District Conference.
Upon his return, a party was celebrated to welcome him back to ACE and he also used that value time to do the presentation on his experience in Australia.

Greeting from the Attitude Centre for Education

Dear Friends,

 The Attitude Centre for Education (ACE) are specifically designed to bring about positive attitudes in Cambodia’s younger generation. We strongly believe that all the youth are capable, but lack the opportunity to achieve their dreams.

In early 2009, we had the remarkable idea of opening ACE, providing leadership training, dormitory rooms, and a scholarship program for disadvantaged students from the slums and province areas. At the same time, we decided to establish an outreach program to help the people who were evicted from Dey Krahorm by providing child care, a women’s clinic, business experience, and general family assistance.

Looking at our accomplishments, 2009 was a busy year for us. Since we established ACE, we have conducted one year of leadership training for 24 students. We also conducted two-day workshops for leadership training and the Attitude Forum 23 times for 15 NGOs and schools with 773 participants of various backgrounds, though most of them were students. With scholarship program, we have paid university fees for four students and will provide for five more students next year. There are seven students who have been staying in ACE’s dormitory, including two females with free accommodation.

We established the outreach program after realizing the needs of the people from Dey Krahorm who were evicted in late 2008. We now have four children who come to day care from Monday through Saturday. We give them breakfast and lunch every day, and in the afternoons we take them to pre-school. We have also been giving scholarships to four students from the Bording Blog. One is studying in grade 8 at Pannasastra International School. The women’s clinic has helped 11 women, from age 15 to 45, get medical treatment. There have been 505 toys taken to Australia through our Start a Business.

With leadership training and other short-term workshops, we have provided a lot of training for the students and staff members. We also allowed them to put what they learned into practice by encouraging them to join as many sessions as they could and to volunteer in our projects.

In 2010, we plan to run two more projects providing non-formal education. One is established at relocation site, Rudi Boa Center, another site 22 km from Phnom Penh, and is being managed by a student from ACE. The other one will be established in a remote area in the Kampong Thom province, Saing Sy Centre, with a program similar to the Rudi Boa Centre and also managed by a student from ACE.

I feel confident saying that through our ACE programs, the staff and students have been transforming their life, family, community, and country. We not only conduct the training for students; we also allow them to invite their parents, relatives, and friends to join our course. We first find out what they really want and then help them to make their dreams come true. So they become transformed. I know that even if these people cannot spend the rest of their lives changing Cambodia as a whole for the better, they can still change themselves, their family, friends, schools, and the communities where they work or live—all because of ACE and CKF.

Thanks always for your support to give them hope. With that, the country itself will improve because each individual we have touched becomes a better person.

Sincerely,


Sokchea SAING