June-October 2009 Newsletter
Description of the program
The HVTO’s Sponsorship program consists of funding, totally orpartially, the studies of a select group of candidates, from the Sophy village, that really need external help to continue with their studies.
These candidates are selected from all the people in the village by the following criteria :
- Having a real need of economic help to fund their studies
- Demonstrating an outstanding performance for above the average
- Being extremely hard workers
- Having a desire to contribute to their community as soon as they reach their studying objectives
Different kinds of sponsorship
1. Sponsor a Teacher:
We decide to create the sponsorship to support the active helpful teachers and people in the communities so that they can improve themselves and come back to help and develop the whole community. Having professionally well trained teachers is the first step to be taken in order to provide the best education for our young generations. The payback of investing in our teachers is very high as they are local people that are very well considered by our community. These people are extremely concerned about the real needs of their people. They are the ones that know which are the best ways to educate Cambodian children and really understand the problems that children might face during their studies.
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Meng Seakleng was born in the needy Sophy village, Siem Reap (Cambodia). At the age of seven he started elementary school in the Sreth village, having to walk 2km each way every day. At twelve he started high school in Brasat Bakong, riding his bicycle for 9km each way every day. He succeeded as the best student, getting the best grades as he progressed. He was also the class leader, supporting the teacher's tasks and being the students' representative when issues had to be discussed with the teachers. Eager to follow his father's work as a nurse practitioner in his community, Meng Seakleng started studying medicine in the University of Health, Science Phnom Pen. Due to the high cost of the university, the whole family had to make great effort to pay the first four years' tuitions. He is succeeding with outstanding results in University and he is also helping his classmates to learn by being the teacher's assistant. However, due to a lack of funding, he will be forced to stop his studies at University, forgetting about becoming a doctor and leaving his community without a licensed doctor to help the people from his village.
The high tuition of the Medicine University is the main problem he is facing. His family has done its best to be able to pay in the last four years, but it is not able to pay the tuition anymore. Medicine studies are very time consuming and finding a job and continuing studying is not feasible. All possible options to fund his studies have already been considered and, at the end, if we cannot find a sponsorship, Seakleng will have to postpone his studies and leave the community without a doctor for the future.
USD 900, tuition per year and
Seakleng's father has been the Sophy village doctor since 1976. Seakleng's will is to become the next doctor by collaborating with HVTO and providing medical services to his community for free. The Sophy village community has been taking advantage of health service for the last 35 years and not having this free service anymore will cause an increase in uncured diseases and, as a result, a worse health status of this needy community. |
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Seak Nam is a nineteen year-old boy who has been studying very hard during his childhood, as well as cooperating with HVTO (NGO) actively, to contribute to his community. He lived in Sophy village while he was studying elementary school and high school. His great studying skills let him work as an English teacher during high school. He has always been much concerned with his community needs. In 2008, he joined HVTO (Homestay Volunteer Teachers Organization) to manage and ensure the success of all the NGO projects. The kindness and social concern of Seak Nam are the main features that describe him. He has been thinking of different ways to help his community since a very early age. Now, he is willing to start college studies to gain knowledge and experience to be able to help his people, through HVTO, in a better and more professional way. We can definitely say that this boy is the young talent of HVTO and he will become a very important member in this charity organization.
HVTO needs well trained and professional members to perform even better in the future. Seak Nam is the person that HVTO trusts someday in the future to become the president of the organization. He is already a much respected person in the community and he is the best candidate to promote future charity projects.
USD 450 per year (= 70% of total cost)
Seak Nam is willing to improve his skills in order to contribute in a more professional way to HVTO. The aim of taking a university degree is mainly to contribute more to his community. HVTO is doing a great job with only a 2 year existence and, in order to promote more and better projects in the future, it needs to train its members as best as possible. Having better human resources will reinforce the chances of success for this NGO in the future. |
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Keo Kim Sang was born in Sophy village in 1984. He belongs to a farmer family that works very hard to feed the members every day. He could not start his studies in elementary school until he was eleven, because he had to help his family work in the fields. Actually, he had to leave home at 1995 to escape from the military recruitment for the civil war. As a result, he moved to Siem Reap, where he was able to start elementary school. After that, he went back home and started high school. His great skills learning English allowed him to be an English teacher when he was studying in high school. However, when he finished high school, he had no money to pay for university studies. Kim Sang started to work as a waiter, receptionist and dish washer in order to help his family economically. In 2008, he joined HVTO to work as English teacher in the free English education program. Unfortunately, with this job, he doesn't earn enough money to cover the university fees. Nevertheless, he is happy to be able to help his community by teaching English to the children.
HVTO free English education program needs qualified and experienced English teachers to ensure high quality lessons. Kim Sang is willing to study for an English literature degree in order to be one of the professional teachers that HVTO requires for its program.
USD 450, per year (= 70% of total cost)
Due to Kim Sang's story and background, he is willing to put all his future knowledge to the service of his community. He can become a very important teacher inside the English education program of HVTO. Having a professional teacher in the HVTO organization will not only ensure better English lessons, but also, the possibility of Kim Sang teaching other new teachers how to carry out high quality education in a more professional way. As a result, having at least one professional teacher will upgrade the quality of the HVTO English program. |
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INE UN was born in Sombath village, an adjacent village, from which the rate of illiteracy is very high. He belongs to a big family of 7 people, he has four brothers and sisters and he is the oldest son in the family. Firstly, his parents did not want him to study higher than a primary school as they required him to help with work in the rice-fields and, in addition, they did not have money to pay for the school materials and transport. It was his natural awareness and conscience that he learned from his educated friends in the neighboring village who encouraged him to continue in high school. His favorite subject is English, and because of his hard work in the private English institute during the secondary school, he was able to start teaching Basic English to the children in the same village. He earned very little money, not even enough to help him to go to high school. In 2008 he joined HVTO project with the expectation that this organization would give him a better future. He is really keen to study.
We should assist and push him up decisively because INE UN has great potential and a natural ability to be helpful. His leadership capability towards his community and the current work with HVTO with a great commitment puts him in a position that studying for a degree would let him be an important leader by promoting charity projects in his community.
USD 450, tuition per year approximately (= 70% of total cost)
INE UN is committed to work hard for his family, his community and himself, as much as he can, after his graduation. He is looking forward to putting his future knowledge to the service of the Sophy and Sreth villages. |
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Koeun Koeuy was born in Srok Pouk 40km from Sophy. He finished high school in 2004 and he continued to study in the Siem Reap Provincial Teacher Training College for other two years to be a public teacher. During his studies he met his wife, Koy Vanny, who was also teacher student. Then they decided to marry and move to stay with the wife's family and later on moved to Sophy permanently. Now they have a lovely daughter. Every day they work to educate the children in Sophy Primary School and Koeuy is the most popular teacher for all the parents in village by his general Khmer Knowledge, compassion and friendliness. By seeing that all the people in the whole community love him and want him to educate their children, HVTO decided to recruit him to join the Free English Education Project since 2008. He has been working part time to teach English to the children and has brought big success and improvement and builds the popularity for HVTO within the people. He and his wife work as Khmer Teachers. However their income is not enough to maintain the family. Koeuy always told us that, he was very disappointed as he could not enter university. He said, despite being married with children, if he had a chance, he would devote himself for education for other few years to gain more knowledge, as he loves studying very much.
We know for sure that Koeuy is a core member for our future projects. With his limitation of English knowledge; we decided to seek a sponsor to help him continue his dream of English studies in the University for a few years.
USD 450, per year (= 70% of total cost)
Definitely, he will bring a big improvement for the whole community, by upgrading the level of the education. He is very focused on improving the quality of the lessons and he will definitely put his new knowledge to the service of the children in the Sophy village. |
2. Sponsor a Child:
Most of the children in Sophy and Sreth villages stop going to school around the age of 16. The reason for that is poverty. Many of the children are intelligent and hard-working. Their parents generally want them to go to school, but unfortunately they can not afford the money for transport, school materials and private tuition. These children do not have the opportunity to finish high school, although graduation from high school provides an important qualification which is necessary for good careers in Cambodia. To help the best selected and hardworking students finish high school, HVTO is looking for financial sponsors around the world who can provide a monthly donation for a few years. HVTO monitors the students and facilitates the communication between the sponsors and the sponsored students.
Your sponsorship for the following students mean that you are sponsoring a student, you are connected with one special child who will know your name, write to you and feel your tender love and prayers and the money asked for will provide your sponsored student with things such as.
- School Uniform
- Studying materials
- Health Care
- Educational Opportunities
- Spiritual Nurtures
Should you write to HVTO for more detailed information about the specific student and each of them has the story that should deserve your sponsorship?
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Ny Sowanna is a fourteen year-old boy who was born in Sophy village. He is the oldest son in his family. He has a younger brother and sister. Unfortunately his mother died because of a health complication when he was 10. His father met and married another woman in the same village and had other two children. Normally, in the village when a widowed father marries another wife with children, the first children will not be taken care of properly. In return, these children have to work hard to support the new family. Ny Sowanna is luckier than that because his step mother and his own father let him study in his free time from work. He is studying in the secondary school grade 7 and he also attends HVTO Free English education program since 2008. NY Sowanna successfully passed the final yearly exam that HVTO arranges to select the best and smartest hard-working students. Actually, he was the number one among the 215 students. Then, we studied deeper into his personal background and we felt that he'd deserve the sponsorship program. His father told us that they would not have enough money to support him to finish high school. (Ny Sowanna said that he wanted to study to get a good job and support his brother and sister in the future).
Sowanna is the best selected, smartest and hard-working student of the Sophy village. It would be a pity to have him finish his studies at such a low education level. He is the best candidate to carry on into superior studies successfully and develop a promising professional career. Despite his young age, Ny Sowanna is already very concerned about the needs of his family and his people. We are completely sure that, helping his community is one of his future interests. People with this potential are who Sophy village needs to develop.
USD 40 per month or 480 per year Your sponsorship will provide:
We expect that he will be able to develop a successful professional career and support his family and the whole community in the future |
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Sinin Nat is 13 years old. She lives in Sophy village with her widowed father as her mother died of health complication three years ago. She has two brothers and she is studying in Sophy primary school in grade 5 and she is going to continue to secondary school next year. Sinin Nat has been learning English in HVTO Free English Project for one year and she could show her special ability to master English words and understanding than others and got chosen by the HVTO program with an agreement from principal of Sophy Primary school and the head of village. They said that, Sinin should get sponsored so that she can have educational opportunities to bright her life in the future. They said, if we do not help her, she will definitely quit her studies not until in Secondary school because there is a clear sign that her widowed father will not be able to support her to study until high school. It is common to see something like this happens in our community and it is almost a tradition that the education is less important to the parent for their daughters and they keep going on with the old saying that ( woman can not get away from the kitchen )
Sinin Nat is one of the best selected, smartest and hard-working students of the Sophy village. It would be a pity to have her finish her studies at such a low education level. She is the best candidate to carry on into superior studies successfully and develop a promising professional career. Despite her young age, Sinin is already very concerned about the needs of her family. We are completely sure that, helping her community is one of her future interests. People with this potential are who Sophy village needs to develop. She said, I want to be a teacher in the future so help my brothers!
USD 40 per month or 480 per year Your sponsorship will provide:
We expect that she will be able to develop a successful professional career and support her family and the whole community in the future. |
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3. Building a relationship with the student
Corresponding with student
We strongly encourage you to exchange letters or email with your sponsored child. We believe that is a great way to know each other. Your sponsored student will be delighted to learn about you and your world.
Consider the student's environment and culture when choosing your letter topics. Take into consideration that their possessions are not the same as yours, so it's not the best choice to write about things you own. Rather, share about your family members, your friends, things that are important to you and simple things you enjoy in life. At the end of the day, common sense is what you should use in order to address you student.
This also applies to the questions that you can make to your student. Try to ask things like her/his personal favorite food, activities, school subjects, friends and family.
You should receive the first letter from your sponsored student within three or four months after beginning your sponsorship.
Take into consideration that it is a very interesting experience for the student to communicate with a person from the other side of the world. In addition, the sponsored students are so grateful with their sponsors that they are really interested in knowing more and more about them.
The number of letters you will receive from your sponsored student depends on the number of letters you send. However, note that the Sophy village is a remote location and postal services are not as efficient as in more developed countries.
Sending gifts to the student
It is very common that sponsors want to send presents for their students. However, you should be aware of the things that you can send and should not.
Gifts that shouldn't be sent :
- Any kind of money
- Any gift that seems very expensive
- Gifts of great sentimental value
- Jewelry
- Any illegal object or substance
Visiting the student
There are three ways you can visit your sponsored student :
- One day visit to Sophy village
By way of a special arrangement organized by the HVTO as the fundraising program to bring the people to visit the village. If you are interested in meeting your sponsored student, HTVO can arrange the visit. We recommend that if you travel all the way to Cambodia, you should visit also the whole village and other activities can be planned. For example, visiting the amazing Angkor temples (just 30 km from the Sophy village). - Homestay
The Homestay allows visitors to experience, up close and personal, the local way of life in rural communities in various parts of Cambodia. Families warmly welcome guests into their homes and are delighted to be able to share and exchange knowledge and offer insight into Khmer culture and traditions.
The program is new to Cambodia but it has been enthusiastically received by both travelers and villagers. Participation in a Homestay program is generally a village initiative. Up to a dozen homes within each rural community offer to host both foreign and Khmer guests. - Volunteer
It would be a very nice experience that, as you come to visit your sponsored student in Cambodia, you also participate in the volunteer program. Homestay Volunteer Teachers Organization is looking for volunteer English teachers for projects in Cambodia. Volunteers on our projects participate in a Homestay, and live with a Cambodian family. We are currently looking for volunteers for this project. You do not need a TEFL qualification to volunteer for HVTO, although it would of course be useful if you have this qualification.
4. Sponsorship development and follow up
How can I follow up my student’s development
An individualized report will be sent every semester with the following information :
- Grades of the student in all subjects
- Qualitative evaluation from the local person responsible for the student
- Comments from the sponsored student
- Comments from the student’s family and other important members of his/her community
HVTO's newsletter
HVTO releases a newsletter every 3 months with information about all the projects that we are carrying out. The sponsorship program is no exception and, as a sponsor, you will receive the whole newsletter with information about the sponsored students and other projects.
5. making your donation
How to make a donation
There are four different ways to send your donation to HVTO :
- Money transfer to the HVTO bank account.
- Money transfer to Moneygram or Western Union
- Sending the money with an entrusted person who is visiting Cambodia
- Come to Cambodia yourself
Questions and Suggestions
It is very common that the sponsors have some questions as they are giving money and want to know how everything is going. The same applies for any suggestion that you might have.
If you have a question or a suggestion you have 3 options :
- Write your comment in the HVTO's website: www.hvto.org
- Send an email to the sponsorship's program responsible: Sim Piseth (sim_pisith@yahoo.com)
- Call Sim Pisith (only in extremely urgent situations): +(855)12710027
Thank you very much for your support. We really appreciate your help.
Sim Piseth, HVTO's Executive Director
- @2014 Copyright, HVTO, All reserved
- T: +(855)974506969
- E: sim@hvto.org