Dear Friends,

Wishing you a Happy New Year, and may 2013 bring abundant joy, love and good health to you and your loved ones. 2012 has been a productive year for Hope Villages.

Kampong Speu

100 volunteers aged 5 to 72 visited our village at Kampong Speu from 6 to 8 December 2012. The new residents have settled into homes that they have built. They have well water and have planted crops for their personal consumption.

Our volunteers enjoyed interacting with the residents, distributing food and clothes in the spirit of giving – and appreciated that there is much more joy in giving. We also distributed farm animals to initiate their livelihood. Our students also had a soccer match with the young residents, showed them personal hygiene like washing their hands and not to litter.

Phum Trea

Hope Centre is now housed in a new school building. Our English education programme, run by a team of 6 teachers has made a significant difference to the lives of the children. We have also started Commerce English, computer, sewing and nursery lessons. During our visit the children presented a concert with singing, poetry reading, speeches and conversed confidently in English.

December 2013 Trip

Our next trip is from 4 to 8 December 2013. Do let us know if you are interested in joining us. We welcome your support as our work in helping the poor in Cambodia becomes?more progressive and intense. Your ideas on how to extend our network and to create more platforms will be much welcomed. Email: annphua@gmail.com for more information on the trip.

Progress Report

• Surveyed and demarcated boundaries for each family with a residential and agriculture plot of land.
• Commenced construction of a concrete 3 classrooms Vocational Centre with toilets, bathrooms and kitchen, classroom furniture, brick-wall fencing on 100 x 100 meter land and iron gates.
• Distributed and installed 10-meter deep open wells to each family for farming and washing.
• Installed 3 sets of water filtering systems. Residents now have access to clean drinking water. The filtered water has been tested and is safe for consumption.
• Provided food supplies, a calf, four hens and a rooster to each family to start them off so that they can eke out a living while the agricultural crops are being cultivated.

Plan for 2013

• Train the residents on farming. The soil has been tested and found to be rich in mineral, which is good for rice and orchards.
• To introduce Khymer and English lessons to the residents. Lessons will commence at our Vocational Centre.
• Install Renewal Waste System to resolve sanitation, provide gas for cooking, lighting, and natural fertilizers for farming.
• Due to shortage of limber, we are finding solutions for the most economical construction of house for the residents.