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Date: December 10, 2011

To: Henk van Zijtveld

Subject: Report on Field visit on October 5, 2011 and updated information

From: Vireak Ann

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Drive to CPCDO:

 

We left Phnom Penh in the afternoon around 2 on October 5 and arrived in Battambong town around 8pm. We visited the Center the next day after meeting a person who would be able to assist CPCDO in networking with potential organizations in Battambong town for local fund raising.

 

The meeting was useful to understand program of other children organizations do and how CPDCO could become their beneficiary of the project. It was also planned to meet and discussed with HFCC’s director, however, it was not success due to her school exam on Saturday the whole day.

 

During the visit, the following was reviewed and discussed with the management:

- children progress and their personal files

- overview of children and the management from the volunteers, Paula and Geertruida

- fund raising

 

 

Children progress and their personal files:

 

All children were good at school except a boy studying at the primary school did not have good result because he plays a lot at school and did not pay much attention during the class.

 

The elder children (ages from 13 to 17) seem to be very quiet and need their own personal time they did not speak much to each other even to their guardian (the management) in which the management has difficulty to understand their behavior and need. They always told their guardian they do not have any problem and happy with what they have. However, they speak less and seem not happy. When ask the management, I was told that the unhappy mood of the elder children were always happened after visiting their /family. At their home they saw the difficulty and need of the family and also other children who can earn some money and buy new clothes as they want but for them they did not have any new clothes or money. These made them think whether they should return to their family or continue living in the center and continue their study. Some of them wanted to return their family but they also want to continue their study and they know that if they return they will not be able to continue their school.

 

With the above mentioned matter, it was suggested to the management to discuss with Paula and Geertruida for their experiences and techniques to understand the teenager’s behavior and development because they have lot of experiences in working with children. Also the management should spend more time to observe their behavior especially the quiet one.

 

Children’ files were updated with the school results, serious sickness if any, their behavior observation. In each file, in additional to the three mentioned, it has a taking in and out application with the acknowledgement of commune chief, birth certificate. There were only a few children who did not have a birth certificate which is expected to be done by end of the year 2011.

 

 

During the visit, I had also discussed with Paula and Geertruida about their first week of stay, their general overview on children and the management. The center environment was fine and it was good to stay close to the children except that the duration was short, by the time they got close to children it would be the time to leave them too. Besides discussing how to approach and talk to quiet children, we also discussed that the need of the management in developing program for children to build team spirit and love among them and Paula and Geertruida agreed that they would do their best to help the management.

 

Fund raising

 

During the visit, a brief strategy to raise fund to support the operation and children needs were also discussed. The CPCDO- Battambong management said that they had seeked funding from other organizations in downtown Battambong but fail because the organizations were also in the sortage of fund too. They also approach ACE for co-funding for 2012 operation in which they would not know the result until they meet the director of ACE in mid-January 2012. Again they had contacted Rastic Pathway to support their children too and as result they got some school kits, note books, pens, rulers, etc. for children as donation for the new academic 2011-2012. However, there was no other strategy used to approach local people for financial support.

 

This matter was also raised to the volunteer in order for them to discuss with the management for fund raising strategy.

 

 

Others

 

Before the visit I recieved small amount of money donation from friends so during the visit I bougth 300 note books, 150 pens and 5 packs of paper for children.