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Dear Friends,

Warmest greetings and blessed 2023!

Thanksgiving for 2022
Another year has gone by, and we thank God that PKH was able to reopen in March 2022, when Covid-19 restrictions were eased in Cambodia.
PKH vocational students returned to the Centres to continue their studies that was halted due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Through the hard work of both students and teachers, 44 students (21 from Industrial Skills Course, 13 from Hospitality and 10 from Housekeeping) completed their training by November, and successfully passed their interviews to secure jobs in Phnom Penh.

Team Visit in November
In November, PKH had the opportunity to welcome a team of 9 (8 adults and 1 child) from St Andrew’s Cathedral, who organised various activities, games and even a campfire night. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the students did not experience any team visits since 2020, and were unfamiliar with the games that the SAC team introduced, but quickly picked up the basics and had such fun with the team.

Students had the option to learn how to play the ukulele, sing Christmas Carols and flag dancing. Many former students also returned to join the campfire night, and shared their testimonies with the current students.

The SAC team also organised a Christmas party in Trang, and ministered to two families who had lost their young boys in two separate incidents.

PKH Christmas Celebrations
The Centres held Christmas celebrations in December, before the students left for their job placements in Phnom Penh hotels. Former graduates joined the celebrations and amongst themselves, arranged a collection for PKH as a love gift. The staff and students were greatly encouraged by their testimonies and their generosity.

Looking forward to 2023
Renovation at Chbarmon Centre, to convert former ISC workshops into new classrooms, have commenced and construction is expected to be completed in time for the new academic year. The new classrooms will be suitable for the PKH English School to conduct their lessons, as well as additional vocational modules that may be introduced in time to come.

We look forward to the new academic year starting on 27 February, where we expect all the Centres to return close to pre-Covid19 enrolment. PKH Centres are currently preparing to conduct Interviews for potential candidates seeking to enrol in the vocational courses. The Interviews will be held from 9 to 13 January, and we have received over 100 application forms thus far. Do keep the trainers and staff in prayer as they conduct the Interviews, and for safe travels for the candidates as they journey to PKH from all over Cambodia.

As we enter into 2023 and reflect on the year that has passed, we are thankful to each of our partners and supporters who have been a constant encouragement, and for your continued support and prayers. It is much appreciated, and we look forward to welcoming teams and visitors back to PKH in the coming year, including the PKH Alumni Tour to Cambodia. More information on the tour will be shared in 2023.

In the meantime, please enjoy these photo updates from Cambodia.

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The SAC Team at PKH English School introducing a new game involving donuts!

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Water games at PKH Chbarmon, testing their skills at balancing a tray of drinks!
Students & trainers having fun with the SAC team.

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Besides games, the students also learnt flag dancing, how to play a ukulele, and Christmas carols.

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Fun and games at PKH Aoral

From all of us at Project Khmer H.O.P.E., here’s wishing you a very Happy New Year!
May the Lord bless you, always.

Blessings,
Adeline Hee
Director

When the Covid-19 restrictions were eased in March 2022, PKH resumed its operations at all 4 locations in the Kampong Speu Province.  Due to the long hiatus, less than half of the children returned to the classes at the PKH Centre for Before-After School Care in Trang and the PKH English School in Chbarmon.  Thankfully, the situation improved and today, classes are running near 70% capacity.

At the PKH Centres in Chbarmon and Aoral, residential vocational training is conducted for 65 young men and women.  God-willing, 45 of them will complete their training and be placed out in jobs by the end of this year, while the rest will progress into their 2^nd year of training.   With improved Covid-19 safe management measures, PKH aims to enrol 120 young men and women for its next training cycle at the start of 2023.

In May, this year, 9 members of the PKH Board travelled from Singapore to visit all at the PKH Centres.  They were happy to make these observations which had taken place in the past months:

• Stringent healthcare protocols involving daily taking of body temperatures, frequent hand-washing, the wearing of face masks and safe-distancing in the classrooms, dining halls and dormitories. Visitors to the Centres are advised to self- test for Covid-19 and to refrain from visiting if they are unwell.
• Pivoting from physical class training to a hybrid of onsite and online classes.

 

Children were enabled to learn from televised educational programmes and youths had English lessons conducted for them through tele-conferencing.  There was a rush to acquire electronic equipment and gadgets for learning.

• Repairs and renovations were carried out on the facilities at the Centres. These were done by the PKH staff team during the months when, per government directive, all training and classes had to be suspended.
• An increased awareness of the need for staff and students to care for one another. The willingness to on the part of each person even to make personal sacrifices is helping all at PKH to emerge stronger together.
• None of the national staff were laid off and all expatriate volunteers stayed on in Cambodia to continue the work despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. Furthermore, this team strength was increased when 2 ladies joined the teaching team, recently:  Ms Yit Ching Li, a professional from Malaysia, volunteered to serve in Trang, and Ms Orm Chendamony, a Cambodian national, joined the staff in Chbarmon.  The latter graduated from PKH in 2010 and she had worked her way up to becoming a duty manager in a five-star hotel.

 

We wish to thank, our friends from overseas and the Cambodian men and women who once trained with PKH, for their unflinching support of PKH, especially during these past 2 years. Your prayers and visits, as well as your acts of kindness and contributions have encouraged us greatly to press on with this work of helping the poor.

On 25 June, Thy Sothea, a 2008 PKH graduate who is now the Chief Executive Officer of a group of three companies, visited the PKH Centre in Chbarmon. He and his staff brought lunch packs for all at the Centre and gave a tonne of rice, 30 ducks and a financial gift. He encouraged the trainees by sharing his experiences when he was training in PKH and his life after leaving the Centre.

Safe distancing during meals in the dining hall.

At PKH Aoral Centre, 25 young men are being equipped with Industrial Skills.

The trainees learn English by going online with teachers based in Singapore.

At PKH Trang, more children are steadily returning to the Centre for meals and lessons.

At PKH Chbarmon, trainees in Hospitality Services getting ready to serve as waiters in a hotel for a dinner function.

Children at the PKH English School, including a baby girl, newly born of Teacher Sopheap and his wife.

During the months when the Centres were closed, PKH staff spruced up the premises and repaired the facilities.

Thank you very much for partnering PKH in bringing hope and help to the poor and needy in Cambodia. Your prayers and support through the years have made a difference to many young lives. Please click on this link for the update on our work in 2020.

Covid-19 has caused us some difficulty in these past months.  However, the grace of God is surely and evidently sustaining us, and it has brought out the best in some situations.

For 2021, PKH hopes to reach a total of 500 young people with tangible expressions of God’s love, mainly by providing them with education and vocational training.  The work will be carried out at an estimated cost of USD250,000 (SGD325,000).

We would be grateful for your continued prayers and support for this mission work of St Andrew’s Cathedral. For more information, please visit http://pkhcambodia.org, email pkh.cambodia@cathedral.org.sg or phone +65-63376104.

With gratitude and best wishes for the New Year from all of us here in PKH //

Following the advice from the Cambodian government, all PKH vocational training, English classes and before-and-after school care activities continue to be closed.

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PKH Trainers

2 of our expatriate trainers, Lim Wei Inn & Joyce Carino, have returned safely to Singapore on 21 June and 22 July, respectively. They continue to keep in touch with their students through WhatsApp chat.

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New E-Learning Programmes

PKH introduced new ways of engaging the children and youth during this time. New TV monitors have been installed at PKHES and PKH Trang, so that the village children can benefit from Khmer and English e-learning programmes.

As PKHES is located within the grounds of Kampong Speu Orphans Centre (KSOC), PKHES has started a pilot project to teach English to 25 of the KSOC children in small classes of not more than 10, using these e-learning programmes.

Setting up and testing the new TV monitor at PKHES

PKH Trang has also started to teach 50 of the village children each day, in small classes, using the same programmes. We hope that the children will find these programmes beneficial, as the teachers use them to enrich their classes during this time.

PKH Trang class using e-learning programme to supplement their lessons.

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Upkeep of the Centres

The staff and trainers at PKH have been working hard to continually maintain the grounds, and we attach some photos of the work below.

PKH Staff (Chandy, Kim Hun, Piseth and Sang Khoem) fogging at PKHES and all 3 PKH Centres.

PKHES Teachers, Buntheourn and Sopheap, helping with grass cutting and clearing at PKH Chbarmon.

At PKH Trang : Soy and Sang Khoem, with some Trang boys, replacing new vinyl flooring for Staff Rooms. Before-and-after photos of rooms with new flooring.

New stoves being fitted at PKH Trang; Stoves tested and working well!

After all the hard work, the PKH Staff Team and Teachers take a well deserved tea break on the freshly cut grass. [From left: Piseth, Kim Hun, Sopheap, Chandy, Buntheourn, Joshua (Chandy’s son) & Soriya]

And a special treat of Singapore Laksa made by Susan & Joyce, for everyone at PKH.

The staff and team at PKH send you their warmest greetings! The video can be found on our YouTube Channel. Click here to watch!