New Day – for women and girls in crisis across Asia

New Day members and the girls from Kampong Cham in front of the new building.

On the 15th of May 2010 New Day members Chris Green, Liza Green, Kylie Macintosh and Jeremy Gibb visited the Kampong Cham Centre outside of Phnom Penh.  The main purpose of the visit was to see the completed 3 storey building that New Day had helped to fund.  Jeremy Gibb was also there as a representative of Norton Rose law firm who were our corporate funding partners on this project. We were all delighted with the building and it was wonderful to see the girls again since our last visit in December 2008.  Please have a look at our report on this project here:

Visit to Kampong Cham May 2010

We look forward to working further with AFESIP to ensure that the building is properly staffed and equipped for the benefit of all 55 girls at the centre.

Chris, Jeremy and Kylie in the new counseling room with Chenda the house mother and a few of the girls.

A full view of the building.

On the 12th of October 2009 a ground-breaking ceremony was held at the Kampong Cham Center to mark the start of construction of the new building.  Have a look at a few photos:

For more photos and further details on the construction project have a look at the update report prepared for our corporate funding partner, Norton Rose:

AFESIP Project Update for Norton Rose, 15-10-09

New Day has pledged USD10,000 of our members funds towards this project along with a USD15,000 grant from Norton Rose law firm.  The other funding partner is the Dutch NGO No Child Abuse Foundation.  The original plan was to build a single storey three-roomed building that would house an office, a counseling room and a clinic.  AFESIP was also planning to build another two storey building that would house training rooms and a weaving center.

There has been a delay in the start of the construction for the following reasons:

1. The AFESIP committee has decided to make one complete building instead of two because the land is more and more
expensive and they need to keep more space available for additional accommodation for the girls at Kampong Cham
Center. The 40-50 girls at the center currently share a large dormitory space above the open living area in the main building.

AFESIP’s management team and President Somaly MAM are in agreement now to build a 3-floor building for Kampong Cham center as follows:

- Ground floor is divided into 3 rooms for counseling; health care and an office
- 1st floor  is used for computer training, internet, English classes and a
library
- 2nd floor is for weaving training (existing weaving building will be used for
sewing training)

The total cost of the 3-floor building 9.5×20m is USD135,699.95.
2. After a new grant from Somaly Mam Foundation USA and an increase in the grant from No Child Abuse Foundation AFESIP now has the following funds available:

- Somaly MAM Foundation USD50,000 (from Roland  Berger Foundation)
- New Day Foundation USD25,000
- No Child Abuse Foundation USD69,660

In conclusion the construction will start at the end of June and should take around 160 days.  Please note that we have not yet disbursed the New Day and Norton Rose funds to AFESIP due to the delays.  The fund transfer will take place at the end of this month (June 2009).  It seems that the rain is not a problem this year and that construction will continue throughout the summer months.

Although there has been a delay in the start of this project we are very pleased that AFESIP has managed to increase the scope of this project and the capacity of the building.  We continue to believe in the excellent work that they are doing in Cambodia and will continue to support them in the future.

The entrance to the Kampong Cham Center

In December 2009 Kim Cheung and Liza Green visited the Kampong Cham Rehabilitation Center for Girls.  The Center is located in a peaceful setting on the banks of the Mekong river 2 hours drive outside of Phnom Penh.  AFESIP’s Project Co-ordinator, Chhoeurth Sao, was our guide for the day. 

The girls having their English lesson.

We were very happy to meet with the girls and see them busily going about their day.  The Center has very little to offer them from a material point of view but they are cared for by dedicated staff and attend school at the local primary and secondary schools nearby.  They are also provided with English lessons and sewing and weaving training.

Kim in the weaving room with Chhoeurth, the AFESIP Project Co-ordinator.

We saw the site where the building we are cofunding will be built later this year.  It was clear that there is a need for additional space for the clinic, office and counselling room.  Every available sheltered space in the two existing buildings is currently being used and there is no privacy for medical examinations or psychological counselling.

The open field where the new building will be constructed.

On our return to Hong Kong we presented this construction project to our corporate sponsor,Norton Rose law firm, and they have donated US$15,000 towards the construction costs.  Along with the US$10,000 that we have set aside for the project this means that New Day and Norton Rose will fund half of the new 3 room building that will house a clinic, office and counseling room.  AFESIP has confirmed that the remaining US$25,000 will be funded by the Dutch NGO Stop Kindermisbruik.  Construction will begin in May 2009.  Thank you to Norton Rose for their very generous support!  You can download our presentation to members here kampong-cham-member-presentation-dec-09

For more details you can  download our full report and funding proposal to Norton Rose here: new-day-afesip-report

Project:

 AFESIP Kampong Cham Rehabilitation Center

Location : Kampong Cham, Cambodia

Project Leader : Liza Green

Contact: cgreen@netvigator.com

Funding Target : Estimated US$,50,000 to be funded by December 2008/ January 2009

Status: New Day is currently working out the budget with AFESIP but is committed to partially funding this construction project in late 2008 – early 2009. We are hoping to partner with a corporate donor on this project.

Founded by Somaly Mam, Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Precaire (AFESIP) is a Cambodian NGO established in 1996. Since its inception, the organization has provided comprehensive services (rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration) to over 3,400 sex trafficking victims in the Greater Mekong Sub (GMS) region. For its proven results and leadership, AFESIP was recognized by the US State Department for best practices in the battle against human trafficking.

The Kampong Cham Rehabilitation Center outside Phnom Penh (one of 3 AFESIP rehabilitation centers) is a long-term rehabilitation centre for girls, who have been victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and or at high risk of it, under the age of 16 years. It has been in operation since 1998. It has capacity to accommodate for 60 girls per years, approximately. It is located in a scenic rural setting and near the banks of the Mekong river. They currently have the following facilities:

1. Concrete building is divided into 3 rooms:

• Silk weaving operation
• Childcare facility
• Library for girls and staffs’ office

2. Main building (wooden house) used for:

• Upstairs is the dormitory (sleeping area)
• Downstairs is the sewing and scarf weaving training area
• A small wooden room is built in the connection to the main building and divided into 2 parts. One of them is a non-formal education and English classes and another is health care and counseling room. It is very hot, as it is zinc roofed room.

3. Concrete building locates behind a main one used for:

• Kitchen
• Dining area
• Storage

They are requesting funding for a new building comprising 3 rooms (19×8m in size) which will house:

• 1 health care room/consultation room
• 1 psychological counseling room
• 1 office for staff