Category Archives: About New Day

New Day member’s Meeting – January 10, 2012.

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Chris Green presenting at the meeting.

 

New Day held a Member’s Meeting at Grappa’s in Hong Kong on January 10, 2012. You can view an edited version of the evening’s presentation here: New Day January 2012 Meeting Presentation.  We approved funding for a new project in Nepal, Shakti Samuha, led by New Day member Danny den Hartog.  Our funding of Daughters of Cambodia, Kalki, Children’s Surgical Centre and LOVEQTRA continues into 2012.  At the meeting we learned about the New Day visit to Phnom Penh in November 2011 and we enjoyed a video from the founders of LOVEQTRA and a media presentation illustrating our involvement in the Kalki project by New Day member Raf Sanchez.

New uniforms for the girls at Kampong Cham

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The girls at Kampong Cham Centre in their new uniforms.

During our New Day trip to Phnom Penh on November 25, we visited the Afesip offices to discuss ongoing developments at the Kampong Cham Centre.  The existing New Day/Norton Rose grant will stretch into 2012 to fund an on-site counselor at the Centre.  While we were there we were able to deliver 30 sets of school uniforms donated by the Glenealy ESF School PTA in Hong Kong.  A big thank you to New Day member Scarlett Mattoli for arranging this donation!

New Day Visit to Children’s Surgical Center – November 2011

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New Day members with Eric Gonzales of CSC

On November 25, New Day members visited the Children’s Surgical Center in Phnom Penh to learn more about the amazing work they are doing and get an update on the grant that we disbursed earlier this year for their Obstetric Fistula program.  You can read about the visit in the below post from New Day member Shannon Rogers:

The first thing we noticed driving up to the CSC was all the work going on!  The CSC is in the process of adding on to their building in order to double their space.  When complete, there will be 100 beds and space for 8-10 surgeries at a time.  Based on the demands they are seeing – the space will be put to use!

The New Day Grant of $10,000 for Obstetric Fistula Surgeries has not been fully utilized yet.  In total, the CSC has done 15 OF Surgeries, and most of the women have had the problem for over 20 years.  The surgeries can be complex, and only about 50% are successful after one procedure.  Follow-up surgeries are often needed.

The UNFPA recently had a $20,000 grant that was allocated to an organization that addressed the Obstetric Fistula problem in Cambodia.  Thanks to the education/publicity campaign that was funded by New Day, the UNPFA was directed to CSC.  They are now known as the NGO that is addressing this problem, and are the recipients of the grant!!   A team from CSC is now spending a month traveling around the countryside of Cambodia to spread the word about the Obstetric Fistula and Acid Burn programs.  Due to the great shame on the part of the victim and the families, many victims are hidden away and can be difficult to find.  The scope of the problem is still unknown.  Unfortunately, based on a rough estimate of about 5% of women in Cambodia receiving medical attention during pregnancy and delivery, it is likely a large problem.   Dr. Jim stated that the Acid Burn Program also started out this way.  As soon as word gets out and people learn there is a place to go – the victims will start coming.

In addition to the Education/Publicity campaign, Dr. Jim is also hoping to utilize the UN relationship to get some specialty training for the surgeons in the area of Obstetric Fistulas.

New Day Visit to Daughters of Cambodia – November 2011

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On November 24, New Day members Chris and Liza Green, Shannon Rogers, Georgie Kirkaldie and Amanda Clarke from Linklaters – our co-funders – visited Daughters in Phnom Penh.  Our visit gave us a chance to review our first grant (you can read the report here: New Day. Daughters Report 2011) as well as discuss the details of our second grant that was disbursed in November (you can read the grant proposal here: Daughters New Day proposal 2011).  Our grant covered all the expenses listed except for the silk screening business and the move to new premises as this is still pending.

A poster made by the Daughters clients on the wall of the Sewing Room

You can read about our visit in this post from New Day member Shannon Rogers:

Daughters had a very busy year working on the quality and efficiency of their Fair Trade Businesses. They are growing and have space for additional clients.

The Cafe:   We had an opportunity to have lunch in the Cafe over the shop.  There was a marked improvement in the service and food quality.  Business has been doing well.

The Spa:  This has also been much busier than expected.  Initially the jewelry business was moved over to the Shop space in order to train the women in both Spa services and Jewelry making – making better use of their time.  However, the Spa has been so busy that there has been little time for Jewelry making.

The Jewelry Business:  To address the demand, additional clients were moved over to the Shop workspace to focus on the Jewelry.  It was determined that the Jewelry line is the biggest seller in the store, so Daughters is working to capitalize on that.

The Daycare: There are over 20 young children in the daycare now, many of which are babies.  The clients working in the Sewing Room also rotate through the daycare, giving them a chance to spend time with the children and learn parenting skills.  Daughters has a relationship with several NGO schools for placement of all the school aged children of clients.

The Men’s Program:  Daughters started a program to work with husband’s of clients who are abusive.  The Social Workers have been going to the clients homes and working with the men on behavioral management techniques.  Behavioral improvements have been seen and the Social Workers would like to continue building on this program.

The Woodworking Program:  A new line of wood carvings has been designed and the clients in the Sons program are being trained in woodworking skills.  They are also responsible for all the coconut buttons and coconut pieces used in the clothing and jewelry lines.

The Sewing Room: Most of the New Day Grant in 2011 went to the Sewing Room.  Training courses were provided to 18 clients and 4 staff, covering pattern cutting, production management, and production techniques.  Socheata, the Sewing Room Manager, stated that the training have dramatically improved the efficiency in the sewing room and the quality of the products.  She also noted that the clients were taking much greater pride in their work – stating that they feel like they are actually part of  a real business, not just an NGO.   The trainings, new equipment purchased with help from New Day, and a new inventory system has really streamlined the business. They are selling through their online catalog and their shop.

Based on such positive feedback on the training programs both from a business perspective and a psychological perspective, we discussed the possibility of further trainings.  Ruth will investigate if there are more advance modules.  Also, the clients who participated in the trainings were literate.  So we discussed ways in which illiterate clients could participate in the future, whether GIPC has a program, or if a buddy system or a pre-training program could work, so that all clients could benefit from the program.

A big challenge discussed for the Sewing Room is the difficulty in sourcing fabric.  Based on the amount purchased, they tend to buy scraps and have a difficult time finding the same fabric again.  This can be a challenge for larger orders and/or managing catalog buyers expectations.

An overall challenge right now is the limitations and poor physical state of the existing workshop.  Ruth is actively looking for a new space in Phnom Penh.  They are hoping to move in the near future and this will increase their expenses.

Daughters is really utilizing volunteers to develop their designs, implement an inventory system, run the daycare, etc.  We met a group of committed volunteers, staff, and clients.

New Day visit to Daughers of Cambodia – May 2011

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New Day members in the jewelry workshop at Daughters

In May 2011 a group of New Day members visited Daughters of Cambodia during our trip to Phnom Penh.  Daughters helps girls and women exit the sex trade by providing them with training and fair trade paid jobs in small businesses it runs including jewellery-making, sewing of home ware and accessories and a cafe and spa that it operates.  Following a USD16,040 grant New Day and Linklaters gave Daughters for their sewing operations at the end of 2010 our members were keen to visit the sewing room at the Daughters Centre as well as the Daughters cafe and shop during our May 26-28 Phnom Penh group field trip. The visitor centre comprises a shop, woman’s spa and café.  Daughters employs around 15 girls or “clients” here, some of whom are training as managers and other positions of responsibility. The shop sells beautifully hand-made clothes, fashion accessories and home furnishings produced in the sewing room at the day centre.  Several purchases were made by the group! We also enjoyed a lunch at the café where we were able to sample the food and speak with the manager about the progress the staff is making.  We were given a good overview of the successes and challenges faced in the safe/Shop since its opening in June 2010.  They are still working on staff training to optimize the efficient running of the café.  The food at the cafe was fresh and tasty and the shop on the ground floor is dong very well – more than covering its costs.  Sadly there was insufficient time to road test the spa! All Daughter’s businesses are targeted to become self-sustaining over time, hence reducing donor dependence. Hopefully a new entry in Luxe City Guides: Cambodia and Laos, will give a boost to trade.

At the Daughters Centre we met up with the inspirational Ruth Elliott, Founder and CEO, for an in-depth review of all six businesses.  We were given an important insight into the daily social and cultural issues the NGO faces. Our group had the opportunity to meet some of the clients Daughters employs as we looked around the operation of its businesses, namely sewing , jewelry-making and t-shirt silk screening.  We were struck by the  industrious and very congenial environment. Management is searching for a new building as it was evident the current premises are now too small.   The New Day grant for sewing training and equipment has helped increase efficiency and capacity.  Indeed, as a reflection of the sewing room’s ongoing success, product demand continues to outstrip supply.  Our group discussed a number of possible future funding areas to assist the Daughters operation with Ruth including inventory control management, management systems, employing an accountant, contributing to new building rental and covering the running costs of the creche and medical/counseling services.  We were impressed with what Daughters has achieved so far and were all happy to have been able to contribute to their success.

Caroline Basham – New Day Member

New Day/Norton Rose Site Visit to AFESIP May 2011

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In May 2011 New Day members along with a representative from our corporate partner Norton Rose visited the Kampong Cham Centre for the third time.  This year’s visit on May 26/27 was very well timed, corresponding with the April/May launch of the Counseling Services project that we are funding for the year.  The project provides counseling and psychological services and equipment for all the residents at Kampong Cham.  It is jointly run and staffed by AFESIP and Art Therapy providers The Ragamuffin Project who are helping to design the programme and train the counsellors.  AFESIP is rolling out the programme at all 3 of its centres.

Ragamuffin generously hosted an evening for the New Day group at their therapy centre in Phnom Penh.  We met the psychologists and were given an progress update.  Candace Blasé, AFESIP trauma care specialist and clinical supervisor volunteer, began work on 20 April. Full-time psychologist Chum Chantha was hired and began work at Kampong Chan mid June,  and they are close to hiring a full-time clinical co-ordinator. Ragamuffin and AFESIP are reviewing assessment drawings and developing plans for individual care programmes.  Therapy with 5 individuals at the centre has begun. Further training for centre staff on trauma care is planned.

The following day the group travelled to the Kampong Cham centre where Children’s Day celebrations were in full swing.  Much progress is evident and the new building is now functional with computer room, weaving centre, offices, medical room, a library and counseling services room.   We engaged with the children in an art activity, before a tree planting ceremony.  We had brought a suitcase full of books for the library with us, gratefully donated by friends of New Day members.  It was a wonderful visit as always with the residents and staff at Kampong Cham and we were delighted with the progress and development at the Centre and with our New Day-funded project.

For more on the progress of the Counseling Services project see the following link:   2nd Quarter Report 2011

Caroline Basham – New Day

New Day and Linklaters visit Kalki – September 2010

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New Day organised a very successful visit to Kalki in Pondicherry, India from the 23rd to the 25th of September.  Nine volunteers from Linklaters and 5 New Day members visited the Girls’ Centre that Linklaters and New Day are now funding for the second year in a row.  It was a packed trip with outreach activities in the streets and slums, a visit to the Kalki Drop-In Centre, a meeting with three graduates from the New Day-funded Kalki Hospitality Program at the hotel where they now work and a busy day-and-a-half at the Girls’ Centre.  Our aim for the visit was to spend time with the girls and engage them in art activities and games as well as to transform the inside of the shelter with a coat (or two!) of fresh paint and some colourful decoration.  It was a fantastic and meaningful trip for everyone involved.  We’d like to thank Linklaters for their great support and hard work and the ADMCF and Kalki staff for all the organisation and assistance they provided.  Thanks also to the children from New Day who sent their beautiful drawings to the girls at Kalki!

Musical statues Bollywood style!

New Day children's drawings decorating a dormitory.

Chris Green from New Day with Kalki girls.

The volunteer group from Linklaters and New Day – just finished painting the shelter.

New Day holds a Member meeting on 1st of June 2010!

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New Day held a meeting for members and their guests at Grappas in Jardine House on the 1st of June.  Chris Green, Liza Green and Kim Cheung gave members a breakdown of New Day finances, events and projects and Kylie Macintosh spoke about her site visit to the Kampong Cham project in Cambodia in May.  You can have a look here at the evening’s presentations:

Members meeting 1st of June 2010

New Day visits Kampong Cham Centre – May 2010

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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.

New Day Site Visit to KALKI – 3rd and 4th of September 2009

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New Day members Chris and Liza Green visited KALKI and met with Panjali and her staff.  They visited the Drop-In Center and the new night shelter (‘Girls Center’).   For photos and details of the visit have a look at this slide show: KALKI pres to members Oct 09

You can read the site visit report prepared for Linklaters here: ND Visit to KALKI

New Day visit to the Laos Women's Shelter

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chris and Liza with the Shelter staff.

Chris and Liza with the Shelter staff.

In September 2007 New Day founders Chris and Liza Green visited the Laos Women’s Shelter outside Vientiane.  This was the first New Day project and the visit was made before the grant money was paid out.  It was a very important milestone in the history of New Day and the beginning of what has grown into an involved membership funding multiple projects.  Have a look at a quick photo tour and site visit report of this trip here: laos-women_s-shelter-visit-post

New Day visits the AFESIP Kampong Cham Center outside Phnom Penh

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The entrance to the Kampong Cham Center

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.

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.

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.

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

New Day visit the Somaly Mam Foundation's Voices for Change team in Phnom Penh

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Somaly Mam at a press conference in Phnom Penh

Somaly Mam at a press conference in Phnom Penh

In December 2008 New Day members Kim Cheung and Liza Green visited the Voices for Change office in Phnom Penh.  We met with the Voices for Change team leader Sina Vann, Somaly Mam and the VFC support staff.  We also met a young girl, Pros Long, who had escaped from severe abuse at a city brothel and was being cared for by Sina.  Her story touched our hearts.

Sina Vann, VFC team leader.

Sina Vann, VFC team leader.

We were delighted to see all of the office equipment that New Day bought for the VFC team being put to use.  Although this is a new venture the VFC team has the full support of the Somaly Mam Foundation and they are busy rolling out their educational activities, advocacy and outreach work.

Posting board in the VFC office

Posting board in the VFC office

After the meeting at their office we were taken to a hair salon that is run by a well-known stylist A. Neanda and staffed with Girls who have been rehabilitated in AFESIP shelters and trained in hair-dressing skills.  In all our encounters we were struck by the supportive and close atmosphere that the girls are being cared for in.  We were very encouraged to see the effect our grant is having on their day-to-day activities and long-term planning.  thank you again to Linklaters for their generous support of this project.  you can download the presentation to members on Voices for Change here voices-for-change-members-kim-pre

For more details you can also download our site visit report : new-day-report-voices-for-change-_smf_-v21

Happy New Year !

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Dear New Day and Friends

We held a successful meeting for our members and interested parties in Hong Kong on the 13th of October 2009.  Thank you to all those who attended!

Below is a brief update on our membership, current and pending projects and future plans:

Membership

- Current monthly income:  $27,300
- Current monthly contributions: 41
- We have added 8 new monthly contributions and lost 4 since our last meeting in March 2009

Please talk to your friends about New Day and the projects we are involved in.  We really appreciate your help in growing our membership.  Attached is a short outline on what New Day is that you can circulate to interested parties along with the HSBC Standing Instruction form.

Audit

Our audit has been completed and our Annual Company Report was filed in August.  Thank you to Alex Cheung helping us with this process once again.

Project Overview

Chris Green has made a short ‘imovie’ of the last two-and-a-half years of New Day.  As we have to protect the identity of some of the girls in our projects this movie is password protected and for our members and friends only.  You can view it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcrbQF1cK58

username: cgreen0966
password: emmaruby

2009 Projects

KALKI Night Shelter – Pondicherry, India
$153,750 (March 2009)
(corporate funding partner: Linklaters law firm)
The KALKI Night Shelter has been set up and currently provides accommodation for around 35 girls aged 5-16 who live on the streets, have been pimped, abandoned or abused.  This Night Shelter has been fully operational since April of this year.  Chris and Liza Green visited KALKI in September.  For details of this visit along with recent photographs and updates please have a look at http://newdayasia.org/category/2009-projects/kalki-night-shelter-india/

Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity (CASC) – Phnom Penh, Cambodia
$51,500 (April 2009)
CASC is the only shelter and advocate for victims of acid burns in Cambodia.  New Days’ grant is being used to fund their annual budget for a prevention campaign, advocacy and legal assistance for victims.  For details of this project please have a look at http://newdayasia.org/category/2009-projects/cambodian-acid-survivors-charitycasc/

AFESIP Kampong Cham Shelter Construction – Kampong Cham, Cambodia
$195,000 (corporate funding partner: Norton Rose law firm)
Kampong Cham is a long-term rehabilitation facility for trafficking victims on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.  AFESIP is now constructing a three storey building that will house an office, clinic, counseling room, training rooms and a weaving centre.  A ground-breaking ceremony on Monday the 12th of October marked the start of this construction project which will last for 160 days.  For updated details and photos of the ground-breaking ceremony please have a look at http://newdayasia.org/category/2009-projects/afesip-kampong-cham-center/

NYOF Indentured Daughters Program – Dang District, Nepal
$83,000
The Nepalese Youth Opportunities Federation (NYOF) is an NGO operating in Nepal that seeks to transform the lives of impoverished Nepalese children.  Amongst their many focus areas, NYOF runs an Indentured Daughters Program that seeks to prevent the selling of daughters by their parents into a life of indentured labour through the funding of education programs and the provision of replacement income for their families.  On the 12th of October 2009 New  Day funded an intensive awareness program and vocational training program in the Bardiya District that seeks to assist in eradicating this practice and turning the community away from the custom of trading their daughters labour for money.  For more details on this project please visit have a look at http://newdayasia.org/2009/06/18/nyof-indentured-girls-program-nepal/

Matara Girls Orphanage – Galle, Sri Lanka
$39,000
The Matara Girls Orphanage was founded in 1961 by members of the local community and provides shelter, food, clothing and loving care to up to 50 girls.  Matara is currently in need of funds to provide tutoring to its residents who are preparing for their O levels along with funds for additional classes in computers, painting, cooking, sewing, music and drama.  For more details on this project please have a look at http://newdayasia.org/2009/06/17/matara-girls-orphanage-galle-sri-lanka/

Site visits 2009

Chris and Liza Green visited KALKI in September.
Jonathan Back will be visiting Matara in October.

Projects pipeline

Please talk to us about any projects you are committed to that you would like New Day to consider funding in the future.

Corporate Sponsors

Please let us know if we can present New Day to your company’s community investment committees for project sponsorship.

Next Member meeting

The next meeting will take place in the first quarter of 2010.  See you then!

All the best
Liza
On behalf of the Working Committee

www.newdayasia.org
(Liza Mobile) 852 9191 2710
New Day is a non-profit, charitable foundation that focuses on donating resources to projects in Asia that assist women and girls in crisis.

Dear Members, Donors, Partners and Interested Parties

It is time for an update on New Day before we all scatter for the summer!

The New Day Working Committee met on the 8th of June to plan for the remainder of 2009.  The minutes of all the Working Committee Meetings are posted in the Members Only section of the Projects and Meetings drop down menu on the New Day website.

Below is a brief update on our finances, current and pending projects and future plans:

Finances

 – Current monthly income:  $24,650
- Current bank balance:  $345,000
- Pledged funds (AFESIP):  $195,000
- Current available funds:  $150,000
- Projected income for remainder of 2009 (members contributions)  $148,000
- Total available for 2009:  $300,000

Audit

Our accountants have just completed our annual audit of accounts.  Once this has been submitted to the Company Registrar we will post the accounts onto the website.

2009 Projects

We have approved our 11th project since our launch!  Have a look at our project list here http://newdayasia.org/our-projects/

Funded Projects

KALKI Night Shelter – Pondicherry, India
$153,750 (March 2009)
(corporate funding partner: Linklaters law firm)
The KALKI Night Shelter has been set up and currently provides accommodation for around 35 girls aged 5-16 who live on the streets, have been pimped, abandoned or abused.  This Night Shelter has been fully operational since April of this year.  For details of this project along with recent photographs and updates please have a look at http://newdayasia.org/category/2009-projects/kalki-night-shelter-india/

Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity (CASC) – Phnom Penh, Cambodia
$51,500 (April 2009)
CASC is the only shelter and advocate for victims of acid burns in Cambodia.  New Days’ grant is being used to fund their annual budget for a prevention campaign, advocacy and legal assistance for victims.  For details of this project please have a look at http://newdayasia.org/category/2009-projects/cambodian-acid-survivors-charitycasc/

Approved Projects (Pending funding)

AFESIP Kampong Cham Shelter Construction – Kampong Cham, Cambodia
$195,000 (corporate funding partner: Norton Rose law firm)
Kampong Cham is a long-term rehabilitation facility for trafficking victims on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.  New Day will contribute towards the funding for a new building that will house a clinic, counseling room, office and training rooms.   As the construction project is a co-funding project with two other NGO’s there has been a delay in the start of the construction.  AFESIP has now confirmed that they have confirmation of the funds from all the donors and that construction will now start at the end of June 2009.  AFESIP has also managed to raise additional funds and will now be constructing a three storey building instead of a single storey one so as to keep land available on their compound for new accommodation for more girls in need.  The building will house an office, clinic, counseling room, training rooms and a weaving centre.  Once we receive the exact start date from the contractors we will disburse the New Day funds to AFESIP.  For updated details of this project please have a look at http://newdayasia.org/category/2009-projects/afesip-kampong-cham-center/

KALKI Training Program – Pondicherry, India
$101,400
KALKI  has finalised plans to set-up and run a comprehensive training program involving both educational support for girls currently attending school as well as vocational training and job placement.  The program will be run out of the Night Shelter premises which New Day funded in March 2009.  For more details on this project you can download the Training Proposal and funding request at http://newdayasia.org/category/2009-projects/kalki-night-shelter-india/

NYOF Indentured Daughters Program – Dang District, Nepal
$83,000
The Nepalese Youth Opportunities Federation (NYOF) is an NGO operating in Nepal that seeks to transform the lives of impoverished Nepalese children.  Amongst their many focus areas, NYOF runs an Indentured Daughters Program that seeks to prevent the selling of daughters by their parents into a life of indentured labour through the funding of education programs and the provision of replacement income for their families.  New  Day will be supporting an intensive awareness program in the Dang District that seeks to assist in eradicating this practice and turning the community away from the custom of trading their daughters labour for money.  For more details on this project please visit have a look at http://newdayasia.org/2009/06/18/nyof-indentured-girls-program-nepal/

Matara Girls Orphanage – Galle, Sri Lanka
$39,000
The Matara Girls Orphanage was founded in 1961 by members of the local community and provides shelter, food, clothing and loving care to up to 50 girls.  Matara is currently in need of funds to provide tutoring to its residents who are preparing for their O levels along with funds for additional classes in computers, painting, cooking, sewing, music and drama.  They are also requesting funds for a dining room extension that will allow all the girls to eat their meals together in a big enough room.  New Day will work with Matara to determine the most pressing need for the funding and confirm a final budget in the second half of 2009.  For more details on this project please have a look at http://newdayasia.org/2009/06/17/matara-girls-orphanage-galle-sri-lanka/

Site visits 2009

New Day members will be visiting our projects in India, Cambodia and Sri Lanka this year.  Please let us know if you would be able to visit any other projects (or the same ones) and we can arrange a constructive meeting with the targeted charity.

Projects pipeline

Please talk to us about any projects you are committed to that you would like New Day to consider funding in the future.

Corporate Sponsors

Please let us know if we can present New Day to your company’s community investment committees for project sponsorship.

Members

We want to thank all our members and donors for their generosity and commitment to New Day.  As you can see there are so many worthwhile projects to support and collectively we can make a difference to many girls and women in the region.  We are committed to growing New Day into an even more impactful donor circle and we hope that you will introduce your friends to the New Day concept.  We would be happy to present New Day at any gathering of interested parties.

Please forward this email to anyone you think will be interested in supporting our work and introduce them to our website so that they can learn more about us.  Attached is the HSBC bank form for new members to fill out if they wish to join.  They can simply post it to the bank once it is completed (the address is on the top left hand corner).  Please remind them to fill their name in the debtor’s reference field so we know where the donation is coming from!

Next Member meeting

The next meeting and project presentation will be on the 13th of October.  Please mark your calendars!

Until then, have a fabulous summer!

Liza
On behalf of the Working Committee

Dear New Day Members,

A happy New Year to all of you and a big thank you for your support in 2008 and onwards into 2009!

We are planning a meeting in early February after Chinese New Year to update you on our current projects and present new projects for us to consider in 2009. I will email you with the exact date and venue later this month.

Debra Tan has been working to revitalise our website and re-create our logo and branding. We should have the website ready in February and all our project reports and photographs will be uploaded providing easy access for all of you. We are very excited about having a better media profile and providing better access to information for our members. We are hoping that this will be a useful tool to direct more people to New Day and the issues we are trying to impact.

Kim Cheung and I had a very successful and moving trip to Phnom Penh in December to visit the Somaly Mam Foundation and the AFESIP girls’ shelter in Kampong Cham Province that we are funding. We have many photographs and stories to share with you at our meeting. We both left feeling confident that these two projects are very worthwhile and well-run and that our New Day funding will have a great impact on their work.

We have had meetings with the Asia Foundation both in Cambodia and Hong Kong and will be presenting some projects from them for our consideration at the next meeting. We are also busy with some corporate fundraising to beef up our contributions to projects in 2009.

I am including a link to a recent New York Times article by Nicholas D. Kristof on modern day slavery:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04kristof.html?_r=2&hp

He profiles a young girl called Pros who escaped from slavery in a Phnom Penh brothel and found shelter and care with the Somaly Mam Foundation. Her story is a tragic one but she is now safe and can hope for a brighter future. New Day funded all the equipment and furnishings of Voices for Change, the Somaly Mam victims’ unit headed by Sina Vann(also mentioned in the article). Kim and I met with Pros and Sina and other Somaly Mam Foundation staff including Somaly Mam during our December visit. They are doing a wonderful job in very difficult circumstances and it is good that we have all been able to help them with our grant.

Thank you again for all your support.

Liza Green