Letters of Appreciation and Updates
Letters to NetReturn CEO Andrew Birch from Phil and Cathy Kiely
May 01, 2007
Dear Andrew,
Once more we are writing to let you know of the great progress that has been made with the Karuna Children’s Centre in Varin, Cambodia. In the last 12 months the Karuna Foundation, working closely with our local partner PPC, has undertaken a great deal of activity which has directly impacted upon the lives of our 64 children.
The food and health program has had a very positive effect on the nutritional and hygiene levels of the children. They now receive 3 full meals per day consisting of rice, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish and fresh fruit. Their previous wafer thin bodies are finally starting to fill out, their eyes sparkle, the reddish hair from malnutrition has turned black, their teeth are white and their clothes are clean. The hygiene program has taught them to wash their hands before eating and as a result they have curbed many of the dysentery illnesses that once plagued them.
The more serious medical problems like malaria and typhoid are now under control with the deployment of mosquito nets and clean drinking water. Several of the children have undergone medical treatments such as the repair of cleft palates, eye operations, and treatments for malaria. All the children have had dental education, and their vital medical statistics are being regularly monitored. They are now on the radar of the local Angkor Children’s hospital when services are required.
Education wise, we could not be happier with their progress. The two teachers we employed have had such a dramatic impact on these kids thirsty for knowledge. They all now attend classes inside the Centre for 6 hours each day, undertaking craftwork, history, Cambodian culture, maths, geography, reading and writing. The village chief has asked government officials to witness their impressive results. He has also helped us coordinate many open consultations with the villagers about our program and how to measure the outcomes. In November, over 1000 villagers visited the Centre to show their support and to see the children’s work and be entertained by their performing arts at a concert. They Cambodian government has responded by opening the local school which had been never opened since its construction nearly 5 years ago. This will benefit not only our 64 children by many of the 1200 vulnerable children in the district – a clear outcome which gauges the outstanding “ripple effect” this project is having for the entire community.
Construction of the shelters is now complete with separate accommodation for the boys and girls within the grounds of the monks Pagoda. There is a large communal area, a playing field for sport and recreation, a toilet block, a tank to collect rain water, a bore pump, two large classrooms, carers’ quarters and a new kitchen and dining area.
We have had a wonderful response from our own schools in Sydney who have adopted the Karuna Centre to support throughout the school year. There have been all sorts of activities on the local front including fundraisers like sausage sizzles, trivia nights, cocktail parties, concerts etc, but the biggest joy the children have is when they receive letters and drawings from our own Aussie kids depicting life in Australia. We have delivered these letters and accompanying paintings and drawings to the children and translated them one by one. Other times we have flown up 100kgs of toiletry bags, assorted gifts, posters, books, teaching aids, all of which are so well received by these grateful children. They normally respond by drawing pictures of life in Cambodia which we return to Australia to distribute.
These kids now truly have a place they can call home. We continue to be amazed at how much pride they take in the Karuna Centre – helping to paint the walls, adopting daily cleaning and maintenance chores and generally looking out for each other like brothers and sisters.
We would again like to sincerely thank you for your help in getting this project up and going as it is making a huge difference to the community and children of Cambodia who to this point have had no future. All our sponsors are key to the success of this project.
If you are able to continue to help support the Karuna Foundation we would be extremely grateful. Please complete the application form attached and return to Karuna Foundation, 21 Cremorne Rd, Cremorne NSW 2090.
All contributions over $2 are tax deductible. A reminder that we target to keep our admin costs below 9%. $45 pays for a teacher for one month, $35 per month will feed and clothe a child, $40 per month will pay for a carer, and the overall cost per child per day to keep the Centre running is $3 per day or $90 per month per child.
Yours sincerely,
Phil and Cathy Kiely
Founders, Karuna Foundation
P.S. Thanks for all your support with the website and printing. Much appreciated.
My Visit to Karuna Centre, Varin Cambodia – by Cathy Kiely, Feb 2007
The road to Varin via Angkor Wat and the ancient temples is a much more pleaset journey this time than the usual route we have taken in the past – there is so much to see. We pass the beautiful temple bridge, drive along tree lined roads full of tourists in tuk-tuks and on elephant back, past the Bayon then onto the dustry and bumpy secondary road to Varin. The journey is far easier in the dry season, I don’t think it would be possible in the wet as there are very long stretches of unpaved road full of potholes a meter or two wide. Kim Sorn, our partner at PPC and the director of the project and Sokpen, our driver accompany us and the trip is full of the usual stops to buy provisions and visit local dignitaries and family.
When we arrive at the Centre it is alive with activity – children playing, skipping (ropes courtesy of one of our guests), volley ball and Khmer clapping games. There is a very vivid sense of camaraderie and “family” amongst the children, little groups easily drift from one activity to another, children play and mingle with each other.
Phil had asked Kim Sorn on our last trip to make some improvements to one of the buildings and “brick in” the lower part of the new house thus creating a new sleeping area for the older boys. There is also an extra room for us to use when we stay, very small with a tiny window. The children continue to sleep on mats on the floor (as does everyone else in all the surrounding villages). A great addition to the Centre is the undercover/open sided pavilion with long tables and seats. It is wonderful, the children are protected from the sun and there is always a breeze blowing making it a very comfortable area. The children eat here and also do group activities such as drawing etc, at the tables. It has become the centre of the little community! Our teachers are wonderful, the children clearly love them and treat them with great respect, I am constantly amazed at how well behaved they are…the teachers are not strict but only have to ask once and the children respond quickly and without fuss.
Mr Kim Sorn decided one of our employees, Savat, was not working well and after much discussion decided to replace him with one of the assistants, Teng Soo, who is more practical and innovative. It was Teng Soo who built the furniture and planted the amazing vegetable garden. In addition to our carers and teachers we have a beautiful girl from Siem Reap who visits every weekend to teach the children craft. She is a blessing. Such a well groomed, delightful role mode for the girls! The boys enjoy the craft work as well, they sit on the floor of the small school room and chat as they work. It is wonderful to see these poor and previously neglected children being able to put energy into fun activities instead of working hard in the fields.
There have been some great improvements in the village, most importantly teachers (including our Karuna teachers) are now working at the previously abandoned local school. Our children who have caught up to their peers attend the morning session then return to the Centre for lunch and afternoon lessons. While we were in Siem Reap, a very generous American couple donated $600 to the Centre, and as the yearly budget was already set we decided to use the money to buy the children school uniforms and bags. The children were extremely excited; they could not believe their were going to replace their rags with new clothes unworn by others! Phil and I flew to Phnom Penh with the children’s measurements and returned two days later with 64 school uniforms and back packs. The children were delighted!
Mr Kim Sorn’s father, the local school administrator oversees our children’s progress regularly and continues to help with supplies and advice. We are very fortunate to have such support from the community. In addition the local monks visit the children and teach them Buddhist doctrine.
As always, we visited the village chief and the commune chief, and had long discussions about the children. The chief is very happy with their progress and extremely supportive of the Karuna Centre. The head monk also came to visit and he too is very happy with our program and the great improvement in the children’s health and well being.
Most of the children are in very good health. One of the girls spent some time in Siem reap Hospital, and one of the boys is having an operation on his eye. The carers are very aware of the children’s state of health and report quickly to Mr Kim Sorn anyone who is ill. Unfortunately Kim Sorn contracted malaria while we were there but he recovered quickly as it was the tenth time he had caught the disease. It is very difficult in the dry season to keep the hygiene levels up to standard, the children only have a small amount o well water to wash with daily, however I did notice they always washed their hands before eating! Since our visit a new deeper well has been put in, this will help enormously as the vegetable garden and orchard can be re-established and the children will have a better supply of water for everyday use.
