A cry for help from Phnom Penh

5 august 2020

A drama unfolds in Phnom Penh

5 august 2020

By: Frank Rikken

While the Smiles of Hope Foundation is making headway in these uncertain times, a major drama is taking place in Phnom Penh in one of the projects of the Advanced Center for Empowerment. Smiles of Hope is actively contributing to this NGO in Cambodia and the future for the projects there looked bright. ACE has been facilitating young people in one of the largest slums to live and study since 1995. In return, the students give lessons to small children in the neighborhood. (read more about that project here)

It went just as well until the pandemic hit

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and all classes of students and children were temporarily halted. During the suspension of classes, the local team worked very hard to renovate the center, replace broken chairs and learning materials to be ready for reopening.

The final blow

And then, in the midst of the pandemic crisis, the local government decided to completely dismantle the slum. The 650 people from 135 families had to leave their slum housing overnight. The poor families in the district lived there on the edge of a rubbish heap, where they lived off the sale of refurbished, recycled products. The residents have now been allocated undeveloped land 45 kilometers away from the city. Without running water, without electricity. Each family received a piece of land measuring 4 by 15 meters and a hundred dollars. This is of course completely inadequate to build a new shelter.

Help is needed badly 

ACE has therefore decided to give these families very concrete support. By providing 120 families with food for at least 3-5 months and also providing 87 households with building materials to build their homes and to install sanitary facilities. Smiles of Hope supports this and therefore appeals to donors.

PBO Status

A lot of help is needed to give the families a good place. This takes time and money. In the days when the houses are being built, it is almost impossible to provide for the livelihood of the families. Therefore, a (minimum) budget has been made of approximately $ 40,000. Smiles of Hope would like to contribute to this with your help.

  • Support food 120 most needed Families for 3 months: $ 7,210
  • Sink roofs for 87 homes $ 7,830
  • Wooden pillars (6 per house) for 87 houses $ 6,090
  • Zinc corrugated iron for walls $ 12,397
  • 12 latrine facilities $ 3,600Electricity supplies $ 3,000
ANBI

The Smiles of Hope Foundation is a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) . Donations are therefore tax-deductible.

Sign Up for Newsletter

Do you want to stay informed about the activities of the Smiles of Hope foundation? Sign up for our newsletter.

Contact

Albert Schweitzerstraat 39
6836LA  Arnhem | Netherlands

+31 26 845 33 30
info@smilesofhope.nl
KvK 77483642
RSIN 861021629

CONTACTFORM

Smiles of Hope is Partin member.

VISIT OUR PROFILE