We have recently made a donation of $2600 (A little over £1350) to the New Cambodian Children's Life Association (NCCLA), which was partly used to buy a water purifier. As mains water in Phnom Penh is undrinkable, until recently the NCCLA had to buy in bottled water for the children to drink, which was costing around $120 a month, and which had to be carried up several flights of stairs by staff helping out at the orphanage. As the photo below shows, the purifier was very gratefully received by the children:
The new water purifier has now been installed and is being used routinely by the children - obviously the photo below is a little staged, but I can assure you it is really being used!
Many thanks to all donors for their past and continuing support of the Cambodian Futures Foundation, without which this donation would not have been possible. This sentiment is echoed by Neth, who runs the NCCLA:
"Dear Alan,
We all would like to express our deep thank for you and your English friends who donated one water refining machine with the cost of $2600 for the interest of poor and orphan children and staff to drink every day.
We will keep in our heart for your and your friends’ generosity until the end of our lives. You not only donated the machine but you also have provided much grant. Moreover you introduced many of your friends to NCCLA and contributed to support the poor and orphanage children in our association.
We bought the medium size with 2100 $ the same brand, quality and made in Malaysia, the difference is the bigger one is standing with 2m high and cost $2650, electricity is used 5 kw/h per month and the medium size is $2100 and the electricity is 4 kw/h per month so we see that there is a little difference but we left some money so that we can buy some rice, fish sauce and soy sauce, egg for reservation during the election time or rainy season that is going on till the high season for tourists in Cambodia.
Please Alan and Friends! Apologize us for such situation, we do not know what will happen in Cambodia now and in the future because now in Cambodia, the campaign of National Election is conducting, each party is defaming each other, the robbery is happening more and more in Phnom Penh and at the country side, So we feel worried about this. What will happen to NCCLA when the Election Day comes and rainy season and low season? Demonstration, Violence or civil war might take place like the event 05-06 July 1997 that nobody expected.
Nowadays this situation is forcing the tourists drop down and affecting the standard of living for the ordinary people including me as well. Nowadays I not only support myself but I also feed almost 30 orphanages and 17 staff.
As mentioned above, Please understand and forgive us for the change of water refining machine.
All the kids, staff and I, Neth would hereby like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you for your kindness by taking your valuable time to seek funds for the poor and the orphan children under the care of our New Cambodian Children's Life Association.
We all wish you and friends as well as Donors longevity, happiness, strength and good health.""
As a postscript, I would like to assure you that the Cambodian elections passed without major (or any) incident. However, times are hard in Cambodia at the moment, as this article suggests:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/27/cambodia
Through your kindness the children at the NCCLA are protected from the worst realities of the economic downturn and food crisis.
Carrie and I will be going to see the children and all at the NCCLA in September, and I will report on our trip on this blog when we get back.
Best wishes to you all,
Alan.
