“Hello everyone! My name is Sin Sreynak. I study in grade 11. I go to school by bike – maybe 80 minutes just to arrive at school. I sometimes have to walk because the way is so bad when there’s rain. I’m an orphan. My parents pass away from me when I’m in grade 1. I have only one younger brother who was 2 at the time. I was so sad and felt so lonely. In 2008 I started to study again and I was glad. I want to be a designer. I hope my dream comes true.”
Arun’s Orphans
JHH continues to support the orphans and abandoned children whom Arun is helping. There are now 49 orphans in his program. Their foster families receive $12/month so the children can go to school and not be sent out to beg or work for money. They also receive two sets of uniforms, study supplies and a bicycle. In this way, they will be like everyone else. All of this costs just $168 a year and gives a child an education and a future.
Our goal is to enable them to complete high school and continue on to college. They can do this only with our help and support.
As Arun says: “Mainly the plan of the project is to provide education to the orphans and abandoned kids in my village at as high a level as possible. At least we want them to know how to read, write and do basic math for their life skills in the future, according to the United Nations’ Education Policy of 9 years at school in Cambodia.”
As the years pass, more and more of the orphans graduate. Many are ready to continue on to college. They need our continuing support for their education.
In 2013, there were 3 graduates. Two, Veasna and Ramorn, are now interns with Jeremy Hockenstein’s Digital Data Divide and receive college scholarships. The third decided not to continue her education.
In 2014, there were also 3 graduates who are at the Global Children facility. One, Kanha, who is interested in becoming a nurse, is sponsored through JHH. ($2200 per year)
In 2015, there will be 2 more graduates going to college if we can support them. For each of the next 11 years, there will be on average 4 graduates. It is a great challenge to give them a decent future. Like all children, they surely deserve one.
In 2022, there are just 14 students left in the program. So many have graduated and gone on to have productive futures.
Arun’s Story
Sothea Arun was four years old when the Khmer Rouge, a communist guerrilla force that ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979, entered his village and forced its residents to leave at gunpoint. In the work camp, Arun was forced to collect animal dung for fertilizer.
The Khmer Rouge enforced obedience. To disagree, to scavenge for food, to cry at the death of a loved one – these offenses could result in death. Arun survived several weeks in a Khmer Rouge prison as punishment for picking fruit from trees.
When the Khmer Rouge left, Arun began walking in search of his village. One hundred fifty miles later he arrived home, only to learn that no one from his extended family remained. Thirty-six members had died or disappeared.
Arun survived the next years by exchanging his labor for shelter and food. He made his way to the capital city of Phnom Penh, where he joined other youth living on the street. They organized students and monks to clear garbage from the city and, later, to plant trees. They studied together, learning English and business skills, and discussed how to heal their country.
Whenever Arun sees orphaned and abandoned children, he is reminded of his own past. He does not want other children to experience what he did.
Arun made a promise to himself: if I can survive, I’ll go back to my village and make sure no orphans will suffer as I did. He has kept his promise, and we are helping him to support his precious orphans. Their foster families receive rice money so the children aren’t sent out to sell trinkets and can attend school. The children receive two sets of uniforms so they are not stigmatized and a bicycle to ride to school like everyone else.
JHH MIddle school
Since 2009, our school has been running successfully in Prek Kroch Village, Phom Thom Commune. The number of students in grades 7-9 has continued to grow until there are now 207: 114 girls and 93 boys. They are progressing very well.
Suos Sokna, our hubmaster and English teacher, reports monthly on the English and computer classes that he is teaching. The classes are large but the students are eager and enthusiastic.
Each year we pay for his salary ($3500) and for the salary ($5400) of the nurse. Then there is the generator and the water filter ($750). Without these annual subsidies, the school would not be able to function at a high level. With all of this, the students are flourishing.
In 2022, we made our final grant to School #421 as it has become a government school. The computers and other equipment that JHH donated will remain there for the continued benefit of the students.
History of our School
“Train a child in the way to live and she will not swerve from it even in old age.” (Proverbs 22:6)
Nicholas Kristof challenged us to help build a school in Cambodia so girls will not be forced into prostitution. As he wrote in December, 2006, “Literate girls not only are in less danger of being trafficked, but later they have fewer children, care for their children better and are much better able to earn a decent living.”
Education has a very high value in Jewish life. The study of Torah and Talmud sharpens our minds, young and old alike, and opens up the possibilities of a good and meaningful life. We want to extend these possibilities for a decent future to the young people of Cambodia. They are bright, and they want to learn.
What Our School is Like
We have donated the money to have a school building constructed in Lvea Em in the Kandal Province. It has five rooms, so operating double shifts with fifty students in each class, some 500 will one day be learning at the JHH school. There is a generator and ten new computer stations on line through the satellite dish on the roof. There is a well and a filter, a specially trained English/computer teacher and so much more.
Once there was a boy who could not read or write. All he knew were the names of the letters of the alphabet. He would sit outside the school room and recite them over and over again, hoping that someday they would join together to make words and paragraphs. One day, the teacher heard him and realizing how eager he was to learn, she invited him into the class.
That’s what twenty-five of us did on Thursday, February 19th, 2009. Like that teacher, we invited the first sixty-nine bright youngsters to enter their new middle school. We shared in their excitement and enthusiasm. We brought in nearly 1300 pounds of clothing, book supplies and sports equipment. We played jump rope and soccer, used yo-yo’s, made drawings and balloon sculptures and gave out school bags filled with supplies. But most of all, we embraced and were embraced by these wonderful, exuberant children.
Now they have hope for a much better future.
Building a library for our school
In October of 2012, JHH brought a group of people to Lovea Em village in Cambodia to continue our partnership with Arun and with Schools for Cambodia. The goal was to help personally to build and stock a library for the students in the adjacent elementary school as well as those in Middle School #421 that we funded and continue to support. Many of these young people are among the 57 orphans that we sponsor through Arun.
Despite the 90 degree temperature, the group formed a bucket brigade, passing broken stones and bricks and then sand to create the library floor. Elementary school children joined the brigade and were so excited and dedicated to the work. “Thank you” became the code word for “I’m ready for another bucket.” Soon the whole floor was covered. The children’s joy made it all worthwhile!
The contractor’s elf crew worked through the evening. The brick steps were mostly finished and the supports for the roof were in place.
One of our group bought multiple copies of books available in English and Khmer to start the library’s collection. But more books are needed.