An HVTO Update April 2020

Jul 16, 2024

General Virus Situation:

The Corona virus pandemic has reached Cambodia, but not at as a high an infection rate as in many other areas of the world. Despite that, our very popular New Year’s celebrations, which would normally have taken place from April 14-16, were canceled by the government in order to avoid large gatherings. The pandemic has closed all schools (including HVTO) and has ground the economy of Siem Reap to a near halt. In addition to the public schools, all of the universities in Siem Reap (USEA, Build Bright, PUC, Angkor University) have also been closed. They are attempting to institute an online educational program, but the lack of computers and a general lack of internet access makes this a difficult goal.
  

This early evening photo of Pub Street accurately represents the state of Siem Reap’s economy

Almost all of our students have lost their jobs and moved back in with their parents, where they will help in growing rice and vegetables, and hopefully give a boost to the rural economy. Although education is now at a standstill, no one should be going hungry and everyone has a place to stay. As we have announced on Facebook and in previous e-mails, during this hiatus HVTO funds are no longer being disbursed. Although this is not ideal for education, the communal safety net of the village will provide for our students until life can get back to normal.

As is true throughout the world, unemployment during the pandemic is a major issue and the vast majority of our students have been laid off from their jobs. Cambodian society runs on what is called a ‘micro-finance’ foundation. All of our university students, most of whom have full-time jobs while they attend university (in addition to volunteer work at the HVTO School and family time in the village), need motorbikes. To get these they have taken out loans from micro-finance companies wherein they are obliged to pay roughly ~$100/month for two years. In keeping with what other governments are now doing throughout the world, the national government is working with these companies in order to find ways to delay payments to keep many thousands of Cambodian citizens from defaulting on these loans.

Education:

 

An eerily quiet HVTO School

Although the rural areas of Cambodia have thus far been largely untouched by the Corona virus, in compliance with the governmental edict, the HVTO School has been closed. The nominal date for a restart of both public and the HVTO School is July, although obviously this could change. Despite this, the securing of new sponsorships was proceeding well prior to the closing, with 27 sponsorships from 15 sponsors secured in 2020.

This 10th year of the HVTO student sponsorship program saw us reach an important milestone. This month Burt and Pam Zurer generously agreed to support Phart Prak, the 300th student admitted into our sponsorship program. Prak is a soon-to-be a first-year student majoring in computer programming at the University of Southeast Asia in Siem Reap. Growing up in Sreth Village with one brother, like the majority of our students, Prak’s parents are subsistence farmers that live not far from the HVTO school in Sreth Village.

 

Phart Prak – The 300th student admitted into the HVTO Sponsorship Program

 

Volunteer teachers Marge Simon Dewitt and Joy Perez with a group of our recently sponsored HVTO students

Cece Simon, Joy Perez and Margery Simon DeWitt are friends of Patti Baker, the President of Homestay Teachers Volunteer Organization, the U.S. arm of HVTO. Patti introduced them to her experiences and the work our organization is doing in Cambodia. Despite never having been to Cambodia, even as tourists, they agreed to 3-7 week stays in the village beginning in December, 2019. During this time, they were able to bring their considerable English teaching talents to the school as HVTO volunteers. Living in Fort Meyers, Florida, all three ladies have extensive educational experience and are now talking to community organizations to both financially support E.S.L. (English as a second language) activities at HVTO and secure additional sponsorships for students. Their newly formed Ft. Meyers Curriculum Team, in collaboration with the Lee County School District, is working with HVTO Headmaster Ine Un to institute a new E.S.L. learning series and associated materials. These materials will include about 40 hard copy texts and workbooks for each of the three levels that are in this program. They are also identifying online, interactive computer sources that will allow Un to take students into the computer lab to allow for virtual teaching appropriate to their English level. All three women would like to thank the entire HVTO staff, especially Un, for an experience in Cambodia that ‘is still filling our hearts’.

 

Phon Vuthy (HVTO’s former Student Coordinator), Cece Simon, Joy Perez, and Marge Simon DeWitt with the HVTO Founder, Sim Piseth (seated)

As a post-script, because the villagers are now understandably uncomfortable with having potentially infected expatriate volunteers in their midst, it may be some time before new volunteer teachers will be able to experience what Joy, Cece and Marge were able to.
On an administrative topic, as sponsors of younger students are now aware, HVTO has hired Kong Kan to the position of Student Coordinator. He is replacing Phon Vuthy (pictured above), who was hired away at a salary more than twice that HVTO can afford. We are disappointed to see him leave, but wish Vuthy every success in his future endeavors.
Unlike Vuthy, who was hired on the open market, Kan was born in Sophy Village and has been a part of the HVTO educational system since he was sponsored in 2012 by Friends From Oklahoma. Kan embodies the essence of the HVTO philosophy. Born into one of the poorest families in the community where his father is a laborer, Kan has always displayed excellent English skills. He excelled in his HVTO studies and was accepted and graduated from the University of SE Asia with a Bachelor’s degree in 2018. Like almost all of our students, he is the first in his family to receive any kind of advanced education.

 

Kong Kan in 2014 at his parent’s house in Sophy Village.

As many of you can already attest, he has been doing an excellent job sending letters and keeping sponsors informed of the progress of students attending the HVTO School. The focal point for those with questions of any kind or who may wish to contact their students, he can be reached via e-mail at info@hvto.org  In the last two years Kan was married and he and his wife now have a baby daughter named Kosamak. Although very excited about his new responsibilities, he admits that he is now nervous at the prospect of becoming the model for all of the children that are now attending the HVTO School.

Clean Water / Sanitation Project:

Happily, our Clean Water drilling program has continued without interruption. The Hong Kong-based NGO, A Drop of Life (ADOL) has commissioned HVTO to drill an additional 1,600 wells in 2020. Towards that goal we have completed 400 wells in the first quarter of this year and have started the second phase of drilling. This brings the HVTO Clean Water Project to a total of 4,077 wells that have collectively brought clean water to nearly 20,000 people. Although COVID19 has not yet reached the distant rural areas in which we are now working, to reduce the chance of infection our drillers have been instructed on how to maintain social distancing and use hygienic practices in their work.

 

 

An HVTO driller hard at work

On a related subject, after the building of 11 composting toilets in a pilot program, ADOL has commissioned the building of 250 additional toilets. HVTO has been working on these concurrently with the water well drilling program utilizing a large single 12-man team working to complete this project. To date we have just completed a total of 10 toilets.

A Composting Toilet Near Completion

Support

Having seen our work first-hand, Viking and Studiosus tour groups are HVTO’s main source of support. Living all over the world, with the aid of modern technology, these former guests not only help financially, but also provide administrative assistance. This has been a great help to our founder Sim Piseth who, in addition to his many HVTO responsibilities, is a full-time tour guide that must be away for extended periods of time.

Patti Baker, a former Viking guest, is the President of Homestay Teachers Volunteer Organization, Inc., a 501c3 (charitable) organization incorporated in Florida to provide tax relief to US citizens that fund HVTO in Cambodia. This NGO simplifies money transfers and provides a vehicle for access to larger grants that can have a major impact on reaching goals. There is much to do and we are still in need of volunteers, so if you are interested, all that’s needed is access to a computer and the ability to use the internet. To learn more please visit the website at: http://www.hvto.org/about-us/hvto-contacts-in-usa.html or call Patti directly at 239-682-0067.

We are continually updating our newsletter and e-mail distribution, so if you have any friends or family that would like to be included in our distribution list, please let us know. Unfortunately, newsletters sometimes end up going into Spam folders, so if you know of someone that has not been receiving these, please have them check this.

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If you would like to provide HVTO with financial help, here is a brief cost summary:

Water wells:

$240 (A plaque is an additional $30)

Donors receive a photograph of the completed well with information on the name, size and location of the family for whom the well was drilled.

Sponsorships:

Below are the all-inclusive costs for student sponsorship.

Grades 1-12:       $400 per year

University:            $780 per year

A busier (pre-COVID19) time at the HVTO School

Again, thank you for your continued support. We hope that you share our pride in HVTO’s accomplishments.

 

        Sim Piseth                       Seaknam Meng

HVTO Founder                 HVTO General Manager

 

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Thank you so much!

HVTO Management Team