September 2020 HVTO Updates
Summary: HVTO Center remains in suspension but we are getting ready to reopen on November 1, 2020; Sponsorship money will resume its monthly cash-flow to the students again at the beginning of September 2020; HVTO Pump drillers have finished 1200 hand water pumps in the extended areas and we are about going to start with the last 400 pumps of 2020; 200 out of 250 private latrines have been built for families and we are so excited to see them living in the healthier and cleaner environment; Due to the pandemic of Covid 19, some poor families in the community find themselves much harder to live, therefore, HVTO partners and donors have donated money and entrusted in HVTO team to help buy and distribute the big food packages to 519 families; Each package can help each family to survive almost for one month and we have more photos and videos to share to you below:
HVTO CENTER: During this suspension, HVTO has not managed to offer the online-lessons to children like other schools because we understood that only few students in our community have Smart Phone with internet connection by themselves. Though, we have just developed our meeting hall well equipped with stronger internet, head projector, and big screen. 10 to 15 students per day are assigned to take turn to come to clean the HVTO Center. After work, they can enjoy going inside to listen to music, watching English lessons, seeing movies with English subtitles carefully and selectively chosen by our School Master, Mr. Ine Un or Mr. Kong Kan, the sponsorship officer. We see his room much more useful when the children come back to the center. In the down time we do not have volunteers from the English speaking countries to come and help teach English, they can really learn, listen to English Native Speakers via online lessons and movies or videos with English subtitles. Enjoy visiting both pictures and videos inside the HVTO Center. Special thanks to all students who take great care of the center.
Looking from the main road to see the entrance and sign of HVTO Center
The front yard and the first building. We are grateful to the Seal of Love Charitable Foundation to have donated this building and land.
The toilet blocks: One in the middle was built by the group of volunteer from Australia since 2011, the block on the left was sponsored and added by the donor from Taiwan and the block on the right for hand washing was donated by group of volunteers from Korea
The tile flooring in front of the second building was sponsored by A Drop of Life – from Hong Kong
The second building and land which were donated and sponsored by Viking Cruises.
The huge sand bio filter, sponsored by A Drop of Life, for all the children who come to study in HVTO Center to have lots of clean and safe water to drink. This bio filter can also supply water to families who live nearby too.
This is the meeting hall that is now upgraded to be the audio room as mentioned in the description at the beginning of this letter.
This is the new library recently built by the community committee and sponsored by A Drop of Life. Below are are some more pictures inside.
The view of the middle room which is for reading
The room to keep the books
Our old books
HVTO is always grateful to all the donors and sponsors who have helped make HVTO Center the beautiful place we have now for the children in the community. We are sorry that we have not mentioned everyone here but you hope that you are proud as much as we are, to be part of the HVTO so far.
A video showing the general view of HVTO Center during the pandemic of Covid 19.
CLEAN WATER PROJECT: HVTO has projected the installation of 1600 family-size hand water pumps. Therefore, from the beginning of January to the beginning of August 2020, HVTO Clean Water Project, sponsored by our organization partner — A Drop of Life — and as per requests and with strong cooperation and coordination from our local authorities such as village heads, deputies and commune chiefs, has successfully installed other 1200 clean water pumps in villages, communes and districts of Siem Reap – Cambodia.This is to inform you that since the inception of partnership between HVTO and A Drop of Life made in 2016, we could have installed so far 4316 hand water pumps for some people in Siem Reap – Cambodia.
HVTO team and donors are very proud and grateful to have had the opportunities working with our local authorities to help our Cambodian people.Work still continues!
HVTO launches a new program to help poor families to get some food supplies during the pandemic of Covid 19:
A month after the outbreak of Covid 19, we started to see some people suffering more and more because of shortage of foods. Our local authorities started to help those people. Later on, the Non-governmental organizations joined in with this regard. HVTO has also started this program to help people in our own area. So far, we have our partner in Hong Kong, ADOL, who has provided two large donations and entrusted HVTO to buy and distribute the food supplies to many poor families; The Seng Kaing family who donated and helped 9 families and Mr. Bill Walker and Mrs. Caren von Hippel from USA who donated and helped 77 families. Totally we have helpped 519 families.
Each family received:
1. 50kg of Jasmine Rice
2. 30 packs of instant noodle
3. 10 canned fish
4. 1kg of salt
5. 1kg of garlic
6. 1kg of MSG
7. 4 pieces of body soap
8. 10 face masks
9. 6 bottles of soy sauce
10. 6 bottles of fish sauce
11. 10000 Riel ($2.50)
This package of food can support the family of 3 to 4 members to survive for almost one month. We have three different videos of the activities of distribution of food supplies to families.
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 HTVO (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.
***** This is to notify you that these two organizations, HVTO and HTVO, are not the same organizations even though HTVO simplifies the funds from US citizens to sponsor some projects of HVTO in Cambodia. HTVO is registered with the USA Government chaired by Ms. Patti Baker with her team and HVTO is the Cambodian local community based NGO registered in Cambodian Ministry of Interior. Each has its own Management, Administration, Responsibilities and liabilities. However, HVTO and HTVO have been great partners that still continue to do many good things for Cambodian people*****
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.
Private Toilet
$450
Donors receive a photograph of the completed toilet with information on the name and location of the family.
Sponsorships:
Below are the all-inclusive costs for student sponsorship.
Grades 1-12: $400 per year
University: $780 per year
Happy faces of our students in the English class with a volunteer teacher from Hong Kong before the pandemic of Covid 19
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
Sign Up To Sponsor
Thank you so much!
HVTO Management Team