@gazzacam.wordpress So it begins. Two weeks of intense fundraising starts now. On 7th December I will run my first ever half-marathon in Angkor Wat, Siem Reap. Not letting a good fundraising opportunity like this to go to waste, I am also planning to raise funds for the schoolchildren of Krang Thmey Free English School in Kandal province. Background: The school was established by one of my colleagues who converted her provincial home to a local English school for the children of her home village. It began in 2004 and was funded with the support of Ms. Anne Mackie and her family. Now the school accommodates between 150-170 children from not only that village, but also from other villages nearby. I spent the night at the school on 8th and 9th of November. I was also able to do a bit of teaching too with my friend Harriet. Today, I visited the school for the second time. It was a special occasion as Anne came to visit the school all the way from Canada. With her, she brought school bags, a notepad and pencils for each child. I was absolutely taken back by the gratitude these children and their parents showed to Ms. Anne. It was incredible. My fundraising goals: So with my fundraising campaign I am to raise enough money to take the schoolchildren on a trip out of Kandal province. As a Historian, I naturally gravitated towards the idea of taking the older children to somewhere like Toul Sleng or the killing fields. This idea spawned from one of the stories that I covered a few weeks ago (gazzacam.wordpress/20…/…/10/tuol-sleng-discovery/), but I also feel that Cambodia’s troubled history is often avoided in the classrooms here. It almost seems to be too controversial to be taught. This is worrying for me, as the Khmer Rouge period was recent enough, but not much is being done to document the stories or accounts of those who have lived through that tragic period and after. Sooner or later these stories will be lost forever. Alternatively, I’m also playing with the idea of taking the younger children to the seaside in Cambodia, with Kep or Kampot being the most realistic destinations. I spoke to some of the children today and most have never seen the sea. Another idea, was to take some of the children to Phnom Penh for the day. It would be simple and effective like taking some of the older children for a university tour – give them something to aspire to be or aim to go. This could easily be combined with other activities in the city too. If I raise enough funds, maybe we could combine two or maybe three of these ideas. For the cost of one of these trips, I’m looking between $180-250. This would cover transportation costs and will provide the children with water and a snack for the day (they will bring their own lunch). With any leftover funds, or if I do not raise enough for a trip, I will use the funds to sponsor some families that are too poor to afford their children’s school uniform for their regular school. A uniform set costs between $8-14 depending of the age and size of the child and the quality of the uniform. How you can contribute: Some have already pledged a lump sum ($5-$20-£5-£20) and others have pledged a certain amount per kilometre I complete at the Half-Marathon (i.e. $1 per km or $0.5 per km). I am trying to avoid all unnecessary costs, therefore I am predominantly relying on cash and bank transfers. This way I will be able to ensure that all your donations and pledges will go straight to the children and the school. I will be on Phnom Penh so let me know if you would like to contribute. My girlfriend, Tia Castilla, has kindly agreed to accept funds and sponsors for me in London. Thank you for watching! Please share and hopefully we will be able to reach the $250 target. It’s not an overly ambitious target, but with all your coffee money or lunch allowance combined can really make a difference. I hope you like the video. Please share widely and wisely! Thank you so much. youtu.be/HBWWRD7VNKc
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 16:39:31 +0000
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