Composing a life continues...and reach out to SE Asia

I just re-read one of my entries from Oct 2007 and it really it home...

Composing a life... This cause (ending child trafficking) has been the catyalyst for creating a new destiny for my life. In the book (Composing a Life), Bateson describes one of the women, Ellen as “determined to be different.” She goes on to say,” At the same time, you cannot put together a life willy-nilly from odds and ends. Even in a crazy quilt, the various pieces, wherever they come from, have to be trimmed and shaped and arranged so they fit together, then firmly sewn to last through time and keep out the cold. Most quilts are more ambitious: they involve the imposition of a new pattern. But even crazy quilts are sewn against a backing: the basic sense of continuity allows improvisation. Composing a life involves an openness to possibilities and the capacity to put them together in a way that is structurally sound.”

I'm in the middle of re-branding my consulting business (backing of the quilt) that will blend my love for SE Asia and passion to support small NGO's working to support youth and end child trafficking.

Currently, I'm working with www.villagefocus.org to create a pre-event to their Angkor Wats Bike Race fundraiser in December 2010. I would like to promote a pre-activity for participants or other individuals to connect with a few NGO’s including field trips to visit programs, think tank exchange (exchange business knowledge with youth fellowship program) and culture exchange (holistic approach to living in the East).

More information forth coming...

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Pour un Sourire d' Enfant School in Cambodia

My first stop in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia on my trip in December 2007 was to this remarkable school called Pour un Sourire d' Enfant. It blew my flip flops off! The staff are hyper-organized and really have a vision for the school. The school was established in 1997 and has supported over 6,000 vulnerable children in the past 12 years.

There is a really focus on family health and motivating the mothers to stay involved and work at the school in order to support the children.

This French NGO supports on average 2,500 vulnerable children per year.

The three main focus areas:

Hygiene, Nutrition, Protection
Includes: meals, maternal and childhood protection, micro-credit, kindergarten, literacy, handcrafts

Professional Vocational Training - 1,300 children
Includes: secretary , technology, cuisine, bakery, garden and hospitality services

Education - 1,200
Includes: academic classes and French language skills for those that cannot be integrated into state educational system because of their situation, ie. age, family breakdown.

Mothers work and sew at the school to help pay for medical services, safe houses and university tuition. The mothers earn $20 per week vs the average of $5 in the factories.

How to connect:
- great program for an exchange with a international school
- supporting vocational students in job placement
- university scholarships
- merchandise projects to export of businesses (mothers)



Contact:

http://www.pse.asso.fr/

On-site contact: sarapich@site.pse.org or cmfdespallieres@wanadoo.fr

Back on track!

Really, has it been over a year since my last entry on this blog? Blogging though a fabulous portal for reaching out and connecting is not my favorite form of communication. I’d rather sit with you over a cup of tea or a glass of wine and passionately discuss all the issues and layers I’ve discovered about child trafficking, Cambodia and how this work has been a catalyst for self discovery.

After returning back from Cambodia in December 2007, my life went into a complete tailspin with 80+ hour work weeks, selling our house, separating from a marriage after 13 years, watching my mother and grandmother die within three months of each other. I was completely taken to my knees and for good reason. The process of getting up has been enlightening. It’s given me a fresh perspective how to live my life, what’s important and how to connect and help in Cambodia.

Throughout my travels in Cambodia I heard so many stories about personal perseverance and overcoming the unthinkable, lives lost to the Khmer Rouge, families barely surviving daily, but yet their smiles and that spark made be think I was missing out, like they knew something I didn’t. I think that spark is the sense of awareness of what it is important in life, living through difficult circumstance to gain a renewed sense of self and life or maybe I’m just projecting and that’s how it affected me. Either way, I’ve got the fight back and ready to take it to the next level.

Today would have been my Nana's 91 birthday and my mom would of been celebrating her 62 birthday on May 31. The support and love of these strong women shaped the person I am today.

As promised, finally…I will share some great NGO projects and pictures from my trip in to Cambodia in December 2007.