Disability Rights Cambodia Project #13106

Music Training Therapy Blind Youth Cambodia

by Khmer Cultural Development Institute

Project Report | Nov 30, 2014
Join Our Christmas Appeal!

By Catherine Louise Geach | Founder

Should I go into Space? Photo by Silvia Gomes

Dearest Friends and Supporters of our Kampot Traditional Music School KCDI,

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your wonderful support for the year 2014. You have been a most marvelleous help and your contributions have allowed us to reach our goal for 2013-2014 and to continue our project for free arts training for over 400 very impoverished children into 2015!

As we go into 2015, we are welcoming new little children on our free arts training program and we are planning to expand our program to include Lakoun Sabaik Toch, which is the ancient art of small Shadow Puppet theatre. This will be a wonderful new skill to learn and we will become the first puppet troupe in the province of Kampot. I will be posting more details in our next report.

Recently both our day children on the Free Arts Training Program, as well as our orphaned children on our Residential program were involved in a spectactular event. We hosted the Hanuman Space Project and collaborated and partnered with the Australian Theatre Company "Intimate Spectacle", the international Cambodian Rock Group, "The Cambodian Space project" and the local contemporary art space, "Light box".

Our children joined in to do workshops to make puppet space monsters, paint pictures of their idea of space and then participate in the performance itself. We fused traditional Cambodian music and dance with contemporary music, theatre and stage effects to make the first ever pscychadelic performance of the "Hanuman Space project". The story of a Cambodian monkey who finds pieces of old Soviet spaceship in the jungle and who decides to travel to space, facing many challenges and dangers on the way. It is also a very relevant story about the transition and changes that many rural Cambodians must face as they migrate to urban areas.

We had a most wonderful time working together with our Cambodian and Australian partners and our teachers and students found the experience, exhilirating and healing. It was also a great learning experience for us, as to how to create a professional stage setting, lighting and stage effects. Some very famous Cambodian artists also participated, such as the international rock star Chanthy, but also the greatest Master of the Chapeye tradition, Kong Noy. Professional dancers from the Royal University of fine Arts also came to dance with our children and the whole experience really brought home to them, the richness of their own cultural heritage and how far one can go with the arts.

Here is what the Australian theatre director said about working with our school:-

"This project has been a fantastc experience. It is such a privilge working with so many talented people. (The) KCDI atmosphere is very healthy and fun. Bravo to all the artists, students and teachers. Very blessed to be a part of the show".

and here is what the founder of the Cambodian Space project rock group said,

"It's been an inspirational experience woring with all the staff, teachers and students at KCDI. We couldn't have had a better project partner than KCDI for developing the Hanuman Space Project"

Christmas Fundraising Appeal

I am writing this report early, because I would like to invite you all to participate in our Christmas Fundraising Appeal.

We have been fortunate to have been selected by GlobalGiving, to participate in this great event, from Monday 1st December 00:00 (midnight) EST Washington DC time until 31st december at 11-.59pm.

We must raise over $3,000 with over 30 donors participating to be able to be eligible for a prize of $3,000 from GlobalGiving. We are aiming to raise $10,000 because we really need this sum to keep on going.

Recently we were turned down by a major donor because we didn't fit into their criteria. This happens quite frequently because we work with both the arts and orphaned children, which is quite a difficult area to fund. We won't give up, because we believe in what we do.

If you would like to be involved please also contact your friends, family and colleagues as well as spread the word on your Social network. Please read here below so that your donation goes as smoothly as possible!

° ** Please donate to our central project on GlobalGiving:-

Education/Arts Orphan, Disabled Children Cambodia # 16371

We are one entity and whether you prefer supporting the arts training program for external students or whether you want to help our residential program all these children study at our school; By joining this Appeal and giving to One Project Only, you ensure the best possibility of our winning a matching prize. Funds raised go towards food, clothing, medical costs and teaching costs, electricity and water and help to keep our school open. We work in very close coordination with the Department of Social Affairs and so all our activities are strictly regulated and in line with Cambodian welfare law. If you give to the free arts training program for this appeal, it won't be counted (although it's very kind of you) and with too few donors we won't reach our goal of over 30 donors to one program. So please stick to the same project listed above, it's really important for us to raise these funds to keep our school open and running!

° Donations made by cheque must kindly be donated by 23rd December.

° Giftcards and Texts are not eligible for this Fundraising Campaign.

° Unfortunately recurring donors are not counted. If you can't make a donation, please ask a friend who can!

Thank you for having taken the time to read this.

From all of us here in Kampot, wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and every Well being and Peace for the New Year 2015!

butterfly dancers photo courtesy of Silvia Gomes

Making space monsters by David Rosenberger

Space Monsters! Photo courtesy of Silvia Gomes

The Hanuman Team outside KCDI photo by Rosenberger

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Oct 8, 2014
Renewal of Free Arts Training Project for 2015

By Catherine Louise Geach | Founder

Free Arts Training Students in Yike Performance

Dear Donors and Friends of Kampot Traditional Music School for Orphaned and Disabled Children - Khmer Cultural Development Institute - KCDI,

Achievements:

Over a year has passed since you all began supporting our project, "Free arts training for over 400 children, Kampot Cambodia" at our school. Thanks to your generosity and continuity, our project has been running ever since, reaching out to the hundreds of very poor children in Kampot Province and providing them with a free training in traditional Cambodian arts.

Your help has been fundamental in ensuring the success of this project, we would not have been able to continue without your support. Did you know that this project is important for the following reasons and has achieved these same goals?

- Poor children can at last have access to free traditional performing arts education of the highest calibre, thus sharing in their cultural heritage and learning about their identity.

- Talented children can pursue the arts from primary school to high school level and take exams at KCDI to prepare them for entrance into the Royal University of Fine Arts and a career as a professional musician or dancer.

- Tuition of the arts helps towards the goal of preserving traditional Cambodian culture for the next generation of young Cambodians and ensures the survivial of this World Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO).

- Our school is part of a far-reaching program by the Ministries of Culture and Education to promote traditional Cambodian culture and to ensure that every primary school child has access to this learning. Unfortunately the Ministries in question do not have the resources to reach out to all of Cambodia nor do they have enough teachers, that is why this project in Kampot Province is held to be so important and unique and why our school, the Kampot Traditional Music School is held up as a role model for the rest of Cambodia.

Where do our Students Come from?

Students currently atttending these courses of Pin Peat, Mahori music, Classical Cambodian ballet, Folk dance and Yike Theatre are from three main state schools, "Samdech Ta", "Dipok" and "Kampot Krong". This is a quote from the head teacher of Dipok state school,

"Sometimes our students come to school without shoes on, or shoes which are falling apart. They come to school without books or stationary. They come from outlying rural areas in Kampot which are very poor. If the Kampot Traditional Music School didn't provide free tuition, these students would never be able to attend the arts lessons there."

From the photograph included in this report, you can see our Yike students giving their first major performance. These young students have in the space of one year, gone from being absolute beginners, to giving important theatre performances.

Future:

It is vital for the well-being of our students currently attending these arts training courses and for future primary school students to come, that we continue this extraordinary successful project. We have organized the coming academic year's curriculum, our current arts teachers from the Royal University of Fine Arts and the Ministry of Culture and National Theatre remain with us and are enthusiastic in continuing this program.

We will be expanding our program to include the tuition of Small Shadow Puppet Theatre (Sabaik Lakoun Toch) and Miniature Instrument Making:-

Sabaik Lakoun is an ancient art form dating back over 1000 years. It is a much loved and revered art, but yet in Kampot Province there is no puppet troupe. Learning the skill of shadow puppetry and how to make puppets will enable our school to learn a new and important art, reach out to more students, provide a therapeutic and holistic art form, as both our residential students and outreach students work on new educative story lines, practice funny voices and learn new ways of self-expression. Above all the citizens of Kampot can come and enjoy wonderful puppet performances and help contribute through small entrance fees, towards the upkeep and running costs of our school.

Miniature Instrument Making is a way of learning a new handcraft skill, directly connected to the mission and central theme of our school....Traditional Cambodian Musical Instruments! We can't afford to make large real instruments like gongs, because they require a metal foundry to melt bronze. But we can promote miniature instruments using local materials and help students and teachers learn new skills and through the sale of these tiny instruments, for our school to raise money to help us be more self-sufficient.

Please help us make sure our Free Arts Training continues for this coming academic year 2015 and help us with the start-up costs of these two worthwhile curriculums in our arts-training program; by joining our:-

GlobalGiving Fundraising day on the 15th October, where your donation will receive 30% matching funds from GlobalGiving. The Fundraising day starts at 09:00am Washington time and ends 11.59pm (23.59) Washington time.

Please check the World Clock Website for the right time to donate from your part of the world!

Thank you for all your very precious support and please keep on helping our important work.

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Jul 15, 2014
Participate in Bonus Day and really help our school

By Catherine Louise Geach | Founder

A dancers hands create the Suprech (prayer)

For all our Dear Supporters,

As you know our project has been a real success, so much so that we are carrying it onto next year, this thanks to each one of you who have donated and especially thanks to those who have made reoccuring monthly donations.

Our 400 Outreach free arts training students recently began their first series of concerts. Their enthusiasm is really heartwarming. We are really suprised at their attendance rate and their determination to continue. Our teachers are very happy about their progress, especially in the sectors of traditional music and Yike theatre.

On behalf of our school - the Kampot Traditional Music School for Orphaned and Disabled Children-Khmer Cultural Development Institute, I would like to invite you all to participate on our GlobalGiving Bonus Day.

This is how it works:- The Global Giving Bonus Day begins July 16th at 9am Washington time and ends 11.59 Washington time USA. Please see here below what time it is in your country to know when to donate! Please remember that the earlier you donate, the better chance there is of our receiving matching funds! Remember to donate on the right date and at the right time, otherwise we won't receive a matching donation.

For every donation you make, our school will receive 40% of matching funds from GlobalGiving. PLUS if we manage to have the most individual donors we will receive a donation from Global Giving of $1000 ($500 second prize). Also if we manage to raise the most funds, we also receive a donation from Global Giving of $1000.

For this Bonus Day Payments can be made by creditcard or Paypal Only

Here are some of the times in your countries for the 16th July Bonus Day:-

Washington 09:00

London 14:00

Rome 13:00

Jakarta 20:00

Berlin 15:00

Phnom Penh 20:00

Every amount is welcome, even the smallest sum goes towards our goal of helping our school and local community and Cambodia as a whole. Please do participate, because if we all work together, we may be able to raise enough funds to support our school for the whole of the next year!

THANK YOU!

Children on our residential program

Our garden

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