Arts for Cambodian Children & Teens at Champey

Creative solutions paving the way to success! 

School break has ended and things are getting back to normal.  We currently have between 60 and 70  students daily in our classes at Champey.  Our students, aqe 5 to 24  come from “modest” backgrounds, a status   which can priesent challenges .

Unique Challenges 

Although the students  at Champey Academy have unique opportunities to experience high level instruction in art, dance and music, their  family economics can  make it a continuous tug of war.   Should the aspiring  young  art/dance/music artists and performers  continue their studies or should they  go to work at a market stall or in a menial job to provide a small amount  urgently needed  extra income to the family?

Our Jobs for Youth program   at Champey provides a middle road that allows many of our students to continue their artistic  studies,  while earning much needed income to supplement modest family incomes.  For example,  some of our dance  students  are greeters to the tourists who visit the school. We have about 10 students who fulfill several modest jobs like these to earn a small stipend.  The stipend is often  just enough to justify their family to allow them  to  continue  their studies at the school. We also  provide a lunch to a number of our student workers after learning that some were on such a tight budget that they would skip lunch. One of our teachers, very kindly started to subsidize a sort of group lunch so that everyone would share lunch and no one would be left ot.   Other students, such as our top dance and music students  are now  able to earn a seasonal ( tourist season)  small monthly income due to our developing relationship with the Raffles Hotel  in Phnom Penh.

Creative Solutions

We have been working with Raffles Hotel group since 2017.  We are pleased that it has veen  recently agreed that a group of   our students will perform weekly ( Thursday  nights) at the hotel through March of 2019. The performance group numbers about 15 people, which includes 3 teachers and generally around 12 students, of which 3 to 4 are musicians, one  acting   as the master of ceremonies, ( explaining and introducing the performance)  and the remaining students are dancers. Typically each dance requires 6 dancers .

Not only do our students earn much needed income , but the students  get public exposure which  helps them, over time,  to build a more professional resume, by being able to list their performances  at the  prestigous Raffles Hotel in Phnom Penh.     It is a win for everyone: Raffles Hotel has a wonderful weekly performance group with a unique background and story , the students develop their performance skills and earn a modest income and Champey academy achieves a key goal of its mission, educating Cambodian youth  and others about the richness of Cambodian culture while helping our students build skills and experience to help move them toward a more middle class life in the future.

It has taken years for these students to reach the standards of excellence required for  performances at a top notch venue such as  the Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh.  I encourage you to visit the Raffles Hotel Le Royal webside  sight  to give you a sense of the performance venue for our students. Expectations are high and command professional level skills from our students.   The  accomplishments of these students  have come as a result of hard work , often for long periods , with no reward in sight. Their success now serves as a role model to other  students. 

Funding challenges endanger our program 

Recently, due to the near constant and worthwhile  appeals for help due to many natural disasters, it has made it very difficult for us to raise the funds needed to keep the school open and our need for funding is urgent.   Your support of this program over the years has made these achievements possible and  we hope that you can see  what a difference that your support can make.

These challenges impact not only our student workers, but the upkeep of the modest building that houses the school and the lunch that we provide to  our student workers to help them keep expenses down. 

What you can do

It is easy to look at these bright, successful young people and assume that there are sufficient financial resources to help them to continue to progress in their studies and indeed in their lives without our programs.   One of our biggest funding challenges is that our students look  " too good", their pride , high personal standards and great attitude make them look " too successful"  belying the fact the underlying truth that  success or failure hangs by a thread.  

Please join with us to help these aspirig young people to continue to move foward in their studies. Your continued financial support provides so many things to our students, which, when combined , creates a  unique  pathway to success. 

Wen are deeply grateful to you for your continued support.

Barbara & Mark Rosasco 

Links:

• Kasumisou Foundation
• Champey Academy listing Trip Advisor Phnom Penh
• Video of Raffle Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh

Champey Academy supports  International Youth Day  every day!

International Youth Day, founded in 2000 by the United Nations, is celebrated every year on 12^th of August. The purpose of International Youth Day is to develop awareness of cultural and legal issues that affect youths and to engage young people to creating positive changes in their community and in their own lives.

The SafeSpaces4Youth  Week showcases the opportunities for youth,  that access to safe spaces can provide. Safe Spaces are inclusive, offer opportunity for youth to help youth and help youth to build skills.

Champey Academy epitomizes the very concept of SafeSpaces4Youth by offering accessible instruction to all students in a safe, tolerant and motivated environment.

Our students, aqe 5 to 24  come from lower socio economic backgrounds  and all aspiring students are welcome regardless of economic, family, gender or HIV  status. Students  at Champey Academy have opportunities to experience high level instruction in art, dance and music. Advanced students mentor other students and our Jobs for Youth provides sustainable safe employment for students to pursue their craft while earning much needed income to supplement modest family income or to provide urgently needed income for our college students.

Growth in skills offers students opportunities such as the now weekly public performances ,   art exhibitions and  student mentoring during our 2 month  popular Summer Arts programs for disadvantaged youth.

For example, during the current  tourism season, (November through April) the Champey dance and music students and staff were invited to perform every Friday evening for the guests of Phnom Penh's prestigious Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

In August 2017 The students at Champey Academy just started a new project in collaboration with the Raffles Hotel in Phnom Penh featuring “gallery shows and sales ” of  student drawings and paintings   And now that the annual school break has begun,  our student ranks will nearly double as parents encourage idle students to take classes in a safe, motivating and creative environment.

Please join us as we continue our support of providing Safe Spaces For Youth. We are deeply grateful to our donors for each and every donation that provides a safe environment to help move our kids further along in realizing their amazing potential.

New recurring monthly  donations will receive a 100% bonus on the first month during International Youth Week which begins on August 6. 

Thank you all for your support ! 

Barbara & Mark Rosasco  

Links:

• What's new at Champey