Arts for Cambodian Children & Teens at Champey

November 29 is Giving Tuesday.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will give $500,000 in matching funds for donations up to $1000 made on Giving Tuesday to supercharge your support ! Match day begins at 12:01 AM New York Time.

Multi-purpose – a key ingredient to the success of Champey Academy Programs

As the reputation of Champey and its students  grow , our students have recently been performing for groups of hotel tourists and other groups who have begun to visit Champey. After seeing our dancers perform at Champey in October, the Women’s International Group - Cambodia  asked our students to perform for their annual Christmans Bazaar at the Intercontinental Hotel in Phnom Penh on November 27!

Champey Academy is more than just a dance and arts school.

Although our reports typically focus on our instruction programs, Champey also provides a lot of additional support to its youthful team members. Beyond  teaching music and art to students,  Champey provides  all of our young people, whether staff or student,  with a safe place to go and grow. On a more practical level, we also provide daily lunch to the members of our team. For both class participants and student workers, their abilities are respected and encouraged and many of our students attend classes daily.

What makes Champey run?

We have a dedicated group of young people, about 20 in all, ranging from age 16 to 25 who work in various capacities at Champey. Most are part time and their income is vitally needed as they are all from disadvantaged backgrounds. As you may imagine, we have almost no turnover in our student workers as we provide a unique opportunity: working in a safe, happy place which offers them a chance to learn and to  improve their skills .

The appearance and achievement of success of our students with smiling faces posing in their practice costumes or dance costumes are in most cases sharp contrast to the daily reality of live for many of these young people as they overcome significant obstacles such as extreme poverty. Many of our team and students also suffer from the impact of HIV where the death of a parent caused additional trauma and poverty and some our students and student workers themselves are HIV positive. Team members earn $35-$170 per month depending upon tasks and number of hours worked.

Accentuate the positive!

At every turn, our goal is to “ accentuate the positive” while respecting the unique life path of each student or student worker. Our view  has long been that while the arts and dance are a point of engagement, beyond this  exposure to the arts and Cambodia's rich cultural heritage,   is the development of a sense of personal pride of accomplishment, as well as building team skills and discipline, skills that spill over into the personal lives of our young people.  For example, our team of student " greeters" have practiced their English language skills to the degree that they are now also able to give a brief introductions and explanations about the basics of traditional Cambodian dance.

Your continued support of our program provides these multiple opportunities to the young people on our staff and as well as to the local neighborhood children who can at attend our classes free of charges.

We couldn’t do this without you!

Barbara & Mark Rosasco

Links:

• Women's International Group- Cambodia