Football Facts
Someone asked me last week in response to the Flame Football Fundraiser, last year,
“Why does Flame do football when Cambodian kids often go hungry?”
We have been consistently promoting sport at Flame because we believe that it’s a smart way to connect with young people in a way that will help them both on and off the field. This is not just a hunch! As I have dug into UN documents and research about sport as a tool to help at risk communities, I have found a clear link with improved academic outcomes. Literacy is absolutely necessary to becoming a leader, and slum living kids becoming leaders is what Flame is all about!
High school enrollment in Cambodia sits at 57%*. Participation in sport has been shown to have a direct relationship with a more positive attitude toward school work and improved academic performance. These academic factors are important predictors of future educational attainment and occupational success. This is what is necessary for sustainable development. Flame wants to see long term impact in these communities and this is one proven way of achieving that. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development states that sport contributes to the empowerment of communities as a while and particularly, to the empowerment of youth.
Recently the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) also linked sport with life-skills development and crime prevention. Being part of a team promotes inclusion and creates a positive sense of well being among the players. Football is a popular pastime among the slum living kids and has a wide reach -we don’t need to recruit kids or twist anyone’s arm to play.
So this is why we have a focus on football! We need your help to keep the teams afloat, buy gear and pay the field costs.
These kids need boots! Please help them by donating using the button below. Just click and donate.
Bridges
“No one can build you the bridge on which you, and only you, must cross the river of life,” Nietzsche
Why do we build bridges? Bridges take us from one side to another. They enable movement in situations where, without them, a crossing would be either difficult, inconvenient, or at times, impossible. In the lives of the children of the urban poor in Phnom Penh, the bridge with which they “cross the river of life” can take them from being unseen, unheard, without representation, oppressed, living literally in the margins of the city, to a place of healthy integration into society. Education is a key component to this kind of economic and social mobility but the actual daily process takes so much more than just education.
For me, the Nietzsche quote begs the question, what is the bridge on which you cross the river of life made of? The final product and therefore destination of this bridge depends on both the material and construction of that bridge. What is necessary for a child to be able to build a bridge that will effectively take them from poverty and desperation to a space of empowerment? I don’t have answers, and each child needs a different set of materials depending on the individual situation, but one thing’s for sure, they all need courage, determination and strength.
For the kids who live in squalid circumstances, often with parents who have gone through hideous times, access to education is by no means a given. But that access alone is not the bridge. The children themselves need to build their own bridge and cross over to the other side. They face huge challenges, pressure to contribute to the family economy, and practical obstacles like a house which is not waterproof in a city that witnesses massive deluges in the rainy season for months of the year. They often don’t have someone at home who can help them with their homework. It’s not easy.
I have seen happy kids laughing in some of the most dismal places in the city, and some of them will have the courage and will to stay in school, year after year until they graduate. We see today in the Leadership Academy, young adults who have had to dig deep, overcome obstacles and now determine their own futures.
We need help to get more young high school graduates into our program.
Please consider donating and helping these guys with their bridge.
Veasna, an Inspirational Young Woman
I met with a Flame Leadership Academy student this week, Veasna, who is working now for Flame on the social work team. She understands the value of learning and specifically of learning language. She is from a disadvantaged family herself - she knows exactly how hard it is for the Flame kids and has literally 'been there, done that". She knows first hand what commitment looks like and to this day has an unusual level of determination to make the most of the opportunity that she has been given. She attends university and gains work experience at Flame. She was telling me that when she goes home and visits with her younger siblings and mum they ask her about when she’s going to find a husband and get married, and she just shakes her head and says she just doesn’t have the space. She is single-minded in her focus to do her very best at university and to help the kids in Flame. She has had a glimpse of her own potential and fully believes that she is able to make a huge difference and NOTHING is going to stand in her way.
She went on to explain to me, that in Cambodia, without a sold grasp of English, kids they will be isolated from the international community and disadvantaged in accessing the best materials for their studies. They will not be able to reach their full potential.
When i visited her at the Flame Activity Centre in Sensok, Veansa pointed out to me one girl who was at our centre for the very first time. She is a bright 14 year old, in grade 8, but had never been able to attend English lessons and really lacks confidence as she knows she is behind and struggling to keep up. Her mother has HIV and is at the stage now where she isn’t mobile and has stopped eating, and even finds it hard to drink. What does the future look like for the eldest girl in a family which is losing its mother?
Life is not fair. That’s for sure. I see kids who have been given a huge chance and their lives and futures will never be the same… and i have seen too many kids tagging along behind a parent pulling a cart of recycled plastic, barefoot and grubby, busy working to support their families. The number of kids that Flame can reach is limited by donations. It’s basic maths.
We are increasing the numbers of university scholarships and opening our doors for more people like Vaesna but really need your help to pay for the scholarships. Please consider giving to the Flame Leadership Academy Program so that more people like Veasna can receive a university education and give back to the communities they came from. This is the full circle.
Human Trafficking & Debt
This blog was originally posted in 2017 but this story still happens in Cambodia today:
One of our young leaders, a recent high school graduate has started University. She is bright, hardworking and has now begun volunteering at one of the Flame centres teaching English to the young slum-living kids. She is pretty and full of energy with a genuine, kind heart.
So far the story looks good, right?
About 6 weeks ago, she basically decided to take up an amazing job in Japan. The package included the airfare and visa, the monthly salary was said to be US$1500, which is a truckload of money for a 19 year old!
This kind of scheme draws in those who are struggling, the brokers deliberately target rural areas where there are known debts.
Our young leader's mother is supporting the family on her own, as well as looking after their grandmother. Out of desperate need, the mum took a loan from her employer. Now she works full time in a paid job but receives NONE of her salary. It goes directly to her employer to pay the exorbitant interest on the loan, 10% per month.
With this kind of financial pressure hanging over her family- directly affecting her, with cultural pressures at play, the Japan job is SO tempting. Our young leader is willing to give up her own education and dreams of being an English professor at a university, to make quick cash, with the HOPE that she will be safe and that the job will be real.
The reality is that all of the associated costs of the trip could become a huge debt held against her, so instead of repaying a debt she creates another one. There is NO guarantee of a good income or safe working conditions, and once she has left her networks, language and everything familiar behind, she would be voiceless and completely at the mercy of a stranger.
This is THE standard human trafficking lure.
Poverty is a complex problem and we have learned that there are no easy solutions. We have shared previously that primary education immunises the community against traffickers, and because this young woman is in Flame, she had a safe place to come with her fears and questions about the job opportunity in Japan. This is a timely reminder of the need to practically equip and arm our young people against those who would exploit and take advantage of them.
What other ways can we help this family?
Why does this job offer worry us? Just last week seven Cambodian women were rescued from a restaurant in Japan where they were allegedly forced into sex work.
The women, who are in their 20s, were lured to work at the restaurant in central Honshu in November with promises of high wages by a Japanese owner who arranged visas and airfares for them. Here's the link to the article
Japan has long been a destination for women from Southeast Asia seeking higher wages. Some find themselves forced into sex work or indentured labor.
Last August the Philippines warned its citizens against illegally traveling to Japan in search of work, saying they often risked being trafficked for sex or forced labor.
Washington’s annual report on human trafficking says Japan remains a “destination, source and transit” country for human trafficking despite a recent increase in prosecutions.
Let's keep the ambulance running at the bottom of the cliff... but work hard to build fences at the top.
Aquaponics
We have heard of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, but maybe not the “floating gardens of Cambodia” but throughout history, Cambodians have been growing vegetables and flowers with fish in this very zen and sustainable harmonious collaboration. Small scale intense farming of organic vegetables and fish is a familiar concept to Cambodians.
The Flame Young Adults are excited and engaged in growing organic veggies with bubbling fish in ponds right in front of the Leadership Academy. Figuring out the details of ph levels and really trying to keep the fish alive has proven quite the challenge for these keen university students. Words that come to mind are “STEEP LEARNING CURVE”! The mortality rate of the fish has been quite horrific! Nobody said it would be easy! We are super thankful for Michael Hensel and Koya Project , who have come alongside Flame to give the Young Adults the necessary training. If you click on the link you’ll see the smiling faces of Flame Young Adults on the Koya website landing page :-)
We are not the aquaponics NGO, but we are launching our Young Adults into projects where they can practically learn and grow and develop their leadership skills. The dream for aquaponics is replicating these little systems within the poorest communities of urban Phnom Penh. It’s a long way off yet! If you’d like to help support our Young Adults, please donate using the button below.
THANK YOU!
Why we love sport
Imagine a young girl walking along a dusty track between endless rice paddies. She has a skip to her step as she heads to the nearby volleyball pitch, net strung between two coconut trees. The sun is relentless in the Cambodian countryside, and she thinks nothing of her bare feet, enjoying the sense of being able to touch the earth, dust between her toes. The volleyball competition between the different groups of village kids isn’t the most important thing to her, it’s being able to escape from her 12 year old worries. She can shelve the stress she feels about her parents latest quarrel, the sulking refusal to join the family meal. She is distracted at school with thoughts that circle inside her head, wondering if her parents will stay together, wondering who she will find when she goes home. When she’s playing sport, she focusses on the ball and on her team mates, desperate not to let the team down, hoping to avoid any recrimination or blame for a fumbled shot or bad pass. She wants her team to know she is trying her best. She laughs out loud and loves sport.
As an adult now, Navy brings these memories to her job at Flame. She is passionate about sport and believes that it’s not just about skills on the field. Sport is a way out of the mundane drag of life, an escape from the monotony of the slums. It’s football, of course it’s about the physicality of the sport, health and strength, balance and muscle development, but it’s so much more than that. The technical aspects of football can be summarised by how one team conquers another, but the process involves the kids brains as they learn to read the other team, communicate with their own team, maintain trust and relationships, and plan and strategise on the run. The skills learned on the field can be transferred to daily life.
To continue training the bodies and minds of the 65 young Flame footballers, we need your support. Please donate and do it now so that we can make the most of the Global Giving Campaign
World Famous in New Zealand - our founder Sue Hanna
WAIKATO UPBRINGING IGNITES FOUNDER’S PASSION FOR HELPING OTHERS
Growing up on the family farm in the Waikato, Sue Hanna’s passion for helping people was heavily ingrained from her childhood, which led to her current venture - helping Cambodian children living in slums complete their education - from primary through to university.
With more than 25 years in leadership and ministry roles, Sue founded Flame Cambodia in 2015, alongside another fellow Kiwi, Nicola Palairet from Auckland, who is the current communications manager.
Flame was created to connect with slum-dwelling children and inspire them to leave begging or rubbish collecting and start school or re-engage in education. The goal is that each child reaches beyond their potential.
Currently, Sue facilitates foundational leadership training to young adults. She also mentors, motivates and encourages the staff who work in the centres with the children to help them to be able to do the work that they do.
They have a team of 33 staff members throughout the different Flame programs such as three activity centres, a residential university scholarship program, leadership training and more.
Sue calls the process of the children becoming a young leader “the full circle” and it involves three stages – identify, grow and launch.
The activity centre staff work with children and their families to identify why they’re not in school. Often that’s due to low income or perhaps the parents are illiterate, so they can’t fill out the forms or the kids don’t have a birth certificate.
‘Grow’ is about keeping the kids in school, motivated, and passing their grades. The kids go to school for half a day, and the other half they go to one of Flame Cambodia’s three activity centres to do any catch-up work with staff to help them stay on track in school.
As part of their ‘launch’ stage, Flame has university scholarships available and a leadership programme, so they strongly encourage the university students to come up with mini projects of their own that they would like to happen to help their people or the communities they came from.
“Those kids are the future generation, and this enables them to learn a new skillset while giving back to their community. They emerge as confident leaders in their communities, inspiring others in education, service, and leadership,” Sue said.
“We launch them off to help Cambodia because they’re the ones who will change it.”
It was “wandering around the planet” on her OE and seeing poverty throughout the world that lead Sue to where she is now.
“It had a huge impact on me and made me realise that I had the ability to make a significant difference in somebody’s life even if I didn’t know them,” Sue said.
Upon her return, she worked for World Vision for 10 years as a territory manager in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, King Country and East Coast.
It was in this role that she visited Cambodia several times to see the work that World Vision was doing and collect stories to take back home and raise more money.
“Cambodia got more and more under my skin every time I went, to the point that in 2004 I took some annual leave, went to Cambodia and decided I was going to find a Sue-shaped hole, because I knew there was something I could do there which was linked into those moments I had when I was travelling on my OE,” Sue said.
Sue’s passion has always been to stand alongside the poor and disadvantaged, who have been written off by their own communities, and to help them.
Her parents also held a desire to help people, so growing up, they always had extra people coming to stay in their family home. Sue said they would have people out of prison who would stay often for six months at a time, as well as missionaries who were overseas and had just come back to New Zealand.
“As a child, I would just immerse myself into other people’s stories. I also read a lot of autobiography books, and I would imagine myself exploring and thinking this is what I want my life to look like,” Sue said.
Sue has been living in Cambodia for the past 13 years, helping families through Flame Cambodia. However, they also have a New Zealand board, which includes Brian Trebilco from Te Awamutu, as the board chair; Greg Stocker from Pirongia as trustee; and Meredith Brocklebank from Auckland, who is the secretary treasurer.
The name Flame comes from a biblical passage, where it talks about a flame which is nurtured and then it eventually comes to a point where it’s a fire on its own.
“That’s where the identify, grow and launch comes from – at the start we need to do a lot of protecting, encouraging and inspiring, but then it becomes a point where the fire will keep going, and then it’s a well-burning fire and those people can then go off and start other fires, to give back to their communities.”
27/Aug/2018 by Shontelle Campbell
https://www.waikatostory.nz/blog/waikato-upbringing-ignites-founder-s-passion-for-helping-others
Time for Toothpaste
Research shows that healthy mouths aid healthy bodies... and we know that healthy children have a huge advantage in their learning.
In collaboration with Pro Health Cambodia (https://www.prohealthcambodia.com/) and generously funded by the InTouch Global Foundation (http://www.intouchglobalfoundation.com) Flame began a "Brush My Teeth" centre-based iniative, adding oral hygiene to the to the education based program.
150 Flame kids eat a healthy and nutritious lunch with an age specific mult-vitamin. We take nutrition seriously. Now, each child is supervised brushing their teeth each day they come to our Activity Centres.
Flame depends on donations to help the poorest kids in Phnom Penh. Please consider partnering with us to make a difference.
Esther So Photographer - Melbourne Exhibition, 01 Sept 2018
IMAGINE 2018 Exhibition
01 Sept 2018
Melbourne Meat Market
3 Blackwood Street
North Melbourne VIC 3051
Sat: 10am – 4pm
Esther, the Flame photographer, will have her photos featured in the Have A Heart For Cambodia IMAGINE 2018 exhibition on 01 Sept, 2018 in Melbourne's famous Meat Market. They are part of a awareness-raising campaign about Flame and the urban poor of Cambodia. Esther will be there in person, and her work will be on live auction, with other items for sale. Come along if you're in the area and have a look at her latest work.
For more information click here
Below is Esther's video, a heartbreaking account of her life as a child subject to the hardship of living in poverty. Esther graduated in June from the Royal University of Phnom Penh with a degree is sociology and works full time between Flame and another project among the urban poor children in the community where she grew up.
We need your help to support young people like Esther. Go and see her work being displayed and join in the celebration of her success story.
Flame Graduation
THE FLAME MODEL WORKS
In June I attended the graduation ceremony for the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Prime Minister Hun Sen delivered the keynote speech so security was tight -the military and police presence blatantly obvious. My water bottle was emptied and my bag was x-rayed as I entered the huge facility. This was a major national level deal! I excitedly took my seat among the throngs.
Of the over 3600 graduates, two were from the Flame Leadership Academy: Esther So (estherso_photographer on instagram) our Flame Photographer graduated with a sociology degree. You'll be hearing a lot more about Esther next week as she is heading to Australia and New Zealand to exhibit her photography... watch this space!
Esther will be exhibiting her work at The Meat Market, Melbourne, 01 Sept, 2018 in collaboration with Have a Heart for Cambodia and IMAGINE 2018
The other student was Longdy Chhap, graduating with his psychology degree. The crowds were so large that there were multiple mounted television screens around the hall so that everyone could see the President hand out the degrees... except only 10 graduates were chosen to receive their degree on the stage -shake with the right, receive with the left!
Longdy is outstanding, and of the 10/3631 ... what a privilege to shake hands with the President!
Longdy was one of the ten. Maths isn't my strong suit but even I could tell that this is a huge achievement, and a testament to Longdy's hard work and commitment. Longdy has been accepted into the Masters of Clinical Psychology program and will start that next year. In the meantime he's working and continues to come to the Flame Leadership Academy and helps with translation and counselling of our young leaders.
Thank you for your support to put these young people through university and to help the families of the kids in the poorest urban communities of Phnom Penh.
We need your help to get more kids into school, and to give them the chance of being university graduates like Esther and Longdy. Please give discerningly and generously to something that really does work.
Maria’s Story
“My parents couldn’t give me an inheritance, but they could give me an education.”
When people are deprived of an education, how do they read or negotiate work contracts? How do they understand the wider digital world that we live in without computer literacy? Before I came to Flame, I worked with survivors of human trafficking. I saw for myself the clear link between low education levels and increased vulnerablity to human traffickers and exploitation. People without basic literacy are simply more easily cheated and taken advantage of. They have less choices in terms of what they can do, where they can go and what capacity they can function in work-wise.
“Give a child an education, and they take it wherever they go.”
My job as isn't easy, but it is rewarding. I have decided to put aside the difficulties I face daily, the horrid smells, behavioural issues, harsh language and generally tough environment and focus on the positive. To be honest, I love working with kids, and I really want to bring love into their lives as well as giving them the opportunity to go to school. They are so in need of care and encouragement.
I believe that the heart is so very important... if we don't have compassion, how will we serve our communities?
When I help slum living kids, I feel super excited, it's like my soul is filled -I'm so happy. I love the fact that I am not only able to find out what's going on at the time, but am able to follow up, day by day and step by step to really help them attain sustainable change. Without an education, these kids will only ever be able to work using brawn not brains. They will stay begging at the traffic lights, without a chance to change their future.
I love being part of the solution.
This is a new Flame student, happy to be able to attend school instead of collecting plastic bottles.
My team and I are thankful each day for the supporters who make an education possible for kids like this. Please consider partnering with us to help more kids.
Kids on the night shift
You’d never guess that Pich is 13 years old. He is in grade 3, and until recently, worked nights collecting plastic alongside his younger siblings and parents. Pich was hit by a motorbike late one night and his family approached Flame for financial assistance to pay for his hospital bills. He had a suspected concussion and his front teeth were knocked out. The accident occurred while he was on the job, but there is no compensation for a child like Pich.
The entire family have been collecting bottles at night when the temperatures drop, so despite the fact that the children are enrolled in the local school, and the youngest is enrolled in kindergarten, they’re just too tired to go.
Pich’s Dad works days also as a Moto-taxi driver, shown here with Pich’s youngest brother Thy who is 5.
A kiwi Flame supporter had stepped up to help this family, so now the kids are attending both public school and the Flame Activity Centre daily - and no longer need to work at night. A Flame case worker has been assigned to the family and we are looking at practical solutions to their desperate situation. With both mum and dad willing and keen workers, there must be a way for them to become sustainable.
If you want to help families like this, partner with us. We can’t do this without your help.
These kids can now go to school ... let’s try and help the whole family out of poverty
A Baby Is Born!
Flame recently celebrated the birth of a new baby: Thai Theraka! Thai and Chanthy are long time Flame mentors who give and give and love the Flame Leadership Academy young adults.
Thai has been a significant influence in the lives of many of our young guys, playing soccer regularly and meeting intentionally to share hearts, laughter and coffee! Chanthy has been deeply involved in mentoring the young women at the Flame Leadership Academy and is now a mother for the first time!
Please join us as we welcome their sweet, new baby :) An interesting twist is that the baby was delivered by Rithy!! We love the Flame Full Circle!!
The Flame young adults are the “top end of the Full Circle”... in university or vocational training, leading or participating in their initiatives in local slum communities. If you want to help young adults reach their potential, you can give easily using the donate button below.
Fishing Boat Boy Becomes Community Leader
Read the story of Wandy Long - Flame Activity Centre Leader at Steung Meanchey
Wandy (Photo creds Esther So)
I grew up on a boat in a fishing family right by the Killing Fields. My father caught fish and my mother sold it in the market. My family wanted me to go to school, but I didn’t actually start until I was 9 years old. Then, instead of attending school, my friends took me to the Russian Market to go begging and “fanning foreigners”. Back in the day, foreigners in the market would be so hot they would pay my friends and I to fan them! All the while, my parents thought I was at school!
Life on a boat
I remember being so excited when someone gave me $1 - it was so much money! I only went to school erratically and spent most of my time begging or stealing which was easier than being in class. One time I crawled under someone’s chair at a wedding and stole a whole case of beer from right under the seat! I stole shoes from the old ladies praying at the Pagoda, and looted the collection money from the offering box too. It’s hard to believe I was so naughty.
One day, I happened upon some kind American people who asked why I was not at school. They took me to church and found a family to sponsor me to go to school. I still might have gone begging except they kept a close eye on me and made sure I was actually going to school. To this day I am so very thankful for these people.
When I finished high school I didn’t go to University but I got a job teaching Khmer to foreigners. Despite the fact that I found this job very stressful and difficult, I ended up sticking with it for seven years. I then became a social worker and taught maths and English at another NGO before working for Flame. I currently lead the Activity Centre, I teach and encourage the kids.
I’m now married with a little boy. My wife sells sugar cane and I love her very much. I play the guitar with my young son and he sings his heart out!
The fun people at Surfside Christian Life Centre in Raglan New Zealand, have been supporting my position at the Flame Activity Centre at Steung Meanchey. They have invited me to go to NZ next month to meet them in person, share my story and attend the 2018 Life Conference in Auckland. This is such a cool opportunity for me, I can’t wait!
I will be at Surfside on both the 22nd and 29th April if you would like to come and meet me, and hear me share my story. Please contact info@flamecambodia.org for more info.
There are now 45 kids at the Flame Steung Meanchey Centre
Rithy's Story - how he became the leader of Mobile Medical
The inspiring story of hope
This is Rithy's story. He has gone from living in the slum to being a doctor to the slums. If you didn't get to meet Rithy while he was in New Zealand at least you can hear his story.
Where one leads the way others can follow.
Sothy's Story - from poverty to doctor
This is Sothy's story who goes out on Mobile Medical.
If one leads the way others will follow.
Thanks to Vogel Media for making this video for us, free of charge!
Introducing Kharona: Pop star in the making!
At Flame we have some spectacular staff... I would like to introduce Kharona, one of our case work team to you, and let him tell you his story.
I grew up in a Christian family, and even though we were poor, my parents wanted us to get a good education. It was tough growing up as the neighbours looked down on us. Money got even harder to come by after my father became so ill he couldn’t work anymore.
Kharona loves his job coming alongside our Flame clients
It was a miracle that I was able to do a short course in social work at Royal Phnom Penh University, and now have been here at Flame for almost one year.
I love write songs and I believe that God put in me what it takes to make melody and song. I have currently released one song with two more in progress. I love music :)
In the future, I would like to continue working with poor children but would also like to have my own family. I want to encourage the children to go and get an education like me.
I also dream of having my own band one day!
When you give to Flame you give to our staff.
Rithy Visiting NZ
First, a massive thanks to our supporters. We cannot do this alone. Whether you give of your skills, time or tithe, or as part of your corporate CSR, you are an integral part of our core business of identidying, growing and launching leaders.
Everyone who attended one of the Stories from the Slums events we held in New Zealand last year would have seen the video of Rithy, the young doctor who leads our Flame Mobile Medical Tuktuk. If you missed seeing the video, it’s available for viewing on Flamecambodia.org
Next month Rithy will be speaking at different locations around NZ.
Rithy’s story is a clear demonstration of the Flame Full Circle. As a child he was orphaned and wanderered the streets. As a doctor now, he is committed to providing basic healthcare for the slum dwelling communities around Phnom Penh. He has recently been accepted into the surgical specialization program at International University here in the capital. His entire degree was funded by a kind hearted GP in NZ.
We simply cannot do what we do without your support! Please keep an eye out for the different times and places where you can meet Rithy next month. We will be posting details on Facebook.
We need new sponsors for our emerging Flame young leaders. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to be part of the team.
Again, thank you.
Support Flame and support a new generation of leaders who are making sustainable change in their communities.
Chailee's Story:
Many of our staff have led extraordinary lives. Chailee is our HR and Admin Manager. This is his story:
Chailee grew up in a family of poor farmers in Northern Cambodia, in one of the first provinces to come under Khmer Rouge control in 1970. The Khmer Rouge closed schools and Chailee’s education ended abruptly when he in grade 5.
Between 1970 and 1979 Chailee worked as a nurse and it wasn’t a bad time for him, he was unaware of the horrors of the Killing Fields and the other atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge until he fled from the Vietnamese Army. It was during this three month flight that he saw dead bodies and learned the truth. It was on this arduous journey that he met Rith Ngoun -the Flame catch-up class teacher. They have been fast friends ever since.
Life in the refugee camp from 1979 to 1983 on the Thai-Cambodia border was the most harrowing Chailee had experienced. It was frightening on the border, with shelling and landmines and little food. In 1983, he moved to another refugee camp and because he knew about medicine was given a job with the International Red Cross. He worked with an interpreter between him and the medical team and when work was over for the day the interpreter would teach Chailee English. For three years following, he worked in the medical clinic in the morning and studied medicine in the afternoon. He gained a United Nations Certificate as a Physician’s Assistant which he was proud of until he found out that the certificate was not recognised by the government and therefore he couldn’t work in medicine.
Chailee also worked as an interpreter for the United Nations, and for other organisations using his strong communication skills. After many years working for NGO’s in Cambodia he retired. He raised 6 children, and currently has 6 grandchildren.
Chailee had previously worked with Sue Hanna and when he heard about Flame, he said ‘I’ve retired, but if you have a need, just let me know!”. Initially, the Flame ‘Full Circle’ seemed strange to Chailee but when he saw slum living children who had grown into leaders, it all made sense.
Chailee finds it exciting to share his ideas and love for children in a new way. Not having a formally recognized education hasn't held him back from helping others. Everyday Chailee prays that God will help Flame help these children become all they can be. He prays for wisdom to speak the right words to the kids and he asks God to bless them.
Chailee with his friend Mr Rith
Flame iNGO application successful!
Today amid cheers and laughter, Flame received the successful application of our iNGO application! This is the final outcome of well over one year of paperwork, interviews and pile upon pile of documents and some serious headaches!
Thanks to our staff for their relentless hard work ... and for Maria Thyda who came alongside and really helped us get this over the line. Thanks also to the Ministries of Social Affairs and Foreign Affairs who approved our application.
This is significant day in the life of Flame!
