Pepy 2014 annual report

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Annual Report 2014



Table of Contents

Letters from our Leadership 2-3-4 Who we are and what we do 2014 5 Localization 6 PEPY Empowering Youth 2015 onwards 7 Where we do it 8 Why we do it 9 How we do it 10 The PEPY Team 11

Creative Learning Classes & Clubs 13 English Classes 14 Dream Classes 15 Learning Center 16 Scholarships 18 Vy and Voeut 19

Students’ Corner Challenges and Lessons Learned in 2014 Challenges and Lessons Learned from 10 years Spreading our message Managing our finances Thinking about the future

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All about us

Our Programs

Transparency

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Letters from our Leadership be poor have now changed their beliefs. Now, some of them are supporting their children in attending Dream Classes and applying for our Scholarship Program. We would like to share our recent successes with you. The two scholarship students who joined the first pilot scholarship program in 2012 both now have well-paying jobs. They are very excited about this opportunity and their parents are happy for, and proud of, their children. In addition, one of them is supporting his sibling in continuing to university. Through these role models, more and more families in the Kralanh District are starting to realize the value of higher education. This has helped us see that what we have been doing over the years has had an impact in the community. Dear friends and PEPY supporters, 2014 was a special year for PEPY. After several years of planning, the process of transitioning from an international NGO to a local NGO was completed and handed over successfully at the end of the year. A new locally based board of directors is now fully functioning, the new board and PEPY staff worked to develop governances, bylaws, and policies, and the organization was registered with Ministry of Interior. I would like to say a big thank you to the PEPY US board, the local board, and PEPY staff who put in a lot of time and effort to ensure a smooth transition process. Without their support, we could not have transitioned successfully. I would like to introduce you to the local, fully Cambodian NGO: PEPY Empowering Youth. Our vision is young Cambodians empowered to pursue careers to improve the quality of their lives, and our mission is to work with young Cambodians and connect them to the skills, opportunities, and inspiration needed to reach their potential. Our key goal is to increase the percentage of Kralanh graduates accessing skilled employment. Our 13 local staff and one foreign staff member work to help make this happen. In December we celebrated our 10th anniversary with friends and supporters, and announced the new local NGO. Over the past 10 years, PEPY has served more than 10,000 children and young people in Kralanh District and especially in Chanleas Dai commune, through a range of offerings including building schools, supporting leadership skill development, offering English, computer, and literacy courses. Through our efforts over the past decade, we can see that some of the Kralanh community who once believed that that a poor family will always

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In 2014, we supported 37 Kralanh High School graduates in university and vocational training in Siem Reap, through our Scholarship Program and Learning Center. In addition, we worked with approximately 500 children in Dream Classes, building skills in leadership, confidence, and how to set and achieve dreams. We’ve also highlighted what skills are most in demand by employers, and other scholarship opportunities available in Siem Reap. Through our programs, we believe that young Cambodians in rural areas will have better choices for their lives and for the next generation. We could not have done any of this without you trusting PEPY. We would like to say a deep thank you to all of you who helped us make so much progress. Without your support, these young people would not be able to receive such a rich education. Your support has helped make a massive difference in these young lives and in turn, their community. And finally, we are hoping that you will continue to support PEPY Empowering Youth so we can continue providing much-needed opportunities for young people to reach their potential through the power of education.

- Executive Director: Kimline Nuch

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


the localization process, the PEPY team in Cambodia has spent the last year working to double the size of our scholarship program, while offering English, computer, and soft-skills training to high-school graduates and Dream Classes for students still in high school. Reflecting on what PEPY is doing now reminds us of where we came from when we started, raising funds to construct the first PEPY-supported school building and making that important realization: schools don’t teach kids, people do. We’re delighted that PEPY Empowering Youth’s mission continues to focus on investing time in people. Dear PEPY supporters, This year has brought the culmination of a long, but important, transition that started a few years ago at PEPY and ends here, with our writing the final update as the US governing board of PEPY. On 1 January, 2015, PEPY’s governance transitioned from the US board to the new local NGO board, marking the final step of localization and the launch of PEPY Empowering Youth. It was a timely transition, coinciding with our 10-year anniversary, as the very first PEPY website launched in December 2004. We marked the 10-year milestone and the launch of the new local NGO with a party in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in December 2014. Many of our board members, former staff, and current scholarship recipients joined the event to celebrate this occasion. As we reflect as a board on 2014, most of our time was spent working on the details of this transition: legal documents transferring assets from the US entity to the new Cambodian organization, staff transition documents, setting up a new 501(c)3 partnership to be able to continue to receive US funds for PEPY’s work, and lots of other legal paperwork. This calls for a special mention and thanks to Conor Hallisy, who headed up our board’s efforts in so many of these areas when the “legalese” became too much for us.

All of us on the US board are grateful that we, too, have had the chance to grow through being a part of PEPY, and though our governance role in the organization has ended, we are committed to supporting the PEPY Empowering Youth team for a long, long time to come. All the best,

- PEPY Board Co-Chairs: Andrea Messmer & Daniela Papi

Many people have asked us if we are sad to see the US arm of PEPY winding down, but in fact we feel so excited for the future and proud to be a part of such a thoughtful process and dedicated team. In addition to managing

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Dear friends and PEPY Empowering Youth supporters, My name is Khuth Sochampawatd. As a former PEPY staff member, I am very happy to be chair of the incoming board of directors for 2015. Firstly, we would like to extend a massive thank you to the outgoing US board and all those who have been involved over the last ten years. We are so grateful for all you have done. The foundation that you have set up for the local board and team to take over is a very strong one and we would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work during this process. We are very excited to be involved in the transition to this new era and look forward to supporting the PEPY Empowering Youth team at this time and into the future. PEPY Empowering Youth’s vision, mission, and goal remain very similar to that of PEPY and take forward the previous work that PEPY started. The local board is hugely committed to supporting the staff, team, and students in their goals long into the future. Our final word is one of thanks and goes to you, our supporters and friends who have made the work we have achieved over this journey possible. In order to continue our work, we need you to continue your support of young Cambodians and their education and we look forward to working with you in 2015 and beyond! Awkun!

-Board Chair, PEPY Empowering Youth: Awatd

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Who we are and what we do 2014 Up until the end of 2014, PEPY (Promoting Education, emPowering Youth) was an international nongovernmental organization working in rural Cambodia. Our education and youth leadership programs were focused on students from Kralanh District, a rural area around 60 kilometers from Siem Reap. We worked directly with young people

to support the development of quality education and improve access to skilled employment. Dedicated local leaders and private donations enabled us to deliver a range of projects to support our vision, and mission, as an organization. Although in 2015 PEPY transitioned to a local NGO called PEPY Empowering Youth, in 2014, PEPY was a registered

501(c)3 non-profit in the USA (number 20-4739485) and held MOUs with Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To read more about our localization and the future for PEPY Empowering Youth, see page 6.

VISION

MISSION

GOAL

All young Cambodians empowered to achieve their dreams.

To invest time and resources in young people in Cambodia, working with them to connect them to the skills, systems, and inspiration necessary to achieve their goals, raise standards of living, and improve the quality of education in their communities.

Increase the percentage of Kralanh graduates accessing skilled employment.

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Localization eligible for tax deductions. We are now working with both Charities Aid Foundation America (CAF), and Maggie’s Fund to pass donations through to PEPY Empowering Youth. As of 2015, we no longer use our old giving platforms (Casuevox, Network for Good and Paypal); instead, we use CAF, Maggie’s Fund, and our Cambodian ACLEDA bank account to receive donations. Donors who give through the Cambodia Development and Education Fund in the UK may continue to give via this method. More information on how to give to PEPY Empowering Youth is available on the Support section of our website. We are excited to announce that as of 1 January 2015, we are now a fully registered Local NGO (LNGO). Moving from being a US registered 501c3 organization to a solely Cambodian-registered LNGO offers us many new opportunities: • PEPY Empowering Youth is a Cambodian LNGO run by Cambodians for Cambodians. • We now have a locally based Board of Directors who are able to support us from on the ground. • We are now able to access grants reserved exclusively for LNGOs, to supplement our current funding streams.

Philosophy Our philosophy remains very similar— with a focus on empowering youth through education. We are committed to transparency, honesty, sharing, and collaborating. At the current time, our three programs (Dream Class, Scholarship, and Learning Center) remain unchanged.

What about the US organization? The US organization has transferred its assets to PEPY Empowering Youth and is currently winding

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down, with the aim to complete this administrative process by the end of 2015.

Your funds and future funds Donations made before January 2014 supported activities under the management of the international NGO, PEPY, in the school year September 2013 – August 2014. Donations made between January and December 2014 were allocated to the school year beginning in September 2014; these funds supported activities delivered by both PEPY and, as of 1 January 2015, the new LNGO PEPY Empowering Youth. All donations made after December 2014 will also support activities delivered by PEPY Empowering Youth. PEPY Empowering Youth runs the same three programs as PEPY, and as such, donations will be spent on delivering the same standard of support in these areas. PEPY Empowering Youth is an LNGO, as we are not registered in the USA. However, we know it is important to still be able to receive tax-free donations from our US donors. We have secured partnerships with two fiscal sponsors in the US in order to ensure our US donors are still

Other changes We are really excited to have made some changes to our branding, and although the look and feel remain the same, the new brand reflects our new goals. Our new name— PEPY Empowering Youth—is an amalgamation of the PEPY name, representing our identity, brand loyalty, history, and credibility, with what we aim to continue doing: empowering youth. Our new logo represents education, empowered young people, reaching for dreams, excitement, and professionalism. The green color represents positive growth and the future. The website domain name is now pepyempoweringyouth.org with the site being similar in layout and design to our previous site. In conclusion, we hope that you’re as excited as we are about this transition! We look forward to continuing to work with you, and would like to thank you so much for helping PEPY Empowering Youth become what it is today and into the future!

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


PEPY Empowering Youth 2015 onwards PEPY Empowering Youth is a Cambodia-based education and youthleadership non-profit organization. Our education and youth leadership programs support students from Kralanh District, which is a rural area in Siem Reap province approximately 60

kilometers from Siem Reap city. The PEPY Empowering Youth founding team was inspired by the belief that education is the key to sustainable change. Through our education and youth empowerment programs, we work directly with government-funded

schools, community members, and leaders. Dedicated local leaders, collaborations with other like-minded organizations, and private donations help us realize our mission.

VISION

MISSION

GOAL

Young Cambodians empowered to pursue careers to improve the quality of their lives.

Work with young Cambodians and connect them to the skills, opportunities and inspirations needed to reach their potential.

Increase the percentage of Kralanh graduates accessing skilled employment.

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Where we do it Our focus area PEPY works with students from Kralanh District, a rural region approximately 60 km from Siem Reap city in Siem Reap province. This area encompasses Kralanh town and Chanleas Dai commune. PEPY began working in Chanleas Dai because our original partner organization identified the need for a school building in that community. The PEPY founders raised funds to build the school in collaboration with the Cambodian government and the Asian Development Bank. During the first few years of PEPY’s work, we funded education programs in many parts of the country, but in 2007, when we hired our first Cambodian director, she conducted an impact assessment and needs analysis, which led to the decision to focus our work in Kralanh. Due to the commitment of the community, local desire to improve education, and the leadership shown by youth in the area, we have continued to focus our work in the Kralanh community.

Kralanh District (Kralanh town)

Siem Reap

CAMBODIA

PEPY has worked with the community of Chanleas Dai for the past ten years. In 2012, we began working with Kralanh High School. We expanded our focus area to include Kralanh District in order to increase our impact working with students from across the district. In late 2012, we started to evaluate

our existing programs and in 2013, developed and implemented a strategic plan for the period 2013– 2017, which defined our priorities and direction. As our new strategic goal focuses on supporting students in Kralanh District to secure skilled employment, the emphasis shifted from working with junior high school students to high school and universityage students. In mid-2014, we transitioned out of working with Chanleas Dai Junior High School. Our office headquarters is in Siem Reap city in order to be closer to the scholarship students living there, and to manage our own Learning Center in town. These facilities are specifically for graduates from Kralanh who are studying or working in Siem Reap. Our Dream Project Coordinator is based in Kralanh in order to deliver facilitation at Kralanh High School.

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PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


Why we do it Siem Reap province, despite the booming tourism industry around Angkor Wat, is one of the poorest provinces in Cambodia. Most families depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and wages are low. Children and youth are often needed to help during the rice harvest, or with other chores, and are frequently kept home from school. There are few opportunities for employment outside of the city and many, including those as young as 12, choose, or are taken by their parents to, migrate illegally to Thailand in search of work to support their families. Illegal migration comes with increased wages in the short term, but this is accompanied by many risks such as exploitation, abuse, and lack of security. Many can’t see the long-term benefits of education, and instead focus on the short-term gain of immediate income. There is also a lack of understanding about the value of education. Many adults themselves received limited education and do not strongly value education over other alternatives (particularly contributing to the household economy). Despite a recent increase in teachers’ salaries, pay continues to be low. This, combined with the little value

placed on education, results in teachers having little motivation to improve the quality of their work and quality of education remains a concern. Compared to national averages of school retention rates, educatorto-student ratios, and high school graduation rates, Siem Reap is one of the lowest ranking provinces for the quality of education. In addition, Cambodia must prepare for the ASEAN economic integration at the end of 2015. Committing to an ASEAN community will enable free movement of goods, services, capital investment, and skilled labor within the region. This presents opportunities for Cambodia, as the low wages in the country will attract foreign investors. However, the free movement of labor could create

Cambodian statistics... • • • • • • • • • •

Population: 14.9 million Median age of the population is 23 years old 31% of the population live below the poverty line Public spending on education is 1.6% of GDP Ranked 170th in the world for education 29:1 teacher student ratio in secondary education 56% of children enroll into junior high school 23% of children enroll into high school 8% of young people enroll into university 87% of employers believe that graduates do not meet the needs of the job market

challenges for the Cambodian work force, as they will have to compete for jobs with their foreign counterparts. Studies done by the NEA and ILO show that Cambodian employers are not currently satisfied with the soft skills of employees, as such, PEPY saw the importance of setting up our Learning Center to support soft skill development. The skills learned at the Learning Center, assistance with CV, cover letter, leadership skills, technique, as well as the opportunity to be involved in cultural exchanges in 2015, will prove invaluable for the students when looking for work in this new, more competitive market. For these reasons, we identified a clear need to provide additional education and opportunities to students from this community, in order to empower them to find skilled employment upon graduating.

Sources: • •

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG

CIA World Fact Book: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/cb.html International Labor Organization: Youth & Employment – Bridging the Gap: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/actemp/downloads/projects/youth/ cambodia_surveyleaflet_en.pdf UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/cambodia_statistics.html#90

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How we do it resources.

Strategic planning In 2012, we evaluated our existing programs, developing, and implementing, a strategic plan for 2013–2017 which defined our priorities and direction. This acts as a blueprint to keep us focused on our key goal—to increase the percentage of Kralanh graduates accessing skilled employment. Now that we’ve established why we do the work we do, it’s important to look at how we do it. How do we reach our key goal, and help the students we work with to reach theirs? How do we spend money and work with beneficiaries? Unless we evaluate our “how”, we won’t ensure our work is done to the highest ethical standards with maximum impact.

Responding to community needs

Empowering local leadership

We now have 37 scholarship students attending university or vocational school, as well as receiving additional training in our Learning Center. To focus on older students who will soon be graduating from high school and considering their futures, this year we moved from offering Dream Classes to grade 9 and 12 students, to offering them to grade 10, 11, and 12 students.

For many years, PEPY worked with the local community but much of our staff base were from overseas. As we grew and developed, it became clear that in order for the organization to have maximum impact and be truly representative of the Cambodian students PEPY works with, we needed PEPY to be run by Cambodians. In 2014, we completed the process toward localization—the transition from PEPY, an international NGO, to PEPY Empowering Youth, a local NGO. In addition to focusing on Cambodian staff and board members, we wanted even more local representation on our team; currently one of our staff members, and two of our incoming board members for 2015, were born and raised in Kralanh District, helping to keep us connected to the community we work with.

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After consulting students, their families, and teachers in 2013, we discovered that securing skilled employment for young people is their real dream. We reassessed our program as a result, and implemented changes in 2013-14.

Monitoring and evaluation We recognize that monitoring and evaluating our programs and operations is important to be able to continue to learn and improve. We monitor and evaluate programs monthly, documenting efforts, results, and any challenges, as well as conducting mid-term evaluations and quarterly impact reports. We also conduct an annual project reflection, with input from all stakeholders; regular financial audits; and an annual external audit to ensure the efficient and transparent use of our

Capacity building of our staff This year, PEPY team members participated in the following training: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, cross-cultural communication, monitoring and evaluation, proposal and report writing, management training, childs’ rights, and child protection. In September, we presented at the inaugural Resource Alliance Fundraising Workshop in Phnom Penh on fundraising techniques. In November, several of the management team took part in training on emotional intelligence in management. Furthermore, in 2014, some members of our staff took advantage of our benefits scheme, which covers school fees for staff undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

Teaching methods We believe that engaged students are more likely to learn. We aim to act as facilitators by collaborating with students, and utilizing a variety of methods to encourage participation and learning, such as games, roleplay, small-group learning, peer learning, and more. At PEPY we always say “we work with, not for”.

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


PEPY Team

Due to changes at PEPY, including the transitioning out of two long-term programs, and localization, our staff requirements changed significantly in 2014. Moving forward with a locally empowered team and board has long been a vision, and at the end of this year it was realized with localization taking effect 1 January 2015. Read more on page 6. Nuch Kimline remained as Executive Director, while several other members of staff took on new roles. Duth Kimsru took over as Programs Manager, Try Seakngoy moved to Scholarship Project Manager, and Sien Konnitha took over as Finance and Operations Manager. Oem Manin remains in the post as ICT teacher and Communications Assistant. PEPY welcomed several new staff members, including Yong Channa as Scholarship Project Assistant, Yang

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG

Savonmealea as Administration and Accountant Assistant, Gemma Marshall as Communications and Fundraising Director, Colm Byrne as Capacity Builder, and Chik Sokhum as cleaner. We would love to acknowledge the following staff and volunteer members who have now transitioned out of the organization, but were essential in supporting our work in 2014: Amy McLoughlin, Rith Sarakk, Loem Lida, Soben Sorn, Chhem Pov, Chim Seng, Yang Sreytho, Krisna Hong, Shuying Ke and Alida Kalejs. A special thank you to consultants Luis Barreto, Dur Montoya, and Alex Pettiford for their contribution of photography and videography. Special thanks also go to the many volunteers who also supported us throughout 2014, and the many who continue to support us.

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ALL ABOUT US – WWW.PEPYCAMBODIA.ORG

Our Programs During 2014, PEPY transitioned out of the English Classes and Creative Learning Classes and Clubs at the Junior High school in Chanleas Dias, as our goal shifted towards young adults. We now continue to provide Dream Class, Scholarship Program and Learning Center. The following pages contain more details about these programs and transitions.


Creative Learning Classes & Clubs Chanleas Dai Junior High School STATISTICS SNAPSHOT: 2013/2014 academic year Target age: When: Working with: No. of students: Average attendance: Status:

Grades 7– 9 (approximate age 11–15) Regular classes scheduled in free periods during the school day and additional workshops during the school holidays Chanleas Dai Junior High School 160 92.5% Closed in 2014

Creative Learning Classes (CLC) & Clubs were established in 2009. The main objective was to enhance the knowledge and skills of students in critical thinking and problem solving through technology, and to help improve the quality of education in Chanleas Dai Junior High School where the program operated. As noted in the 2013 annual report, the decision was made to transition out of the CLC & Clubs program in 2014. This decision was a result of the evaluation of our programs, and the development and implementation of our strategic plan for 2013–2017. Our new strategic goal focuses on supporting students in Kralanh District to secure skilled employment. Due to this, the emphasis shifted from working with junior high school students, to high school and university-age students. Therefore, program activities this year mainly focused on the transition process.

2014 Highlights •

When we spoke with the community about transitioning out of the program, they expressed that they felt the program was valuable and beneficial to the young people of Chanleas Dai commune, and showed interest in taking over the program. We conducted skills testing at both the beginning and the end of the 2013/2014 academic year. End-of-year results showed a

marked improvement in test pass rates: more grade 8 students passed, and all students in grades 7 and 9 passed. For the five-year period the program operated, we worked with 962 students. In addition, we learned through consultation that without our presence in the community, the student drop-out rate would have been higher. A final report outlining the needs, methodology, impact, challenges and lessons learned was produced.

In 2013, when seeking to transition out of the program, we considered options for next steps. After much discussion, the community expressed interest in taking over the program, and it was decided the principal and teachers at the school would deliver the program.

discussed the option of seeing if another NGO with a similar vision, mission, goals, and values, was interested in taking over the program; however no suitable NGO was found. Therefore, at the end of the academic year 2013-14, the CLC & Clubs program ceased operation. After the program ceased, the laptops in use by the program were brought back to the main PEPY office to be used by the scholarship students, the XO learning laptops and mechanical LEGO sets were gifted to other NGOs with similar missions, and these resources are still in use. PEPY was very hopeful that the community would take this program forward. However, despite working with the school and community, and providing training and resources, it became apparent that this program would not be sustainable in the long term, as the community was ultimately unable to take responsibility for this. In the future, if we were to set up a similar program, we would spend more time engaging with the community at the inception, and plan a clear exit and future responsibility strategy with a clear timeline.

In mid-2013, we started working with, and training, the government teachers. We faced some challenges early in the transition process. We found that some teachers were frequently absent or late to class, and often did not give any feedback or ideas after observing the class. While we did discuss these concerns with the teachers, the behavior did not change over the many months we worked together. Eventually, the teachers found that they didn’t have time to deliver the program, deciding not to take over the program. The PEPY team then

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English Classes Chanleas Dai Junior High School The skill of a second language is invaluable when it comes to further education, scholarships, and employment. An improved knowledge of English gives young people a competitive advantage when pursuing their professional dreams for the future. Learning a language is also about exploring new countries, cultures, and ways of understanding. Our English classes are not only about language proficiency, but also about introducing ideas of global citizenship. They are also fun, as PEPY facilitators use student-led, participatory learning techniques. As noted in the 2013 annual report, the decision was made to transition out of the English Classes program in 2014. This decision was a result of the evaluation of our programs, and the development and implementation of our strategic plan for 2013–2017. Our new strategic goal focused on supporting students in Kralanh District to secure skilled employment. Due to this, the emphasis shifted from working with junior high school students, to high school and university-age students.

2014 Highlights •

STATISTICS SNAPSHOT: 2013/2014 academic year Target age: Grades 7–9 (approximate age 11–15 years old) When: Regular classes scheduled in free periods during the school day Working with: Chanleas Dai Junior High School No. of students: 119 Average attendance: 82% Status: Closed in 2014

In the students’ letter exchange program with their Irish pen pals from our partner school DPETNS, they continued to learn about

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another culture, practiced their English reading and writing skills, and wrote about their dreams for the future and their village. In addition to the usual lessons on grammar, vocabulary, conversation and reading, students listened to songs to assist them with improving their listening skills. They also enjoyed learning about how to describe families and occupations, personalities and physical descriptions, simple tenses (past and future), use of verbs, daily activities, and general day-to-day conversation. For the 2013-2014 academic year, we conducted an exam on English-language ability at both the beginning of the year and the end. End-of-year results showed a marked improvement in students’ English skills during the course of the year. In the five years of the project, 989 students attended from the Chanleas Dai commune. Every year we found that all students who continued to study in the junior high school, also registered in our English program. A final report outlining the needs, methodology, impact, challenges and lessons learned was produced.

The English classes program was established in 2006 in Chanleas Dai commune, and initially worked with primary school students in grades 4 to 6. In 2008, a new junior high school opened and, for a number of reasons,

we decided to move English classes to the new school for grades 7, 8, and 9. Our relationship with the junior high school was challenging. It was much more difficult to schedule extra time for supplementary classes, and teachers showed little interest in working with us. Thus, while we initially hoped for a partnership model, we instead ran our programs as supplementary to the government curriculum. We worked with the principal to schedule classes in the students’ free periods. While these classes were optional, many students signed up. We ran English classes at the junior high school in this way from 2009–2014. Due to the lack of interest and involvement from the principal and government teachers, there was no possibility of transferring the classes to the school to run, and the program ceased to continue. In the future if we were to set up a new project in this area, we would look for a school where the principal and teachers were more connected and supportive of our work; from the outset we would build in engagement with these stakeholders with a view to them taking over the program in the future. Additionally, if we were to engage with the community on English classes again, we would choose to work more closely with the government English teachers in training and supporting them, rather than establishing a separate class.

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


Dream Classes Dreams are very important to us at PEPY. Many of the students we work with are only exposed to a small range of possible futures. We believe it’s important for young people to dream big and see how they can make their dreams a reality. In the PEPY Dream Classes, young people are provided a forum to identify and discuss their ambitions for the future, and any challenges they may need to overcome. The classes provide career resources, mentorship, and group workshops. Successful Cambodian professionals present to our students, giving them exposure to different ideas and aspirations.

STATISTICS SNAPSHOT: 2013/2014 academic year Target age: 15-18 years When: 4 classes take place per week in free periods Working with: Grades 9 and Grade 12 # of students enrolled: 96 Average attendance: 75% Status: Ongoing

guest speakers inspired the students to dream big. Lastly, we invited some of the teachers from the Learning Center in Siem Reap to share their experiences with the students. Topics included perseverance to achieve dreams, the difference between university and vocational school, steps to achieving goals, and positive mental health.

2014 Highlights

2014 Challenges and Lessons Learned

Over four hundred students registered for Dream Classes. This represented a significant increase from 2013. The principal provided us with an office, allowing us to offer counseling for students. We held our second Skills Fair in Kralanh, with over 500 students in attendance. 58 Dream Class students from grades 11 and 12 went on a field trip around Siem Reap. They visited Ecole Paul Dubrule, a tourism/hospitality training facility; the government-funded Provincial Training Center (PTC), which offers vocational training; and the Job Center, which provides assistance in CV and letter writing. The last stop was the Provincial Teacher Training College. Many students expressed an interest in teaching, and this facility provides an introduction to the qualification. A successful sharing event was held at the high school. Three

students with study skills. We will also aim to instill values of integrity and pride in doing one’s own work as a way to curb current problems with cheating. Dream Class initially was offered to students in grade 9 at Chanleas Dai Junior High School, and grade 12 at Kralanh High School. In 2014, we chose to focus the class on grade 10, 11, and 12 students only, as we found that the younger students struggled to understand some of the concepts of the class.

In 2014, the Cambodian government cracked down on cheating on the High School National Exam, resulting in many students failing and requiring a re-test. This delayed the start of the 2014-2015 academic year, and Dream Class was not able to commence until December, one month later than anticipated. Going forward, we will help

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Learning Center Program English Class We provide both internal and external English classes. The English classes within the center supplement the English Classes students attend at external language schools. In addition, we go beyond the textbook curriculum to provide practical skills through the English language, such as critical thinking.

Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Class

Graduation from tertiary education does not necessarily lead to securing a job. In 2012, the National Education Agency in Cambodia conducted a survey with businesses in Siem Reap to identify issues within the labor market. They found that there was a chronic skills shortage in high school and university graduates. Employers were struggling to fill positions, as graduates were leaving education without appropriate skills for securing employment. Key skills found to be lacking included soft skills such as leadership, interpersonal communication, critical and analytical thinking skills, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Also lacking were hard skills, such as proficiency in English language and Information &

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Communication Technology. Our goal is to support Kralanh students in gaining further education and skilled employment. To do this, we provide learning that goes beyond just a university degree or vocational training. The PEPY Learning Center provides scholarship students with three classes to enhance their employability. These include:

Communication through technology is important for securing jobs. Students learn industry-standard software applications in preparation for future employment.

Youth Empowerment Project For first year students, these classes aim to build confidence and skills in interpersonal communication, leadership, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Second year students utilize these skills through discussions about world issues and the international community.

STATISTICS SNAPSHOT: 2013/2014 academic year Target age: University level (approximate age 18-22 years old) When: Daily classes scheduled in free periods during the school day and additional workshops during school holidays and weekends. Working with: PEPY Scholarship students and other young people from Kralanh District. No. of students: English: 27; ICT: 30; Youth Empowerment: 21 Average attendance: 93.5% Status: Ongoing

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


2014 Highlights English: Classes this year focused on making presentations, mock interviews, letter writing, creative writing, and workshops on fostering positive mental health. ICT: Students received training in software including Microsoft Office, Google Drive, Dropbox, Photoshop, graphic design software, and blog software. In addition, the students learned how to format CVs, cover letters, and reports. Youth Empowerment: Students learned and practiced team-building, problem-solving, managing stress, giving and receiving feedback, and the importance of open communication. Several teambuilding exercises were conducted focusing on trust, leadership, and self-reflection. The students prepared for, and facilitated, community development

workshops in two communes in the Kralanh district. They worked together to assess the needs of the community, and how these needs could be met through knowledge transfer. An introduction to the hospitality and tourism industry was provided by an Employee Forum and visits to the Soria Moria Hotel and vocational school Ecole Paul Dubrule. The students also expanded their knowledge through the Skills Fair in Kralanh and a Khmer Talks event. Manuals for English, ICT, and Youth Empowerment have been created in order to ensure all programs staff involved in facilitation have a standard to follow.

2014 Challenges • When the Learning Center was established, it quickly became apparent that students needed extended access to our computer facilities as they do not have their

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG

own computers at home. In 2014, we extended our opening hours to allow students to use the ICT classroom in the early evenings. We found this ineffective, however, as many students have commitments in the evenings, and could not take advantage of the extended hours. Now, there are communal computers at the first-year students’ houses, and we also have several laptops available for borrowing. • The students in the English class all displayed different abilities, and as such this proved challenging for one staff member to both nurture advanced students and support beginners. The decision was taken for an external school to grade the students and put them into classes of a similar ability, and support PEPY with ongoing lessons. PEPY continued to support students with additional classes through the support of a volunteer Capacity Builder. • As students attend university and vocational school in the mornings, our classes were constrained in that we were only able to offer Learning Center classes in the afternoons. Unfortunately, some students from vocational schools also have studies in the afternoon and could not attend the Learning Center to benefit from the additional training. However, thankfully, many of these vocational schools also provide soft skills training.

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Scholarships In 2014, our scholarship program entered into its third year. For the 2014-2015 academic year, we accepted sixteen students for university or vocational training in Siem Reap. Read on for more about scholarship activities this year.

STATISTICS SNAPSHOT: 2013/2014 academic year Target age: University level (approximate age 18-22 years old) When: Students study full time in mornings and evenings Working with: Kralanh High School graduates studying at the university level in Siem Reap No. of students enrolled: 37 (29 University students and 8 Vocational Training students) No. of students per year: 16 in Year 1, 19 in Year 2, 2 in Year 3 Faculties attending: Build Bright University, Vanda Institute, Ecole Paul Dubrule, Chantiers-Ecoles de Formation Professionnelle, Provincial Teacher Training College, Regional Polytechnic Institute Techo Sen Siem Reap. Status: Ongoing

2014 Highlights •

To welcome the incoming scholarship students, an integration week was held. During this week we sought to familiarize the students with PEPY and Siem Reap. Additionally, we aimed to facilitate bonding between students and address any questions and concerns. The students who were accepted into the scholarship program in 2013 all passed the necessary exams to continue their education into a second year. A career fair was held in Siem Reap, exposing students to the future employment opportunities available, as well as potential

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employers. Staff members and 21 scholarship students spent a week team-building, problemsolving, and having fun at a ropes course at Jombok Hoas Adventure Learning Center in Preah Vihear province. All of the scholarship students joined a Khmer Talks event. Khmer Talks is a sharing of ideas, presented in the Khmer language by Khmer scholars, thinkers, achievers, and students of all ages and generations. Topics covered included quality higher education in Cambodia, how to sell your personal skills in the interview process, the importance of setting goals, and how to be an entrepreneur. Students learned from speakers’ different experiences and knowledge; at the same time, they also witnessed different styles of presentation. During July, three teachers from two schools in the Educate Together National School (ETNS) system in Ireland spent the month in Siem Reap collaborating, learning, and teaching. They worked with the scholarship students on CV writing, communication techniques, and fostering positive mental health. As part of our partnership with

ETNS in Ireland, all second-year students were invited to apply for a three-week exchange visit to Ireland in April/May 2015. After written applications were received, interviews took place, and two students and two staff members were selected.

2014 Challenges •

We had one scholarship student drop out of the program due to personal reasons. As per the contract scholarship students sign, we worked with the student’s family to determine a repayment schedule, to ensure we were reimbursed for the funds spent on her scholarship. In 2014, due to major countrywide changes to the High School National Exam, where the government cracked down on widespread cheating, there was a very high failure rate nationally, and as a result the number of scholarship students accepted for the 2014 intake was less than anticipated. In addition, as students who failed were given the opportunity to re-take the exam, the final result for the nation’s Grade 12 students was not released until much later in the year, meaning that the academic year did not begin until November.

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


Our first scholarships students, Ravy and Voeut In 2012, we launched our scholarship program as a pilot project. We awarded scholarships to two Kralanh High School graduates, Ravy Vath and Voeut Vor, to study at university in Siem Reap. Both Ravy and Voeut are from Chanleas Dai commune in Kralanh District. To date, both have made huge strides inside and outside of the classroom, and are considered role models for their fellow scholarship students, and in their community. As planned, they have both successfully transitioned from receiving full support from PEPY, to solely having their school fees paid, and using funds from paid work to cover further study and living expenses.

Ravy Ravy studies marketing at Build Bright University in Siem Reap, and is currently in his third year. In 2014, Ravy secured full-time employment with the education NGO Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE). Ravy’s work for PSE includes administration and accounting. He has impressed his superiors at PSE, and they have noted the many qualities he brings to the job. In the future, Ravy hopes to make strides in the business world and help the younger generation. Ravy feels the support from PEPY Empowering Youth has been instrumental in his progress to date. “PEPY has nurtured me to be a great resource for society and I’m thrilled with my job.” -Ravy

Vor Voeut Voeut also attends Build Bright University, and is in his third year studying Information Technology. He also secured employment this year, and is working as a computer instructor with Lo Scoiattolo Onlus, an education NGO that offers computer training at their training center in Siem Reap. After graduating, Voeut wants to share his skills and knowledge with children in Kralanh, to show them the value of studying. In the future, he wants to work as an IT Manager in an NGO or hotel. “I have a lot of work as a computer trainer like communication, accompany visitors, and the other managers in the office, but the important thing is I learn constantly in my work.” -Voeut

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG

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PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG

Year 2 Scholarship Students


Year 1 Scholarship Students


Transparency


Students’ Corner We strive to “work with, not for.” Collaboration is an essential part of our philosophy. We communicate regularly with students, both from Dream Class at Kralanh High School, as well as our scholarship students based in Siem Reap. In addition, we aim to stay connected with the Kralanh District community, including parents and the high school principal. We ask them about their dreams, goals for their future, and how our programs could help them make these a reality. Here are some quotes from those we work with.

“I enjoy studying computers and English class. I love playing games and I really enjoyed the yoga sessions. In the future I hope I can get a good job and work in the market. I think being in PEPY will help me with this goal.”

“Please, father and mother don’t worry about us, especially about job because Cambodia has a lot of jobs for us to do, and we will study hard to get those jobs, so please be happy and give us power with your smile.”

-Kim Ann, scholarship student

-Savoeng, scholarship student

“Thank you PEPY very much for educating my kid very well. I think what PEPY did is care for my child more than I did. Why I said this is because my kid, he never bow to me but after three months he had been joined with the PEPY program he now bow to me when I give him money or when he goes back to Siem Reap. Please study hard to get a good job, not like us.”

“Dream Class set the goal/ objective for our students with a map and they know how to succeed. On behalf of the teachers and students, I am appreciative and thankful for your kindness and support to us.” -Kralanh High School Principal

-Father of scholarship student

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG

“I will be a good person, help others, and develop this country.” -Pheareak, Dream Class student

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Challenges and Lessons Learned in 2014

At PEPY, transparency is hugely important. We not only share our successes about things that have worked well, but we also share our challenges and lessons. This keeps us humble, and helps us strive to continually improve our programs and activities. In 2014, as in other years, alongside our successes, we had challenges and learned lessons.

Changes to high school national exam In 2014, the Cambodian government made significant changes to the exam by clamping down on cheating and bribery. As a result, more than 70% of students across Cambodia failed the exam. Those who failed were allowed to re-take the exam; however, this resulted in the delay of the start of the academic school year, and consequently, our programs. It also resulted in us accepting fewer scholarship students than we had allocated for, as fewer students passed the scholarship criteria. While this proved to be a challenging time,

24

it did benefit us in that we had more preparation time to ensure everything was in place to support the incoming scholarship students, and to finalize our curriculum for Dream Classes. In order to support students for the future, we have set up clubs through Dream Class, where students can learn from one another and provide additional support.

to prepare for the transition from PEPY, an international NGO, to PEPY Empowering Youth, a local NGO as of 2015. The process was a long and complex one, which involved much work both on the US side and in Cambodia, involving staff and the US board of directors. Some of the challenges and lessons learned from this process included:

Handing over projects

Local ownership is one of our biggest priorities. In 2013, we started the process of transitioning out of several programs, and the community expressed interest in taking over one; Creative Learning Classes & Clubs. Continuing into 2014, we worked with and trained the government teachers. We faced some challenges early in the transition process, and these continued throughout our many months working together. While we did discuss our concerns with the teachers, the challenges continued. Eventually, all the teachers found that they didn’t have time to deliver the program and decided not to take it over. We’ve learned that while a community may express interest in continuing a program that we’ve started, there can be many challenges involved with the transition and in the end, these challenges may be too difficult to overcome, meaning that the program ceases to exist. In the future, we would consider whether or not PEPY could provide additional support to existing government programs, rather than setting up additional activities. PEPY would also work more closely with the community on establishing any further activities, and ensure we had an agreed timeframe and exit strategy in place for further programs.

Process of localization

It’s a lot of work for a small Cambodian team, whose primary focus is the day-to-day delivery of programs, and a small voluntary US board team to manage. As such, we ended up pushing back the date of full localization from April 2014 to January 2015. Much work took place to create a smooth transition of staff from INGO to LNGO contracts and ensure PEPY complied with local labor laws, including a process of benefit payouts, as we effectively made staff redundant and re-employed them. Localization required a full changeover of funding platforms because platforms that worked for the US 501c3 organization did not work for the local organization. Additionally, there was a strong interest in being able to continue to offer tax benefits to our US-based donors. This took research, time, and a lot of work to set up new platforms, and to migrate our donors. Government paperwork and registration took time to process, and required many follow-up visits to government offices. A potential challenge is funding for newly localized organizations. We are lucky that, in PEPY’s case, we had a full 18 months of funding to support us as we transitioned.

This year, much work was done

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


Challenges and Lessons Learned From 10 Years In December 2014, PEPY celebrated its 10-year anniversary as an organization. The idea for PEPY began in 2004, when Daniela Papi and Greta Arnquist began planning a cycling adventure across Cambodia, to learn from, and contribute to, education programs. Four friends joined them, and “The PEPY Ride” (at the time standing for Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself) took shape. In 2005, the team raised funds to support a school-building project in conjunction with a Phnom Penhbased organization. They also partnered with a local environmental education organization, with the aim of delivering educational classes throughout the ride. On a planning visit to Cambodia, a few months before the bike ride, Daniela discovered the school that had been built to support over 500 students was standing nearly empty, with only a few regular teachers. The team then realized: schools don’t teach kids, people do. If they wanted the money they had fundraised to support the development of education in Cambodia, they needed to invest in people. Since then, PEPY’s programs have expanded beyond environmental education, and now focus on education and youth empowerment, in an effort to increase the percentage of Kralanh graduates accessing skilled employment. Below are some of the challenges we’ve faced, and lessons we’ve learned over the past decade.

Documentation One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned over time at PEPY, was the inadequacy of our documentation processes and the communication

of program outcomes. The PEPY team worked very closely with young people and the community, and so it was very clear to them what changes were taking place over time. However, without documentation of our efforts and results, often these changes were difficult to measure and evaluate. Documentation is now a key element of our work, and we document our activities both monthly and annually in an effort to learn and improve.

Organization strategic plan For the first time in seven years, we did not have a solid long-term strategic plan for the organization. As such, we had not defined a clear goal, the direction in which we wanted to go, how we planned to get there, or how we defined success. As a result, it was difficult to think long-term and see the big picture. In 2012, we started to develop a five-year strategic plan for the period 2013–2017, outlining the above. In 2013, implementation began.

Program manuals

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG

Program manuals help make sure programs are implemented, and operate in a standardized and consistent way within an organization. Prior to creating manuals, much of the knowledge about our programs was with those who worked with them, and when staff moved on from the organization, so did this knowledge. Having program manuals that stay with the organization ensures that our staff has this knowledge available as a resource, which can be viewed on the lessons learned section of our website.

Exit strategy Most of PEPY’s programs existed without a clear exit strategy and without the community having any expectation that programs could eventually become communityrun. This meant that when PEPY transitioned out of programs, it was not easy to find a way to keep the initiative going, as the community didn’t see the programs as their responsibility. Now, when we initiate or evaluate programs we consider the future of such programs, and envision all possible outcomes.

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their replacements are not always identified in time for the start of a new school term or year. Turnover impacted the development of the specific school where we worked, as new teachers were not familiar with our programs, or the teaching techniques that were promoted.

Valuing education

Teacher participation The biggest challenge in working with government teachers was (and continues to be) their participation, and their motivation to be involved in our programs. Teachers in Cambodia are sometimes poorly trained and have very low salaries. This, combined with the fact that many rural communities do not strongly value education over other alternatives (particularly contributing to the household economy), means that teachers have little motivation to improve the quality of their work. As a result, when teachers are asked to increase their workload or learn new skills, it is often met with resistance.

Fewer students does not necessarily equate to less impact One of PEPY’s greatest lessons learned is from extra-curricular classes. We’ve learned that having a greater number of beneficiaries does not necessarily equate to

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greater impact. In fact, there can be a negative impact in trying to push a program out to large numbers of students, when many of those students will drop out of school in later years and never use the skills they learned. In 2013, PEPY started focusing on working with a smaller number of students to equip them with the means to attend university or vocational school. While this means spending more per student, we believe the ripple effect of helping students achieve their dreams, and acting as role models, is much greater in the community as a whole.

Teacher turnover One of the challenges of working in rural areas is that government teachers typically do not stay long at a school, particularly if the school is far from their home. Teachers will often stay for two to three years and then move on to another region, such as their hometown, or to a teaching job in a city with a higher salary. When a teacher moves on,

In the rural areas in which PEPY implemented programs, there is a high level of poverty. Many adults in the region themselves received limited education and do not strongly value education over other alternatives (particularly contributing to the household economy). It was difficult to communicate the longterm benefits of education over the short-term gain of immediate income. Both adults and children would illegally migrate to Thailand to earn money, leaving the community for months or even years at a time. In such circumstances, gaining support and securing engagement from the community was particularly challenging for PEPY’s team.

Schools don’t teach kids; people do Something we learned early on is that building a school helps children access education, but it doesn’t ensure the quality of that education. In Cambodia, while there are a lot of children enrolled in school, challenges remain with the quality of education students receive. Therefore, we shifted from programs like building schools, to focusing on helping students get a better quality of education.

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


Collaboration with government Understanding government bureaucracy in the education sector is very important. We have learned that we need to understand how provincial and district officers of education work. Reaffirming relationships from the top down is crucial for better collaboration. At times, their demands are for tangible benefits, and we continue to promote the positive impact of holistic education, and the importance of investing time in people. In addition, as our work has typically taken place in or close to government schools, having good relationships with government school principals and teachers is imperative for gaining support for, and participation in, our programs.

From children to young adults For many years, our programs worked with children in primary school and then later, junior high school. Over time, we transitioned out of programs for various reasons, including those programs that were initiated for a fixed timeframe. In 2012, we took an in-depth look at our programs and consulted with the Kralanh community about what they wanted most for their young people. Overwhelmingly, it was voiced that what was most important to them was

for young people to secure skilled employment. As a result, we revised our programming to help meet this need. This meant a shift in focus from working with children, to working with high school students (grades 10, 11, and 12) and young adults (university age) to connect them with the skills, opportunities, and inspirations needed to pursue future education and skilled jobs.

The PEPY Ride to PEPY Cambodia and PEPY Tours (and now PEPY Empowering Youth) As noted earlier in this section, PEPY started out in 2005 as The PEPY Ride, an organization that initially focused on environmental issues, then education, and eventually expanded to include education travel.

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG

Over a short period of time, it became clear that the organization would be more effective as two separate, but connected, organizations. In 2007, The PEPY Ride branched into PEPY Cambodia, an NGO, and PEPY Tours, an education travel provider. As we enter 2015, PEPY’s new name, as a local NGO in Cambodia, is PEPY Empowering Youth, and we continue to have a relationship with PEPY Tours and its local ground operator, Ayana Journeys. Thank you to all staff, former staff, board of directors, and supporters who have worked with us over the last decade. We would not be where we are today without your continued support.

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Spreading our message Social Media

2011

2012

2013

2014

Facebook Fans

2,989 3,451 3,805 4,342

Twitter Followers

1,258 1,726 2,076 2,396

LinkedIn page followers

n/a

n/a

116

220

Video Views on YouTube

99,111

106,315

110,608

114,319

72

69

114

123

# of Videos on YouTube # of newsletter subscribers Website visits

5,922

6,143

5,824

5,169

n/a

17,492

100,598

98,147

Events

Updates

In March 2014, we presented at Cooperation Committee for Cambodia’s annual meeting to showcase some of our products (hipsters, books, and annual report).

Each quarter, we publish both a newsletter and quarterly report, providing updates on our programs and activities. We also publish approximately two blog posts per month on our website.

In September 2014, we presented at the inaugural Resource Alliance Fundraising Workshop in Phnom Penh on fundraising techniques. Also, this year we presented at a meeting of the Siem Reap Education Support Team, an NGO network, as well as at the government’s annual Congress on Education, Youth and Sport.

In the press In December, PEPY had an article published in In Touch, the magazine of the Irish National Teachers’ Organization, on our educational partnership with Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School in Ireland.

Lastly, we spoke about one of our programs to the members of the NGO Education Partnership.

Social media In 2014, we focused our social media efforts on our Facebook page, and increased the frequency of our posts. We also started to include videos or original photos with each post, and saw a big spike with our engagement.

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

LINKEDIN

www.facebook.com/ pepycambodia.org

@PEY_NGO

https://www.linkedin.com/ company/pepy-empoweringyouth

YOUTUBE

WEBSITE

SAY HELLO

www.youtube.com/pepyride www.youtube.com/c/ pepyempoweringyouthorg

www.pepyempoweringyouth.org

contact@pepyempoweringyouth.org

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PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


Managing our finances Donations

2011 2012 2013 2014

Individual Donors

306

605

99

329

Median Donation Amount

$ 25

$ 35

$ 35

$ 28

Income (US$)

2011 2012 2013 2014

Donations

$ 366,601

$ 241,730

$ 120,587

$ 152,142

Product Sales

$ 1,381

$ 461

$ 262

$0

Other *

$ 2,096

$ 7,370

$ 9,031

$ 7,343

$ 370,078

$ 248,639

$ 129,880

$ 159,485

Total Income

Expenditures (US$)

2011

2012 2013 2014

Capacity Building

$ 15,778

$ 2,220

$ 3,325

$ 3,233

Creative Learning Classes & Clubs

$ 21,481

$ 25,078

$ 20,535

$ 10,342

Dream Classes

-

$ 3,078

$ 13,362

$ 14,295

English Classes

$ 13,951

$ 14,547

$ 11,791

$ 5,727

$ 4,083

$ 8,058

$ 17,893

$ 44,921

-

-

$ 19,513

$ 44,920

Past Programs (various)

$ 144,993

$ 94,911

$ 32,402

$ 2,177**

Management & General

$ 39,358

$ 26,881

$ 24,393

$ 22,943

Communications

$ 26,305

$ 20,218

$ 17,967

$ 16,237

$ 265,949

$ 194,991

$ 161,181

$ 164,795

Scholarships Learning Center

Total Expenditures

* Refers to interest income and sale of fixed assets. ** Refers to the cost of writing Program Manuals for current programs. In addition, these funds covered the investigation and repair of a significant wall crack at Chanleas Dai Primary School.

Where did 2014 funding come from? 9% Individual funders / Direct mail / e-marketing/ annual campaign/ Facebook / other / CDEF 4% Monthly donors

30% Major donors (individuals over $10,000)

2% Events and peer to peer (Let’s do it PP)

17% PEPY Tours

3% Major donors (over $1,000)

9% The PEPY ride

7% Grants

10% Corporate

PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG

9% Community (schools /groups)

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Thinking about the future 2014 was a year of solidifying our focus and direction, as outlined in our 2013–2017 strategic plan. It was also a year of preparing for our transition from an international NGO to a local NGO. We’re very excited about what we have planned for 2015 and beyond, much of which is already in progress:

Provide scholarships for 15 Kralanh high school graduates to attend vocational training in Siem Reap. Review our support of Grade 12 students and establish ways in which to support them further in light of changes to the high school exam. Support the 2013 intake of scholarship students in securing jobs and internships, a requirement after year two of our scholarship program. Conduct program reflections with our beneficiaries (students, their families, and the Kralanh community) to ensure we are

delivering the programs and services that address their needs. Review the Youth Empowerment and Dream Classes curriculum to respond to job market skills’ requirements and students’ confidence building. Develop a strategy to better utilize our Learning Center. For example, the Center, while available during business hours, is only used in the afternoon as students attend university or vocational training in the morning. Also, Center hours sometimes clash with students’ school schedules meaning they cannot take advantage of the classes we provide. We will look to shift our hours and make the space more useful and available to students in the future. Complete the transition from an international NGO to a local NGO, effective 1 January 2015. Update our financial and fundraising systems to reflect changes in our local NGO status, and transition out of US

• •

• •

registration, while still having a 501(c)3, tax-free donation platform in the US, effective January 2015. Apply the principles of NGO Governance & Professional Practice (NGO GPP), which is a voluntary certification system for NGOs in Cambodia that recognizes organizations that demonstrate standards of good practice. GPP also acts as a vehicle to support the NGO sector in its efforts to act with accountability and transparency, and displays these behaviors to government and donors. Strengthen and build our network with partner NGOs. Build the capacity of our staff through relevant training and opportunities. Update our program manuals. Seek new income sources such as grant funding and new corporate partnerships to ensure our fundraising efforts are sustainable.

Thank you so much! We would like to say a massive thank you to all of our donors and supporters who have made another year of education in Cambodia possible for the students with whom PEPY works. We would also like to extend a huge thank you to all of those who have been involved with PEPY over the past ten years to bring us to where we are today. Special thanks go to the outgoing US board and incoming LNGO board, our staff team, volunteers, partners, and advisors. And of course, “awkun” to the passionate and hardworking students, who encourage us to improve ourselves every day. Thank you everyone for a great 2014. We are so excited to be working with you again in 2015 as PEPY Empowering Youth! Thank you for your continued support.

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PEPY ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - WWW.PEPYEMPOWERINGYOUTH.ORG


PEPY Empowering Youth

Postal address

Visit us

Tel: +855 (0) 63 690 5465 E-mail: contact@pepyempoweringyouth.org Website: www.pepyempoweringyouth.org

PO Box 93220 GPO Siem Reap Angkor Cambodia

No 28, St. Neak Poan, Borey Proem Prey, Trapang Ses Commune, Kok Chok District, Siem Reap Cambodia


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