SUNRISE CAMBODIA A note from Geraldine Cox AM
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his month marks 25 years of Sunrise Cambodia and it warms my heart to remember all the wonderfully kind supporters like you who have reached out to assist our children when help was needed. Honestly, without your generosity, we would never have been able to provide a bridge to a better future for Sunrise children and their families.
But that is not all that is provided at Sunrise. In this quarter’s edition of the newsletter, I enclose a thank you letter from one of our students who has just completed a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and I urge you to read it. Chandy says it’s love that makes the difference at Sunrise. Chandy, as well as so many of the other children, tells me that your support provides so much more than just money. It is your belief in them that spurs them on. We can never give a child too much love! Through our sponsor programme, the Sunrise children know that there are people like you who care that they have
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what they need to establish better futures for themselves. For many Cambodian families, education is unaffordable, which is why we have determined the provision of education as our ongoing focus. Sunrise is currently working with the local government to identify the educational needs of community children living in poor villages. Sunrise is also working alongside the government to transfer children from corrupt orphanages into our care. All these children need a safe and loving place that they can call home. Please see page 3 to learn more about how your support can make this vital work possible. Once a year, we get out of the cities for an annual field trip and take everyone (including the staff) to the beach for a couple of days. I wish you had been there to see the smiles on their faces as they enjoyed some time at the beach just like every other child in the rest of the world. The last couple of weeks have seen the older kids on tenterhooks waiting for their
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atural ability is often a quality that we all marvel upon and in Phannath Phy’s case, this is no exception. He is one of Sunrise’s piano stars whose achievements in the music arena are outstanding. This of course was
final exam results. The Sunrise children are commended for all their hard work that led them to either tertiary studies or vocational training. After the exam results were released there were squeals of joy and a few tears. Not one student leaves Sunrise without having achieved a qualification to secure a good job in the future. Most of this year’s graduates will go on to pursue tertiary education studying a variety of courses such as Accounting, International Relations, Engineering etc. I look forward to sharing many more success stories of the children, whose lives you are changing. Okun (thank you) one and all. Love and light,
Geraldine Cox AM
Founder, Sunrise Cambodia
only made possible with your generosity. It is an incredible turnaround from the disadvantaged life he would have lived had he not received the support that he needed. Phannath first came in to Sunrise’s care when he was just three years old. When he was 13, Phannath was attracted to a piano donated by a retired piano teacher. From that day, Phannath was entranced with the instrument’s keys and showcased his talent to crowds in Cambodia and Australia. Last year, the 17-yearold made a spectacular performance at Central Coast Grammar School, where he received a standing ovation that he humbly accepted. He is considered to be Conservatorium of Music Scholarship material by music professionals. However, it’s his modesty that makes this story especially remarkable, as he continues to make his academic studies a priority. After completing grade 12, he chose to study English Literature and will commence tertiary studies in November.
Above: Passion meets natural talent. Pianist Phannath striking the keys and putting on a stellar performance.
Phannath will continue his classical music lessons as he is so highly-regarded amongst his tutors. He is also now employed for half a day to teach at the music school. Phannath is adamant that music will continue to be a part of his life and sends his heartfelt thanks for all your support and generosity.
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and belief in him and others like him continuously drives him to succeed: Dear Mum, A huge thank you for everything you have given to me. I am really lucky to have this opportunity. Even though you did not give birth to me, I feel that you are the mother that God blessed me with. You have given me so much happiness and taught me a lot, including how to be strong and how to be a good example in society. Above: All that hard work pays off. Chandy is all smiles at his graduation ceremony. Above (right): Chandy in his boxing training gear.
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The Gift of Education
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f the gift of education offers lifelong prospects, then the possibilities of giving are endless. At Sunrise Cambodia, we are very fortunate to witness these possibilities unfold and become a reality as a result of your giving. With your generosity, our education initiatives are fulfilled, and a child’s life is changed. Ho Chandy’s story is our most recent example of the transformative power of your giving. Chandy is one of five siblings who grew up in Koh Thom District, Kandal. After his father passed away, Chandy’s mother moved the family to Takhmau Town. She found a job picking and selling vegetables for $1.00 a day, which was barely enough to provide for her five children. After struggling to support her children on a single income, she turned to Sunrise for support. “After my husband died, I couldn’t support my children; give them food, clothes and
send them to school. I had no farmland for planting rice and was desperate to keep my children alive and together. So, I decided to ask Sunrise to care for my children,” she said.
You always give good advice on how to grow up and do good in this world, and how to share and provide love to others as you have given me. I would not have been able to reach my goal if you didn’t give me the direction that I needed. Lots of love, Chandy
Right from the start, Chandy said he wanted to be an engineer. He also started boxing training, which became his favourite hobby. In September this year, Chandy graduated with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Cambodian Mekong University. Not only did he complete his degree, but he also used his boxing discipline to earn money as a personal trainer and manager of a gym. Without you, none of this would have been possible. You have made his dreams a reality. Chandy’s gratitude is conveyed in every opportunity seized throughout his Sunrise journey and the way he expresses hope for the future. He extends his warmest thanks to Sunrise supporters whose generosity
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Above: A group of children in Siem Reap who are hoping to attend school and receive the same opportunity as Chandy. Their learning interests span across a variety of subjects, including English, music, computer, maths, art and dance. Please help support our education initiatives by making a donation today: sunrisecambodia.org.au
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WHAT YOU CAN DO
Below: A family you can support by making a donation towards our education initiatives.
Above: Thirteen children now in Sunrise Cambodia’s care after their orphanage was deemed corrupt and closed by the government.
Will you give these children a chance?
Sunrise Cambodia is working closely with the local government to move children living in poor circumstances into a safe and happy environment. The government has every confidence in Sunrise to determine the needs of these poor communities and provide aid where it’s needed. But we need your help. Please help support this vital work and improve these children’s lives by giving generously towards our education initiatives. Embedded in the heart of every child’s success story is your generosity. By giving, you are creating more opportunities for children, their families and their community. Okun (thank you) in advance for your generosity.
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Please visit sunrisecambodia.org.au and give today. Donations $2.00 and over are tax-deductible in Australia under an agreement with The Australia Cambodia Foundation Inc. (ACF) ABN: 37 730 989 411. Sunrise Cambodia is an approved project of The Australia Cambodia Foundation Inc.; an ATO-approved Deductible Gift Recipient charity, registered to raise funds in all states and territories in Australia. ACF has partners in Hong Kong, the UK and the USA to provide tax-deductibility for donors in those regions. For more information, please contact us on 1300 894 591 or visit sunrisecambodia.org.au.
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Q & A WITH GERALDINE COX AM
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his year marks 25 years since Geraldine Cox AM founded Sunrise Cambodia. This significant event led to incredible feats that even Geraldine – the eternal optimist – could never imagine. Here Geraldine reveals how she found herself (as well as her calling) in post-genocide Cambodia, and just how lucky she feels to have your generosity and support.
Can you take us back to the day you started? Describe how you felt that day when you arrived in Cambodia in 1993. I remember it so clearly. The UN directed that the refugee camps on the CambodiaThai border be emptied so that the Cambodian nationals could return to vote in the elections. King Sihanouk’s son asked me to take supplies up to a group of orphans living at the border. We had to travel in an old truck with an armed guard on top on roads still riddled with landmines. There were ‘skull and crossbones’ signs every 400 metres to reach the kids holed up in a deserted classroom under the care of one of the widowed Cambodian women from the refugee camp. As our car pulled in and I saw the kids in front of me I was profoundly moved by the fact that these kids had nobody in the world. I felt a strong sense of responsibility towards them. As I gathered their stories, I learnt that the youngest one – four years old – had been brought to the refugee camp by a soldier who found him wandering alone in the
heavily land-mined jungle.
When it came time to leave I waved and told them I’d be back. I could see they didn’t believe me. Describe a day in the life of Geraldine Cox. I live in Kandal in a wooden Cambodian style house. Every day, I walk over to the classrooms and check progress. I try to be there at 11am every day. We have lunch together then they head off for a rest and I go back to my house to check my emails, keep-up government relationships, answering queries and collaborating with other NGOs. From 5pm, it’s time for dinner and our family meeting, where we all come together to give thanks to Buddha and chant. This helps to keep the children mindful of all of you who are so supportive. Three nights a week we take out the microphone and discuss topics of interest. It is so wonderful to hear the children’s ambitions and their hopes and dreams for a positive future. Afterwards, I go back to my house and finish more emails and maybe listen to some music. Tell us one compelling story that drives you to continue the work that you do. To me, every child is precious and every single one of their stories really touches me. If everyone could just hear the sadness in their voices, I think we would all live differently and feel compelled to provide the support that they need. You just can’t walk away from things like that. What truly
makes it worthwhile is seeing them grow up to be kind and giving people – giving back to their communities and rebuilding Cambodia in every way they can. One Sunrise graduate even said to me, “Thank you for bringing me up to care for other people.” That really touched me, and I am very proud of the Sunrise children. What is your favourite pastime with the children? On Sundays, a big group of former Sunrise children come to my house to tell me how they are going and often seek my advice. They don’t have mothers. With your support, I try to create a loving environment that they can call home, and spending quality time with them every Sunday really helps to create this atmosphere. The children often say how grateful they are that there are people like you who care about their well-being and their future. They say how they can dream and aspire to make a brighter future for Cambodia. If you could tell Sunrise supporters one thing, what would you tell them? I feel we are kindred spirits – they have seen something I have seen and done something about it. I don’t feel so alone, and I feel so grateful to them for bringing love to children in need. These are just ordinary people who often can’t afford to give but they make sacrifices for others. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Below: The first group of children Geraldine felt compelled to cared for, stating, "You just can't walk away from things like that."
Above: The start of Sunrise - Geraldine in Cambodia in 1993.
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We love hearing from our supporters. Please contact Sunrise Cambodia if you have any questions or would like to share stories and feedback. Our office hours are from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Email: hq@sunrisecambodia.org.au
Phone: 1300 894 591
Website: sunrisecambodia.org.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sunrisecambodia
Post: PO Box 2266 CLOVELLY NSW 2031
Head Office: Suite 1405, Level 14, Office Tower 1, 520 Oxford Street BONDI JUNCTION NSW 2022