Neighborhood Kids Outreach (NKO) is an Asian Hope program inviting the children from the surrounding neighborhood to enjoy the Logos facility.  “The parents of this neighborhood never thought their kids would have the chance to get into the school and have fun.  Now, their kids have the chance to come and play at the fancy playground, the awesome swimming pool, the soccer field and covered gym” said Sato Kang, NKO Coordinator.

Above and beyond the joy of playground fun,  Heng Gech Nia also attends Asian Hope’s catch-up school at Logos each evening, Monday through Friday.  Catch-up school supplements her government school education and gives her a much greater  chance of staying in, and succeeding in, school.  No small feat for any child in Cambodia, especially girls!

NKO meets every Saturday from 1 until 3:15.  On average, about 140 children attend.  On holidays they have upwards of 350 kids swarming onto the grounds.  While there, the children participate in English lessons and Bible stories, playground fun, and soccer or swimming.  “My favorite thing at NKO is the playground.  I love to play on it with my friends,” says Nia.

NKO is run by a team of six Cambodians and a group of 8-10 volunteers.  Their goal is to show love to the children through their words and actions. “Our main goal is to transform the kids from their old life into a new life where they know what is right and what is wrong.  They know what they should and shouldn’t do.  We hope that one day they will become Christians.  We hope that God will draw them to Him through us,” says Sato.

Over the past year, the children that attend NKO have shown encouraging growth. “At the beginning, many of them said bad words and insulted each other.  But we take time to teach them and tell them how to love and care for one another and now, through our prayers and love towards them, they are changing,” says Sato.

Nia’s parents are grateful for the opportunity that NKO has provided for their two younger children.  “I am so happy.  I would like to say thank you to Asian Hope for helping my children to learn and it is free!  There are good teachers and I am very happy for that,” says Nia’s father, Tang Kosal.

Every week, Heng Gech Nia now enjoys the wonderland of learning and fun that is Logos.  Although, uncertain of what she wants to be when she grows up, she now knows that dreams really can come true.

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Today was the day…the day to receive a tremendous gift, the gift of transportation, which would lead them to an education. Not long after, I caught up with Chris DeRemer, project coordinator of the Cambodia Bike Project, at his office, to find out what Asian Hope’s newest project is all about.

Asian Hope (AH): How did the Cambodia Bike Project get started?

Chris: Asian Hope had been consulting with the Cambodian nonprofit Kone Kmeng during formation of the 2Five2 Village Development project. During our conversations, Phany (Kone Kmeng Director) described the many different activities that help protect children from exploitation. He said, “even bicycles help.” So, I thought, “I can do bikes. I would love to participate in that.”

AH: What is the goal of the Bike Project?
Chris: We want to develop leaders here in Cambodia and at Asian Hope we do that through education. So, the primary goal of the bikes is to help the children get to and from school. It promotes the importance of education. It sends the message, “You may not know it yet, but we know school is really important. We want you there so badly that we’re willing to provide you with bikes to get you there.”

AH: How does owning a bike change a child’s life?
Chris: It does two things. First, it gets the kids to school consistently. Secondly, it changes the family dynamic. With that bike, families have easier access to sell their goods at markets which helps them increase their income, which protects the children from trafficking and exploitation.

AH: Why would someone want to give to this project?

Chris: It’s a very exciting ministry because it is very tangible and simple. It’s very easy to get involved. I can give thirty dollars and provide the means to an education for a child in Cambodia as well as support the income of that family.

In the last year the Cambodia Bike Project has distributed 125 bikes to Cambodian children and women. Through this project, Asian Hope is supporting the growth of the Cambodian Christian Church and continuing to develop leaders from among Cambodia’s poorest and most vulnerable population. Maybe you are like Chris and you think, “I can do bikes.” You can donate to the Cambodia Bike Project online at www.AsianHope.org/give.

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“Before I was a Christian...I got into trouble a lot.  At the time, I was living with my mother and my father.  We were very poor.  I never made my mother happy; I always wanted to drink and do drugs and visit my friends.  It made my mother very disappointed,” recalls Thea.

In 2004, a Cambodian Christian man told Thea about Jesus.  “I thought, ‘Jesus is a foreigner’s God:  Should I believe or not?’  The man gave me a Bible and I read it but did not understand.”    Later, Thea asked the man how he could understand the Bible.  The man suggested he begin attending church in Phnom Penh.  His first Sunday at church, Thea accepted Jesus as the Savior from his sins and began following Him.

Because Prek Pneu is a very poor village, people cannot afford to travel to Phnom Penh to worship.  So, in late 2004, new believer Samrach Kroch started Jesus Loves You Church in the village.  Thea was eager to join this new group of believers.  He and Samrach had been friends since childhood.  The church met on a small, wooden platform under Samrach’s house every Sunday.

 “My whole life has changed.  I stopped drinking alcohol and using drugs.  All the people in the village were surprised that I had a new life as a Christian.  My mother was very happy, she saw my life change and also started to worship with us at the church,” says Thea. Pastor
Samrach explains, “This is how we spread the Gospel, we look for bridges into people’s families, ways to get to know them and then share the message with them.  Through those relationships, people come to know God.”

Asian Hope is now partnering with this small, vibrant Cambodian church to help them build relationship bridges in Prek Pneu.  The church now meets in Asian Hope’s 2Five2 Catch-up School building every Sunday morning.
“Asian Hope has given us this building to use to worship in.  Now we have room to stand up and praise God, and to do dramas and have good music. We have room to teach the children.  Now we can start an English class.  This gives us a bridge by which to share with our neighbors about Jesus,” says Pastor Samrach.

Thea now works as a guard for Asian Hope’s 2Five2.  “I am so thankful to Asian Hope.  They have given me a job and send me to learn English.  I love hanging out with the children of my village and participating in the devotions at 2Five2.”

“When we do good for the lives of the villagers, like opening the Catch-Up School and allowing us to teach English here, then they begin to think good things about Christians.  It is easier to share with them about Jesus then,” says Pastor Samrach.

The struggles of poverty are like a river separating Prek Pneu villagers from hope.  But Asian Hope and Jesus Loves You Church are building bridges to cross that river.

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Thear, who began catch-up classes in the 4th grade on November 27th, sat across from his 2Five2 teacher in the newly renovated classroom.  He looked ashamed as he whispered, “I want to be a doctor.  I want to help and heal people.”

Until recently, Thear spent his days holding a large umbrella over the sellers at the local fish market.  It was monotonous and tiring work, but earned $12.50 per month; a lot of money for his family of seven.  His father died of alcoholism five years ago, when Thear was nine.  Now his mother and siblings do whatever work they can find to earn enough money to eat each day. They do not survive month to month, but day to day.

Like many of the poor children of Prek Pneu village, school attendance for Thear has been sporadic.  He dropped out of school at the age of eleven after completing third grade.  His mother could no longer afford the fees charged by the teachers and she really needed him to go to work to help support the family.  But Thear has always longed to go to school, to read and to write.  It is one of Thear’s impossible dreams.

Thear’s story is all too common in the village of Prek Pneu.  He and countless other children are stuck in a cycle of poverty from which there is no escape.  One must work to survive, which means dreams of school and a better future are left like the trash in the street. 

But now, Thear has new hope because of Asian Hope’s 2Five2 catch-up school.  “2Five2’s catch-up school aims to help at-risk or highly vulnerable children to attend school again or for the first time.  Our hope is to provide these kids with the tools necessary to create a new and brighter future,” says Leanne DeRemer,
Program Manager of 2Five2.

Apart from being a student, Thear must still work to help support the family.  That means he must get up at 4:00 am every morning to work on the fishing boats.  He works all morning and then walks the thirty minute walk to 2Five2’s building in the heart of Prek Pneu village for afternoon school.  He is driven by his dream; a dream he previously kept secret.  Many would laugh at him for even thinking of it.

We at Asian Hope would like to see Thear’s dreams come true.  With commitment and hard work by Thear and assistance from Asian Hope, his dream is possible.  We want all of the children of Prek Pneu
village to dream big.  That is why Asian Hope works so hard to assist them as they make those dreams become reality. 

Thank you for helping turn dreams into realities for Thear and the children of Prek Pneu!

To see the entire February Newsletter, click here

The after school program meets inside Logos International School, (thus the name School-in-School) and focuses on supplementing the Cambodian government school’s curriculum. It began with grades one and two and eventually added a homework club, and then math and English classes.

Lida’s parents died when she was very young, and she went to live with her grandparents. When Lida's grandmother fell ill with liver disease, Lida had to quit school to stay home and take care of her.  Burdened with medical expenses, her grandparents have since been unable to afford the school fees for Lida. As the oldest grandchild in the house, Lida stays home and helps run the household while her two younger cousins attend government school.

Lida heard about School-in-School when Asian Hope volunteers walked through her neighborhood passing out flyers.  She was excited at the thought of being able to attend school again.  There was only one problem; School-in-School was only for first and second grade.  Lida signed up anyway. When Chenda Ban, School-in-School administrator, read Lida’s application she was unable to accept it because Lida was too old and did not meet the criteria.

Lida, however, was determined to get back into school and kept signing up in spite of rejection notices.  Fortunately, School-in-School added an English as a Foreign Language class and Chenda, who hopes the program will bring change beyond the classroom, was able to accept Lida into the program.  Now Lida wears a big smile at School-in-School. “It’s good for me because I’m not able to go to school like others,” she says of the program.

School-in-School began with 52 students, and in over two months has more than doubled to 125 students!  Many of the students had never heard about Jesus.  They are now beginning to see and feel His love through the teachers, several or whom are Logos graduates,  as they pray in the classroom and take a genuine interest in the students’ lives.

Lida will have more job and educational opportunities available to her as she gains fluency in English.  Opportunities that can change the life of a girl who is otherwise unable to access an education.  However, Lida’s fight is not over. Her educational needs require more than a daily 75 minute class. Sometimes she struggles with attendance because of demands at home. Although her academic journey is rough, because of her persistence and the opportunity School-in-School provides, Lida is able to call herself a student once again.

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Pahnette, like the 95% of Cambodians who are Buddhist, didn’t
celebrate Christmas before coming to Asian Hope.  When  her father died during her infancy, her family fell apart and Pahnette was
separated from her older brother and sister.  She was sent to live with an aunt to protect her from an abusive step-father.  As is typical in Cambodia, her aunt could not afford to support Pahnette, so at six years old she was sent to Asian Hope’s Children’s Home. 

Pahnette’s family was broken, but at Asian Hope she was reunited with her brother and sister, gained 27
siblings and an extended family of Asian Hope staff, teachers and friends.  The house was always active and noisy.  And there were new holidays to celebrate.  Christmas soon became a favorite.  “The love, laughter, and food stands out the most to me,” Pahnette recalls about her first Christmases at Asian Hope. 

 Pahnette remembers one Christmas when a family friend shared his story with the boisterous crew.  Pahnette recalls, “It showed me that regardless of who you are and what you do, God loves you.  And it made me look at everything differently, the world, and life and how short life is, and not to dwell only on what I can get from people, but what I can do for people, whether it’s buying them a gift or just loving them.”

Pahnette is most excited about some of the new traditions that have been added.  “Last year, Logos volunteers went to the neighboring families around the school and gave them presents.  It was really fun!  We gave them snacks and T-shirts!  I was so blessed to have been able to be a part of that!

Pahnette knows the reality of others never having a chance to hear about Jesus.  She takes advantage of opportunities to show God’s love to children through volunteering weekly with a neighborhood outreach program.  “This year, I am looking
forward to celebrating Christmas with the Neighborhood Kids Outreach.  The kids that show up are just wonderful children.  I'm looking forward to this special event the most!!!” 

Through the outreaches and friendships built, the neighbors will hopefully begin to ask more about Jesus.  Perhaps one day the name of Christ will be well known, people will celebrate His birth, and Christmas will no longer be just a common day in Cambodia.

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The ethnic Vietnamese children living in Prek Pneu, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, face challenges that no child should face.  Panghun and her siblings have been unable to attend school because they didn’t have the appropriate
government ID that would allow them to study in the Cambodian public school.

Imagine the life-long vulnerability not being able to access an education creates for an impoverished child.

However, this year things will change for Panghun as she will begin classes in Asian Hope’s 2Five2 catch-up school! With the help of Asian Hope she will, for the first time, be able to attend the local primary school once she is academically ready to integrate in.  Not only will Panghun have the opportunity for hope and a new beginning, but her younger brother and two cousins will as well!

In Prek Pneu, where Asian Hope’s Village Development Program has recently been launched, more than half of the 3,000 children do not even attend school.  Most of the children have fallen victim to, or are affected by child labor, trafficking for sexual exploitation, drug abuse, and domestic violence.

In order to equip these children with the resources necessary to be in school, Asian Hope will provide each student with a backpack, notebook, pencil, and uniform.  These simple items can provide the start of hope, the start of a dream, and the start of the life God desires for them.

Every $10 given to Asian Hope will allow us to equip 1 child trapped in poverty with the essentials to attend school!*  Asian Hope will also work with each student in our catch up program and tutoring programs so they can have the best chance to receive a quality education providing hope for a better life.

Will you consider giving the gift of education and opportunity to at risk children and help change their life forever?

Spreading Hope Together,

Tom Matuschka                                                CLICK HERE TO GIVE TODAY

President and CEO

P.S. For every $10, the cost of a stocking stuffer, you can fill a backpack and change a child’s life!

*Any funds raised beyond the current need for school supplies for this program will be used for other educational needs.

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"2:00 AM is a very early wake up call for a fourteen year old. Yet Vienut knows that if she doesn't stand guard over the fishermen's motorcycles, she will not have money to pay the teacher fees at school." 

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"Divorced and blind in one eye because she was too poor for adequate medical care, Sopari's mother faced a terrible decision. She had to leave Sopari and her other children with their grandmother, and then leave her home and her country to secretly find work as a maid in Thailand." 

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"Responsibility is a rite of passage towards becoming an adult. About a year and a half ago, Hocklee, 18 years old, wanted a pet."

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"Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." -Proverbs 31:8-9

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"Khun's father abandoned his mother shortly after he was born. Left with nothing, the mother and child were destitute."

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Sam’s perspective on Christmas changed last year when he had the opportunity to spend some of
his Christmas vacation in the province with Mr. Theoun’s family.

Photos of Asian Hope giving Christmas Bags to the surrounding neighbors.