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MAGNET:Bridges Across Borders/ CambodiaPosted to: Fridge Magnets by Darlene Charneco (CCAL30) (594), Sat, 12 Feb 2005 14:20:49 PST Edited: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 08:48:33 PDT Feedback score: 0 Comments: 18 by 5 members (most recent: 12 weeks ago by Lars Hasselblad Torres (3514)) Viewed: 176 times by 38 members

One of the amazing organizations that I believe in and have been supporting bit by bit when I can is org/index.htm Bridges Across Borders (http://www.bridgesacrossborders.) Bridges Across Borders is a somewhat small group of individuals with common goals and heart-bursting dedication working in different parts of the world. Their mission embodies my highest hopes and ideals. They have many wonderful projects going...but I have been SO personally moved by the work in Cambodia with the Center for Children's Happiness.: "We are working with Cambodia's most destitute urban community, situated on the rim of Phnom Penh's major landfill. Thousands of individuals, including children, scavenge in the dump for items to sell in order to eke out an existence. Bridges has provided tetanus, measles, mumps, and rubella shots for over 400 children who live and work on the dunp, and we support the efforts of the Center for Children's Happiness (CCH), a small local organization that has rescued orphaned children from this terrible life and provides them with a safe, nurturing home and educational opportunities. please do read more at: http://babs.selfip.net/~www/proj ects/Cambodia/cam_projects-2.htm The article at the bottom of the page 'Cambodia Landfill:Life in Hell by David Prad' is what originally brought me to this site. Read it if you dare, it kinda destroyed me. But then follow the link to the Center of Children's Happiness and browse about, read about the founder, and imagine the amazing difference that it is to a child having the opportunity to move from one environment to another, the life-changing Hope that it fosters. In this day and age, I just DO not believe that it must be this way. I DO not accept that parts of humanity...and children have to live out their lives in the most hopeless situations imaginable.A few people are dedicating their lives to BE there, trying to remedy this situation. I can help a bit through my small donations. But WE (Avalokitesvara) can totally change the situation through an accumulation of the same small individual donations. I really believe that. Consider a small donation to any of the BAB projects or get involved in any way. Pass on the info/links if and when you get the chance....etc. I'm learning that just sharing info can be a great way to make a difference. with hope, Darlene

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By Sue Braiden (CCAL30) (2031), Tue, 15 Feb 2005 09:06:02 PST Comment feedback score: 0 +|- (net 0 from me) Darlene, thanks so much for bringing this up into view. The article you linked to was deeply disturbing, and certainly inspired a do-something moment in me. I spent a few hours combing through these resources the other day when I first found your posting. I can see where I am able to contribute personally to this. I also found an interesting link to the Music program they've got, which I connected with because I'm a composer, and know the value of music to heal and motivate. I'm going to be spending more time looking into that particular program to see if there are ways that I might also help there. Thanks so much for taking the time to share this, Darlene. I'm looking forward to learning more about the successes that have come out of this program and hope to come back with a few more thoughts on it here. Hope others might feel inspired to do the same.

By Darlene Charneco (CCAL30) (594), Tue, 15 Feb 2005 09:43:10 PST Comment feedback score: 0 Oh I hope so too! Thank you so much.I wasn't sure how visible these 'fridge magnets' were but thought I'd give it a try.:)!!

By Sue Braiden (CCAL30) (2031), Tue, 15 Feb 2005 10:30:12 PST Comment feedback score: 0 +|- (net 0 from me) The magnets group is still new, so it remains a bit of an experiment to see if others will find it helpful to have a bit of a hub where they can find uplift opportunities to invest in (time, resources, skills, money, etc.)

By Anne Marie Bellavance (2207), Tue, 22 Feb 2005 13:42:42 PST Comment feedback score: 0 +|- (net 0 from me) http://www.bridgesacrossborders.org/fairtradecrafts.htm Thank you Darlene - i am looking forward to exploring the uplift of this organization.

By Darlene Charneco (CCAL30) (594), Sun, 27 Feb 2005 10:54:50 PST Comment feedback score: 0 Thanks Anne Marie,:)!, yes I think they have many wonderful projects/efforts going. I am quite enthusiastic about fair trade items and creating sustainable micro-enterprises in general. Have you ever see the book 'In Her Hands: Craftswomen Changing the World'? (http://herhands.com) I find it SO inspiring. As an artist myself, lucky enough to make some income off of my art because of education and resources, I gravitate towards these types of uplift projects. You might also be interested in this current related Peace Corps Volunteer project that is also in need of assistance: Phaphamani Women's Association Sewing Cooperative http://peacecorps.org/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.projdetail&projdesc=645-044

By Anne Marie Bellavance (2207), Sun, 27 Feb 2005 12:10:02 PST Comment feedback score: 0 +|- (net 0 from me) thank you Darlene - these organizations give me hope and bring honor to many communities that have witnessed such horror. I am just discovering how to leap and am enjoying your resources mentioned - here is another similar organization: http://www.womenforwomen.org/owrwjn.html i do believe small donations do make a difference......

By Darlene Charneco (CCAL30) (594), Sat, 16 Apr 2005 07:54:02 PDT Comment feedback score: 0 oh yes, that is quite a good one too! yes, I believe these kind of donations do make a difference, for others And in ourselves.:) I started a little community on livejournal to try to help promote the idea of a 10%club: http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=10percentclub

By Evonne Heyning (CCAL30) (2414), Sun, 24 Apr 2005 18:36:54 PDT Comment feedback score: 0 +|- (net 0 from me) I went through the first newsletter and read David Pred's account of life in Cambodia....thank you for forwarding this. I work with other networks in that region looking for healthy models to work with and hopefully those connections will prove fruitful for many kids. How did you find BAB?

By Darlene Charneco (CCAL30) (594), Wed, 27 Apr 2005 23:28:05 PDT Comment feedback score: 0 HI Jennifer! Hmmm I believe it was back in 2003, I somehow linked to that heartwrenching article on the landfill and then to their site...they were just starting up at that time and looking for support. Their mission resonated so strongly with all I hope...(as does Amoration),so I joined as a founding member and have been keeping up with them since... There's a book called 'Across the Wire: Life and Hard Times on the Mexican Border' by Luis Alberto Urrea that gives a pretty moving account of his time as part of a crew of relief workers providing aid to refugees at a landfill in Mexico...I think you might appreciate it: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385425309/ref=ase_luisurrea-20/102-0397722-0925724?v=glance&s=books Are you hoping to do a reality show/documentary in Cambodia?

By Evonne Heyning (CCAL30) (2414), Thu, 28 Apr 2005 11:11:28 PDT Comment feedback score: 0 +|- (net 0 from me) I have friends heading to Cambodia next month to assess development issues there....they have a disaster relief effort called KIRF that has been focused on tsunami reconstruction in areas ignored by major NGOs. There's some interest in working outside Phnom Penh, but my primary interest is in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, purely out of spiritual ties. I worked with the Cambodian community in Rhode Island back in 2002-2003 and we did a large web/video project on Angkor Wat and Khmer culture....and I was hooked by the Apsara.

By Lars Hasselblad Torres (3514), Thu, 28 Apr 2005 13:39:57 PDT Comment feedback score: 0 +|- (net 0 from me) darlene, this is a cool thread, one that i have some experience with -- i wrote part of my undergraduate thesis based on some time i spent at a landfill: interviewing, observing, and hanging out with the "baol-baol," young boys from the south of Senegal who were coming the city to find work. It was interesting, the role the dump played: in some cases, it was the first point of entry, a semi-cooperative, informally structured network of networks (rag-pickers, buyers, transformers/cleaners, fabricators, and retailers) where the boys could earn some cash and build a network. In other cases, the dump was the last stop on a backward slide of failure as children and youth failed to make it in the "big city."

One of the things that really struck me, that you raise here Darlene, is how incredibly inventive and energetic these young people were, despite desperate conditions and in particular around the creation of toys and accessories (although many just worked "the grind:" seeking out specific objects for the "boss" of whatever network they were in, which included rag picking, sandals, glass bottles, etc). my experience there created a whole new interest in "trash art" and since then I have tried to support what we coyly call "visionary" of "folk artists" here in the US: those who used recovered material to create works that don't often make it into the gallery setting. You can see some images from my experience at Mbeubeuss (the dump, named after the lake it fills) on Flickr.

i am really pleased to read about bridge across borders, and would love to actually create an inventory of groups working with the recuperation and transformation networks at dumps around the world. any ideas of good places to start? some other questions i have had since then are: who is tracking the arts and crafts products of these groups around the world? who provides training and technical assistance to expand the base of marketable good these networks produce? who is working with these networks to formalize certain aspects of the recovery efforts, for example recyclable plastics, paper fibers, and metals? Thanks again for this inspiring topic!

By Darlene Charneco (CCAL30) (594), Fri, 13 May 2005 21:13:58 PDT Comment feedback score: 1 (*) wow, Lars, thank you So much for posting all this! I've been in the midst of a house move and am sorry to take so long getting back to you. I loved the photos you linked to and am so impressed with your working within these areas. I think your questions are fascinating- but I haven't any good answers for you.Maybe the answer is YOU!;) I wonder if the magazine 'Raw Vision' might cover a story/series of stories like that which you mention if alerted to it or if you submitted?. We enjoyed a subscription to RV for a year, most thoroughly awestruck by the complete environments that are sometimes created over a lifetime. Are you familiar with this magazine?

By Darlene Charneco (CCAL30) (594), Tue, 24 May 2005 20:12:50 PDT Comment feedback score: 2 (* *) As of April 2005, CCH (http://www.cchcambodia.org/index.html)is in the process of opening a second home for children from the garbage dump. Renovations are taking place to an existing building donated to CCH. The second home has several specific needs, to which you can make donations: A. Refurbishment: US$ 632.50 1. Floor inside the sleeping room 3.5m x 9m = 31.50m2; 31.50 sqm x $7 = $220 including labor 2. Floor inside the sleeping room 3.5m x 9m = 31.50m2; 31.50 sqm x $7 = $ 220 including labor 3. Kitchen 3m x 1.5 = 4.5 m2 4.5 sqm x $25 = $112.50 including labor 4. Repair to stairs $80.00 including labor B. Plastic floor covering for first floor: 315.00 US$ 7m x 9m = 63 sqm 63 x $5 = $ 315 C. Wooden bedframes: $ 800.00 1. Double wooden bed, 0.8m x 1.9m x 1.40m, $80 per bed 10 beds x $80= $800.00 D. Sleeping materials: $ 93.60 2. Mat 20 pcs x $1.80= $3.60 3. Mosquito net 20 pcs x $2 = $40.00 4. Blanket 20 pcs x $1.5 = $30.00 5. Pillow 20 pcs x $1 = $20.00 Printer HP Canon : $200.00 F. Wooden desks: $105.00 3 desks x $35 = $105.00 G. Flowers and trees with jar $300.00 20 pcs x $15 = $300.00 H. Shelves: $36.00 4 x $9 = $36.00 Total (A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H): $2,4821.10 Making Donations CCH works in partnership with Bridges Across Borders, which is responsible for fundraising for CCH outside of Cambodia. Bridges Across Borders is a US-based international organization that is working to form closer relationships between peoples and individuals around the world. BAB raises awareness in wealthy countries about the issues faced by people in the Global South, and helps those who care provide meaningful assistance to those who are in need through projects. You can donate to CCH by going to the Bridges Across Borders website, http://www.bridgesacrossborders.org

By Evonne Heyning (CCAL30) (2414), Tue, 05 Jul 2005 06:39:04 PDT Comment feedback score: 0 +|- (net 0 from me) Thank you for posting this Darlene, this is wonderful! As for Raw Vision, they're one of my favorite print publications....definitely a template for future work stemming from our ONet connections. Great news to share....Fotki gave our nonprofit three years of free photo hosting, unlimited storage....so if there are small projects that need space to grow I'm more than welcome to host. I'd love to see your favorite images!

By Darlene Charneco (CCAL30) (594), Sun, 21 May 2006 07:53:56 PDT Comment feedback score: 0 update: With the entire financial support from JHP (Japan Team of Young Human Power), CCH has built a new center of dormitory and skill training called CCH II. Its expansion has also been funded largely by the U.S. based international organization, Bridges Across Borders, and individual sponsors. With financial support from the Cambodian Dump Children's Committee UK (CDCC), Bridges Across Borders (BAB), NIK in Belgium and Wilde Geese Foundation in the Netherlands, CCH opened a cooperated center named CDCC project. I CAN, an international kindergarten school, has also been playing an important role in supporting materials such as Computers, beds, tables, Kid Plays and so on, to our CDCC. CDCC is located in southern Phnom Penh as well, however more towards the centre of the city. There is a traditional wooden house and a small yard in front. In the house there are classrooms, a computer lab and some rooms to play. There are tables outside and also in the classrooms that are used as desks during lessons, and during meal time as dining tables. On the right of the wooden house there are two dormitories. Between the girls’ and the boys’ dormitory there is again a small yard. Behind the seating groups in the yard there is a garden and play area, which is as big as the area of the wooden house and the two dormitories together, so there is a lot of opportunity for their children to expend their energy. The garden and play area is currently being built. There will be a sandy soccer field, a vegetable garden and a small playing ground. While at CDCC there is still a work in progress, it is developing quite quickly. CCH II has five live-in staffs. One is a handyman and driver. One woman is responsible for children’s education and health. She is also accompanying Sokha during the visits at the garbage dump. Two women are there to cook. There is also a night guard who is on hand to ensure the children's security. more on the website .

By Darlene Charneco (CCAL30) (594), Sun, 21 May 2006 08:15:10 PDT Comment feedback score: 0 Lars, glad for your prompt on Uplift. Figured this might be a place to continue the specific discussion if you like, while keeping the Bridges magnet 'active/visible'?:) I came across another project...very much like the photographic empowerment project of 'Born into Brothels' in India...this time at the dumps in Guatemala, empowering and bringing awareness through children's photographs. Called 'Out of the Dumps' or 'Fotokids'...The project started back in 1991 and has been expanding since into different areas in Guatemala and Honduras. At the time of this article (below), the project was looking to expand/jump into Uganda, Check it out!: Out of Guatemala dump: Art, Hope, and Changed Lives

By Darlene Charneco (CCAL30) (594), Thu, 07 Jun 2007 08:52:51 PDT Comment feedback score: 0 Here is an update newsletter from Friends of CCH: http://www.friendsofcch.org/Mont hlyReports/0706Report.html If anyone would like a hardcopy newletter/booklet of Bridges Across Borders South East Asia's work (it's really wonderfully put together and very inspiring!) PLEASE do contact me and send me your mailing address. I loved it so much that I paid for and requested to be sent a bunch of them to redistribute. Please consider becoming a member to support their ongoing work.

By Lars Hasselblad Torres (3514), Thu, 07 Jun 2007 08:56:52 PDT Comment feedback score: 0 +|- (net 0 from me) yes, i've seen that - its great! and so glad you reignited the borders discussion. i have a letter sitting right here that i wrote the day after i received your magazines, one of which i know exactly to whom i will send it :) anyway, the work is very inspiring, and so great to see volunteer networks succeed. you are a tremendous inspiration, and the care and cultivation you bring to efforts you are passionate about is truly... truly!