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DONATE NOW! You can grin from ear to ear knowing that 92 cents in every dollar raised goes directly to the Happy School creating Happy Kids. |
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$10.00 buys books and stationary for one student for one year |
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$30.00 buys rice for one student for one year |
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$40.00 buys one child a scholarship to State School for one year |
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It’s been a while between Newsletters and we have much to share about Happy School and ACE goings on. As always we are impressed by your ongoing loyalty and creativity in supporting the Happy School and ACE events. Some of you have been eventing and donating and dancing with us for almost six years, a wonderful journey that sees the School and ACE in a solid financial position with strong partnerships supporting ever improving education and opportunity for sixty three young Cambodians.
In this edition:
Happy School graduate working at Friends
World Education update
Phalla cooks up some creativity
ACE Ahoy report
Welcome new ACE Crew
New ACE website
2009 AGM
ACE Ahoy Halloween
Happy School graduate working at Friends
After five years of operation some Happy School graduates are reaching an age where employment is their goal. Gaining employment is an incredible achievement for our students, whose wages can have a powerful flow on effect supporting their family and wider community.
Eventually, we dream that all our students will move into sustainable and meaningful employment and break the cycle of poverty. However our employment program is still in planning, with our resources focused on core education. At present we offer our students vocational training through a partnership with Mith Samlanh (Friends), and through this program one Happy School Student Sami has gained employment as a trainer.
Sami undertook training at Friends as a mechanic in 2007/8. He proved an able student and was offered a position training other young people, a job with a reliable pay check and good conditions. The Happy School staff and all of ACE congratulate Sami on his position.
World Education Partnership update
ACE’s productive partnership with World Education Australia (WEAL) www.worlded.org.au moves into its third year as we busily work toward our shared Happy School project goals.
WEAL provides expert project management support to the Happy School while World Education in Cambodia provides local support around finance, education quality and organizational development. ACE welcomes Bong Sonthara as new Country Director for World Education in Cambodia, with the Happy School already feeling the benefits of her education expertise and strong focus on the project.
Phalla Cooks up some creativity
Sometimes we wonder if our School Director Phalla is super-human. Every year the Happy School students participate in a creativity project. Normally it’s something driven by ACE, connecting up foreign volunteers who organize their own project. This year Phalla has taken the reins.
We didn’t even ask him to, we didn’t even know he was going to, but he has somehow inspired six Japanese students to volunteer their time at the Happy School.
This August, the Happy School students look forward to participating in a cooking program put together by Japanese students visiting the Happy School. The program consists of Khmer and Japanese cooking – our own “Master Chef!” and will contribute to the purchase of new cooking equipment for the Happy School and potential ongoing support for our food program. ACE is very excited about the prospect of the Happy School students learning new skills and cooking for us when we visit the School!
ACE Ahoy – May 15
Hopefully you were able to attend our first fundraising foray on the high seas-the boat party extraordinaire ACE Ahoy.
The sold out event saw 300 people don their nautical gear, partying it up for the Happy School while cruising the shipping lanes of Melbourne. The Southern Crumpet Sound System and Bottoms Up Burlesque provided a night of mischief and adventure with plenty of booty to share around. Check out some spectacular photos of the event: Fernando De Sousa’s Flickr Gallery
ACE Ahoy raised almost $10 000 for the Happy School and we thank all you salty sea dogs for a truly spectacular little party. And if you are thinking wistfully of how much fun you had then wist no longer… and start preparing for ACE Ahoy Halloween – Vampirates – see below for details.
ACE welcomes new Committee members
If you came to ACE Ahoy, you probably thought – WOW! ACE has really nailed it this time, pirate dress ups, ultra funky beats, water … little did you know it was the inaugural offering of some NEW ACE CREW!
Clayton and Tracy Renewell, Rosalinda Mecuri, and Eloise Wall have all joined our Committee, adding some serious spreadsheet driven, nautically accessorized depth to our team. The driving force behind this party, whipping ACE old timers into line, the new crew put in an amazing performance to deliver a seamless event. ACE and the Happy School kids are very proud and excited to have you all as part of our fundraising machine.
New website competition
ACE has a new website – hip hip hooray! Please check it out www.acecambodia.org.au
To lure you into our new online playground we are running a competition to win 2 FREE tickets to the upcoming ACE Ahoy Halloween. You need to visit the new Website www.acecambodia.org.au and answer this question-
“In what year was the first Happy School classroom built?”
Special thanks go out to Lana de Jager and Rebecca Reid who have pursued this project relentlessly. Much patience and persistence was needed to get this one off the ground and we are most grateful to those two for sticking it out.
Email your answer to info@acecambodia.org.au with your name and phone number and we will contact the winner and send your tickets. Happy Treasure hunting!
2009 Annual General Meeting
Yes, it’s that special time when we reflect on our years work, at the Happy School in Cambodia and in Australia. We invite all members and Happy School friends to join us for some food and celebration of another excellent year- our 5th since forming ACE in 2004. If you’d like a more detailed picture of what happens at the School and to share in our dreams for the future, the AGM is where this can be found.
Wednesday November 25 2009 7pm
Globe Café – Upstairs: food and drink provided.
No RSVP necessary
ACE Ahoy 2
With the success of ACE Ahoy, we are proud to announce the second boat party installment, Halloween sunset stylie – Saturday October 31. In the spirit of Halloween ACE invites you to Vampirate it up and join us as we sail into the sunset with another boatload of funky tunes and high sea highjinks.
Tickets available in advance from Greentix in September – remember to purchase tickets quickly to avoid disappointment!
So that’s all for now, if you have any feedback or ideas or you would like to join our regular meetings, please don’t hesitate to contact me:
Bobilee Shahine – ACE President
If you wish to make a donation to ACE and The Happy School please visit our donate information page.
ACE out.
