Children

December 20, 2022

Kenya 2022: An up and down of emotions^Featured

Our trip to Kenya this year took place in November 2022. It was a very intensive and touching stay.
Due to the prolonged drought, the situation on the ground is dramatic, in all three schools. Especially Immpirrishi worries us a lot, as we are the only organization there that at least comes by from time to time and takes care of the students.

School Iloshon
Iloshon is located in the Rift Valley about 10 km from Mile 46. The elementary school of Iloshon is attended by 423 students. The population of Iloshon is suffering extremely from the drought, however, several international organizations have already taken action there, including drilling a borehole and providing a 100 m3 water tank and washing stations for the school. Nevertheless, also in Iloshon the animals in the savannah do not find enough fodder anymore and straw bales have to be bought in as feed for the animals. The price for the very emaciated cows and goats has also dropped. The weak animals currently fetch price of about 1,000 KES and earlier between 40,000 and 60,000 KES could be fetched with them.
In contrast, the prices of staple foods such as ugali, cabbage, cornmeal, beans, sugar, salt and cooking oil have increased massively due to inflation. Transportation prices have also been affected by inflation.
At the request of the Deputy Head Teacher and the Head Teacher, we are now sponsoring a daily lunch at the school for the last few weeks of the semester, which will help keep the children coming to school regularly. According to the teachers, the children arrive at school completely dehydrated, hungry and tired, and some of them are unable to teach. During the farewell tour of all the classes, in PP1 and PP2 the children were sitting there with the empty bowls in their hands, as they were already waiting for the upcoming lunch. This meal is often the only meal per day that these children currently receive.
The elementary school of Iloshon is attended by 450 students. The introduction of the new curriculum makes changes necessary in Iloshon as well. For example, an Italian NGO is working to build two classrooms for the junior high school and there is a plan to build a needed secondary school. However, there is currently no budget for the construction of a laboratory. Government regulations, however, require the existence of a laboratory in order to officially register the secondary school.
The school has boarding facilities in Iloshon for about 70 girls at the Nasaru Learning Center for Masai Girls that we built. We also offer sewing classes for students and moms there, which are also very well received. Currently 53 girls are enrolled for boarding, of which we support 25.
Our goal is to also set up an infirmary and a hairdresser/barbershop there in order to show and also teach the schoolgirls further career prospects.
In addition, we would also like to show a perspective for the male students and plan to send individual students to the Masai Technical Institute in Kajiado.
There are also some boys boarding in one of the former teachers’ quarters and under very questionable hygienic conditions.
The community of Iloshon is supported and cared for by various non-profit organizations. For example, in the last two years a borehole has been constructed which, among other things, feeds a 100m3 water tank for the school. The permanent presence of water helps a lot. The problem, however, is that the actions of the organizations are not concerted, but selective and seemingly erratic.

Immpirrishi School
Immpirishi Primary School is located in Tinga, Kiserian. Around the school live about 800 families, i.e. about 5,600 people. There are currently 217 students enrolled at the school, however only 169 come to school semi-regularly.
This area is suffering greatly from the drought that has now lasted for over 2 years. The parents and also the children have to walk further and longer distances with their animals in search of water.
We are currently the only organization that goes there regularly to provide water, food and education about FGM. We have been active there for two years.
The school has no water, and the classrooms are made of corrugated metal that heats up under the sun. They are in terrible condition and snakes are often encountered in the classes and ants build their piles there during the vacations. Termites eat up the school books.
We are currently supporting 12 girls in this school who have been victims of FGM, with the aim of making them ambassadors against FGM and role models for the other girls. Three of the girls will enter secondary school next school year, and we will support them in this. In addition, one of our employees comes by every other month with a food delivery for the parents. On the occasion of our visit we also brought food and gifts for the teachers (beans, rice, oil for cooking, salt, sugar, soap, washing powder), writing books for the children and a water delivery.
This school was in dire need of a well or a large water tank. In addition, the nearest store is a 3 hour walk away – it is located in Tinga. The medical care for the population there is non-existent, FGM is practiced and the hygienic conditions are inhumane. We are also in contact with the cutter/midwife and have brought her disinfectant, disposable gloves and disposable blades for births.

School Kings & Queens of Rehoboth
This school is a private school in the slums of Kitengela (Noonkopir). In contrast to Europe, private schools in Kenya are for particularly poor children whose parents cannot afford the school fees.
This school is located directly behind a large garbage dump, where some of the children’s parents search for recyclable material during the day. This garbage dump stinks beastly and vapors rise, which are certainly not healthy. Next to it, skinny cows are looking for something to eat and the vultures are also waiting for their chance.
There are currently 170 children in this school, including refugees from Congo and children from the surrounding slums. The absentee rate is very high, and there are several reasons for this. One of the reasons is period poverty, meaning that the girls do not own underpants or have access to sanitary pads and therefore have to stay home for the duration of their periods. In addition, the children’s parents often do not even have money to provide regular water and food for their children. Many children come to school very dirty and some of them even wash themselves at school. Not all children wear school uniforms, although this is compulsory in Kenya and in case the school is inspected by the authorities, this would reflect very badly on the school and also be a reason for further inspection.
It is a private school recognized by the state, but it does not receive any support from the state. Recently, a new curriculum was introduced in Kenya, which means that the students need new textbooks. Furthermore, practical subjects such as keeping chickens and knitting are part of the new curriculum. While this is very welcome, the money for the necessary materials (knitting and crocheting needles and wool) is not available here either.
Some of the children are also unable to take their final exams – despite doing well in school – because they do not have birth certificates.
The school has a water tank, but not regularly the financial means to buy water. Regular meals at school also increase parents’ motivation to send their children to school.
Furthermore, the government requires a large room for the final exams, as an external person supervises the exams and the desks have to be placed more than 1 meter apart.

Problems in this school

Absences
Period poverty
Parents who are illiterate
Lack of birth certificates
School books and teaching materials are not available
Availability of school uniforms, underpants, socks and shoes
Money for food and water at school
Lack of a regular sponsor/supporter to pay for fixed costs (rent, teachers, school uniforms, breakfast and lunch for the children)
Domestic violence in many families at home: no wonder given the more than cramped and really terrible housing conditions.

There are a lot of problems in the schools located in the remote savannah, but they are present to the same extent in the slum of Kitengela, where in addition the extremely cramped living conditions lead to even greater tensions in the families than in the savannah, where people actually spend a large part of the time outdoors.
The school in Kitengela is financed exclusively by donations. Before Corona, there were many volunteers who would sponsor a child. Due to Corona, many of these sponsors have dropped out and the school’s existence is massively threatened. We will therefore take over the fixed costs for the maintenance of the school in Kitengela from 2023.

After all these great and touching encounters, we are aware that we have a Herculean task ahead of us. But, we also know that we get an incredible amount of love and above all: We will be back!

Cambodia Children Education Empowerment

December 20, 2022

How a bicycle can improve a family’s life

Generous donation enables purchase of bicycles for disadvantaged children in Cambodia.

For years, ngo avec and the WeCare Association have been working closely together. For some time now, go avec has been running a school project in two schools in Battambang. These two schools are regularly visited by representatives of ngo avec, who then distribute relief supplies to the parents of the supported children, who are also present. The goal is to create an additional incentive for the parents to send their children to school regularly. This project is very successful, and the author of this article has been present on site several times during the distribution of the supplies.

At the end of 2021, the WeCare Association received a generous donation from the Diethelm Foundation and, in consultation with Theavy Bun and Patrik Roux, we agreed to provide some of the children supported by the school project with additional bicycles.
The school project supports a total of 100 families, but Theavy Bun decided to give bicycles only to those students who regularly attend school and work hard there.

This resulted in a need for 77 bicycles plus 12 bicycles needed for the children of the Safe House in Battambang. Furthermore, all 89 bicycles were equipped with locks.
In addition, 2 mopeds were purchased for two older girls from the Safe House who are already attending university.

Nowadays, a bicycle is not necessarily something special for children in Switzerland. Not so in a third world country like Cambodia.
What does a bicycle mean for a Cambodian child?

The child gets to school faster.
In Cambodia, a bicycle is not only a means of transportation for a child, but it can also be used to take a brother/sister or another child from the same village to school.
The recipients of the bicycles have a low absenteeism rate. This makes them role models for the other children, who hopefully produce fewer absences as a result.
Owning a bike also makes it easier for these children to attend the additional English and computer training offered by ngo avec. The training center on the grounds of the ngo avec is very remote and can only be reached on foot, by bicycle or by car. There is no public transportation there.
The bicycles then allow the students to later attend a secondary school in Battambang, which is also not accessible by foot because they are too far away and no, there is no public transportation there either.
Having a bicycle in the family benefits the whole family. For example, the mother can use it to go to the market or to town to do shopping or to get medicine for a sick family member.
Giving these bicycles also reinforces ngo avec’s message about the necessity and usefulness of regular school attendance. Those who try harder and work harder in school get more than the others who do not.

Giving these bicycles also reinforces ngo avec’s message about the necessity and usefulness of regular school attendance. Those who try harder and work harder in school get more than the others who do not.
The official handover took place in the presence of parents and local political celebrities on the premises of the ngo avec in a ceremonial act.

Generous donation for the acquisition of bikes in Cambodia. A bike improves a family's life.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Dietrich Foundation once again for their generous donation. Without this contribution, the implementation of this project would not have been possible.

Africa Children Education Empowerment FGM Food Health Kenya Nasaru Learning Center

November 16, 2021

WeCare-Team Goes to Kenya 2021^Featured

Visit of current projects in Kenya

After two years we were able to return to Kenya in October 2021 to visit our ongoing projects.
As the Swiss direct flight is not available yet, we flew via Frankfort to Nairobi. After a quiet night at the airport hotel we, which is my dear friend Marcia and I, were picked up by Agnes Gitonga and her brother James.

Rehoboth Learning Center for Kings & Queens at Noonkopir

We went directly to the local mall in Kitengela to buy basics for the students of the Rehoboth Centre and the Mpirrishi Primary school. On our shopping list there were apples, cookies, hulo hoop, skipping ropes, sugar, salt, cooking oil, sanitary pads, and soap.
Then we went straight to the Rehoboth Learning Centre for Kings & Queens in Noonkopir, one of the slums of Kitengela. This is a private school but contrary to as is the case in Europe, Kenyan private schools are meant for the poorest kids whose parents cannot afford to send them to a public school. There we received a warm welcome with a variety of performances by all grades.

The Rehoboth Learning Centre is a particularly good example of how effective outside help can be. The “teachers’ room» features a board with a set of rules and regulations which are internalized by the students. Teachers refrain from beating the students which is still very widespread and common in these schools.

The school for currently 160 students has extremely limited space and resources available but boasts an overall positive and amical atmosphere. As the Kenyan government has changed its curriculum in the meantime, we have donated once again schoolbooks for the school.

Mpirrishi Primary School

On the next morning we left Kitengela to visit Mpirrishi Primary School in Oltepesi. The “mere” 104 km required a travelling time of three hours as in particular the last 30 km do not necessarily qualify to our definition of a road and at some point, we even asked ourselves whether we would manage to arrive there at all. And it was not even rainy season! The only means of transport available for people in this area is a so called Picky Picky Boy, a motorbike taxi, which could take them to the next dispensary. The price for a round trip is about 12.000 KES (about 120$). To put this price into perspective: a cook at the school earns around 60 $ a month.
What this really means in an emergency we should learn later in the day.
Agnes and her daughter Karen have been to Mpirrishi a couple of times before our visit to fight against the illegal but still practiced female genital mutilation (FGM). Their work was only possible thanks to the support and openness of the local principal, Manuel. The aim of our visit was to get an idea of the parents’ attitude towards this delicate topic and to meet the girls who had undergone FGM at the end of 2020 and who we are supporting. Little did we know as we witnessed an incredible performance. In front of the parents, the village elders, the teachers and the students, this group of girls prepared for their performance. One of the girls started to put on a pair of plastic gloves which took my breath away. I moved closer and started filming and yes: These incredibly brave girls performed the act which had traumatized them only a couple of months ago, their mutilation. This is one of the most intense experiences I have lived, ever, and not just I, but Marcia, Agnes, and her daughter as well. We all had tears in our eyes.

We had planned a private meeting with those girls following the end of the “official” part of our visit. On the way there, Agnes pointed out the “circumciser», an elder woman who makes her living buy performing FGM. Even this woman was obviously touched by the girls’ performance, and she promised to put down her razor. To make her promise become true, we will have to provide her with another source of income.
Suddenly, an excited Marcia pointed out a little girl who had hurt her wrist about two weeks ago whilst playing. The girl’s arm was tightly bandaged with a cloth and her hand was extremely swollen. After a lengthy discussion with the mother, we managed to convince her to take off the bandage and to accept our offer to have her taken to the next dispensary with our driver. This was the moment I realized how far reaching the consequences of FGM really are: It is the reason for illiteracy. If the little girl had not been taken to the dispensary, she would have likely lost her hand which, consequently, would have been interpreted as her being possessed by evil spirits.

On the way to our meeting with the girls, we bumped into two 23years old women, each of them mother of four children, whom Agnes had identified as potential FGM victims. Spontaneously, we invited them to our meeting.
The message of the girls was unanimous: Had they known what happened to them they would have never agreed, and they were all willing to do anything in their power to save their sisters and other girls and young women from this horrible procedure. Some of the girls are extremely traumatized and could not even talk about what had happened to them.

The two potential victims were listening carefully and incredulously. When asked about their motif to undergo FGM they both answered that they wanted to be “real” women. They were put under pressure by the husband and mother-in-law as well as by the midwife, who very often happens to be the circumciser, who threatened not to help her with future births. They did not show any comprehension for us reasoning that by bearing four children they already had proven their “being a real woman.” We do hope that these two young women will not succumb to the pressure of people around them.
We left Mpirrishi with mixed feelings. The positive attitude of the teachers and the village chairmen make us hope that this community will refrain from FGM in the future. But this will be an exceptionally long and winding road as there is a total lack of local infrastructure.

After four hours’ drive it was already night when we arrived back in Kitengela.

Nasaru Masai Girls Learning Center

Next on our list was the visit of our project “Nasaru Learning Centre for Masai Girls” in Iloshon for the next day. Before Kitengela, we made another visit to the Kitengela Mall where we shopped – once again – for basics such as soap, detergent, sugar, salt, oil, sanitary pads, and toilet paper. As we planned to spend the night there, we also bought mattresses, which were safely stored on the roof of the car. Packed to capacity we started our way to Iloshon and noticed that the quality of the dust road – at least to Kudu Hills Project – hat improved significantly – or was it our lowered expectations?

Anyhow, shortly before arrival at destination our car broke down and we were lucky enough that the head teacher Paul and Geoffrey, the constructor who is building the fence around Nasaru, came to our rescue.

Paul, the headteacher and Paul, the builder
(whose name actually is not Paul)

Unfortunately, the ongoing drought has taken its toll and many parents cannot or do not want to pay for the boarding of their girls. The price for cattle has dropped and the parents are lacking money for food and water. This was also one of the reasons why we had asked Geoffrey, who as constructor gets to different villages, already one year ago to identify twenty-five girls who are even worse off than others, to be sponsored by WeCare to board and thus to finish their education. We have discussed the reason for the parents’ reluctance with all people involved, the teachers, the cook, the matron, and the watchman. The fee structure has been named as the main reason and we discussed this with the head teacher. Eventually, we reached a compromise to lower the fee for the parents. We also pointed out that it is also the teachers’ responsibility to promote the boarding among the parents and thus convincing them about the importance of school education.
Finally, we had some time with the girls, and we checked the presence of all the girls supported by us. Except for one sick student, all the students were present.
We were surprised to discover that – except for few students – most of the girls did not know their birthday or at least their birth year. The following rope skipping competition was an enjoyable break for all.

After having had a meeting with the personal in our “bedroom” far beyond 10:00 pm, we were incredibly surprised and above all tired when were awoken at 04:30 am as the girls got up with a lot of noise.
The following day we toured all grades and distributed pencils, pens, and exercise books to all 450 students.

Unfortunately, our too short stay has ended and it would have been nice to have more time to spend with the girls and to interact with them directly. Agnes had only identified potential victims of FGM as «designated girls” have filed down lower incisors.
On our way back we made a little detour and Agnes pointed out a piece of land which she had rented thanks to WeCare-Association’s last year’s feeding program and which now provides the students of the Rehoboth Learning Centre with vegetables.

A small water reservoir next to tthe field

The bottom line of our visit to Kenya: Corona has worsened the situation for the poorest people and there is so much to do. So, let us do this: We are looking for godparents for our girls to make sure that these girls will be able to finish school and will be offered the opportunity for further education beyond primary school. As godfather/godmother of a girl, you will have the chance to establish a relationship with the girl and to follow up on her development. There will be progress reports three times a year, a Christmas letter written by the girl, the annual activity report of WeCare-Association as well as a small gift handmade with love in our workshop in Cambodia. More information will follow soon on our website: www.wecare-association.ch as well as on social media Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/wecareassociation/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WeCareAssociation).
We are grateful for very tiring and intensive day which touched and motivated us. We have met wonderful people who deserve a better future. “Education is life.” Only now do I understand the real meaning of this catch phrase.

Thank you very much in advance for your support under: https://en.wecare-association.ch/become-active/ .

Cambodia Children Empowerment Femmes des rizières

March 12, 2020

My trip to Cambodia^Featured

After more than 24 hours of travel, I arrived in Battambang on February 4th, 2020, tired but well. After a short rest at the hotel, I was picked up by Patrik Roux and we drove straight to the safe house, where I immediately started working with the seamstresses in the workshop.
Dara is very pregnant and her baby (probably a boy) is due at the end of February.

The mammoth task ahead of us is to transform Esther Enkelmann’s generous fabric donation into different styles for our upcycling project. Since we had already defined the production of an upcycling coat before my trip via Skype, I was able to inspect the first finished model upon my arrival and we spontaneously decided to make a matching bag as well. My godchild, Heidi, had to quickly jump in to be our model for the bag.

After dinner in the safe house, it was my honor to share some news with the kids. Patrik and Theavy had not yet told them about our planned trip to Siam Reap. The children were absolutely thrilled and loudly expressed their overwhelming joyfulness about this very welcome change.

The next morning, Theavy and I went shopping in the various markets. We found two pretty green patterned fabrics and Vichy patterns in different colors. Unfortunately, the availability of fabrics remains an unsolved problem. We are staying tuned!
At the market, we visited a young girl from the safe house who successfully completed the tailor training and is now working for a seamstress, as well as another graduate who runs her own business. As her sister sat pregnant on the floor and ironed, the owner’s little son crawled all around the floor. I wasn’t very comfortable watching!

Kimlai

Afterwards we got some local specialties like water cockroaches and silkworms (!!), tamarind and fish cooked in banana leaves. We also bought noodle soup-to-go from a woman with a mobile food stall. We then went to a grocery store specializing in foreign products, where we bought butter, flour, sugar and cocoa powder since we wanted to bake cakes and cookies together for the children.

Noodle soup to-go
A different form of protein
The kids loves this kind of protein

The next thing on our to-do list was to take a look at a booth which sells sugar cane juice as we needed some inspiration for the a project in Kenya.

Energy supply
Plastic orgy

Chrabcrosang Elementary School was on our list for the next morning. The hardworking assistants, Soklida, Saya and Thida, together with some of the girls had already loaded the small truck with approx. 100 kg rice, 600 soy bottles, 600 fish sauce bottles, 100 water bottles, 200 soaps, 100 uniforms, 100 packs of noodle soup, 100 bags and 100 packaged school materials. All of the bags and the uniforms were made in the safe house tailors’ workshop. In fact, the children’s uniforms were custom-made as the studio keeps a file with all of the children’s measurements.
The decrepit and rickety small truck brought us to Chrabcrosang Elementary School, very close to the safe house. In this school, the NGO avec looks after 100 children from the poorest backgrounds. These visits, which take place every two months, are focused on preventing absences from school and motivating parents and students to attend school. Therefore, one parent or relative must also be present during the visit. The children sit in neat rows on the floor, sorted by class, and their relatives sit beside them. Theavy checks the absence lists and the students with the most days have to step forward with their relatives and justify their absences. A complex but also very effective process. In the end, the relief supplies are distributed. There are also school supplies for the entire school and small monetary gifts for the teachers.

Dream team from avec
Rice for the parents
Unloading

In the afternoon, I was able to take a look behind the scenes when we visited some of the families of these students in their own homes. One mother had a completely swollen foot. It was green and her toes were discolored. The injury was already three weeks old. Despite severe pain, she could no longer go to the hospital because after two weeks it is no longer considered an emergency and she cannot afford regular treatment. This woman has a total of five daughters, with the oldest being an accounting student. She does not know how she will finance her daughters’ education, so it is quite likely that the eldest daughter will soon have to drop out of school and go to Thailand to earn money for the family.
All of the houses are extremely fragile and in poor condition. The house of one grandmother, who takes care of her granddaughter since both parents work in Thailand, is in particularly bad condition. But she seems very satisfied and content. Just watching the silent agreement between grandma and granddaughter was very moving. The puppies crawling around and wagging their tails added to this positive impression.

We then entered hell in the front courtyard. Several families live on the site of a garbage company, which stores their large equipment as well as garbage here. A fish is hung up to dry at the entrance gate and there is a strong smell of garbage everywhere.
Patrik ventured a little further into the interior of the dwellings and said that there was an overpowering, terrible smell which he could not identify but was sure was unhealthy, if not toxic. This visit left me shocked and speechless because the surrounding area was so much worse that what we had seen previously. The children, however, played happily and everyone happily posed for photos together. No one should have to live in such conditions!

Our next project was called “We bake cookies and cakes”. I naively assumed that it was an easy thing. Not even close! I hadn’t counted on the Cambodian stove. It was an older gas stove, which you could see. Of course, the furnace also had no temperature display and so we simply put it on high. We had already got the missing ingredients the day before and so I happily went to work. Another major challenge, especially when dealing with ingredients such as butter and chocolate, is the temperature, which is well above 30 ° C. The butter melted within a very short time and the chocolate soon melted as well. After Theavy and I got the cookies ready for baking, the moment of truth came: Usually, i.e. in my Swiss oven, the cookies have a baking time of 15 minutes. Well, in Cambodia it was 45 minutes … The next almond ring cake was partially a victim of the oven. Although I had put it on the lowest level and left it inside twice as long as in Switzerland, I failed to turn the mold … which led to a partially charred result. We then cut the burnt part out, which Patrik claimed was still edible….
With the second cake, I knew better. I positioned it in the middle of the gas oven and turned it several times. The result was a visually more appealing and, above all, completely edible cake.

Theavy and Patrik had decided to make educational use of the weekend trip to Siam Reap and announced that on Friday evening, the names of the children that were allowed to go with us would be announced. Over the course of the whole week, the children had been mulling over whether they would be allowed to ride or not, sometimes even packing their things. S. and M., 6 and 8 years old, had even expressed their concerns at the table every day about whether we would take them because they did not always brush their teeth. Theavy had drawn up a list of the names of vulnerable children that she was willing to take with her, but she expressed her dissatisfaction with certain behaviors and announced that she would hold one-on-one meetings the week after. In the end, only one boy fell through the grate: Unfortunately, he always stands out due to his aggressive behavior, and he has also injured other children. I felt sorry for the little boy and tried to put in a good word for him – to no avail. Patrik and Theavy insisted on the need to set an example of him, especially towards the other children, and not because they were convinced that this would change the boy’s behavior. In view of the fact that they are raising 35 children, I had to accept their decision, albeit with a heavy heart.
The excitement the next morning couldn’t have been greater at the safe house. The bus was already ready to leave. The majority of the children had boarded the bus and those who feel usually sick when driving had to find a place on the back of the pickup truck. Cambodian pragmatism!

More than three hours later, we reached Siam Reap where we went to a simple but clean place for lunch. The children spent the afternoon at the hotel pool. In the evening we went to a so-called Apsara restaurant, i.e. a huge restaurant for tourists with Apsara shows and a buffet. The restaurant was almost completely empty, as Siam Reap also lacks the large number of Chinese tour groups that are not granted travel permits due to the corona virus. One man’s joy is another man’s sorrow! Theavy was able to negotiate a very good price … especially for the smallest children. Patrik said with a smile that they had no idea how much the small children in particular could eat. This prophecy also came true and resulted in the smallest girls breaking the greatest records in eating ice cream: 10, 7 and 6 pops!!!
I was already aware that with 35 children, you have to exercise a different form of discipline than you so with only two. And yet I was so impressed by the exceptionally good behavior of the children: not only was the noise level in the hotel kept within limits, the children thanked us for each meal individually and the adults looked after the children in an exemplary manner, e.g. all small children were each designated to an older child and the two then walked hand in hand and there was no hint of a problem with this.
While I was having a glass of wine at the pool with Patrik, a huge surprise awaited me: Some of the older girls handed me some presents that they had made for me. It was sooo touching …
The next morning we first went to Angkor Wat and then to Bayon Temple. Again, I was amazed by the children’s incredible discipline.

Since I had several pieces of the Femmes des Rizières collection with us, we decided to combine the Sunday trip to the temples with a photo shoot for Femmes des Rizières. I had distributed the clothes the night before. It was so great to see how committed and eager the girls and young women were to preparing for the photos, posing and taking the pictures!

Unfortunately, it was time to say goodbye. It was wonderful! We all had a wonderful time together and not only the children have wonderful memories – but I do too!

Note: We had discussed in advance whether it would make more sense, for example, to buy a small motorcycle for one of the older girls rather than to go on this excursion. In the end, I decided that we would make the trip. These children all have such terrible backgrounds and we wanted to create some positive childhood memories. Of course, there was a trace of selfishness on my part when taking the decision. In any case, the memories of this trip with live on in everyone’s minds for a long time. The expenses for the excursion were privately covered!

Cambodia Children Safe House

June 27, 2017

Sunglasses Day

This day was initiated by The Vision Council – an association to promote the optical industry – and celebrates the importance of wearing shades to protect the eyes from the sun’s harsh ultraviolet (UV) rays.
People have always protected their eyes from glaring light – from protective masks and slit glasses to tinted glasses.

Slit Glasses

Tinted lenses without UV filters protect from glare but may even increase the damage done by the UV-rays. Pupils widen in the darkness and thus more harmful rays can get into the eye.

The perfect sun lenses are polarized and the size of the glasses reduce stray light. Moreover, sunglasses are considered fashion accessories and therefore have to meet the wearer’s expectations in terms of fashionability and image.

The historian Karin Hartewig in her 2009 book «The veiled look – small cultural history of sunglasses» has given a deeper insight into the cultural development of sunglasses.

Sunglasses became relevant only with the beginning of mobility, as motorists and wood class tourists of the railway needed protection against sun, dust, smoke and airflow. The former «goggles» were finally able to experience a first boom as body cult, sunbathing and outdoor sports in the open air became ever more popular. For more than 50 years this classical piece of disguise allows more or less well known people to market themselves.

Many celebrities never leave home without. For many of them, the sunglasses turned into a trade mark. Could you imagine Karl Lagerfeld, Heino, Jackie Onassis, Udo Lindenberg or Andy Warhol without their signature glasses? But also heroes of the everyday world love this cool accessory.

Be it fully mirrored, jet black, gradually tinted, xxl-formatted or classically pilot shaped – sunglasses are more than a protective tool – they shield the wearer from unwanted paparazzi pictures and from showing their emotions on the red-carpet and demonstrate power over other people.
Sunglasses are light protection, cult object and trademark. It is said that the Roman emperor Nero (37– 68 AD) liked to watch gladiator fights with emeralds. These, however, appear to have worked rather like mirrors.

In the 15th century, tinted lenses had already been used to protect the eyes from glare. But only around 1752 did James Ayscough begin experimenting with tinted lenses in spectacles. These were not «sunglasses» as that term is now used; Ayscough believed that blue- or green-tinted glass could correct specific vision impairments.
In the 18th century spectacles with yellow, green, blue or red lenses were popular. Early spectacles also had protective caps on the side made from leather or tissue in order to protect from lateral scatters. In the 19th century, ophthalmologists disputed about the best color. Today, we know that brown, grey and green lenses hardly distort the color perception. Differently colored lenses distort the color perception and subsequently the brain takes some time to neutralize the changed color perception.

Sunglass Lens Colors (Tints)

Lens colors affect how much visible light reaches your eyes, how well you see other colors and how well you see contrasts.
Dark colors (brown/gray/green) are ideal for everyday use and most outdoor activities. Darker shades are intended primarily to cut through the glare and reduce eyestrain in moderate-to-bright conditions. Gray and green lenses won’t distort colors, while brown lenses may cause minor distortion.
Light colors (yellow/gold/amber/rose/vermillion) : These colors excel in moderate-to-low-level light conditions. They are often great for skiing, snowboarding and other snow sports. They provide excellent depth perception, enhance contrasts in tricky, flat-light conditions, improve the visibility of objects and make your surroundings appear brighter.

In the course of the 19th century, protection of dangerous UV rays has gained more importance. The first lenses with effective UV-filters were developed as early as 1905 by Josef Rodenstock even though the damaging effect of the UV-rays was proven only in 1908 by the Swiss Alfred Vogt.

In 1937 American Bausch & Lomb launched the brand Ray Ban. The first patent was based on a prototype for pilots of the US-Army created in 1936 and known as «Anti-Glare». Hence also the name for this model «Aviator». The collection was further developed and in 1952 the Wayfarer was launched. The design was inspired by «a mid-century classic to rival Eames chairs and Cadillac tail fins.» According to design critic Stephen Bayley, the « distinctive trapezoidal frame spoke a non-verbal language that hinted at unstable dangerousness, but one nicely tempered by the sturdy arms, which, according to the advertising, gave the frames a « masculine look ».

Numerous celebrities wearing the Wayfarer helped to build the myth around them: Buddy Holly, J.F. Kennedy, Bob Dylan or Tom Cruise to name just a few. Who does not remember Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly longingly looking into the Tiffany’s shop window on New York’s 5th Avenue wearing her big Wayfarer sunglasses?

As one of the first luxury products, original Ray-Ban-sSunglasses featured very early on some sophisticated characteristics that made it easy to distinguish them from copycats. In the meantime, this system has evolved. Today, e.g. a diamond symbol on the right lens means that the lenses are coated in a special way and are snatch-resistant as a diamond. A P or P3 stands for polarized lenses.

The Sixties saw the introduction of photochromic lenses due to an invention by Stanley Donald Stookey and his collegue William Amistead. These lenses darken on exposure to specific types of light of sufficient intensity, most commonly ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Another big invention was the introduction of tinted plastic lenses for sunglasses by Rodenstock in 1986.
The 1980s extended the considerable attention that Italian sunglasses producer Persol had always paid to technological innovation and care for its products. Indeed, it took part in several expeditions to test its lenses at high altitudes and in the desert, verifying their performance in extreme conditions, and to experiment with the use of innovative materials. Alpinist Enrico Rosso wore Persol glasses in 1989 as he climbed up to the Himalayan summit of Kun (7077 m). With him was ophthalmologist Paolo Gugliermina who looked after ocular testing. Upon his return he reported that non of the men on the expedition had suffered eye problems thanks to protection from Persol lenses specifically designed for the mission.

Due to the high sun intensity in Cambodia, it is very important to sufficiently protect the eyes.
Consequently, it comes in very handy that the Caveng Optik in Ilanz, Switzerland, Company sponsored sunglasses for the kids of the Safe House in Battambang. Thank you so much for your donation! The kids are proudly wearing the sunglasses and were happy to get them.

Cambodia Children Safe House

June 24, 2017

Swimming Day

This day is dedicated to health and physical activity and of course it is a lot of fun. On this day everybody should enjoy the pleasures of summer. And how better than to do some laps in the nearby pool? Swimming is good to train endurance and to keep up physical fitness. Especially children love this kind of physical activity. This is the reason why Daddy Patrik takes « his » kids as often as possible to the Battambang public pool. The children love the splashing around in the pool and have a very good time. Plus, they learn to coordinate respiration and movement which is essential for safety in the water. And the water resistance helps to build up muscles..

Cambodia Children Kenya

June 15, 2017

World Smile Day

Verb (used without object), smiled, smiling
« to assume a facial expression indicating pleasure, favor, or amusement, but sometimes derision or scorn, characterized by an upturning of the corners of the mouth. »

«form one’s features into a pleased, kind, or amused expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up and the front teeth exposed.»

According to Mother Theresa, we shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do and for Charlie Chaplin a day without laughter was a day wasted.

Once the smiling muscles in our face contract, there is a positive feedback loop that now goes back to the brain and reinforces our feeling of joy.

10 more reasons for a smile

Smiling

reduces stress
is likeable
makes people more attractive
stimulates our brain’s reward mechanisms which have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties
boosts metabolism
reduces tension and inhibitions
relaxes and increases well being
helps to bond with others
reduces the risk of heart attack
increases oxygen exchange in the brain and consequently improves concentration.

These children’s smiles are irresistible.

Cambodia Children Safe House

June 11, 2017

World Doll Day

Today is World Doll Day. The World Doll Day was established in 1986 by a woman named Mildred Seeley, to celebrate not only dolls, but caring, love and the people offering it, in general.
Mildred Seeley (1918 – 2001) was an avid doll collector and a dollmaking entrepreneur. She is also author of numerous books about doll collecting and doll making. She became known internationally for her collection of French dolls which sold for $1.8m in 2002.

Our little doll owners in the pictures definitely do not care about the financial value of their dolls but they enjoy playing family with them and nurturing and loving them as their own babies – or just brushing their hair.

Eismädchen als Darstellung der Eisheiligen Sophie

Cambodia Children

May 12, 2017

Ice Saints

Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.
Mark Twain

The Ice Saints or Frost Saints are known in France, Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other parts of Europe. According to popular belief they represent a period in May during which there is an increased likelihood of night frost falling on the feast days of certain saints, thus jointly nicknamed « Frost Saints » or « Ice Saints ».
Popular belief has is that the weather becomes stable only after May 15 which is dedicated to Saint Sophie – nicknamed Cold Sophie. The names derive from bishops and martyrs from the 4th and 5th century. They are Mamertus (May 11), Pankratius (May 12), Servatius (May 13), Bonifatius (May 15) and Sophie (May 15).

People in Battambang (Cambodia) do not have to be scared of a dramatic drop in temperature for the month of May. The average temperature in May is 29.1° centigrade. Right now temperatures are in the higher range at up to 34° centigrade.

Despite the high temperatures, we are looking for clothes, i.e. summer clothes for our children living in the Safe House in Battambang. Boys and girls are 3 to 18 years of age. Please donate here.

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