The 13 volunteers from the inaugural Project Happy Feet Volunteer Leadership Experience (PHFVLX) pooled together a total of USD4472 (approximately SGD5680). While that might seem like a minute sum, it went a long way in Siem Reap this year:
Shinta Mani Foundation received USD1,300 to fund 75% of the scholarship of one student. This student will be part of a 10-month hospitality training programme that would see him/her breaking out of the poverty cycle. The scholarship will include tuition fees, training fees and costs of course materials. The student will also be provided with three meals a day through the duration of the course. To lessen the burden on the family, as the student will no longer be able to work to provide for the family during the course of the training programme, the scholarship also covers a monthly rice donation to the family. This will help to encourage the student to stay in the programme instead of dropping out and getting a job just to feed his/her family.
Smach Primary School, which is a beneficiary of the Shina Mani Foundation received 60 pairs of slippers that were sponsored by Havaianas and 25 pairs of slippers purchased from a local market by the PHFVLX team at the cost USD21.
Chub Ta Trav Secondary School, a beneficiary of This Life Cambodia received 40 pairs of slippers sponsored by Havaianas, 750 notebooks, 150 blue pens, 90 red pens, 75 protractor and ruler sets, 75 school bags and a set of text books each for the 75 students who attend the school. The above amounted to a total of USD470.
This Life Cambodia also received a total of USD1,250 for 5 secondary school scholarships (at USD250 each).
Trailblazer Foundation received USD300 to purchase 300 pairs of slippers for Tatoav Primary School. PHFVLX team also sponsored the full costs of the Adult Empowerment Programme. This programme provides adults an opportunity to learn agricultural skills to grow quality crops. At the end of the programme, all participants will receive seeds as part of the programme to help them kick start their farms. Trailblazer will then facilitate the sales of these crops and ensure that the farmers are provided with a fair and just renumeration for their crops. The programme costs USD602 and can accommodate up to 16 participants each time.
PHFVLX also sponsored the costs of setting up two Bio-Sand Water Filtration System at USD30 each. The team also secured the commitment from Trailblazer Foundation that one of the systems will be placed at Smach Village (where Smach Primary School is located) as the team identified the need during its first visit.
Moving forward, Project Happy Feet will look into raising more funds to assist with the running of the above-mentioned programmes to reach out to more youths and students.
If you would like to support any of the programmes please write to connect@projecthappyfeet.org.
