While in the Netherlands the holidays are approaching and the coziness of Christmas is in the air, the team in Cambodia is busy this month preparing for the opening of the new community center. We are happy to share the latest news and developments.
News from Cambodia
Major step toward the future
In Andong, education programs are taking a major step toward the future. Since the start of the new school year in November, parents have been contributing financially to their children’s education whenever possible.
Theary, the social worker, went through an assessment with all families to help look at the financial situation and the contribution the parents can make. Contributions were determined based on these interviews. The contributions do not cover costs, but are a good first step for SCCO to become less dependent on donations.
The trial period in November was promising: all parents paid their dues on time, laying a nice foundation for further growth. One parent shared while paying the dues, “I am happy to contribute to my children’s education. I am now able to support both my children and our community.’ We are extremely happy and proud of this move and the hard work of the team at SCCO.
A New Future with a Small Loan
Thanks to the support of DARA Europe, SCCO can offer microcredit to people who want to build a better future. With a microcredit, parents in Andong can start or expand their own business. This way they earn enough income to support themselves and their families and work towards a stable future.
SCCO started microloans in 2022 as a pilot, followed by further expansion of this program in 2023 and 2024. Each month, participants repay part of their loan interest-free so that the money can be re-lent to others. In 2022, 5 different families participated in the pilot. All of them have now repaid their loans in full.
Personal message from the team at SCCO
SCCO’s team has recorded a personal message for you, the donor. Thanks to your support, together with SCCO, we are providing structural help to make the community in Andong healthy, safe and resilient!
News from the Netherlands
Team day DARA Europe
The team of DARA Europe has grown in the past year. We are extremely happy with the reinforcement of new volunteers, each with their own expertise.
We work closely together in various working groups, all with the same mission: together we make a difference for the children and families in Andong, Cambodia, and take steps to break the cycle of poverty. In October, many of the team met in IJsselstein. We looked back on the past year and received an extensive (photo) update from Cambodia from our own volunteer Judith. We concluded the meeting with a brainstorming session for new fundraising activities for next year.
For our marketing and communication working group we can still use reinforcement; are you creative, proactive and motivated to dedicate yourself to a good cause? Do you write flawless Dutch and English? Together in a small team you will work on content creation for our social media and website. We look forward to meeting you!
Also in the news
Jose’s story as a volunteer for DARA Europe
Ever since the foundation was founded in 2012, Secretary José has been a linchpin in our organization. Besides her tireless work as secretary, she contributes to the working group of marketing and communication and is a real jack-of-all-trades when it comes to organizing fund-generating activities.
José visited Andong in Cambodia twice to provide support there. “It gave me immense satisfaction to see the children learning and smiling,” José says.
Are you curious about José’s experiences as a volunteer at DARA Europe? On volunteer day, José shared her story.
Christmas Greetings
On behalf of the team of DARA Europe: happy holidays and a bright New Year.
We are grateful for all the support in the past year and hope to count on your support next year as well.
