Letter from the team in Cambodia
This is from Francesco, one of the team at the M’Lop Tapang street children project in Cambodia, with news about the sports playground being built with the money you’ve been giving:
"In M’Lop Tapang (MT) street children’s refuge courtyard, children now discuss daily on who’s going to play the opening game, and what sport (basketball, volleyball, soccer) will be the first one to be played.
"The total area of the playground is about 600 square meters. We will divide it so that there is going to be a small playground for young children (50m2), a small deposit room and a good shower room (40m2).
"The sport facilities will occupy around 500 m2. The area will be multi functional: it will be a 18 meters wide and 25 meters long. This means that it can be divided into 2 regular size (18m/9m) volleyball courts, or into a basketball court and also a soccer court (5 on five).
"The first work to do is to pave (concrete) the access (a 10 meters long alley) and the whole area. At the same time the kids will paint the internal walls and the access to the playground in bright yellow, M’Lop Tapang’s color. The walls (over 100 meters in total length) will be a permanent board for kids to draw and will be always happy and bright. We want the kids to be in charge of most of the work.
"Since the rainy season is ending, we will not build the roof cover immediately, so that the playground will become available sooner.
"Our idea is truly that of creating a community playground that can be used by kids from 4 to 18. Mothers working at the market will be able to bring their children to play in a safe and happy environment. Here our staff will be able to build relations with the children and their families from an early age, the best strategy to prevent children from working in the streets at a later age.
"The sport facilities will be accessible throughout the day, both on a drop in base and on more structured training activities. Particular attention will be given to girls, who too often have no access to any sport facility nor are allowed to "play".
"Children working in the streets will be able to drop in at the playground for a basketball or volleyball game. At the same time they’ll be able to take a shower and our staff will provide life skills training and learn how these kids can be best helped by other activities at M’Lop Tapang, such as the clinic, remedial school, or drop-in centre for drug users etc.
"Kids have been involved in the decision to create a multipurpose playground and will be the centre of the development of the centre. They will paint it, advertise it, manage it through our team of street volunteers (ex street children working as peer educators).
"Our outreach team expects more than 100 children will use the facilities every day, while tournaments will be developed during the weekend.
"The street volunteers are excited by the fact that they will be able to reach a greater number of their peers and build strong relations. In the words of Tren (17), a street volunteer with a background of drug use and life in the streets, sport is what helped him to quit drugs and learn to live in the community, and this playground will be his tool to help many other kids like him. Watta (16), who until 3 years ago was living on the beach and now is the top student in his class, is keen in teaching volleyball and soccer to younger children as that is "the best way for them to learn to accept rules". Danin, a 13 year old girl who attends the centre daily and lives in a hut a few meters from the playground suggested that we have activities for girls, especially volleyball. Danin is keen for the centre to stay open until sunset because many girls will be able to play after 5pm, when their mothers go back home and they do not have to look after their siblings.
"Setha, the outreach manager, who will supervise the activities run at the playground, is extremely excited: hundreds of kids he meets daily cannot attend the other MT centre facilities because they need to make money on the streets for their families. The playground in his opinion is the best way to provide happiness and "a break" in their lives. He’s convinced that he and his team will be able to make sure this break from work and dangers in the streets becomes longer and eventually last all day long.
"Finally, as part of an educational campaign on the environment, the outreach team is planning a small clean-up/recycling initiative linked to the playground: the idea is that kids will bring some plastic (from the slums, their homes, etc) as a token to use the facilities. The plastic will then be picked up by the public garbage company and properly disposed rather than abandoned in the streets.
"We are approaching a few sports people in the hope that they will take part in the opening day, and without a doubt some will accept to witness a special day for the kids of Sihanoukville."
That’s the letter from Francesco. You can find out more about M’Lop Tapang, and the street children and the centre at www.mloptapang.org
A huge thankyou to everyone who’s making all this possible, especially the top corporate sponsors Deutsche Bank, Prudential, Crosby Capital, ADM Capital, and also Virgin Atlantic, Kodak and Beeline Bicycles.
AND if you have been enjoying this project, please also think of BEN HAINES from Reuters who is a VOLUNTEER, and who set up and run this website in his spare time from his bedroom or somewhere, uploading files etc thru the night, and making podcasts etc possible. He is the top behind-the-scenes person without whom this project would not work.
If you have ideas on what more we could do to help at M’Lop Tapang or elsewhere, pls just drop a line.