Ground was broken at the end of March and the Foundations of the building will be laid during April 2009. Status of construction on April 8, 2009:

EDUCATION

• The number of children using the centre daily has more than doubled, with well over 300 children coming to the centre daily, over last year.
• Over 220 children studying full time in five classrooms in our special education program representing a 100% increase in 12 months.
• Over 100 children participating in art, IT, English and sport activities.
• All students because of lack of money, child-rearing responsibilities or simple parental neglect are not ready to attend or not able to afford public schools.
• For most of these children this is their first opportunity for any schooling.

IT TRAINING

• IT training represents an important component of our youth programs.
• The existing IT room has 10 computers.
• Over 120 children use it weekly.

SPECIAL NEEDS

• At M’Lop Tapang, all children deserve the best care and support we can provide.
• We have started a program for children with special needs (physical and mental disabilities) who used to spend their days in the slums without any access to education, recreation, stimulation and appropriate care due to the state of extreme poverty in which they and their families live.
• The program is currently being housed in an adapted. Children are given a chance to interact and bond with other kids through arts and crafts activities.

COUNSELLING

• Counselling abused children, including through art therapy activities, is a key aspect in helping them transition to a better and safer childhood.
• We estimate that over 50% of the 1,500 children reached by M’Lop Tapang have suffered some form of abuse (sexual, physical, mental) and at least 100 need individual and intensive counselling.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

• M’Lop Tapang trains over 100 volunteers every year.
• We has received funding from DFID to expand this program and to create a large number of young volunteers in the community in order to share the responsibility of helping street children with the whole town.

Support for M’Lop Tapang, 2008

Commitment By: Cassils Wettstein Asia Fund (CW Asia Fund)
Partner(s): M’Lop Tapang and ADM Capital Foundation
Objective: To provide funding for the construction of a new wing of M’Lop Tapang’s day center. The new wing will host a medical clinic for street children and other vulnerable children, 4 classrooms, 1 large computer lab, 1 art room and 1 dance/music room.

Commitment Details:

Estimated Total Value: $100,000
Anticipated Launch: January 1, 2009
Commitment Duration: 1 year
Geographic Region: Asia
Geographic Scope: Cambodia

This commitment is to M’Lop Tapang (www.mloptapang.org ) and focuses on the construction of a new wing of M’Lop Tapang’s day center, catering to hundreds of street children in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. M’Lop Tapang supports street living and working children, granting access to education. Implementation Strategy: The new wing will allow to expand the number of children using the centre from 300/day to 500 (300 females) per day. Monthly reports of construction status and financial reports (through ADM Capital Foundation). Final financial report (end of construction – October 2009. Monitoring visit (November 2009). Partnership Opportunities: The Cassils Wettstein Asia Fund will partner up with the ADM Capital Foundation in order to implement this initiative. ADM capital foundation will provide technical support, monitoring of the project, reporting and additional.

• provide efficient, comprehensive, holistic medical care to the children & families of MT
• provide medical care with compassion, empathy and respect for the individual patient
• educate families about basic hygiene and prevention from illness
• educate and empower children to better manage their own health and their family’s health

Click here for M’Lop Tapang’s 2007 Medical Report

CWAF along with the help of many others filled a 40′ container and shipped it to Cambodia. The container was filled with everything from bicycles for the children at M’Lop Tapang to ultrasound machines for Angkor Hospital for Children. Here are some the emails to CWAF:

CWAF, the container! Thank you! David and I had a seriously mad day at port. I can now totally understand why you were stressed filling it, so much stuff! We are still sorting it out as it got dark and we only half emptied. We already have received great stuff and the bikes were a huge bonus! Will email you more when we have it all unpacked. Warm wishes, Maggie M’Lop Tapang, Project Director (www.mloptapang.org)

Hi Everyone I am mailing some of the photos of the crate and unpacking of the crate. It was very exciting to be there when it arrived. Bevan (Dr. Frizzell of Calgary) and Dr. Lyda were able to set up the ultrasound machine without difficulty. Thanks for everyone’s help. We were so thrilled to be able to have our ultrasound machines shipped with the crate. Thank you, thank you!! Tanya – Canadian Donor and Volunteer at AHC (www.angkorhospital.org)