Open Arms Cambodia

Its All In A Days Work

Open Arms tailor Shop

It’s all in a day’s work.

In Cambodia at the moment its  Khmer New Year the biggest celebration of the year it reminds me of our Christmas , families travelling to see relatives that they haven’t seen all year lots of eating and drinking and it is also a time when the rich give to the poor.

On Monday night a lady came to the tailor shop to ask Mon if he could hem 300 Kromas ( they are like a ladies sarong but for men) in one day , we asked Mon just to do as many as he could just to build his business credibility.

We arrived at the tailor shop around 10 am the next day and found all the salon staff in there some were sewing some were cutting and you know young people they got on a role , they decided that they would sew until they were done and asked if they all could sleep in the salon they were in party mode , Pop and I said we would cook some spaghetti and bring it to them around six that evening.

When we arrived there were some bleary eyed young people and Kormas everywhere , anyway Pop and I and Lita set about to fold them all 360 of them, the young ones kept sewing and cutting and around 8.30 they were finished, there were whoops of joy and let’s eat and of course me being me I said not until we have cleaned up.

The lady came to pick them up and was full of praise for the guys and so are we , the way the guys teamed up to get the job done was wonderful so well done team and God bless you all.  Its these times that encourage you to keep going.

By the way Mon got the grand total of $70.00 for the finished job.

Tailor Shop and Training open

Tailor Shop

Open Arms is happy to be able to tell you that the Tailor shop and tailor training centre is opening today the 2nd. April. The training will be run the same as the beauty school and cooking school where the business side will help support the training.

I thought I would give you background on Mon the young man who will be leading this, its to the glory of God and His amazing grace in all our lives.

Mon.

Mon and his family have lived in the province where Open Arms works all of his life, his parents are rice farmers and also own some cattle, Mon has one sister.

In 2008 Open Arms started a sewing room in the village four women were being trained on a weekly basis. On a visit to the village we found a young man had taken the initiative and started himself a mending business, at this stage Mon knew nothing about sewing he just wanted to do something.

Seeing his potential we asked his parents if they would allow him to come to Phnom Penh to be trained in tailoring we offered for him to live in Open Arms Family Home where he soon became a very valuable part of the family because of his willingness to help and his sunny disposition. Mon was enrolled in a local tailoring shop where he soon became an excellent tailor he graduated in February 2010.

One of the reasons Mon was trained was for the purpose of training other boys and its so wonderful to see it happening for him and the boys. Mon has worked hard and been very faithful not only in Open arms but on a very personal level with pop and I ,  he is so excited and a little scared  Sreyna keeps assuring him telling him stories about when she first started and that’s very cute to listen too as well.

Cambodian Boys.

There is much talk in the world today about  sexual abuse and exploitation of the girls of Cambodia but very little is said about the boys that have been sexually abused and exploited but I am so pleased to say that some NGOs here in Cambodia are starting to make help these guys and Open Arms is blessed to be able to be a part of this by offering  training in the tailor shop and all of the other training that we offer.

So folks please pray for us to have wisdom in everything that we do,

Blessings and Lots of Love Open arms Family. Grahame, Sandra and Open Arms family.

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Salon Retreat

Massage Room

On monday the 2nd. of April we are excited to have our first appointment for a retreat.

What is a Retreat a retreat it is a morning or afternoon away from it all in our beautiful massage rooms and Haven Tea Room.

What  do you  get.

1. Drink on arrival at the salon.

2. Full Body massage.

3. Shampoo – straighten or curl

4. Manacure and Pedicure with nail art

5. Lunch at the Haven Tea Room

The Cost is $30.00 per person

And all the money goes to training our beautiful Cambodian young people.

Newsletter

Hi folks,

You certainly are getting  a deluge of rain in Australia we are praying for any of you that are losing work or business at this time, it is just the opposite here its dry and hot in fact it’s the hottest time of the year and the craziest as we near Khmer New Year celebrations.

Open Arms has just had a new web site made  and hopefully the next newsletter I send will be on a totally new format I will let you know.

Open Arms family Home.

Open Arms was needing to hire more staff and we thought that no one has a heart for the work like the kids that have grown up with us so all the young people that live in the house are now employed by Open Arms, they are still going to school but only go from 7.00am to 11.00 then they have a break and work in the afternoon. They are all earning a good income and each one of them is doing a great job.

Soklue is leaving school she is only sixteen but because of her background it is becoming impossible for her to continue, she has decided to train in the Tea Room we will have her taught English and Computer externally so folks please pray for her life is a struggle for this little one.

Here is how the new employment it looks. 1. Lita              Office 2. Sreynait      Tea Room 3. Jenna          Office 4. Chiva          Tailor Shop ( when it opens)

Tea Room.

The Tea Room is going so well we had our first catering job a few weeks ago and that has lead to two more.

Naroth is training two girls and three more are coming in two weeks time so to make room we are setting up another kitchen above the Tea room that will be just for training. I am busy getting a manual written up and really I haven’t got a clue what I’m going praise God for the internet it’s got everything you want to know about chopping dicing,  knives all the stuff you need to train with.

The business side of it is going well last month we covered wages , we are so proud of Naroth when she came three years ago she was a mixed up little girl no she’s a capable young woman and doing a wonderful job with her trainees.

Salon.

As you know by the pictures the Graduation night was a great success the kids had a ball, and we are happy to tell you all the graduates are working and that’s what it’s all about. There are currently eighteen girls training but more come all the time, we are happy if we can get twenty through and employed each year.

We have just had a young khmer lady come on board she will be teaching  the trainees accounting in an easy form.

A team of hairdressers came to train the girls and to be part of the graduation, the training was so good the girls learnt a lot they were surprised at the standard of the girls so that was good. We now have some fantastic support from hairdressers in Australia.

The salon business continues to grow rapidly it is buy all the time we have just hired another girl she hasn’t finished training as yet but shows such potential as a trainer that we have brought her down to the salon and Sreyna will personally train her she’s a great kid and was rescued in Seim Reap isn’t it just wonderful.

Village

The village work is just the same we haven’t been out as much as transport is such an issue for us, Grahame has brought a tank for the safe water project and we will take that out next week and we will start renting the house in the village from then.

One of the hairdressing staff is going to be going out and teaching bible stories , dance and craft we haven’t  as yet hired an English teacher.

The lady that we built the house for is going very well she is working and the kids are going to school regularly, they always look so happy and never ask us for anything they are good people.

Folks please pray about this vehicle situation that we have its getting so expensive to get around and we really need a bus.

Last but not least THE TAILOR SHOP.

The shop will open on Monday, we want Mon to have at least a few weeks to get his legs before we get some boys to train, it won’t be hard to fill the spots as we are getting so many inquiries.

Once again the Open Arms team have done a great job of painting, carpentry, shopping (that was a challenge as none of us had a clue) and setting up. The office girls got Mon and pop organized with the money side of it, it’s been exciting for us all.

Without Pop, Mon and Chiva nothing over here would happen so it was a joy for us girls to get in and support them as they have supported us (so proud of his family)

We have brought new machines, material, trainee equipment and some men’s essentials to sell.

If anybody would like to get behind this ministry there is still a long way to go financially with more equipment needed. We are having to do a lot more government work so can you please pray for us to have the wisdom to know how to do it. Please continue to pray for wisdom for us all in every area.

Well folks it has been along newsletter and I only give you an overview ,it gets very hectic and challenging so we thank you so much again for your love prayers and support.

Lots of Love

Grahame, Sandra and Open Arms family.

January News

Hi Folks Happy News Year to you all, we hope and pray that 2012 is all you are hoping for.

Grahame and I are still in Australia we will go back to Cambodia early February, as I have said before the young people are doing sterling job of looking after the work, the businesses are prospering, the village is being well looked after end everybody is getting geared up for the Graduation party where another 18 girls will graduate.

Grahame and I believe that this year open will be a year of much advancement; we have been approached by two different organisations that want to fund us so we head into the years and its challenges and uncertainty feeling a confidence for the future for those in our care.

So what does 2012 look like for Open Arms?

Family Home

1. Upgrade our computers.
2. We will pay for one of the children to study computers and then she will teach the others.
3. As Grahame and I are too busy now we will seek a volunteer to continue to teach the children English.
4. Grahame and I will be concentrating on their bible studies and life skills. And having lots of fun.

Training.

Tea Room.

1. The first of what we hope will be many single mums will come to be trained for employment in February.
2. A more comprehensive course will be taught to the already trained girls e.g. Understanding about food in a theory way.
3. The girls will take a more active role in the salon, the Tea Room girls will be serving the salon customers with drinks and lunches.
4. The girls will be making cupcakes with the village women, after seeing the response with the cupcakes at Christmas we will be making afternoon teas a part of the weekly visits.

Beauty School and Salon.

1. Equipment will be upgraded.
2. An education room will be set up where the girls will learn ABOUT hair how it grows etc.
3. An accountant will come weekly to teach on budgeting and management.
4. We will be seeking a volunteer to teach the girls hairdressing English and Bible studies.
5. We will seek to train more handicapped young people, we currently have two beautiful girls with a disability and they are doing so well.
6. Open Arms staff will be given a deeper level of training in leadership; counselling and their skill; hairdressers from Australia will be coming throughout the year.

Tailoring.

1. A training centre for underprivileged and rescued boys will start in March this year.
2. The boys will be taught tailoring.
3. A small flat next to the salon will be leased.
4. The centre will be set up the same as the salon with a social enterprise business attached to it to create funds.
5. Mon will be the leader but Open Arms will employ an older man to assist Mon.
6. Open Arms aims to train six boys this year.
7. Grahame will father the boys and teach them life skills.

Konchrey Village.

1. Community development will continue will be the focus will be toilet blocks and safe water stations ( still being perfected)
2. The children will be taught English and bible studies.
3. Two teachers will be employed to teach three days a week.
4. The elderly will still be cared for and an area will be set up for them to come to have their massages and morning tea.

Open Arms people will be going to the village three days a week this year and as the village is two hours from Phnom Penh it’s a lot of travelling. Currently we hire a van which costs us $50 each time, as you can see to hire it three times a week is way out of reach.
Grahame has priced a van and we can get one for around $12.000usd, we are asking if you would prayerfully consider donating towards this need.

If you would like to donate please don’t send the money just let us know and when we have the required amount we will notify you all, Thank You.

So folks that’s Open Arms plan as you know things change but where there is no vision the people perish. Please pray for wisdom for us as we lead these young people and pleas pray for them and their relationship with God.

As always thank you for your love, support and prayers and we are so grateful to have you on our team and look forward to great things happening for the people of Cambodia in 2012

Blessings and Lots of Love Open arms Family. Grahame, Sandra and Open Arms family.

Approved aid & development projects of Open Arms are eligible for tax deductibility through Global Development Group. Global Development Group is a signatory to the ACFIG Code of Conduct, which provides standards of management, communication with the public and most importantly how funds are spent at all times. Global Development Group maintains the highest professional standards to ensure excellence in our performances, activities and accountability to all parties associated with our organization.

Thank you for your financial backing there are two ways you can contribute to
“OPEN ARMS”
Global Development Tax Deductibility.
Comm. Bank BSB 064 118 OPEN ARMS”
ACC 102 000 94 PROJECT NUMBER J176
Bank details. Grahame Hamilton and Sandra Kay Wade Suncorp.
BSB 484799 ACC. 024 250 508