|
|
|
|
Cutting Edge
Bringing you our up-to-the-minutes prayer and news update
|
|
|
Daughters of Cambodia exists to empower those trapped in the sex industry to walk free and to find fullness of life, with healing, wholeness, and the
means to prosper.
|
|
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5 ESV
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEWS FROM SONS
Some programs are a great opportunity and serve a great purpose for a season. We value their benefits and draw from those. Then, the time comes to close them down. We made the decision to close down Sons Wood Workshop at the end of August.
Why?
1. Lifestyle: We measure success by real and lasting outcomes in lives, not how beautiful our products are, and had not been seeing change in the lifestyles or behavior of the young men in the Wood Workshop - with a couple of exceptions who were promoted to be supervisors. For most young men, their lifestyles continued unchanged, comprising promiscuity & drugs.
2. Sustainability of the Business: The wood business has been making a loss financially.
We acknowledge the amazing work produced by the volunteers who started the wood workshop, and those who have trained and discipled them. We are so proud Saviet, the wood supervisor, and have promoted him to warehouse manager. A few other boys have been promoted to positions elsewhere, including staff and managerial positions.
Sons remains as a screen print business.
|
|
WORKSHOPS:
We have a volunteer, Cathy, from OMF working as our workshops manager. She has run several helpful workshops in recent months. These included: budgeting, First Aid, Daycare management skills, Parenting, Domestic Violence and Dental hygiene. This month we will also have breastfeeding and nutrition workshops.
|
|
|
Bits and pieces to share with you...
|
|
|
MEDICAL
Unwanted pregnancies continue to be a challenge. Many clients find themselves in this position. We conducted a pro-life workshop recently educating clients about the stages of development and what actually happens when a baby is aborted. Many of the were totally ignorant of this and found it enlightening. One client said afterwards that she had planned to have an abortion but changed her mind after learning about the issues in this workshop.
We have two new staff in our medical clinic: Dany our Khmer midwife, who recently graduated from midwifery school; and Heidi, a medical Doctor from the US, who is living in Cambodia with her family.
|
|
|
NUMBERS
Although many people come for interviews each week, currently we are not in a position to take more due to finances, except if we come across very critical cases. This is the first year we capped numbers and it is an uncomfortable position. We refer a few to partner NGOs. When trainees graduate to the next level in production (i.e. they have learned skills), we accept more. We recently implemented a probationary period with a six-month time limit for trainees to learn skills and graduate. If they do not achieve this, we look at whether it is because they are trying hard but are hindered by physical or psychological factors, or simply unreliability and laziness. In the latter case, we ask them to leave and make way for a new client to have the opportunity. We are giving this new system a test run this year.
|
|
|
Fire Safety Project
Daughter's Operations Centre has a large number of sewing machines and offices, all using electricity. The electricity supply and wiring in Cambodia are a very poor standard and the landlord of the building will not replace the inadequate old power lines. There are also often power surges.
Most Cambodians are unaware of fire safety. 18 months ago we had a series of very small electrical fires caused by power surges. Our Sewing Room clients reacted in total panic each time, running screaming from the room whilst other clients ran into the room to see what the commotion was. Obviously this caused great health and safety risks.
We received a donation towards fire safety equipment and training and sent two staff on fire safety training, bought equipment, and started implementing monthly 'fire drills' to ensure everyone exits the building safely and are all accounted for. In the past couple of months, we have been able to exit the building, count all people, and re-enter the building within 10 minutes; which is great progress! We had trouble finding fire escape ladders in Cambodia, so we commissioned some to be made specifically to our requirements and are awaiting a prototype now.
|
|
|
|
Electrical wiring in Cambodia.
|
|
The Power of Testimony
"I love Daughters because I have received so much love. When I feel discouraged people come and encourage me and pray for me. I think it was God’s plan for me to work at Daughters. I have HIV and no one would accept me working at their place. But Daughters give me love and care although I have HIV." - Client
|
|
|
The Power of Testimony
"I have worked at Daughters for 2 years.
I have changed. Before I used to live in many places. I had no place to sleep. I would do my job at night and find somewhere to sleep that night. But now I have a home and a job and a house to go at night. When I first started to work here. I didn't think I could do the job. But now I have friends and we all live near each other and we are close and now I know how to make food and cook and have learned a lot. I am thankful that when I am sick I can get the right medicine and I feel better. There are also a lot of changes in my family.
The reason I like working at Daughter is Daughters bring people in who are broken. People who never thought they would see the world again. Society ignored them but Daughters took them. They bring us in & teach us a skill so we can do our job and earn money and have a proper place to live. Then it gives us a good future that we can have a good plan for ourselves and for our family." Client C
|
|
|
Daycare
Our Daycare changed leadership recently, and with that some changes and new activities, including art and messy play activities; the children love this!
Our daycare assistant manager is a client who was promoted, and gave the following testimony:
‘The children enjoy messy play, despite it being messy the kids really enjoy it and so the staff do too. The children are learning to paint, use scissors and glue and exploring different textures and developing their fine motor skills. They have fun playing with balls and doing running around play as this especially helps the oldest boys use up some of their energy. We have also started using the ride on toys for the youngest ones which they are really enjoying especially as it is helping with their learning to walk. Also, the children really enjoy dancing before the breaks and the Khmer staff would like to learn how to dance more and build up their confidence to dance with the children. This is a really lovely time in daycare dancing and having fun with the music with all the children.'
Daycare staff appreciates your prayers for various challenges, including when mothers complain about changes, or when children hurt or bite each other, that they would be able to implement our Child Protection Policy effectively.
|
|
NEWS ON THE SEARCH FOR A NEW BUILDING:
We have not signed a lease to rent the new building which we outlined in the previous newsletter, because we were unable to yet find a solution to the issue of transporting all the clients across town each day. Please continue to pray for us about this.
|
|
|
Our Clients
|
|
|
|
Some testimonies of clients who have experienced Jesus recently :
|
|
|
Some of the girls are exploring Christianity and asking a lot of questions, as they have not been raised in Christian families. Three clients made commitments to follow Jesus recently.
One girl told about visiting her family during a public holiday in September. She usually experiences being 'tormented by bad spirits in her sleep and feels haunted by her dead mother'. This year she prayed before she went to sleep and slept peacefully all week.
Another girl said while she was staying with her sister in the countryside at her sister’s house there was a big rain storm. They were afraid in the night that an old tree would collapse on the house (half the tree come down the day before) so she prayed for Jesus to protect them. When they woke up the tree had fallen but missed her sister’s house narrowly. This prompted her sister to ask about Jesus because she knew Jesus had answered this prayer to protect them from the falling tree.
A third girl has been cheated by her corrupt landlady for electricity usage and was struggling to pay her bills. She prayed that God would provide. When she got home that day, her landlady came to her, apologized for cheating her, and returned half the money she has been charging her for months. She was so thankful to God for this amazing answer to her prayer.
|
|
|
Some have questioned our use of the terminology 'clients' in referring to the girls and boys we work with. It is intended to be a term of dignity and respect, more than alternatives such as 'victims' or even 'survivors', and in a context of confidentiality and professionalism as with clients one would assist in a social work or counselling setting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our Businesses
|
|
|
|
Some of our new product.... just in time for Christmas shopping!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
