January 2022: We will, we will rock you!

WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!

Way back in December, in the time just before Christmas, the Heartprint team was sorting, organising and wrapping gifts for our Christmas party.  “Everyone” tried hard to keep our music turned to a holiday playlist, but somehow…somehow…it always came back to Queen and our whole crew stopped sorting gifts to sway and sing to “We will, we will rock you!”

So, it is no surprise that one of the first tunes the Heartprint music group has been mastering for the bright lights and stage will totally….rock you!

We love the dedication and enthusiasm.  And, of course, Queen! 

By now, you all know that while one of our key missions is to build homes and toilets for those in our community living in extreme poverty, we don’t stop at physical structures.  So much goes into creating steps for people to climb into self-sustainability.  One part of that is our new “Build-A-Future” program.

We’ve just begun a series of eight-week “Build-a Future” workshops to help adults build or add to existing skills.  With the Siem Reap economy still reeling from lack of tourists, every possible skill to earn every possible riel matters.  Our first course teaches crochet.  Participants are learning to make all sorts of items from coasters to baby blankets and will have the option to sell them in our Heartprint fair trade shop.  We promise they will rock you!

We’ve also expanded our Education support activities. Again, we are not a school, don’t pretend to be, never intend to be. But sometimes, people of all ages just need a little extra help outside of the classroom and we are now here, on an expanded basis, to give them a hand. This is for children, teens, and adults. It includes tutoring in English, Khmer language studies, and other subjects such as math and science.

Right alongside Education support is our Get Active program. It’s about exercise and movement through fun and play. But also about healthy eating to feel better, grow stronger, learn more easily. And, it helps with English skills along the way. We emphasize learning English throughout most all we do because in a tourist-dependent economy like Siem Reap, English skills are critical to most types of employment for self-sustainability. Which, of course, is our Main Mission.

Creative Arts runs in conjunction with our Education support activities. We help young people develop motor skills, language, communication and social skills, decision-making and calculated risk-taking. Along the way, children obtain a greater sense of their personal identities and learn productive ways to cope with various emotions. Activities include music, painting, drawing, and hands-on craft projects.

Oh. And never forget the bikes. This month we were able to donate thirteen bikes. All of the stories are special, but there was one that stood out for us this month. One boy, the son of a newly single mom, was no longer going to be able to continue school because it was too difficult for his mom to provide transportation for him. (Often, primary schools are quite close by, but secondary schools are a much greater distance for too many) So, to have Claudia Klapp donate a bike so this boy could do what should be a simple thing - get to school - has undoubtedly changed this child’s life. And, forgive us…rocked his life!

Our youth group has been working on team-work, communication skills, and problem solving. We are helping them develop and use critical thinking skills in their everyday lives and choices. Here you can see them working together at Heartprint.

We’ll be glad when we no longer need to report this bit, but it’s not going to happen soon. Our regular food distribution with hygiene supplies took place early in January to 112 families.

Two more clean water wells were installed this month and referrals for people hoping for new homes continue to roll in. Peng and Pheap have been spending time visiting two families to analyze their needs to help us determine if Heartprint will be able to build new houses for them in the near future.

So, thanks again for giving us the support to do all of these things. Every donation you make, every time you share our news and our needs, you help rock our world!   And stay tuned because our little community will, will rock you right back!