The Roteang Orphanage
The Sharing Foundation's orphanage in Roteang village, opened in 2000, represents a new standard in medical, educational, nutritional, and compassionate care for children in Cambodia. Children are admitted without regard for medical diagnosis (such as HIV, syphilis, or cerebral palsy) or congenital anomalies.
The orphanage is currently home to 74 infants and children, nearly half of whom, due to serious disabilities, will remain in the Foundation's care indefinitely. The ratio of nannies to preschool children is 1:2. For school-age children, the ratio is 1:3 or 1:4. Serious special-needs children have their own nannies.
A Montessori-modeled preschool program was established onsite in 2004, and a new preschool building opened in 2005. The preschool serves over 40 children daily, six days a week, in three sessions. Painting, puzzles, music, books, games and many projects incorporate both Khmer and English. Children old enough to go to the public school have a special "preschool group" after regular school at their own request as they love the activities.
Kampong Speu Orphanage
TSF continues to pay monthly for fuel (both propane for the kitchen and diesel for the generator) at Kampong Speu, a poor government orphanage one hour west of Phnom Penh. Most of the 70 students here are school age, but a few are toddlers. We also support their two nannies entirely. In addition, for the last several years we have provided all their school uniforms, and assisted their dance program with costumes as needed, as well as other periodic help.
In 1999, we rehabbed their schoolroom and the girls' dorm, and in 2001, we built a full kitchen and dining room, bringing their eating facility indoors from a wooden cow-shed where they cooked over a wood fire and ate in shifts at a few picnic tables. In 2007, an extension was added to their dining area as their census had increased. In 2008, at the orphanage director's request, a volunteer TSF team immunized all of their children for Hep B and DPT/Tetanus.
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