Donations to SOC are NOT tax deductible
SOC provides many different support services. These are listed below:
I. FOOD
Healthy meals must be prepared three times per day to feed the centre’s 14 orphans. The chef constantly varies the recipes and ensures the children get their daily requirements of vitamins and proteins by using fresh vegetables and fruit.
As HIV/AIDS attacks the body’s immune system, these children are more susceptible to sickness than other, uninfected children. It is therefore extremely important that the children’s diet is healthy, so their immune systems are strong enough to fight off common diseases and infections.
II. EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
All orphans at the centre are provided with an education. Due to their illnesses, enrolling the orphans in public schools is not as straight forward as it may seem. Before enrolment, special documentation for each of the 17 children must be submitted to the Department of Education, various local authorities, and the primary school principal. Once approved the children are allowed to study.
Next, the school principal and teachers must be educated about the real facts about HIV/AIDS. This workshop includes advice to prevent discrimination and bullying from other students and also tips on what to do in case of accidents and emergencies.
Finally, the cost of schooling 17 students must be met. These costs include daily transportation, school fees, school uniforms, and study materials (books, pens, pencils, schoolbags ….).
To ensure the centre’s orphans behave well in class and study diligently, the centre’s director has monthly meetings with the relevant school teachers.
III. HEALTH SUPPORT
The orphans’ health is the SOC's single most important responsibility. As HIV/AIDS attacks the body’s immune system, these children are more susceptible to sickness than other, uninfected children. Any illnesses, bugs or infections can have very serious consequences.
To ensure the orphans well being, SOC is required to submit regularly updated medical case files for each orphan to the National Pediatric Hospital. These case files include prescribed medication doses, latest blood test results and a complete medical history. Whenever orphans require emergency treatment, the doctors at the National Pediatric Hospital have instant access to these files and can therefore make quick and decisive judgments.
All orphans are taken to a local doctor once every two weeks for a general health check up. This doctor also treats the orphans when they have any minor illnesses. SOC pays all doctor and prescription fees.
The staff at the SOC centre also administer the daily medicating sessions. Each orphan has a unique medication scheme, depending on their own virus levels and stages. It is the responsibility of the staff to ensure each orphan takes the correct medication at the correct times.
IV. ACCOMMODATION & LIVING MATERIALS
The SOC centre provides permanent housing for 14 orphans as well as staff. Currently SOC has a five year rental agreement for a 3-bedroom house on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Although offering a solid roof overhead, this house is drastically undersized to adequately cater for all the orphans. At present, 14 children eat, sleep, play, study and exercise in two rooms. The third room contains the SOC office and staff living quarters. In order to eliminate monthly rental expense, SOC would like to buy a larger property at some stage in the future.
As well as housing, SOC provides the orphans with all necessary living materials such as clothes, shoes, beds, mattresses, toiletries, games, books, sports gear and exercise equipment.
Regular workshops are also conducted to educate the orphans about the importance of sanitation and to teach them how to live hygienically.
V. VOCATIONAL TRAINING
The long term goal of SOC is to one day say farewell to all orphans once they reach adulthood. It is hoped that once grown up, they will be able to participate in society just like everyone else.They will be able to find employment, earn an income, pay their own rent and live independently. Such self-sufficiency will undoubtedly bring a sense of dignity, pride and self-worth to them. Without a professional skill however, none of these aims can be achieved.
As the orphans life expectancies are unknown, long-term university training is seen by SOC as somewhat profligate. Instead, SOC deems shorter-term training at an earlier age more beneficial to the children. For this reason, SOC plans to introduce workshops to train children over 15 years old in the vocational field of their choice.
Once the orphans are fully trained, SOC plans to rent a market stall in one of Phnom Penh’s busier markets from where the children’s products can be sold to tourists. The older orphans will then get the chance to work as vendors at the SOC stall. From this they will learn a whole new set of life skills and responsibilities such as communicating with customers, handling cash, balancing books, stock checking and placing orders. All profits will then be divided between the orphans and SOC.
As the oldest child in the orphanage is only 15 years old at present, this vocational training has yet to start. It is hoped that funding for this project can be guaranteed so that we can start some time next year.
VI. HOME VISITS & TOURS
To improve the children’s self-esteem and to provide them with cherished childhood experiences that other children with parents might be treated to, SOC regularly organizes tours and home visits. For a few hours at least they can forget about hospital check-ups, blood counts, medications and the everyday discrimination they face. It is hoped that through these excursions, the orphans can feel like normal carefree children.