Welcome to our new GF volunteers, Toby, Emma, Verity and Shyam who will be working for NFC for the next six weeks! They are quite ambitious in taking on updating the GF created Phnom Penh University Guide, counseling recent NFC graduates on university and curriculum choices, helping with loan applications, helping to find work opportunities for older students. In addition they will be conducting life skills workshops and teaching English to NFC students as well as students from other NGOs and the local community.

Our thanks go to both the Golden Futures Board of Directors, who have consistently sent enthusiastic, qualified volunteers to help the students at NFC, and to our current volunteers who are anxious to get started on the many tasks before them!

We were pleased to welcome a new group of volunteers  from Golden Futures, a UK charity that provides loans for students for university. The volunteers have two major tasks; interviewing the NFC children who are near graduation regarding Golden Futures loans and updating the Phnom Penh University Guide. This guide to all the major universities in Phnom Penh was originally created and is updated yearly by Golden Futures volunteers.

This group jumped in “with both feet” and quickly conducted interviews with the children and canvased new and existing universities. After gathering the updated information they updated, printed and distributed the new university guide. Quite a feat to accomplish in a few weeks time!

We are pleased to welcome a new group of volunteers, Sadiq, Shiv and Ipek, from Golden Futures, a charity that provides loans for students for university or for starting a business.

They have two major tasks; interviewing the children in regards to loans and updating the University Guide that was originally created and is maintained by Golden Futures. They have jumped in “with both feet” and have already conducted many interviews with the children.

Our group of volunteers worked on a variety of different projects with the same overall aim: to give young people the skills they need to succeed once they have left the NFC centre.

One aspect of this was a CV clinic, which focused on ensuring that the students knew how to create a high quality CV for their future job applications. Our volunteers also held interview techniques classes and budgeting lessons, to give the children the skills they need to survive outside the orphanage. This led to us being invited to run a 3 hour workshop on these topics at Attitude Centre for Education (ACE), attended by children and students from five different NGOs.

Another priority was organising university visits for the older students, to open their minds to the possibilities open to them. At each university visit, the young adults were enthusiastic and full of questions, and passionate about discussing how they could work to form their futures.

Our volunteers successfully found work experience for four of the young adults at NFC. Savings accounts were also opened for two of the children who have a small income, yet nowhere to store their money safely.

On top of all this, each volunteer was assigned a number of students within the orphanage to mentor. The children discussed their worries and concerns, future ambitions and career options, academic achievements and previous employment, and volunteers added this to a stored record of the student’s aspirations and needs. This provides vital information to help Golden Futures target support to where it is most needed.

Download PDF 2011 Report Here!!

August has been one of the most important months for volunteers at NFC, as the orphanage has been blessed with a record-breaking 15 volunteers from the UK based charities ‘Golden Futures’and ‘InterVol’. Golden Futures was set up in 2007 as a way of providing support to orphaned and vulnerable young adults in Cambodia making the transition from NGO care into the adult world. Through the micro-finance model the children can apply for interest free loans, providing them with the independence and confidence to succeed in business or university. Additionally, Golden Futures volunteers have brought together all the reports of the children, aiding their CV’s and searching Phnom Penh for invaluable work experience, which can make the difference between the children making it into University or not. Our seven all female team from Birmingham represent InterVol, a charity which encourages sustainable development around the world. The group managed to raise an astonishing $1,500 that has gone directly into the orphanage. This, combined with their hands on teaching has provided the children with the intensive one-on-one experience they need in developing their English and other subjects.

The collaboration of two large groups was potentially a logistical nightmare for Chris Merritt, Suon Socheat and Joe Bull; but their invaluable experience provided a clear direction for the volunteers. It has been an exciting month in the orphanage with a workload completed that has rarely been seen.

Download PDF 2010 Report Here!!