Mango Winter 2025

Last month it was “Back to College” for students in Cambodia, particularly for the five young people [pictured] whose studies are being supported in 2025/6 by the Bob Maidment Educational Support Fund – set up in 2020 in memory of our former Chair of Trustees who spent a lifetime working with young adults [find out more about the Fund here]. In 2024 Support Cambodia received an  invaluable grant from the Marist Fathers [UK] to be spent over two years, specifically on supporting young people in education and it is this funding, together with regular Standing Order contributions from several very generous SUPPORTERS, that has enabled the charity to support in 2025/6:

• Seng Hoan [19] and Sol Channy [19], both 2nd year Engineering students from Kompong Thom studying at Don Bosco Technical College, Battambang and living at the Tep Im Student Centre
• Yen Sammadi [22] from Pailin, just starting a two year course in Electricity at Battambang Regional Training Centre.
• Vor Vansak [20] in his 2^nd year studying Carpentry at Don Bosco Technical School Phnom Penh
• And finally, [but maybe most significantly because she is our first female student!] Keo Srey Oun [23], is excited to be starting her two year course at the Salesian Centre in Phnom Penh to become a chef!

We wish all five students good luck, good health and success – and hope to meet all of them during our Trustee Visit in January – and once again, grateful thanks to all those, especially the Marist Fathers [UK], whose contributions are giving these young people a chance.

News of students who have previously benefitted from the
Educational Support Fund:

From left, Sok Meng, who graduated in August, is currently working as a security guard while he looks for a job as an electrician. We hope to meet up with him in January. As we reported in July, electricity students Phok Som and Lon Sayet passed their exams before being called up suddenly to serve in the Cambodian Army – hopefully their vocational training will prove  useful in their future, whatever it may be. And our first graduate, Teng Phearom is now working in Pailin Province and looking forward to getting married to Sothea on 27^th December. Good luck and much happiness to them both (a fuller version of this article may be found here). If you would like to contribute to the Bob Maidment Educational Support Fund, either by a one-off donation or by making a Standing Order, please click here.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Costessey Fete: 21st September was certainly a day to remember – and not for the right reasons! Lots for visitors to see, do, eat and listen to but interest in the many independent stalls there on the day was very poor, not helped by challenging weather and a much-reduced footfall. 50% of Support Cambodia’s (extremely modest) takings came from the sale of our homemade jam! That says it all! Thank you to David, Rosemary, Maria and Anne who braved the conditions to help. Just £113.50 was raised for Kompong Kleang.

And other SUPPORTERS have been busy in 2025:

Christmas cards: this year’s ‘official’ Support Cambodia card [to be sent to our Cambodia contacts, Business Supporters and those on our Mail List] has been designed by Susannah Elizabeth, a local illustrator. Susannah has adapted her own distinctive style to incorporate familiar images associated with the charity…see how many you can spot!! It’s a unique and unusual design and only available as a digital card so is not for sale. Huge thanks to Susannah for taking the time to do this. For comments, see examples of her work and to contact Susannah, click here.

FROM THE TRUSTEES

RECENT PROJECT FUNDING

A round-up of projects funded by the charity this Autumn/Winter at a cost of over £10,000. That figure covered the funding for Vocational Training students [see cover story] and Language Classes for three students in Siem Reap plus: Tampoung Community [Rice Soup and Uniform], Pailin [Family Support for [mostly female] Students and Formula Milk], Kompong Kleang [Rice Soup and Teachers’ Salaries at St. Mary’s Kindergarten], Prek Toal Floating School [Boatman’s Wages].

Rohal Primary [dental health and Playground Repairs], Sneung Community & School [Rice, Medical and Classroom supplies], Phnom Priel Primary [Refurbishment & Painting]. A separate donation from a single donor provided 12 Wheelchairs for Jesuit Service Cambodia [Sisophon].  The Trustees would like to thank everyone whose enormous generosity has made all this possible.

TRUSTEE VISIT 2026

Chair of Trustees Katie Maidment will visit Cambodia in January, leaving on Monday 19^th January and returning on Tuesday 3^rd February. She will be accompanied by SUPPORTER Rosemary Downing, spending 6 nights in Battambang and 5 in Siem Reap. They hope to visit the majority of the centres mentioned above as well as catching up with our Vocational Training students [see cover story] and meeting our contacts on the ground, without whom none of this would be possible. As in previous visits, Katie will be keeping a ‘Tour Diary’, written as it happens and published daily on:

• Facebook [Katie’s page and/or the Support Cambodia page]
• Support Cambodia WhatsApp Group [to join the Group please contact Katie with your mobile number]
• Via our website and click on ‘Trustee Visit January 2026′.

You may never have the privilege of visiting Cambodia in person, but you can travel with us in spirit and enjoy the trip…….from the comfort of your armchair!!!! See you in January…..

OPTOMETRY PROJECT 2026

This is a new project that has been in the making for some months now which involves developing a programme at the Pet Yiey Chee Health Centre, Battambang to train staff to test eyes and prescribe glasses. The long-term goal is to be able to end the current reliance on overseas optometry teams and bring eye care ‘in house’. Dr Nhor Chamrom, Health Centre Manager, is very keen to make this work and already has contacts in Germany who may be able to supply the necessary equipment. Where does Support Cambodia come in? A qualified and experienced optometrist to provide the necessary training is central to the whole initiative …. and, as it happens, we know not just one, but two of them!!! They are Maken and Manjit Singh from Coventry, both experienced optometrists working for Specsavers in various locations in the Midlands. They have been to Cambodia previously to do testing and have also run similar programmes in the Punjab. Despite some last-minute organisational problems, Mak and Manjit hope to begin training staff in Battambang in late January [coinciding with the Trustee Visit] with a view to making this an ongoing project.

Presently, Support Cambodia are simply promoting the initiative, providing publicity and support but further down the line we hope to be involved in funding glasses and/or simple equipment. Watch this space….and look out for the pictures in January!!

PARTNERSHIPS & LINKS

Many people in East Anglia and beyond work in various ways to help Cambodia…but mostly in isolation. Now, ideas are being explored, independently of Support Cambodia, to bring people together and celebrate their contribution to a common cause. Some positive discussion has taken place with contacts in Swaffham, Ipswich, Costessey and Ely and it is hoped to make progress with this initiative in the New Year. It’s very, very early days…..but watch this space! In the meantime, some news you might like to read…….

The Ely Angels [Ely Cathedral Junior Church]:

Thanks to the combined efforts of Mill Hill Missionaries Frs Glenn Diaz, Jimmy Lindero and SUPPORTER June Massey, a wonderfully complicated exchange of Christmas cards was successfully completed. Cards made by the children at Tampoung Parish went from Cambodia >>> Rome [!] >>>Mill Hill HQ in Maidenhead>>> Ely with the cards made by the children of Ely Cathedral Junior Church travelling the other way by the same route! Amazingly, everything arrived unscathed!! Well done to the children and their teachers for a wonderful exchange in the true spirit of Christmas.

Big C Cancer Charity:

We were delighted to be invited to have a table at the inaugural Big C’s Festive Fair on November 22^nd. Sales of our headscarves are still going well, especially at the Big C Cancer Support Centre at Norfolk & Norwich Hospital with 20% of each sale going directly back to the Dressmaking Group at Piaksneng. Huge thanks to Manager Corrine Cambridge (pictured below) for her ongoing support for this collaboration.

Aylsham Rotary Club:

The International Committee had hoped to be able to give us a grant towards a health-related project but for various reasons beyond their control, this has had to be delayed until the New Year. Fingers crossed for some good news in January!!

The Marist Fathers [UK]:

The Catholic Parishes of Swaffham, Costessey Ely and Ipswich: 

In November, a Quiz in Swaffham Parish raised an excellent total to support the community at Kompong Kleang. A parish group will be visiting Cambodia in February taking with them an assortment of gifts including these cuddly knitted toys donated by Support Cambodia SUPPORTER Shirley Crombie.

St. Ethelreda’s [Ely] linked to Prek Toal Floating Church & School and St. Walstan’s  [Costessey] supporting St. Joseph’s Ta Hen,  continue to raise funds for their Cambodia links through small groups of loyal supporters.

Above photo: students at the Floating School

From Ipswich, Marie-Madeleine Kenning writes: “St Mary’s Friends of Cambodia are selling our usual Christmas vouchers as gifts  to the poor in Tep Im [Student Centre] and ChomnaomVillage [near Battambang]. [These days], with fewer of us able to go to Cambodia, having fresh news is very important”.

FIVE WAYS TO ‘SUPPORT CAMBODIA’ THIS CHRISTMAS

• JOIN our dedicated WhatsApp Group to receive the latest news and follow the upcoming Trustee Visit 2026 as it happens. [see FROM THE TRUSTEES] If you have an Instagram or Facebook account, please ‘follow’ , ‘share’ and ‘like’ our posts and help to bring Support Cambodia to a wider audience.
• DONATE via PayPal on our Facebook page, our website or cash/cheque payable to Support Cambodia [postal address here] If you would like the donation to be used for a specific purpose, please mark it accordingly.
• READ the text of ‘Mango’!! The pictures are lovely but they don’t tell the full story….and there’s lots of really important information in this issue. So put on the kettle….and have a proper read!! Thank you.
• ENCOURAGE any groups you are involved with to Book a Talk. A choice of three are available, depending on how much your group already know about Cambodia. Details available here.
• SIGN UP to EASYFUNDRAISING! Pre-Christmas/New Year Sales? Last minute Gifts? Sunshine Holiday? Easyfundraising UK partners with over 8,000 retailers and brands to help shoppers raise funds for charity. Please think about shopping via EasyFundraising and “Support Cambodia” at no extra cost to you!! It’s Easy….just click here and it WILL help! Thank you!! 

DIARY DATES 2026

• Table Top Sales [Aylsham] on 6^th June and 1^st August 
• Annual General Meeting 2026: date not yet decided but it will almost certainly be a ZOOM meeting[ i.e. via internet] sometime in the w/b 13^th April. This may be followed up by a short ‘in-person’ meeting probably in Aylsham, for those not online. Details to be confirmed in February and published on the website and in the Spring issue of Mango.  
• As yet no other events are planned. Anyone who’d like to organise a small fundraiser in aid of Support Cambodia please get in touch to see how we can help you.  

FINALLY….THANK YOU…..EVERYONE for your wonderful support in 2025,
great and small and in whatever way you contributed.
Especially, your response to the Emergency Appeal was truly magnificent…
it made a “big, big difference”……and so does your support all the year round.
We really couldn’t do any of this without you….okoon charen!!