Volume 12, Issue 4

Sunrise 3 Opens 3

Operations Report 3

Thanks 3

Bequests & Memorials 3

Merchandise 4

Inside this issue:

the Australian High Commissioner,

Pablo Kang and his lovely wife,

Rebecca, at their Residence. Many

sponsors signed up at this event

and the Kangs have become

friends of Sunrise.

The Manager of the Crowne Plaza

Hotel in Abu Dhabi again gave me

a room at the hotel, which was a

real haven for me after spending

9 days in dorms with the kids in

Adelaide. It was paradise! My long

term rugby mates had a fundrais-

ing event for us which has be-

come a bit of a tradition and I

always enjoy staying with my

English friends there, Tim and

Marion Lacey. Deep thanks also

goes to David Hackett who helps

put these UAE visits together. I

am hopeful of some Emirati

money sometime in the not too

distant future through my con-

tacts there.

When I returned, my manage-

ment staff here were heavily into

the throes of arranging the open-

ing ceremony for Sunrise Three at

Sihanoukville and I attended one

of these meetings with no less

than 30 government officials in-

volved.

Later in the month, Brenton

Whittaker (former sunrise work-

mate and friend) and his family

came for a few days’ break and it

is always a boost for me to have

good friends visit me at Sunrise.

We went to Siem Reap where I

worked with our staff and had

time to spend with our 60 children

there and to meet new arrivals in

the centre.

From Geraldine…From Geraldine…From Geraldine…From Geraldine… Firstly, I hope you all had a won-

derful Christmas and that 2013

will bring you all that you desire.

Christmas for me was a sit down

dinner at home with friends, inter-

national and Khmer, with all the

trimmings from egg nog through

to fruit pudding!

In October I flew back to Cambo-

dia with the music and dance

team who performed at the OzAsia

Festival in Adelaide. It was a sad

trip, as I had to break the news to

a brother and sister that their

mother had just died. We went

directly from the airport to the

pagoda for them to be there for

her cremation and as we were all

together, it made a difference to

the bereaved children. Not a good

end to what had been a marvelous

experience.

I had only one day to rest before

flying to the United Arab Emirates

for a series of speaking engage-

ments and radio interviews, in-

cluding a morning tea hosted by

At the end of the month I flew

back to Sydney for the judging

of the Ernst & Young Entrepre-

neur of the Year and the win-

ner in my category was Ronnie

Kahn, the woman who started

the OzHarvest Program where

no food is wasted from hotels

and restaurants, but collected

and given to the needy

throughout Australia. I did not

mind losing to such a woman.

Melissa Dwyer and friends held

2 events in Sydney, one being

a movie night in Neutral Bay

in Sydney, where they

screened “My Khmer Heart”

and again this documentary

inspired many attending to

become sponsors. Melissa and

her group are going to be an-

nual fundraisers for us in Syd-

ney and I cannot thank them

enough for all that they do.

Geraldine receives the Royal Order of Sahametrei Medal

from Cambodian Prime Minister, the Hon. Hun Sen

Special edition insert:

Cambodian Sun Rising

Page 2 Volume 12, Issue 4

Sunrise Three Centre Opens in Cambodia ...by ACF Chairman, John George

I stayed with Sue Liu, a friend and spon-

sor, and she hosted a book club night

where I spoke and made many more peo-

ple aware of Sunrise.

I was invited for the second time to speak

at the University of Technology on Leader-

ship and Community Connections and I

always enjoy meeting young students who

hear about Sunrise for the first time.

I did voice-overs in Sydney for a company

called BCM who have kindly donated their

time and expertise to film some Sunrise

television ads which are already being

screened on several channels. BCM spent

a lot of time, money and effort to get this

program up and running and Sunrise is

very grateful for their generous offer of

support.

An unexpected highlight was in Sydney

when I met Helen Reddy, a well known

singer, who lives in the US and we were

both being interviewed by journalists for a

book. Helen has not lost any of her spark!

Back in Adelaide, I flew with John George, our Chairman, to Roma in Queensland, for

events there to raise funds.

Our Annual General Meeting was held on

a Sunday and it is usually an all day

event where we are able to plan for the

year ahead.

In November, I travelled to Tumby Bay

to meet a wonderful group of women

who raise funds for sunrise in the name

of Grandma on the Bike Fund. The

group has been ardent supporters for many years now, and in a town with a

population of only 4,000, they have been

able to raise over $27,000 in the past

four years alone. I thought it was time to

go and hug them all. I was made so

welcome and stayed with Dr Betsy Wil-

liams; I enjoyed all the hospitality that

country people know how to give.

I flew back to Cambodia for the opening

of our new centre and crossed my fin-

gers that none of my connections were

delayed, as if that happened I would

have missed the whole event. The gods

smiled on me as I arrived just a few

hours before the ceremonies, tired and

jetlagged, but happy to have made it.

John George will tell you more about this

amazing day.

With the festivities over I was well

and truly back in the saddle with

visits by groups of students from La

Trobe University, Bishop Druitt Col-

lege and Prince Alfred College. A

local cinema, the Bophana Centre

screened the documentary, “My

Khmer Heart”, to expose the work of

Sunrise throughout Cambodia and it

was a packed house!

The 10 Sunrise students studying in

Australia were back in Cambodia on

holidays and doing valuable volun-

teer work and workshops at Sunrise.

To celebrate the end of the year we

had a reunion of many ex-Sunrise

children, some of whom are now in

their thirties! It was an opportunity

for them to reconnect with their old

friends and to talk about their lives

outside to the current Sunrise chil-

dren. Much loud music and dancing

on the lawn over 2 nights into the

New Year.

I am looking forward to another busy

and productive year in 2013 and as

always want to remind you all of how

important you are as sponsors and

friends in the lives of all of us here in

the Sunrise Villages. We exist be-

cause of your generosity. There are

no words to thank you… Happy New

Year! Love and light, Geraldine Cox AM,

Country Director and President

“There's a crack in everything -That's

how the light gets in…”

Geraldine’s report (continued)Geraldine’s report (continued)Geraldine’s report (continued)Geraldine’s report (continued)

After nearly 5 years of planning, the Com-

putershare Sunrise Three Village devel-

oped as a centre of excellence in Cambo-

dia to provide a home for up to 200 HIV affected orphans, was officially opened

by Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen on 3rd December, 2012. The centre also

provides a home base for an Outreach program that looks after and monitors

350 children affected by the virus who are still living in surrounding communities.

It cost $A2.5m to build the centre, about half of this coming from Computershare

Australia through their staff giving program, and the rest being received from

other corporations and private individuals to whom we are profoundly grateful.

Sunrise 3 now provides 12 family homes with a housemother and father and fa-

cilities for a group of children in each home.

The opening was a grand affair with a large entourage of Cambodia’s governing elite

being present. Most importantly, around 600 children from Sunrise and New Hope

were in attendance. In all, some 5,000 attended the great event. Those present

appreciated our President Geraldine Cox's delivery of a speech, all in native Khmer.

The Prime Minister presented the Royal Order of Sahametrei Medal (the highest

honour to be awarded to foreigners) to Geraldine and Chris Morris, CEO of Comput-

ershare. The project manager and supervisor Paul Otto, John Tucker (whose or-

ganization New Hope For Cambodian Children, will be managing the project) and

myself as ACF Chairman also received medals. It was very encouraging to know

that the Prime Minister supports our foundation and our efforts in Cambodia.

Prime Minister Hun Sen

meets the children

We acknowledge the huge effort, passion and commitment of all involved in this massive project. The

result speaks for itself and the village stands proud, as not only a home for many HIV affected chil-

dren, but also an educational and vocational centre that will go a long way to providing the facilities

that will ensure these children’s future in life.

Computershare

Senior Executive,

Barbara Dunn

Prime Minister Hun

Sen and John George

Chris Morris with

Royal Order of

Sahametrei Medal

Paul Otto and

John Tucker

receiving their

medals

Bequeathing and Memorial Donations A Bequest is a gift made in your will to individuals, companies, associations or charities and may be as simple as

adding a Codicil to your existing will. Full capital gains tax relief may be available to your estate for bequests made to

certain charities, including Sunrise Children’s Villages. For more information please see our website:

http://www.sunrisechildrensvillage.org/contribute/bequests/

A special way to honour the memory of a loved one is to encourage your relatives and friends to make a gift in lieu of

giving flowers. A Memorial Donation to Sunrise Children’s Villages in Cambodia is a thoughtful way to remember someone.

For more information, please see our website: http://www.sunrisechildrensvillage.org/contribute/memorials/

THANKS!

Volume 12, Issue 4 Page 3

Report by Sok San Yi, Operations Manager

Prabin Gautam of Versatile Information Systems and Scott

Boocock, our new social network expert, are working many

free hours on our new website which will be launched very

soon. Thanks, boys!

Our warmest congratulations to Thy

Chansereyroth, who dreamt of be-

coming a flight attendant when she

was a young girl and her dream has

now become a reality due to her

commitment and hard work at col-

lege and university. Doesn’t she

look beautiful in her Tonle Sap Air-

lines uniform? We are very proud of

her and wish her every success as a

permanent cabin crew member

traveling inside Cambodia and to

Taiwan and Korea.

On a recent trip to Cambodia, mothers of the West Coast Eagles AFL team (coordinated by Pam

Stratford) visited Sunrise and presented a much appreciated cheque for $5,000, along with many

hours spent over 5 days taking English classes, craft sessions, reading with the children and even

cooking an Australian vegetable soup with the children cutting up the vegetables. Another high-

light (right) was having a taste of bread and vegemite which they loved!

They hope to make this an annual event. See more photos on the web at:

http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2012-11-08/photo-gallery-mops

The last few months have flown by, as I took over responsibilities from our former Operations Manager, Mr. Robert Madsen, with

the preparation for Sunrise 3 Grand Opening Ceremony being a priority.

Nine orphaned and abused children (6 girls) have been warmly welcomed into our Sunrise family. One boy from Sunrise 1 has

been reunited back to his family and support, including transport and education, has been provided. A new Outreach House in

Phnom Penh is opening in January 2013 to welcome all Sunrise’s 10 university students and the number will be increased up to 24

students by August 2013. Our community-based child care project that is part of our Case Management Program has been suc-

cessful, providing care and educational support to 47 children (32 girls) through emergency assistance, healthcare, counselling,

education/skill training and family support while we have been actively working to support our 115 children living in Sunrise 1 and

59 children in Sunrise 2.

The Cambodia’s Children Education Fund has approved

on-going full educational support for ten children who are

attending both Khmer education and English programs

for the academic year 2012-2013. This non-profit fund

provides educational opportunities for Cambodia's or-

phaned and high-need children by granting scholarships

to exceptional private schools for all levels of education.

Many thanks to Makalot Garments (Cambodia) Co. Ltd

who donated 1,000 sets of children’s garments and 100 adult garments together with a generous donation of

$US1,000.

Enjoying the New Year celebrations

Community Projects Updates:

Soung Nin, whose story appeared in our

last newsletter, has now given birth to a

cute and healthy 2.8kg baby girl. Despite

some pressure to sell her baby to another

family she has refused as she has hope for

her future with the support of Sunrise. We

have provided her with baby clothes, milk

and food and will ensure she has the basic

skills and capital to make an income for

herself and her baby in the future.

Yao Sreycheang has made her first supported steps! Born with club feet, she was unable to stand or walk.

Sunrise enabled her to attend the Rose Rehabilitation Cambodia Centre, Children’s Surgical Centre and Veter-

ans International for treatment. After many castings for braces to straighten her feet, now she is practicing

walking. Sreycheang and an older sister had never attended school as they lived with their widowed mother

who was earning about $2.50 a day as a construction worker. Now they attend school with transport, school

materials, counselling and basic assistance provided by Sunrise.

Prabin Gautam & Scott Boocock

Volume 12, Issue 4 Page 4

Sunrise Merchandise T-Shirts $20.00 (+ $5 p/h)

Black or white In adult sizes small, medium,

large

Caps $10.00 (+ $5 p/h) One size fits all!

Home is Where the Heart Is $30.00 (+$8 p/h) This book tells the deeply moving story of a woman

who found her true purpose in caring for Cambodian

orphans—the tragic victims of three decades of war

and destruction. Geraldine tells with warmth and

humour of an extraordinary life.

My Khmer Heart DVD $20.00 (+$5 p/h) The documentary, My Khmer Heart, won the Holly-

wood Film Festival Documentary of the Year Award

in 2000 and it has since been bought by HBO

and Discovery Cable Channel.

Angel’s Wing Pendant $90 (+ $5 p/h) The boxed pendant has a silver wing attached.

We Can Be $5.00 (+ $5 p/h) This 56-page book portrays photos of daily life at Sunrise with heart-

felt captions written by the children.

Musicians of Cambodia CD $30.00 (includes postage and

handling) A beautiful collection of traditional songs and dance music expressing

stories of life at Sunrise. The CD presents tales of hope, gratitude, and

happiness, as well as showcasing the talent of our children.

Postage Rates Home is Where the Heart Is $8.00

We Can Be; DVD; Pendants $5.00

T-shirt; Cap $5.00

Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms / Dr: (Please print)_____________________________

Postal address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Home phone: ( )__________________________ Business phone: ( ) ______________________ Mobile: _________________________

Email: _______________________________________________________

I authorize THE AUSTRALIA CAMBODIA FOUNDATION to charge my credit card as specified below:

Amount: $________________❏ Once only ❏ Monthly ❏ Annually ❏ Merchandise (as listed above)

I would like my donation to go towards Sunrise Children’s Village in: ❏ Phnom Penh ❏ Siem Reap ❏ Sihanoukville

To be allocated to: ❏ Operating expenses❏ Building Expenses ❏ Sponsoring a child

Payment type: ❏ MASTERCARD ❏ VISA ❏ AMERICAN EXPRESS

Enter credit card number:

Expiry date:___________________________ Security code: ___________________ Today’s date _______________________

Name on card:_________________________________________ Signature:__________________________________________

❏DIRECT DEBIT Australia Cambodia Foundation – SCV Operating A/c BSB 085-005 A/c No. 54 952 3845

❏CHEQUES Payable to: The Australia Cambodia Foundation Inc.

MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM

For merchandise purchases: Complete the above order form and include payment details below.

For changes to your contact, credit card or email details or new donations/sponsorships:

Please fill in relevant details on the form below.

Return the completed form to:

PO Box 1113, Unley BC, South Australia 5061, Fax: +61 (0)8 8340 4920 or Email: admin@scv.org.au

Description Quantity Price Subtotal

Name and delivery address: Sub-total

___________________________________________________________________ Postage

_________________________________Phone No.:__________________________ TOTAL

Back view