So Singapore, So Senhoa

On the 10^th of March 2011 (what? already?!), the Senhoa team paid a visit to Singapore to spread the wonder of our work.

Senhoa was lucky enough to be selected to present at an International Woman’s Day event organized by Accenture, Singapore. We represented the ‘humanitarian’ sector for the one-day, sit-down event at the Marriot Hotel hosting up to 250 Executives from Accenture and BHP.

The objective of the event was to acknowledge the fast-rising empowerment of women around the world, including those in the developing world. We had 25 minutes to take the stage and make known the issue of human-trafficking and what Senhoa is doing about it to our well-to-do Singaporean Corporate counterparts.

Senhoa had a representative from the Field in Cambodia and one from Head-Office. It was a new experience for the Field. For one, being out of Siem Reap and back amongst skyscrapers, taxi ranks and well-dressed people. And secondly seeing the support side of Senhoa- the promotion and jewelry sales!

There was an emotional moment during the set up of the jewelry. Having seen the hands from which the collection has bloomed and then seeing it displayed in a show room in a 5-Star Business Hotel in Singapore… the pride that swelled manifested into tears!

Posing with our display set up with our information booth

Original designs by our girls

The Senhoa collection being displayed by the Accenture team

Fussing over the display. A proud moment.

The Field presented first, addressing the issue of human-trafficking, speaking from first-hand experience with the survivors and our implementation of the program to the most practical standard. The Field spoke about the girls regaining worth by being associated with beauty, provided with the foundations for learning, and being exposed them to a more meaningful world. The audience was completely engaged. There were lots of nods of acknowledgement, head shakes of disbelief, smiles of appreciation. And then HO brought it home with the ‘how you can help’ pitch- by purchasing Senhoa Jewelry! Being glamorous with a conscience. HO was the drive behind the sale of jewelry, eloquently reasoning the benefits of ‘giving back’ whilst still being fashionable.

A moment of pause for personal reflection

The response was positive. The Senhoa information stall was surrounded by women interested in the finer details about the program in Cambodia who wanted to know how else they could contribute to the cause. Every piece of jewelry was touched and tried on resulting in over $4000 of sales! However, the proudest moment was when nearly all of the original jewelry pieces, designed and made by the girls SOLD OUT.

Congratulations, Senhoa! For an immensely successful trip in Singapore. We created awareness to a new audience, we sold lots of jewelry, and The Field and HO were finally able to come together physically to work side-by-side!

Over and Out from,

The Field

Sustainable Sewing

Suhr-so-dai! Hello again from Cambodia! Even though it's meant to be Head Office's turn at reporting the goings-on, too much is happening over here to wait another whole 2 weeks!

A month ago now, we had a special visitor scheduled for Senhoa. Leading up to his arrival, I received a bombardment of emails from management encouraging and reassuring me that I’d do a fantastic job at hosting THE Thien Le. I was scratching my head: who?

Thien Le is one of Toronto, Canada’s most prominent designers, specializing in exclusive couture for the individual woman and man. As I read up on him and clicked through his runway shows and collections, I started laughing at my ignorance when I finally Googled him; I, the most un-savvy label fashionista, was hosting, punching and joking around with a fashion celebrity.

Senhoa Head Quarters had used its connections and charm to rope in the Canadian/Vietnamese designer to train the girls in Battambang branch of our partner shelter to make bags and kimonos as merchandise. The Battambang branch of our partner shelter has a sewing vocational training program. Senhoa proposed this small project to provide the girls with training in sewing and pattern making, as well as design good quality merchandise to make and sell in the United States and abroad, and to promote the work of both organizations.

Thien was a bundle of enthusiasm, squealing with delight (‘Oh My God, this is so COOL!!) from the airport in the open air tuk-tuk on which we picked him up. He was so excited to be in a new country to offer his talents to those who can benefit so significantly.

Our special guest was welcomed warmly with songs and dance by the girls which he received both shyly and graciously. Thien was given the tour of the shelter, our office and the classrooms, and see the Senhoa Program in action. I beamed with pride as they animatedly chatted to him about what they’ve learnt so far and how hopeful they are about their futures.

When training commenced the next day in Battambang, Thien dove straight in and showed the girls how to silk screen, how to cut fabric with accuracy, how to utilize fabric sparingly, how to adjust machine tension according to fabric thickness and other tricks of the trade. Thien was deeply impressed by the girls’ keenness to learn and how quickly they picked up his lessons. By the end of the 4-days, the girls had worked together in teams of four to make samples of the reversible Love Rescue Heal tote, and sophisticated kimono wrap.

Everyone cooperated so promptly that Thien even had time to cut and restyle most of the girls’ hair! (‘Wow, seriously, I need to bring over a TEAM to deal with this.’) Even mine! (‘You look like a girl, again!’)

We are so privileged to have Thien generously give his time, pro bono, to share his knowledge with us in Cambodia. This newly developed relationship between Thien and Senhoa has great implications for future merchandising and fundraising to create wider awareness of the Anti-Human Trafficking movement.

Thank you, Thien Le, our Fashionable Friend! We hope to see you again in the Kingdom of Wonder to work some more Wondrous Magic.

Check Thien out at www.thienle.com

With Hugs and Kisses from the Field.

Crowded House…of LOVE!

Picking up from where HQ left off; the girls are in! On the 29th of November, three of the seven Senhoa community girls moved into the official CCPCR Lotus House. The joy and awe in their faces at their new home was priceless.

The discovery of this perfect place of residence happened a month ago when CCPCR’s manager, Mr. Thy made a trip specially from Phnom Penh for the house hunt. We had arranged with a realtor familiar with our needs and requirements to meet Mr. Thy and took us on a whirlwind, one-day search. Bing, bang, boom it only took 3 houses to find the perfect sanctuary for girls in transition.

The realtor showed us a two-story house a stone’s throw from the conveniences of town. Boasting 5 large bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, 4 communal areas, a kitchen and its sink, we decided unanimously that it was more than well enough equipped to house up to 15 young, hopeful women.

Leading the way for the House, we are very proud to have on board, Nary Ny, the newest member of the team taking on the role of Project Manager and Social Worker for the Lotus House. Nary has extensive experience working within the realm of humanitarianism, ranging from Shelter Manager to Child Rights Promotion Coordinator to Program Manager. Highly qualified (clearly!) for the position, Nary will support the young women in the house, helping them transition from rehabilitation to sustainable freedom.

The very presence of all these women under one roof has already lifted the vibe of the house, instantly turning it into a home. This new home for many is still under development in terms of furnishings and décor, but it will only be a matter of time. The girls have already reported sleeping better, breathing easier, and a growing feeling of self-worth.

Thanks for joining us again!

With love from,

The Field

PS. Pictures soon!

Let the Blooming Begin

Hello again from The Field in Cambodia! If you’ve been hanging out for reportages on the current activities of Senhoa Cambodia, hang no more! We’ve finally reached the point in these blog updates where we catch you all up to the present time.

It has already been 2 months since the Senhoa Jewelry Program commenced, and many events have unfolded in that time. It’s been crazy but because we all finish each week with a satisfied smile (and exhausted sigh), it’s a good crazy.

So this is how its chronologically gone down:

At last the 6^th of September arrived. The scheduled date for the well-anticipated Program to begin. After a month of recruitment, screenings, planning, market trips, furniture Feng-Shui-ing and resource hunting, we were ready to receive our 18 quivering Lotus Buds.

The Senhoa Lotus Line-up includes:

11 girls from our Partner Shelter- girls over 16 years of age who have been deemed dedicated and behaviorally stable enough to participate. Apparently there was a lot of competition to get into the program because everyone had enjoyed the Summer Camp so much!

And 7 girls from the community- these girls were screened by our extremely devoted Outreach Worker who assessed their family and financial situation and vulnerability into the sex industry.

We began with a 3-day induction where the girls made a pledge of commitment to the program; got a taste for the types of soft-skills lessons they’ll be attending and; played around with practice beads and wire, trying their hand at undiscovered craft work. At the end of their induction, each girl received a long-stemmed lotus bud, marked with their name. Ah, symbolism. Gotta love it.

In the first month of the Program, we had the girls all to ourselves- Public Khmer school had not yet started. The schedule was easily set and we all quickly fell into a routine: each Monday and Thursday was life-skills, Tuesday and Friday was reserved for Jewelry and each Wednesday was computer and PLAY (which I enjoy the most. Any idea how fun it is to watch girly, uncoordinated teenagers catch a ball?)

During that month I celebrated daily. In the words of Anh, Senhoa’s former Country Director, ‘it’s so nice to plan something and have it WORK!’ The girls were enjoying all the lessons, happy to be engaged in something meaningful to them (except ‘play’ when they all suddenly had period cramps and headaches. Teen-aged girls are teen-aged girls everywhere.)

It was an especially exciting time when the afore-mentioned Anh (my Humanitarian Soulmate) and our Creative Director, Jenny Ho, flew all the way from the US of A for an intense training course in professional jewelry making! The girls impressed us with their fast learning! They showed persistence at every task, and mastered their skills quickly. For their efforts, each girl was rewarded with a framed certificate with their full name and picture. The way the girls beamed when they received their frame was absolutely priceless.

Jenny teaching the girls about colour scheming

Showing a few tricks of the trade

SL concentrating on the Indian Princess from the Pavo Collection

Our Lovely Lotuses

But a sad day came when one of our girls from the shelter did not come back from the Khmer holiday Pchum Ben (when Khmer people return to their families to reconnect). Our Lost Lotus had chosen to remain with her family who put food on the table by selling souvenirs outside the public toilets at Angkor Wat. Many attempts have been made to bring her back, but to no prevail. She wants to stay with her family to work so that her younger sister does not have to bear the weight alone. We still see her now and then and know that she’s safe.

These last two months have taught us many valuable lessons about our target demographic. I believe the biggest lesson learnt so far is: despite the past, life moves on. Especially after LL’s sudden departure, the other girls seemed to embrace the program even more. Some of the stories behind these 17 youthful, lively, gorgeous girls’ are of great sorrow and pain. But everyday they come to class with big smiles, funny jokes, and a determination to learn to work towards a more hopeful future.

Thanks for tuning in!

With Love from The Field

Sunny Smiles Summer Camp!

Hello! and Welcome!

Though we are very aware of how behind we are on the timeline of reports, the Senhoa Summer Camp was much too significant to give only a brief mention in this blog. So, hold on tight as we relay to you the magic that happened between the dates of 15^th and 18^th of the month of August.

It began as a fun way to keep the girls engaged during their school holidays and a way to wrap up our delightfully successful pilot program; sleepovers, games, arts and crafts… Easy-Peasy. But as we flitted in and out of the shelter and learnt more about the girls, our vision for the camp evolved. There was a need. There was a lack of connection between the residents of the shelter. Although it was teeming with unconditional love and the best of intentions, our partner shelter was missing something- a sense of togetherness.

Getting Connected

The Shelter Manager was wholeheartedly enthused about the camp and ran just as hard as we did with our ideas. He handed over his staff to us and permitted us to organize them how we saw fit. Suddenly, we were heading a team of 10 staff members and had 22 girls in our charge. I felt like we had been propped in front of a symphony orchestra with the conductor’s baton shoved into our hands. Which, of course, we gripped and happily accepted!

The camp was a runaway success. No one could believe how well the girls had responded to our foreign mannerisms, the ‘strange’ games, our playful antics, and the discipline enforced. The ideology behind the camp was to provide a 3-day marathon of fun within a structured framework where the girls were held accountable for their own behavior and actions, but still had the freedom to express and play and bond with each other. Everyone understood (or at least tried to understand) the expectancy of full participation, punctuality and most importantly, GETTING ALONG. That was probably the biggest challenge: conflict resolution. The girls were completely unused to the idea of friendly competition and team work. Having grown up in an unstructured environment where betrayals and malevolence prevailed, the girls had trust issues with each other, causing fights and disputes over trivial matters. The girls were demanding to change teams every which way, thinking that would solve the conflict. But we held strong. The teams we put them in were the teams they were to stay in. And you know what? They did! By the end of the camp we asked the girls to finish the camp with a team cheer. The team that had the most difficulty all held hands, jumped in the air and cheered ‘WE ARE BEST FRIENDS!!’

‘Wow! How did it get to that point?’ we hear you enquire. This was miraculously achieved with a simple ensemble of:

1. Flag making: the girls designed a flag that represented them as a team ;

2.Team building exercises: Nhie twuh bhan tay!! (You can do it!);

Retrieving the cure to all diseases from the volcano pit.

The girls all found 6 different ways!

3. A fashion show: a celebration of image versatility (the girls got crazy with second-hand market clothes, hairspray and BRIGHT make up) and individuality;

Getting ready for the epic 'Walk Off'

Ridiculous oversized clothes, make-up and a bit of imagination= laughs for a lifetime!

4. And finally, a Talent Show!

The Talent Show was the highlight of the camp (amongst many other highlights). When we set the timeslot for a talent show, we were picturing the girls getting together and imitating Korean Pop-Stars, making up dances, or skits with Cambodian humor. So you can imagine our stunned amazement when the girls performed how they were trafficked. It was then that we realized that they had not yet properly expressed what had happened to them in the past…and they saw this ‘talent show’ as the perfect opportunity to finally expel the feelings that had been trapped within for so long. One girl, Srey, stood in front of the whole shelter and sung a song she had written about her past. Solo. Her voice wavered and her face strained. Tears flowed down her face and she nearly stopped singing. But the girls in the audience cheered her on and Srey finished her song. Wailing. Then one by one, the girls who shared Srey’s story, tears, pain and sorrow, stood up and joined her on stage and engaged in the first group hug in the history of the shelter .

We love our jobs!

Shelter and Senhoa staff sharing a swing

With Hugs and Kisses from The Field