Aogaah provides free schooling for impoverished children in under-developed Countries.
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Office, the Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization.
Office, the Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization.
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A Defining Moment is a Young Adult's Life
College Professors - -
Bring a class of students to Cambodia.
Service Organizations - -
Send one or more young people to the Kingdom of Wonder.
Parents - -
The best graduation gift, an experience of a life time for your graduate.
Bring a class of students to Cambodia.
Service Organizations - -
Send one or more young people to the Kingdom of Wonder.
Parents - -
The best graduation gift, an experience of a life time for your graduate.
Academics:
If you are bring a group and wish to enrich their experience with an investigation of pertinent
topics, an abundance of information can be found on the internet. If you are bringing a group,
you could place each of the topics listed below into a hat, each topic on a separate piece of
paper. Then have the students draw topics out of the hat, going round and round until all the
topics are taken. The students would then complete their research before leaving their home
country. Upon arrival in Cambodia, each student could report on his/her findings to the group.
A written report could also be a part of this academic assignment.
Topics for investigation and discussion:
If you are bring a group and wish to enrich their experience with an investigation of pertinent
topics, an abundance of information can be found on the internet. If you are bringing a group,
you could place each of the topics listed below into a hat, each topic on a separate piece of
paper. Then have the students draw topics out of the hat, going round and round until all the
topics are taken. The students would then complete their research before leaving their home
country. Upon arrival in Cambodia, each student could report on his/her findings to the group.
A written report could also be a part of this academic assignment.
Topics for investigation and discussion:
Discuss Cambodia's natural and human resources.
Discuss Cambodia's infrastructure - - past, present and future.
What are Cambodia's major production commodities?
Examine Cambodia's import and export history and predictions.
Discuss Cambodia's relationships with neighboring S.E. Asia countries.
Discuss Cambodia's relationships with other countries of the world.
Explore the impact of eleventh-twelfth century Angkor on current Khmer society.
Examine the French colonization of Cambodia and its influence today.
On September 11, 2001, two thousand innocent Americans died in what is called an Act of Terrorism. How
many innocent Cambodian citizens (grandmothers, children, etc.) died from the American carpet bombing of
the Cambodian countryside during the Vietnam war? Did America ever declare war against Cambodia? Was
the American carpet bombing of Cambodia an act of terrorism? Was this a crime against humanity? Has any
American ever been brought before a court to answer for this act? Do these types of actions by America fuel
extremism in other parts of the world?
What role did the American carpet bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam war have on the Khmer Rouge
coming to power?
Discuss the impact of the Khmer Rouge on current Khmer society.
Explore the impact, the validity and the possible corruption of the trials for former Khmer Rouge operatives
conducted by the Cambodian War Crimes Tribunal.
Research the impact of the Vietnamese ten year occupation of Cambodia (1979-1989).
Discuss the influence of Buddhism on the daily life of a Cambodian.
What is the Cambodians' belief in the 'after life'?
When and why was there a transition from Hinduism to Buddhism in Cambodia?
The ruling Cambodian People's Party controls Parliament with an overwhelming majority (90 out 123 seats).
What are the political roots of the Cambodian People's Party?
Through their control of Parliament, Cambodian People's Party (CPP) staffs all public institutions, from top to
bottom, with CPP members. Almost all positions of responsibility, down to village chiefs, are filled with political
appointees. There is no clear distinction between party and state duties. For a country to be a democracy,
can the total governance at all levels be controlled by a single political party?
Does the Cambodian King have executive power?
The Cambodian King recently approved the promotion of the Prime Minister and two other top
governmental/political party officials to the rank of Five Star General in the Cambodian Military. Do you see
this as a move to stabilize democracy?
Investigate the independence of Cambodia's three branches of government: Executive, Legislative and
Judicial. Does any one branch control another? In effect, does the political party that is in power control any
of the branches of government?
Is there transparency of the Cambodian government including such considerations as finical disclosure laws
imposed on elected officials?
In 2009, Clean Hands sponsored an anti-corruption concert at Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium. To get the
permit to have the concert, Clean Hands had to agree that the Cambodian government would not be
implicated. One keynote concert speaker was Carol Rodley, the Ambassador to Cambodia from the USA. In
her talk, Ambassador Rodley said rampant graft was preventing the country from developing its public
services, education and healthcare. The ambassador asserted that corruption saps Cambodia of up to $500
million a year that could otherwise be used for development. The lost money could be used to construct
20,000 six-room school buildings. Did any of the concert organizers go to jail as a consequence of
Ambassador Rodley's remarks?
To undertake any type of project in Cambodia requires the approval of the government. This is typical in most
countries. To build a casino or to build a school for impoverished children requires the signature of many
government officials. Each request for necessary forms and each scheduling of a meeting requires that a fee
is paid. Each of the many required signatures also requires fees to be paid. What would assure that these
fees are going to Cambodia instead of to individuals?
Discuss the distribution of wealth in Cambodia.
If eighty percent of a countries people live on 1 USD per day, another ten percent live on 1.25 USD per day
and five percent live on 1.50 USD per day, what is the average daily income of the remaining five percent if the
overall rate for all citizens is 3 USD per day?
Of the five percent of the Cambodian population who have the highest daily income, what portion are
government officials, governmental appointees, government employees (considering all departments and
branches including the military), or are officers, employees, or appointees of the political party currently in
power?
Do the wealthiest five percent of the Cambodian population; the elected officials, the party officials and the
appointees, want a change in the way the country conducts its business?
Do the wealthiest five percent of the Cambodian population want the remaining ninety five percent educated or
do they subscribe to the Pol Pot theory that an educated populous is a dangerous and uncontrolled populous,
a populous who would demand change?
What South-East Asia country has the highest percentage of luxury vehicles per capita?
Is an Under-Developed country, that is experiencing substantial economic growth, considered a 'Developing'
country if eighty to ninety percent of the population do not benefit from the economic growth? (clean water,
safe sewage treatment, trash removal and processing, electricity available to everyone, free public education,
health care, etc.)
In late 2009, Transparency International published a list of the 10 most and the 10 least corrupt countries in
the world. Was the United States of America and/or Cambodia on either list? What is the ranking of the USA?
What is Cambodia's ranking?
When an agency, like The World Food Bank, donates millions to feed Cambodia's impoverished, does the
money for the program go into the hands of government officials for implementation or does it go into the
hands of non-governmental organizations (NGO)?
Investigate the Cambodian government's forced eviction of impoverished squatters who are living on public
land for which profitable development opportunities arise.
In 2009, Moeung Sonn, president of the Khmer Civilization Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was
sentenced to two years in prison on charges of disinformation after he raised concerns about the effect of new
lights installed at Angkor monuments. Does this prison sentence raise 'freedom of speech' concerns for
Cambodia?
Is there freedom of the press in Cambodia?
Is there un-restricted internet access to news and history media in Cambodia?
Is there the right to assemble in Cambodia?
What is the Cambodian government's concept of 'incitement'?
What is the Cambodian government's concept of 'disinformation'?
What is the Cambodian government's concept of 'defamation'?
Is there the probability that an opposing political party will take the reins of the Cambodian government away
from the current ruling party in a future election?
Does Cambodia have a caste system?
Is there a reluctance of Cambodians to take responsibility for their own actions?
Describe the Cambodian social services provided to the old and to parentless children.
Detail the public health care system in Cambodia.
Provide details on the levels of education in Cambodia - - Primary, Secondary, High School and University.
Compare Private vs. Public education in Cambodia.
Why is there a three tiered education system in Cambodia - - public, private and non-formal?
Discuss the Khmer primary school curriculum - - Literacy, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science.
Examine the availability of education for the poor and lower middle class citizens.
What is the economic outlook for the typical impoverished Cambodian?
What is the significance of education in the transition of a suppressed society into a true
democracy?
Discuss Cambodia's infrastructure - - past, present and future.
What are Cambodia's major production commodities?
Examine Cambodia's import and export history and predictions.
Discuss Cambodia's relationships with neighboring S.E. Asia countries.
Discuss Cambodia's relationships with other countries of the world.
Explore the impact of eleventh-twelfth century Angkor on current Khmer society.
Examine the French colonization of Cambodia and its influence today.
On September 11, 2001, two thousand innocent Americans died in what is called an Act of Terrorism. How
many innocent Cambodian citizens (grandmothers, children, etc.) died from the American carpet bombing of
the Cambodian countryside during the Vietnam war? Did America ever declare war against Cambodia? Was
the American carpet bombing of Cambodia an act of terrorism? Was this a crime against humanity? Has any
American ever been brought before a court to answer for this act? Do these types of actions by America fuel
extremism in other parts of the world?
What role did the American carpet bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam war have on the Khmer Rouge
coming to power?
Discuss the impact of the Khmer Rouge on current Khmer society.
Explore the impact, the validity and the possible corruption of the trials for former Khmer Rouge operatives
conducted by the Cambodian War Crimes Tribunal.
Research the impact of the Vietnamese ten year occupation of Cambodia (1979-1989).
Discuss the influence of Buddhism on the daily life of a Cambodian.
What is the Cambodians' belief in the 'after life'?
When and why was there a transition from Hinduism to Buddhism in Cambodia?
The ruling Cambodian People's Party controls Parliament with an overwhelming majority (90 out 123 seats).
What are the political roots of the Cambodian People's Party?
Through their control of Parliament, Cambodian People's Party (CPP) staffs all public institutions, from top to
bottom, with CPP members. Almost all positions of responsibility, down to village chiefs, are filled with political
appointees. There is no clear distinction between party and state duties. For a country to be a democracy,
can the total governance at all levels be controlled by a single political party?
Does the Cambodian King have executive power?
The Cambodian King recently approved the promotion of the Prime Minister and two other top
governmental/political party officials to the rank of Five Star General in the Cambodian Military. Do you see
this as a move to stabilize democracy?
Investigate the independence of Cambodia's three branches of government: Executive, Legislative and
Judicial. Does any one branch control another? In effect, does the political party that is in power control any
of the branches of government?
Is there transparency of the Cambodian government including such considerations as finical disclosure laws
imposed on elected officials?
In 2009, Clean Hands sponsored an anti-corruption concert at Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium. To get the
permit to have the concert, Clean Hands had to agree that the Cambodian government would not be
implicated. One keynote concert speaker was Carol Rodley, the Ambassador to Cambodia from the USA. In
her talk, Ambassador Rodley said rampant graft was preventing the country from developing its public
services, education and healthcare. The ambassador asserted that corruption saps Cambodia of up to $500
million a year that could otherwise be used for development. The lost money could be used to construct
20,000 six-room school buildings. Did any of the concert organizers go to jail as a consequence of
Ambassador Rodley's remarks?
To undertake any type of project in Cambodia requires the approval of the government. This is typical in most
countries. To build a casino or to build a school for impoverished children requires the signature of many
government officials. Each request for necessary forms and each scheduling of a meeting requires that a fee
is paid. Each of the many required signatures also requires fees to be paid. What would assure that these
fees are going to Cambodia instead of to individuals?
Discuss the distribution of wealth in Cambodia.
If eighty percent of a countries people live on 1 USD per day, another ten percent live on 1.25 USD per day
and five percent live on 1.50 USD per day, what is the average daily income of the remaining five percent if the
overall rate for all citizens is 3 USD per day?
Of the five percent of the Cambodian population who have the highest daily income, what portion are
government officials, governmental appointees, government employees (considering all departments and
branches including the military), or are officers, employees, or appointees of the political party currently in
power?
Do the wealthiest five percent of the Cambodian population; the elected officials, the party officials and the
appointees, want a change in the way the country conducts its business?
Do the wealthiest five percent of the Cambodian population want the remaining ninety five percent educated or
do they subscribe to the Pol Pot theory that an educated populous is a dangerous and uncontrolled populous,
a populous who would demand change?
What South-East Asia country has the highest percentage of luxury vehicles per capita?
Is an Under-Developed country, that is experiencing substantial economic growth, considered a 'Developing'
country if eighty to ninety percent of the population do not benefit from the economic growth? (clean water,
safe sewage treatment, trash removal and processing, electricity available to everyone, free public education,
health care, etc.)
In late 2009, Transparency International published a list of the 10 most and the 10 least corrupt countries in
the world. Was the United States of America and/or Cambodia on either list? What is the ranking of the USA?
What is Cambodia's ranking?
When an agency, like The World Food Bank, donates millions to feed Cambodia's impoverished, does the
money for the program go into the hands of government officials for implementation or does it go into the
hands of non-governmental organizations (NGO)?
Investigate the Cambodian government's forced eviction of impoverished squatters who are living on public
land for which profitable development opportunities arise.
In 2009, Moeung Sonn, president of the Khmer Civilization Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was
sentenced to two years in prison on charges of disinformation after he raised concerns about the effect of new
lights installed at Angkor monuments. Does this prison sentence raise 'freedom of speech' concerns for
Cambodia?
Is there freedom of the press in Cambodia?
Is there un-restricted internet access to news and history media in Cambodia?
Is there the right to assemble in Cambodia?
What is the Cambodian government's concept of 'incitement'?
What is the Cambodian government's concept of 'disinformation'?
What is the Cambodian government's concept of 'defamation'?
Is there the probability that an opposing political party will take the reins of the Cambodian government away
from the current ruling party in a future election?
Does Cambodia have a caste system?
Is there a reluctance of Cambodians to take responsibility for their own actions?
Describe the Cambodian social services provided to the old and to parentless children.
Detail the public health care system in Cambodia.
Provide details on the levels of education in Cambodia - - Primary, Secondary, High School and University.
Compare Private vs. Public education in Cambodia.
Why is there a three tiered education system in Cambodia - - public, private and non-formal?
Discuss the Khmer primary school curriculum - - Literacy, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science.
Examine the availability of education for the poor and lower middle class citizens.
What is the economic outlook for the typical impoverished Cambodian?
What is the significance of education in the transition of a suppressed society into a true
democracy?
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Penh, meet the children and feel their passion for education and see their prospect for an improved livelihood.
During the visit, Aogaah will provide information on the following topics and will participate in discussions with the
visitors.
• Goals and Objectives of the Foundation.
• Aogaah 'focused' approach to the school day.
• The curriculum.
• Teaching methodology.
• Materials developed for Aogaah's Community School's focused education.
• Aogaah's teacher training.
• Aogaah's school administration.
• Aogaah's school budgeting.
• Budget reality - - doing the most with a small budget.
• Brain storming.
Additional important sites:
You and/or your group may wish to visit these important cultural sites in and around Phnom Penh. The locations
marked *** have a small entrance fee.
• The popular River Front Tourist Area
• The Royal Palace and The Silver Pagoda***
• The National Museum***
• Wat Phnom - - the birth place of Phnom Penh
• Independence Monument
• Vietnamese Memorial
• Olympic Stadium
• There are theaters and cultural events***. Visit www.khmer440.com/ for current listings.
• Markets (Sorya, Central, Middle, Russian, Old, and many, many more).
• S21 Genocide Museum***
• Killing Fields***
Phnom Penh Accommodation:
There is an abundance of accommodation in all price ranges in Phnom Penh. Visit http://www.canbypublications.
com/phnompenh/pphotels.htm for hotel information. Also see Aogaah's web page Visiting Cambodia.
In particular, the OKAY Guesthouse (okay.2001@hotmail.com and kimheng.2001@yahoo.com) is known as a
favorite of young travelers. One of Aogaah's Board of Directors stayed at OKAY on her last visit to Phnom Penh
and provided positive feedback. A room for two (two beds) with AC, hot water and cable TV is in the $10 per night
range.
OKAY is located on street 258, number 3B. It has been labeled on the V15-V16 School Map which can be
downloaded from that Aogaah web page. Just a block away from the Cambodiana Hotel (5 star - - www.
hotelcambodiana.com.kh) OKAY is a short walk to the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, the National Museum,
Independence Monument, the Vietnamese Memorial and the popular River Front tourist area.
Internet Cafes are abundant in Phnom Penh.
Some travelers like to purchase Travel and Emergency Medical Insurance. One source to consider is: http://www.
worldtravelcenter.com/.
Stay in Cambodia an Extra Week or two:
Before or after your visit to Phnom Penh, visit the enormous and magnificent archaeological site at Angkor Wat
(visit: http://www.angkor-wat-net.com/). Round trip bus fares from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) range
from $9 to $20. The bus is a great way to see the country. Regularly scheduled commercial air carriers also
provide round trip service in the $160 to $200 range.
Also consider visiting the pristine Cambodian coastal beaches at Sihanoukville - - the trip by bus takes 4 hours from
Phnom Penh and costs less than $5 each way.
For visitor's guides, visit: http://www.canbypublications.com/.
During the visit, Aogaah will provide information on the following topics and will participate in discussions with the
visitors.
• Goals and Objectives of the Foundation.
• Aogaah 'focused' approach to the school day.
• The curriculum.
• Teaching methodology.
• Materials developed for Aogaah's Community School's focused education.
• Aogaah's teacher training.
• Aogaah's school administration.
• Aogaah's school budgeting.
• Budget reality - - doing the most with a small budget.
• Brain storming.
Additional important sites:
You and/or your group may wish to visit these important cultural sites in and around Phnom Penh. The locations
marked *** have a small entrance fee.
• The popular River Front Tourist Area
• The Royal Palace and The Silver Pagoda***
• The National Museum***
• Wat Phnom - - the birth place of Phnom Penh
• Independence Monument
• Vietnamese Memorial
• Olympic Stadium
• There are theaters and cultural events***. Visit www.khmer440.com/ for current listings.
• Markets (Sorya, Central, Middle, Russian, Old, and many, many more).
• S21 Genocide Museum***
• Killing Fields***
Phnom Penh Accommodation:
There is an abundance of accommodation in all price ranges in Phnom Penh. Visit http://www.canbypublications.
com/phnompenh/pphotels.htm for hotel information. Also see Aogaah's web page Visiting Cambodia.
In particular, the OKAY Guesthouse (okay.2001@hotmail.com and kimheng.2001@yahoo.com) is known as a
favorite of young travelers. One of Aogaah's Board of Directors stayed at OKAY on her last visit to Phnom Penh
and provided positive feedback. A room for two (two beds) with AC, hot water and cable TV is in the $10 per night
range.
OKAY is located on street 258, number 3B. It has been labeled on the V15-V16 School Map which can be
downloaded from that Aogaah web page. Just a block away from the Cambodiana Hotel (5 star - - www.
hotelcambodiana.com.kh) OKAY is a short walk to the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, the National Museum,
Independence Monument, the Vietnamese Memorial and the popular River Front tourist area.
Internet Cafes are abundant in Phnom Penh.
Some travelers like to purchase Travel and Emergency Medical Insurance. One source to consider is: http://www.
worldtravelcenter.com/.
Stay in Cambodia an Extra Week or two:
Before or after your visit to Phnom Penh, visit the enormous and magnificent archaeological site at Angkor Wat
(visit: http://www.angkor-wat-net.com/). Round trip bus fares from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) range
from $9 to $20. The bus is a great way to see the country. Regularly scheduled commercial air carriers also
provide round trip service in the $160 to $200 range.
Also consider visiting the pristine Cambodian coastal beaches at Sihanoukville - - the trip by bus takes 4 hours from
Phnom Penh and costs less than $5 each way.
For visitor's guides, visit: http://www.canbypublications.com/.