January 2014
Dear friends and partners,
I want to wish each and every one of you a Happy Western New Years and Happy Chinese New Year’s. I trust that the holiday season are good ones for each of you. For all of us here it is an exciting time of the year. For Nokor Tep Women’s Hospital this January is so full of promise as construction continues – I have learned so much about construction and its in and outs – I now know what capping is – we are reducing our 1,350 piles down to 197 caps – each containing at least 2 piles and several containing as many as 10 piles – what a lot of work and concrete but how good it is to see.
This past Christmas holidays two of our female staff were operated on for cancer of the ovaries and cervical cancer – Wan had a total hysterectomy done in Vietnam – a country where she does not know the language – she was alone and so terribly afraid – she still is afraid. On Christmas Day we had several families join us for dinner – Chuck, a good friend who works for the UN mentioned that 25% of his Cambodian staff have cancer – several have been sent to Singapore for treatment – one was too late.
As we talked, we mused about the women who work for NGOs and companies who have compassion – for these women, hard as it is to go through this alone and in a strange country – at least they have treatment and a sense of hope. For the vast majority of Cambodian women there is no hope – for many there is not even diagnosis – just a growing awareness of pain –a growing awareness that all is not well – a growing sense that life itself is ebbing away. For these women this journey is one of despair, of fear – a journey of silence because there is nowhere to go – no one to talk to.
Nokor Tep is being built by all of us – in two weeks we have our Annual Walkathon here in Cambodia – this year the awareness is developing - this year the young people of Cambodia are standing up and walking - university students, young professionals are all joining those who have so little and hurt so much. This year we have many joining us from overseas – Australia, Canada, USA, Israel, Germany, Singapore – as well as many expats who live and work in Cambodia. All of us standing together – young and old, different nationalities – standing us one with the women of Cambodia. Together we are beginning to break this wall of silence – this wall of hurt – this wall of tears. How good that is.
If any of you would like to join us on February 8th – we would be delighted. If you are unable to come but want to be apart of this – well perhaps you can sponsor one of our staff – Heng, Srei, Sina, and all our mangers are walking – our workers in cottage industry – many of whom know the deepest pain of illness as they live with AIDS – each one is walking – or perhaps you would like to sponsor a university student or one of our villagers – please send your donations through the list on the bottom.
It is a wonderful start to both New Years – together we continue to build the impossible dream – a vision of hope and grace – of mercy and life – I thank my God that all of you have done so and continue to do so – I thank my God for my co-founders - Phavi and Sieng – our miracle workers – I thank my God that this is so. Happy New Years to all of you.
Janne
our international organizations for online payments:
1. Nokor Tep Singapore. www.nokortep.com
2. Tabitha Canada organization’s website where you will please click on the "Please Give Generously" button, click "CanadaHelps.org" then select "Women's Hospital - Nokor Tep" http://www.tabitha.ca/
3.. Tabitha USA organization’s website where you will please click on the " I am 1-in-a-million" image and then click "Donate" - www. tabithausa.org
4. Tabitha UK organization’s website where you will please click on the "Donate" button beside Tabitha logo and put the desired amount, click "Donate Now", fill up "2. Payment Details" with "Nokor Tep" and the details - http://tabitha-cambodia.org.uk/
5. Netherlands - Stichting Toetssteen - http://www.stichtingtoetssteen.nl
