Cambodia Grant Assistance for NGO Projects Signing Ceremony

On January 13, a signing ceremony was held for Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects.
At the ceremony, Mr. Masahiro Mikami, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Cambodia, and Ms. Ishiyama, Country Director of PHJ Cambodia Office,  signed a grant agreement regarding 
"Project to   strengthen community care and support network for children in Kampong Cham Province  (Second Year)".

 

Ms. Ishiyama expressed her gratitude for the execution of the agrement as follows:

His Excellency Ambassador Mikami, and all staff members of the Embassy of Japan in Cambodia,
Foreign Ministry officials,
Dr. Tang, Director, Kampong Cham Province Health Department,
Dr. Yim,Chief of Stoung Trang Operational Health Dstrict, and
Ladies and gentlemen,

We have just concluded the "Agreement for Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects."  I am truly honored to attend this signing ceremony at the Japanese Embassy today.   As I signed the agreement, I was filled with a special feeling. I would like to explain why I had such special feeling. When I was in elementary school, I remember a picture that my homeroom teacher showed me . He said, "this picture was taken in a foreign country, and the construction of the building was supported by the Japanese government."   When I heard that my country, Japan, was contributing to other countries, I was so excited that I could not say anything. 
It was the first time in my life that I felt proud as a  Japanese.

Now, I am standing at the signing ceremony as the head of an NGO engaged in maternal and child health activities to improve the health of children, the future leaders of Cambodia. I am filled with pride as
a Japanese,  which I felt for the first time when I was little.

The act of helping others goes around. Looking back, Japan was also in a position to receive ODA after the World War II. Now, as a Japanese, I am very happy to be involved in the noble cause of this recompense.

Our project site, the Stoung Trang Operational Health District in Kampong Cham Province, has many child health problems. For example, many children older than 6 months are stunt and underweight.  To improve,
caregivers need to  know enough about the child's growth and illness. In the first year of the project, we focused on the capacity building of health staff and supporting health facilities. In the second year, we will focus
on strengthening the capacity of VHSG and CCMN and disseminating child care knowledge to caregivers.

We have carried out our activities based on the idea that support that enables local communities to be independent is true support. To this end, we have always kept in mind the importance of their self-esteem and
independence of the  local people as well as the spirit of helping each other, not distinguishing between the one who provides aid and the one who receives it.

The other day, the Embassy staff attended the opening ceremony of the new postnatal care room that People’s Hope Japan supported. We were grateful for their understanding and cooperation, which enabled us
to fully use our capacity and abilities to conduct the activities.

 

Finally, we will never forget that our activities are carried out not only by us, but also by all Japanese people. We will continue our activities, conveying the heart of the Japanese people to the
Cambodian people and building friendly relationship.

We look forward to your continued support and encouragement.
Thank you for signing the agreement and organizing the sigining ceremony today.

Kanako Ishiyama, Country Director, PHJ Cambodia Office

Cambodia : SDGs awareness and promotion campaign with SDGs pens

Nippon Life Insurance Company donated pens with SDGs logo (hereinafter SDGs pens) to PHJ.

PHJ's work to improve maternal and child health in Cambodia and Myanmar corresponds to Goal 3 (good health and welbeing for all) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among the 17 SDGs, PHJ’s projects also taregt Goal 5 (gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls), Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation), and Goal 17 (achieve our goals through partnerships) .

PHJ Cambodia office donated the SDGs pens to the staff in charge of maternal and child health at the Kampong Cham Province Department of Health, and they expressed their support for the SDGs.

We also donated the pens to the Chief of Stoung Trang Operatioonal Health District.

The SDGs are targets that should be addressed by the world, not only by developed countries. However, as awareness of SDGs in Cambodia is low, and the concept is not well understood by the general public. Even the local PHJ staff is not familiar with SDGs.

After receiving the SDGs pens, we decided to organize an SDGs event at an elementary school in the project site. Staff members study SDGs in their spare time at work so that they can communicate "What is SDGs?" properly to elementary school students.

We also created educational materials to teach children in an easy-to-understand way.

It is my hope that the SDGs pens presented by a Japanese company will lead to the SDGs enlightenment of children in Cambodia and trigger actual actions in everyday life in order to "aim for a sustainable world". Currently, any gathering with more than 20 people is prohibited in Cambodia, but once the ban is lifted, the SDGs event will be held.

Kanako Ishiyama
Country Director of PHJ Cambodia Office

Thailand - Follow-up Report of Pediatric Cardiac Operation Support

PHJ Tokyo staff members are happy to receive the 2017 Annual Report Newsletter of The Life Skills Development Foundation（TLSDF）on Pediatric and Family Cardiac Program (PFCP) from Ms. Ae Suthida, Program Manager. She served at PHJ-Thailand as the HOPE Partner Project Manager and Pediatric Cardiovascular Operation Support Project Manager until October 2016 and, upon termination of the PHJ Thailand projects and closure of the PHJ Thailand Office, joined TLSDF to continue the pediatric cardio program. The following is a summary of the 2017 Annual Report approved by theTLSDF Director.

PFCP Project Background:

Although cardiovascular healthcare in Thailand is improving, many rural regions are still struggling to access life-saving health services. This is due to many barriers including prohibitive costs, far distances to travel from rural areas to hospitals, and shortages of trained medical staff. PFCP’s aim is to help save the lives of underserved people and children with terminal heart diseases through the provision of life-saving interventions and surgeries, rural mobile cardiac screening programs, public education, and the training of nurses to provide effective and sustainable care.

PFCP Services:

Heart Operations:

PFCP aims to help families in Northern Thailand who are underserved and are unable to cover the additional costs of their own, or their child’s heart surgeries. We work with 3 government hospitals* that are able to provide heart operations.
*Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital (CMU for the region’s most complicated cases), Lampang Hospital (Regional Hospital for the 9 Provinces of Northern Thailand), and Chiang Mai Nakornping Hospital (Chiang Mai Provincial Hospital.)

With the support of our donors in 2017, we were able to provide 20 underserved adults as well as 8 underserved children under the age of 10 with life-saving cardiac operations. PFCP and our beneficiaries are so thankful for the support of the donors. 





Photo:This pediatric patient recevied the operation

Mobile Heart Screening
PFCP supported a Pediatric Mobile Heart Screening in Mae Hong Son on May 27th, 2017 at Srisangwan Hospital. The province of Mae Hong Son is home to many indigenous and ethnic minority groups, and many of them live in poverty with limited access to medical care. Seventy eight (78) children ranging in age from 2 days to 15 years old, including 4 admitted patients, were screened.  Twelve (12) patients were referred to hospitals in Chiang Mai and Lampang for further diagnosis and treatment.

PFCP also held a Mobile He. art Screening on July 4th, 2017 at Chiang Kham Hospital, in Phayao province. This district is also home to many indigenous and ethnic minority groups, and has limited access to profressional and specialized health care. One hundred sixty one (161) underserved patients from all over the province were screened, and 88 were diagnosed with heart valve disease. Seven (7) of thise 88 patients were referred to Lampang Hospital for heart operations.

Upper photo: Heart screening team   
Lower photo: Patient receiving heart screening                            

Nurse Trainings 
PFCP supported two (2) nurses from Nakornping Hospital to attend "The Child Cardiac Care Program" at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health during June 5-9, 2017. The purpose of the training was to educate the nurses in holistic care for pediatric cardiac patients on prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. The nurses are very thankful for the education and have been able to pass on their training to fellow colleagues.

With support from our donors, PFCP helped 2 nurses from the Cardiac Unit, CMU attend the International Symposium hosted by the Heart Care Foundation in Bangkok, August 25-27, 2017. Over 30 international and Thai cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and medical faculty were in attendance, including 4 cardiac surgeons and cardiologists we work with from CMU and Lampang Hospitals. Five main topics of valve repair, minimally invasive valve surgery, CABG, echocardiography for valve surgery, and aortic surgery were discussed. This was a fntastic learning and capacity building opportunity, and PFCP was excited to cover transportaion and lodging costs for the nurses.

Upper photo: Nurses at the Child Cardiac Care Program
Lower photo: Nurse at the Heart Care International Symposium

World Heart Day

On September 29, 2017 in coordination with Nakornping Hospital, TLSDF participated in arranging a booth at the World Heart Day event at the Hospital. The main objective of the event was to increase knowledge and awareness for cardiovascular disease prevention among patients, families, colleagues, and volunteers. PFCP stationed a booth with games and activities regarding knowledge about heart disease, and distributed informational brochures about heart valve disease care and prevention.

Photo:
PFCP Project Manager facilitating educational games at the World Heart Day







To: Daiichi Sankyo Thailand Ltd, Yokogawa (Thailand)Ltd., and Edwards Life Sciences

We are so grateful for the support of our donors for allowing this project to happen! We look forward to continuing our partnerships and to reduce the mortality and morbidity of impoverished and marginalized individuals who have or are at risk of getting critical heart diseases in Northern Thailand.

Thank You For Your Support!

PHJ Tokyo staff members are truly happy to confirm that the PHJ project continuously implemented by TLSDF are helping underserved people in Thailand.

Sachiko Yazaki

Communications Dept.

Thailand - New Year Party with Former HOPE Partner Patients

We received a happy news from Ms. Jeeranun Mongkondee, who served as the Regional
Director of PHJ in Thailand and Vietnam until October 2016.

PHJ-Thai Office implemented the HOPE Partner Program (educational support to children
sufferingfrom chronic diseases and disabilities) from 1998 and transferred its administration to
Sansai Hospital, Rajanagaringdra Institute of Child Development (RICD), and other local
organizations in October 2016.


On December 28, 2017, Jeeranun, her family and her friends invited 20 former HOPE Partner
patients and their families to a New Year Party at Sansai Hospital. Five Sansai staff members
and one RICD staff member joined the program.

The program started with the teeth check of patients by three Sansai Dentists, followed by
games and songs, and present giving. The above photo shows the patients receiving teeth checks.

The patients and their families enjoyed games as shown on the above photo.

Patients gladly received the presents as shown on the above photo.

Jeeranun and her family met with Dr. Warawut Koewatcharakul, Sansai Hospital DIrector for
New Year greeting and tothank you for his support on the New Year Party for the former
HOPE Partner patients and familieis at Sansai Hospital.

All PHJ Tokyo Office members are grateful to Jeeranun, her family and her friends for their 
generosity in organizing this wonderful New Year Party for the former HOPE Partner patients 
and their families at their own expenses.

PHJ-Tokyo Office
Communications Dept.
Sachiko Yazaki

Visit to PHJ-Thailand Office

I am Kumi Arakawa, a student of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care, Keio University. From February to March this year I joined Keio University students club program of HIV/AIDS study tour to Thailand.


During our stay in Thailand, Mami Miyajima, another tour member, and I visited PHJ-Thailand Office（PHJT） in Chiang Mai to learn about their HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention education program. 

We were welcomed by friendly PHJT staffs who explained about PHJ’s projects in Thailand in fluent English. PHJT is implementing not only the Youth HIV/AIDS prevention education but also pediatric cardiovascular surgery, support of challenged children, etc.


Since we were interested in the HIV/AIDS prevention education, the PHJT staffs focused their explanation on this project. 

PHJT’s project until 2013 targeted the university students introducing the peer education method. Selected student leaders are trained as peer educators in awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases so that they could extend their knowledge toward their peers or other students.

We thought of the situation in Japan where the sex education is not so common and students do not have correct knowledge. They know that HIV/AIDS are frightful diseases but have little knowledge on how to prevent such diseases. Particularly, among the youth, not so many people think of the HIV/AIDS as immediate threats to their lives. 

Under these circumstances, learning the correct knowledge about sex from a peer educator and not from a public media or school curriculum would be truly effective and raise their awareness of the importance of preventive measures.

We were impressed that the students in Thailand are taking initiatives in this program and transfer the important knowledge in several stages. The students participating in this program acquire practical knowledge of how to protect themselves in varied circumstances. 

Having learned this HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention program in Thailand, we recognized the need to have such program in Japan so that the youths can acquire the correct knowledge about HIV/AIDS.


We came to know about PHJ’s activities at the Global Festa JAPAN 2013 in October last year and requested a visit to the PHJT office. We are grateful that PHJ kindly accepted our request and extended this wonderful opportunity to learn about the PHJT projects. 

Visiting HOPE Partner Child

Greetings from Sachiko Yazaki, PHJ Communications Group.

On May 2, the PHJ Thailand HOPE Partner Education Project Manager, Ae-san, took me to visit Rocky, 11years old, suffering from celebral palsy, and his grandmother at their house located one hour and half drive from Chiang Mai.

Since his parents were divorced when he was small, his grandmother and grandfather   have been taking care of him and joined the HOPE Partner program 8 years ago. Once a month, his grandmother takes him to Rajanagarindra Institute of Child Development for diagnosis, physical therapy, and other training. Despite the long bus ride changing the route a few times, his grandmother has never failed to bring her grandson for the therapy.

Thanks to such care, Rocky has grown steadily and is now able to write and draw with his left hand. He can walk and run and is proud to have won a gold medal and a cupper medal in provincial athletic games.

Under the PHJ project, he takes MRI check every year since he had a brain operation for blood vessel stenosis five years ago.

His grandmother welcomed me with plates of mango and jackfruit from her garden and home made potato chips. Since she has been writing me every three months, I felt that I know her very well despite it was the first time I met her. She appreciated my visit from all the way from Tokyo.

I was happy to meet Rocky and his grandmother in person. I realized that there are challenged children and their families who truly need the support from the HOPE Partner project and that for them the project has been successful. Ae-san told me that she was very happy to be a bridge between the recipients and the donor. Having seen our smiling faces, she is determined to perform this role gladly.

 

Rocky and his grandmother














Three of us under a Longan tree

STAND UP TAKE ACTION 2012

『STAND UP TAKE ACTION』is a world-wide campaign which is aiming to achieve
Millennium Development Goals by “standing up taking action” such as to eradicate
global poverty.
It started in 2006 and has been held around the world.

PHJ agrees with this campaign and has taken part in it since 2010.

Pictures taken in Tokyo, Thai and Cambodia offices are posted on a website
『STAND UP ACTION』.       ≫ http://www.standup2015.jp/

Tokyo office

Thai office

Cambodia office

 

 

PHJ Cambodia Office Distributes Sanitary Kits to 5704 Households

Yuka Amano, PHJ’s intern, reports on the damages suffered by the people in the
PHJ Cambodia program sites and our relief activities.

Due to the continuing rain, 30 villages among 55 covered by the PHJ program received
damages from the flood. This is the worst flood in 10 years and damages are enormous.
In the area covered by four health centers, three persons died. The major industry in the
area is agriculture. The damages to the farm products are serious. The crops just before the harvest were completely lost and fruits and other farm products hardly escaped damages.
Many households have not saved foods and food shortage is becoming serious.

Furthermore, cold, influenza, children’s acute respiratory infections, dengue fever, malaria,
skin infection and other diseases are increasing due to poor sanitary conditions caused by
the flood.

The Kampong Thom Health Department distributed 160,000 mosquito nets and started a measle vaccine campaign and special budget of US$ 20,000.

PHJ Cambodia Office decided to organize a sanitary campaign and education and distribute sanitary kits to 5740 households in 30 villages.
 

（Sanitary kit consists of two soaps, two towels, kitchen detergent, two scrubbing brushes, three trash bags, and one skin ointment tube）

 
Sanitary goods delivered to the PHJ Cambodia Office

The damages suffered at each health center under PHJ Cambodia are shown below.

1) Thanot Chum Health Center
The scope of damage is most serious among the four health centers. Eleven villages out of 12 were completely flooded. The 90% of the farm fields were covered by the flood.

At this moment, the food shortage is not serious but due to the rice fields being flooded, there is a serious concern about the income and food until the next harvest in December 2012. People infected by cold and influenza and children suffering from acute respiratory infection are increasing.

2) Chhuk Khsach Health Center
Ten among 14 villages received flood damages. The scope of damage is second serious to Thanot Chum. People are moving with boats and sharing foods with neighbors or buying at markets. People suffering from cold and skin trouble are increasing.

3) Sralau Health Center
Five villages among 18 and more than 90% of rice fields are covered by the flood. Cambodia Red Cross distributed goods only to a limited number of households. Among the villagers there are complaints and criticisms over the distribution. Cold, fever, diarrhea, and dengue fever
are spreading.

4) Ti Pou Health Center
Three among 11 villages are covered by the food. Although rice fields are not damaged, it is difficult to use road for the following reasons.

In the flooded area, domestic animals cannot be kept at households and temporary shelters are built on a road making it impossible for cars to travel. Flood is causing various troubles, indeed.

PHJ plans to extend various supports from health and sanitary points of view in order to minimize flood damages.

PHT Thailand Office Donates Toilets and T-shirts

PHJ Thailand (PHJT) is extending supports to flood victims in Thailand. In the whole Thailand, 370 persons died from the flood and 60 provinces from 77 received damages. The disaster is the worst in the past 50 years.

Although the Chiang Mai Province where the PHJT is implementing programs has not suffered damages from the flood, the Office donated 13,660 bahts (about 35,000 yen) and 150 T-shirts to the victims.

PHJT is also working with the Chiang Mai Health Office to distribute 500 pieces of portable toilets to keep sanitary conditions good in the disaster areas.

This weekend, PHJT staff will join the Payap University students to distribute portable toilets and T-shirts.

As mentioned in the Cambodia article, sanitary conditions are worsening due to the food. PHJT will continue to support the flood victims from sanitary and health points of view.

 

Flood in Cambodia and Thailand

Greetings from Yuka Amano working at PHJ Tokyo office as an intern.

We are all concerned about the flood in Cambodia and Thailand. We hear and see sad news about the flood damages in the central to southern parts of Thailand. Many PHJ members are concerned about the damages and have inquired about the situation of our activities sites. PHJ Thailand is located in Chiang Mai, northern part, that has not been affected by the flood so seriously. The children and people we are supporting as well as our partners and PHJ Thailand staffs have not been affected.

Although the food has been causing a lot of damages in Cambodia, we do not hear much from the news media.

PHJ Cambodia Director, Yumiko Kume, sent us the information and photos of the flood damages in the PHJ program site in the Kompong Thom province. According to the report of Cambodia Daily newspaper of Friday, October 21, the province has received the most serious flood damages in the country next to another province.


The house is flooded upto the roof.



Water all over the villager’s house

More than 90 percent of the area covered by the Chhouk Ksach Health Center in the province is covered by the flood.




The entrance to the Chhouk Ksach Health Center building is covered by the water.




The water has not yet reached to the Chhouk Ksach Heath Center floor level．

Eighty to ninety (80 to 90) percent of another program site covered by the Thanochum Health Center is flooded, also..

 

Only a small portion of the primary food aid (rice, canned fish, noodle, salt, sugar, blancket, etc.) has been supplied by the Red Cross and Adra. Fortunately, there is no report of death or serious injury in our program site. The road to the program site is closed by the water and we use boats to visit the villages.

PHJ staffs visiting the villages by boat. Having seen another boat turned over a few minutes ago, they look scared.

As a health and medical support NPO, PHJ Cambodia Office plans to extend support ro prevent the spread of infectious diseases by distributing sanitary kits. It will take sometime before we can implement such program as the water is still rising.

The Cambodian Government has not made an official request for the international support. So we cannot expect the UN-led aids and other aids. NGOs in the country are trying to cope with the situation.

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Since we do not hear much about the flood damages in Cambodia compared to those in Thailand, PHJ staffs in Tokyo are surprised with the seriousness of the situation. We will keep a close eye on the situation in Cambodia.

Please see the PHJ Facebook for more photos.