PEOPLE IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONNEWSLETTER

People Improvement Organization (PIO) serves over 1300 children a day through a variety of programs that include free education, nutrition program and vocational training. We provide some of the most vulnerable women and children in Cambodia with hope for the future. Through education it is our belief that we can improve the lives of the Cambodian people which will lead to taking greater control of ones life and as a result, a life out of poverty.

Phymean Noun, Founder/CEO, CNN Hero 2008 World’s Children’s Prize nominee 2015

July – August - September 2015

Construction of a new PIO school building

PIO has talked about it since 2014 and finally in July 2015 we were able to start the construction of a new school building for the PIO students. This building of 5 storey will be located in Stung Mean Chey. More classrooms for the

primary school students, more space for the Vocational Training programs, new offices and a bigger lunch area. We will also place the PIO shop at the entrance of the building.

The construction will take around 8 months and an opening ceremony will be held when it is completed.This construction is possible thanks to very generous donors including the Cambodian Red Cross who donated

$50.000 in November 2014 .

WING Cambodia’s donationWING Cambodia had been raising money for a year in order to fund the new school building project. Most of the

branches of WING had a donation box that their customers could use. All the staff was very involved in the project. Communication tools were made for the occasion and could be seen all around Phnom Penh and

Cambodia’s provinces. On August 21st, WING’s general manager and WING’s staff came to PIO’s main school in Stung Mean Chey where

we held a ceremony with traditional dances performed by the shelter children. WING generously raised over $20.000 for PIO.

Medal of Honor from the Cambodian Red Cross

On August 24th, Phymean Noun, founder of PIO, received a Medal of Honor from the Cambodian Red Cross President Bun Rany, First Lady

of the country. This medal of honor has been awarded to Phymean in recognition of

her incredible work in helping the children of Cambodia for the past 13 years through the NGO People Improvement Organization, founded in

2002 to serve the vulnerable children with free education, nutrition and vocational training programs.

This is the first time that Phymean is awarded from her own country. In 2008, Phymean received a CNN Hero Award from the United States

and earlier this year, she received a Humanitarian award from the province Ontario in Canada.

Ratanakiri Trip for the Shelter Children

Smart-Shirts Uniforms Donation

PIO received a generous donation from the Sunrise Group's company Smart Shirts Ltd. On July 17th, three representatives came to the Stung Mean Chey school to give the PIO students: 1300 uniforms, 3000 plain t-shirts

as well as over 150 bed covers for the PIO Shelter. The uniforms will be distributed to our students, along with their new school materials at the beginning of the new school year after the Pchum Ben holiday.

One of PIO Shelter’s sponsors funds a trip for the children every year. Last year, they went to Kep, on the seaside but this year they all went to the Ratanakiri province, North East of Cambodia. All 75 children, 4 shelter staff

and over 10 PIO staff came along for this 3 days trip in the wild! Swimming in the lake, walking, tree climbing, elephant riding were the activities enjoyed by the children. They were really happy and for most of them, it was the first time they had been to this part of their country. Everybody was excited about riding an elephant, it was

an experience they will never forget.

Maybank’s Carnival

On Sept 5th 2015, Maybank, one of PIO's sponsor, organized a Carnival in Phnom Penh to raise money for PIO.Maybank has been supporting PIO for the past few years through the sponsorship of 20 of our high school

students and from September 2014, they have been supporting 10 Dressmaking students. First, Maybank organized this event to reward the PIO students with a certificate as they all passed their grades.Second, Maybank organized this event to raise money for PIO: food stands; games, lottery as well as PIO shop

booths where you could find the products made from recycled material. You could also meet Somaly, our famous artist who was painting and showing her art. Traditional dances were performed by the PIO shelter

children on the stage.

Grade 6 students excellent results

This year PIO students sitting the national Grade 6 examination for admission to high school achieved a 100% pass rate. This is the best result ever! It is a credit to the

students and their hard-working teachers that the achievement of PIO students in this national exam continues to exceed that of all other schools, public, private and NGOs

in the Stung Mean Chey district. The 34 graduates from Grade 6 will now join the

other 94 PIO students at the Chea Sam Samaki public high school.

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For more stories, more pictures, more videos, follow us:

People Improvement Organization#224 MC, Street LUM, Sangkat Mean Chey,

Khan Mean CheyPhnom Penh, PO Box 766 Cambodia

phymean@peopleimprovement.org

Volunteer at PIO

Maths in English program

For the past three years US based Cambodian mathematics teacher Pagna Donlevy has organized and supported the “Maths in English” program for PIO high school students. The classes taught by a local mathematics graduate

follow the United States curriculum in mathematics. The program is a challenging one and it is a wonderful achievement for 10 PIO students who graduated from the first part of the program (Algebra and Geometry). This

October the same students begin on the second part of the program in which they will studying Statistics and Calculus for the next three years. A new group of Grade 6 students will begin the Algebra and Geometry program

this year.

Staff of PIO

Srey Mom – Teacher Grade 4Joined PIO: 2013

“PIO is my first job as a teacher. I started to teach grade 3 for a year, then Grade 6 and now I am teaching grade 4. I am happy to come to work every day and share my

experience with my co-workers. I have made friends with many volunteers who have come to help in

Cambodia by teaching English at PIO. I hope one day I can take a plane and go to visit them all.”

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