The project hopes to build an educational facility (which will include three classrooms and a library), a computer facility, sports facility (including a small health clinic) and accomodation for staff and offices.

Children will visit the center when they are not at school. The center will be free and will provide children with free English lessons and other opportunities for social learning. The project hopes to work with other NGO (Non-Governmental Organizations) to provide knowledge on Health,
Environmental issues and Sexual Diseases. In time the project will also hope to provide children with scholarships and work opportunities.

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Local Partner Organization

The Foundations's local partner is FEDA (Friends Economic Development Association). FEDA has been working in the village since the early 1990's and has been involved in various community development projects.

Key People

Soth Plai Ngarm

Ngarm is a Cambodia who founded FEDA in the 1990's. He worked in the Battambang area in Community Development during the 1990's. He now works in Phnom Penh and is considered an expert in Peace Building and Weapons Reduction issues.

Dickon Verey

Dickon is an English volunteer who moved to Battambang in January 2004 to help facilitiate the FEDA project. He spent four months in Battambang in 2003 volunteering. From 1997-2002 he worked as a sales/trader with Goldman Sachs.

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Results

The project has onlyjust begun but there are already a number of solid
results.

- Attendance of English classes has increased from 15 in March 2003 to 150 in June 2004.
- Scholarship program at a private English school in Battambang has been introduced.
- 2 Cambodian staff are and being educated privately in English and computing.
- Land has been bought for the new center and plans are being drawn up for buildings.

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The Initiative Foundation is a US non-profit 501(c)3 organization incorporated in the Commonwealth at Massachusetts in 1999.

The Initiative Foundation Ltd is a registered UK Charity, number 1087908 established in 2000.