USCOM at AHC & visit by AFAP
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
This July I combined a business trip into the last leg of a trip to Cambodia to assist with a review of our program by AFAP and also introduce Uscom's founder and inventor of the Uscom monitor, Rob Phillips to Dr Peaktra, Medical Director of the Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC), one of our long standing partners.
The Angkor Children's Hospital has over 350 inpatients daily to attend to and many of the children are suffering from Sepsis, Malaria, Typhoid, Dyssentry and other illnesses. The AHC has looked after many of our children in the past but had never had the opportunity to properly diagnose cardiac output or stroke volume to administer the optimum fluids and inotropes. This was the start for them of a new era with the offer of an Uscom device to clinically trial over the next few months.
The Uscom monitor is now safely installed at the Angkor Children's Hospital and a party residents, ER specialists and nurses turned up intrigued in its diverse applications.
Dr Peaktra believes it can significantly lower its current morbidity levels.
We spent 1.5 days training them on how to use
it and they just love it. Now they can measure stroke volume of the blood
as it passes through the Aortic or Pulmonary valve and better treat the chronically ill
children.
It was quite emotional seeing how these doctors took to it and were so delighted with the
results.
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Cassandra Mok, Community Partner Manager for AFAP visited Karuna on 12th July to see how the programs were going and to strengthen the ties between our two organisations to ensure we optimise the outcomes for our beneficiaries.
The weatherhas been very hot and everyone is
praying for rain as it is all so very dry which is affecting the harvest
this year.
The six children at the SR Youth Centre in Siem Reap are coming along very well and right
in the middle of their end of year exams. They are all so confident and
all positioned in the first half of their classes or better.
We took our most impressive student from the Youth Centre with us to escort Cassandra to Varin.
He was just so well spoken in English I could hardly
believe it. We went over to his home to meet the family where the commune
chief had arrived for the review as well and he gave us a big tick for the
benefits Karuna has made to his entire community and helping them
understand the importance of education. One of our party commented
how much Kheun had moved on from his family and how difficult it might be
for him to come back to Ko Kandal after living in SR, but the student replied,
"that's the reason I am in SR to bring back skills to support my family
and Community"....!
I also met with the Education Authority head in Siem Reap
Province to discuss our program. He explained that the Cambodian Government was
working hard to keep all the kids in their neighbourhood but that due to the difficulties of access it continued to be grateful to organisations such as Karuna to continue supporting the kids in very remote areas and give such hope to their local communities.
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Khat's eye is now fully repaired after the removal of his right eye. You really
can't tell which one is the good one , which is the glass one. He is so
happy. All the kids are happy and Sou our field supervisor in Varin has been doing some great running
repairs on the place, replacing the grass roof with a sheet metal one, splashing paint around
etc...We are also now looking at installing solar panels with the donation
of one of our contributors from the concert. So Sokphen and I are off to
get some quotes. What a difference solar will make after years of burning lamps & loud generators.
We are taking the kids in SR for a daily excursion on monday to the
reservoir for a swim, the huge tree house built near Angkor Wat and then onto the fair ground in the evening. They all asked it they could do it as they have been studying hard all year. So
that should be fun.
That's it for now......PK
Other news
USCOM at AHC & visit by AFAP
Uscom medical device sets up clinical trial with Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC) and Karuna's partner in Australia , AFAP ( The Australian Foundation for the People of Asia Pacific) visits our program in mid July 2011 to monitor its progress and strengthen ties between our organisations.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Karuna Gala Concert
A wonderful evening of music featuring Simon Tedeschi and Kevin Hunt in the Stunning surrounds of Government House was held on May 14 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
The Karuna Milestones So Far... (2004-2011)
A timeline of the Karuna Foundation's journey. Where we began, what we have accomplished so far, current efforts, and achievements of the children.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Cathy's Journal - November 2008
In November 2008, Cathy & Phil visited the Children's Center with a group of young travellers, and an English teacher, and swapped letters and gifts from Sydney schools with the children who reciprocated with drawings of their local surroundings. This is Cathy's account of the trip
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Scholarship Program commences
The scholarship program provides funds for the older children to live in Siem Reap in our new home.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
NEWSLETTER #1 JUNE 2010
The first Newsletter of the Karuna Children's Centre is now online
To see it in Graphical format go to http://ymlp171.com/zSHMEA
or read it in text form below
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
English lessons for all!
During the hottest months of February, March and early April 2010, Cathy ventured up to Varin to establish a program of English lessons for the different age groups at the centre and spent time in the local schools as well teaching English to over 200 children.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Children learn Khmer dancing skills
Karuna children are learning how to dance traditional Cambodian movements
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Rice Bank
A Rice Bank has been established for the Karuna Children's Centre thanks to the generous donations of the people of Gymea.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Postbox Cafe- Kusine for Karuna
The famous Postbox Cafe in Gymea is hosting an evening of trivia and khmer cusine on 25 Jan 2010. Bring your friends and learn about the fantastic grass roots programs underway in Cambodia to help the most disadvantaged children.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
