Children's Future International, founded by University of Colorado graduate Andrew Wolff, serves vulnerable Cambodian children through access to quality education and well-being programs. In addition to its three-room "Learning Center," the organization also funds and operates a safehouse that houses six young women and a children s home for 16 boys and girls. ( PAUL AIKEN )
CU-Boulder grad opens school, safehouse for some of Cambodia's poorest
Organization helps fill a 'leadership gap' in the area still reeling from genocide
By Brittany Anas
The Daily Camera Staff Writer
Posted: 07/16/2011
University of Colorado alumnus Andrew Wolff bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok, hoping to volunteer somewhere in southeast Asia.
Now, he's the co-founder of a school and women's safehouse in northwest Cambodia, which also houses some of the area's poorest and most neglected children.
The school educates 200 children, teaching them math, Khmer literacy, English, computer skills, music, art, sports and critical thinking.
In a former professional life, Wolff, who has an economics degree, was a businessman. He had a passion for teaching, though, which inspired him to earn his master's degree in English as a Second language and Multicultural Education at CU in 2006.
For a year, Wolff said that he taught at a school in Colorado, but he felt "his hands were tied" partly because of the heavy emphasis placed on standardized testing and the little flexibility allowed in the curriculum.
He departed for Asia, and started working for a non-governmental agency that served poor children -- those who may have been otherwise unable to attend school because the cost of uniforms and teacher fees.
But, he said, he realized that those weren't even the poorest and worst-off children, and there were kids seriously affected by malnourishment, abuse, sex trafficking and poverty that were shut out of the education system.
He co-founded "Children's Future International" along with Jenny Ciucci, who moved from Switzerland to Thailand in 2006. Inspired by Loung Ung's autobiographical book "First They Killed My Father," which tells the story of one Cambodian family during the Khmer Rouge's genocidal reign in the 1970s, she moved to Cambodia.
The idea of the organization is to prepare students to learn by also taking care of their basic needs -- like feeding them -- to allow them to grow into healthy and educated individuals.
In addition to its three-room "Learning Center," the organization also funds and operates a safehouse that houses six young women and a children's home for 16 boys and girls.
It's a haven for impoverished and marginalized children whose families still reel from the genocide of the 1975-79 Khmer Rogue regime. During that time, intellectuals were particularly persecuted, and, as a result, Camodia's educational system sorely lacks qualified teachers for its younger generation.
"There's a real leadership gap," Wolff said.
Five siblings -- who were abused and living in filth -- inspired Wolff and Ciucci to start the organization.
In 2009, the children were frozen by fear when CFI first took them in, but have since blossomed -- enjoying their friends, singing while doing chores, playing soccer, learning and drawing, Wolff said.
For example, Chong, who was 3 years old when Wolff met him, would stare with his big brown eyes, but didn't talk or smile. The child was never clothed and was dirty.
"His eyes looked like those of an adult who had seen too much, yet he wasn't even 4 years old," Wolff said.
Now, he's a lively first grader, playing, laughing and drawing pictures filled with stars and hearts. He's also fascinated by computers, and can sit still for hours watching people use them.
Channa -- the oldest child -- had played a father figure, taking care of his siblings and making sure that they were fed, even if it meant nothing was left for him.
Now, after two years of living at CFI, he's thriving, according to Wolff, and he is a talented soccer player who enjoys playing the guitar.
Channa has quickly developed into a leader among his peers, Wolff said.
In a video about the organization, Channa says: "When I lived at home, before I came here, I wasn't able to go to school and didn't have enough to eat. I don't need to watch my younger siblings anymore. I don't have to worry like I had to before."
Contact Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas at 303-473-1132 or anasb@dailycamera.com.
Organization helps fill a 'leadership gap' in the area still reeling from genocide
By Brittany Anas
The Daily Camera Staff Writer
Posted: 07/16/2011
On the Web
Children's Future International: childrensfutureinternational.org
University of Colorado alumnus Andrew Wolff bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok, hoping to volunteer somewhere in southeast Asia.
Now, he's the co-founder of a school and women's safehouse in northwest Cambodia, which also houses some of the area's poorest and most neglected children.
The school educates 200 children, teaching them math, Khmer literacy, English, computer skills, music, art, sports and critical thinking.
In a former professional life, Wolff, who has an economics degree, was a businessman. He had a passion for teaching, though, which inspired him to earn his master's degree in English as a Second language and Multicultural Education at CU in 2006.
For a year, Wolff said that he taught at a school in Colorado, but he felt "his hands were tied" partly because of the heavy emphasis placed on standardized testing and the little flexibility allowed in the curriculum.
He departed for Asia, and started working for a non-governmental agency that served poor children -- those who may have been otherwise unable to attend school because the cost of uniforms and teacher fees.
But, he said, he realized that those weren't even the poorest and worst-off children, and there were kids seriously affected by malnourishment, abuse, sex trafficking and poverty that were shut out of the education system.
He co-founded "Children's Future International" along with Jenny Ciucci, who moved from Switzerland to Thailand in 2006. Inspired by Loung Ung's autobiographical book "First They Killed My Father," which tells the story of one Cambodian family during the Khmer Rouge's genocidal reign in the 1970s, she moved to Cambodia.
The idea of the organization is to prepare students to learn by also taking care of their basic needs -- like feeding them -- to allow them to grow into healthy and educated individuals.
In addition to its three-room "Learning Center," the organization also funds and operates a safehouse that houses six young women and a children's home for 16 boys and girls.
It's a haven for impoverished and marginalized children whose families still reel from the genocide of the 1975-79 Khmer Rogue regime. During that time, intellectuals were particularly persecuted, and, as a result, Camodia's educational system sorely lacks qualified teachers for its younger generation.
"There's a real leadership gap," Wolff said.
Five siblings -- who were abused and living in filth -- inspired Wolff and Ciucci to start the organization.
In 2009, the children were frozen by fear when CFI first took them in, but have since blossomed -- enjoying their friends, singing while doing chores, playing soccer, learning and drawing, Wolff said.
For example, Chong, who was 3 years old when Wolff met him, would stare with his big brown eyes, but didn't talk or smile. The child was never clothed and was dirty.
"His eyes looked like those of an adult who had seen too much, yet he wasn't even 4 years old," Wolff said.
Now, he's a lively first grader, playing, laughing and drawing pictures filled with stars and hearts. He's also fascinated by computers, and can sit still for hours watching people use them.
Channa -- the oldest child -- had played a father figure, taking care of his siblings and making sure that they were fed, even if it meant nothing was left for him.
Now, after two years of living at CFI, he's thriving, according to Wolff, and he is a talented soccer player who enjoys playing the guitar.
Channa has quickly developed into a leader among his peers, Wolff said.
In a video about the organization, Channa says: "When I lived at home, before I came here, I wasn't able to go to school and didn't have enough to eat. I don't need to watch my younger siblings anymore. I don't have to worry like I had to before."
Contact Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas at 303-473-1132 or anasb@dailycamera.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment