1

Table of Contents

Foreword by Project Sothea 2016 3

Education Committee Report 4

Health Committee Report 22

Expenditure Report 41

Reflections 46

Photos and other media links 54

2
Foreword

2016 has been a landmark year in Project Sotheas efforts in extending the hand of
compassion beyond our shores. Since our induction in 2010, when we started off as 'Mission:
Peaceful Children Home 2, we have grown and learnt much.

Popular maxims such as provide what the beneficiaries need; not what you think they need
and reaching out to them is more important than handing them goodies used to greet us at
every turn. Although they seemed clichd initially, our efforts this year (built upon past
initiatives) have only verified the truth in these statements.

Our recce trip during the middle of the year and pre-screening house surveys gave us much-
needed insight into the lives and labour of those whom we seek to serve. We stand indebted
to the 83 families whom we surveyed prior to our screenings. The responses and analyses of
said responses can be found in the Education committee report.

Our screenings and referrals went smoothly as well, with one or two instances standing out as
possibly life-changing for the patients involved. We successfully screened 889 people- 417
adults and 472 children. This year has seen an increase in the number of villagers attending
our screenings compared to last year, when there were 793 attendees. This increase, coupled
with the incredibly touching personal account by Mr Chum Veuk of our impact on the two
beneficiary communities, has given us the impetus to build on our good work thus far with
increased drive in years to come.

Empowerment, when coming from outside can only be facilitatory. We seek to serve, we seek
to learn- but more importantly, we seek to guide. As part of our third pillar- development- we
have been working to establish a sustainable partnership with our friends from International
University. We are looking into the prospect of going beyond our current arrangement of
engaging them as facilitators of the screenings- to one that puts them more firmly in the
drivers seat.

Our efforts to reintegrate our beneficiaries, the villagers, with the healthcare services already
at hand have also borne fruit this year, with the inking of a landmark agreement with The
Handa Medical Centre to subsidise all our future referrals by 10 percent. Our projects vision
to see the Health Post at Sra Kaew take centre stage in the healthcare of the villagers is also
gradually taking shape with the increase in patient visiting numbers in recent times being a
promising sign.

Altogether, 2016 has been a milestone in the short history of Project Sothea. Just as the 2016
team has grown by building on our seniors efforts, so we hope our future batches will grow
further by building on ours.

Small things with great love.

Project Sothea Team 2016

3
 EDUCATION
COMMITTEE REPORT

4
 2016 Edu Survey Results Analysis
Introduction
The 2016 Edu Survey was conducting during the first two days of the 2016 Sothea trip during
House-to-House visits. The Sothea team was divided into 5 groups to conduct the survey. A total of
83 village families were surveyed.

Common Illnesses Encountered

Incidence of illnesses (%)
50
45.1%
45
40 37.8%
Incidence of Illness (%)

35
29.3%
30
25
20
15 11%
10 7.3%
4.9% 3.7%
5
0

Others Cough/Common Cold/Sore Throat

GIT (e.g. Stomachache, Vomiting, Diarrhoea) Head Lice
Physical injuries Dengue/Malaria
Parasitic Infection

*Others:

1. Skeletomuscular: 19 (23.2% overall) 4. Dizziness: 2

Joint Pain: 8 5. Skin Conditions: 2
Osteoporosis: 1 Burning & Itchy: 1
Back Pain: 6 Rash: 1
Muscle Ache: 1 6. Chest Pain: 2
Stiffness/Pain in Neck: 3 7. Seizures: 1
2. Headache: 7 8. Difficulty in Hearing: 1
3. Eye Conditions: 5 9. Toothache: 1
Blurry Vision: 4 10. Swollen Ankle: 1
Red Eyes: 1

5
From the responses obtained, we can see that the Top 3 Health Conditions faced by the villagers
are:
(1) Cough/Common Cold/Sore Throat (37.8%)
(2) Gastrointestinal Problems (29.3%)
(3) Skeletomuscular Problems (23.2%)

*The weather is colder in December and hence there is a larger prevalence of common cold at the
time when we did the survey.

Frequency of Common Illnesses

Average Number of Days per year a Condition is
Encountered
250
214
200
Days per year

150

100
58
50
21

GIT (e.g. Stomachache, Vomiting, Diarrhoea) Cough/Common Cold/Sore Throat

Physical Injuries

Data was only obtained for these 3 health conditions

From the responses obtained, we can see that gastrointestinal problems are highly frequent.

6
Treating Physical Injuries
Treatment Methods (%)

6.9%
13.8%
13.8%

37.9%

41.4%

Bandage Plaster Herbal/Traditional/Chinese Health Post Salt and Water

*Take note: Responses are flawed due to irregular/low number of responses and overlapping of
responses.

From the responses obtained, we can see that a substantial proportion (41.4%) of villagers seek
traditional treatment methods for treating physical injuries. A possible follow up to this will be to
identify the types of traditional treatment used by the villagers, to have a better understanding of
their traditional treatments and to see if they are causing more harm than good from the medical
perspective. If the traditional treatment methods are concluded to be effective, possible follow
up thereafter would be to promote education of such methods. If they are discovered to be not
effective or even harmful, the appropriate measures need to be taken to educate the villagers
against using such methods.

Generally, there is an awareness to cover up the wound (51.7%) with either plaster or bandage.
Perhaps a follow up would be to provide methods of cleaning wounds (e.g. distributing alcohol
swipes) before covering them, as the water used by them to clean their wounds may not be clean.

7
Chronic Illness Profiles
Families with Members Diagnosed with the Chronic Illness
(%)
120
98.8% 96.4% 100%
Percentage oF families (%)

100 89.2%

80 74.7%

60

40
25.3%
20 10.8%
1.2% 3.6% 0%
0
Tuberculosis Diabetes Hyperlipidemia Obesity Hypertension

Yes No

*Take note: While the data showed zero families facing obesity, we did come across obesity cases
during our health screenings.

From the responses obtained, if taken at face value one can say that there is generally a low
prevalence of chronic illnesses. However, one needs to consider the fact that many villagers may
have chronic illnesses but are not diagnosed.

Nonetheless, hypertension is the most prevalent chronic illness, followed by diabetes.

Management of Chronic Illnesses

Chart not used because numbers did not add up.

94% of responses sought treatment for chronic illnesses, of which:

44% sought treatment from the health post
9% sought treatment from the hospital
6% sought treatment from a traditional medicine practitioner/respected elder
Other avenues included our screening, district doctor (30km away), medication
from provision shops, or medication given by friends.
*Responses given did not add up to the 94%

General trends/patterns observed include:

1. There is a general awareness of the scarcity of medication. Hence, some form of rationing is
carried out, whereby medications are used only when the illness is severe (symptoms more
serious).
2. Medication is mostly obtained from the health post, rarely from private clinics or hospitals.
3. Traditional Khmer medicine used, but very rarely (1 response).

8
 4. There is an issue of lack of money for seeking treatment and procuring medication for
most families. Having ran out of medication and lacking the money to purchase more was
a repeated issue.

Childrens Health
Villagers Who Felt that their Children were Healthy (%)

25%

75%

Yes No

This question was in many ways very subjective and to some extent baseless as we are relying on
the villagers perception of their childrens health. The villagers may not be able to pick out subtle
but serious signs of health problems.

The general perception of a healthy child by the villagers is closely related to the childs ability to
engage in physical activity such as regular exercise and sports like soccer.

When asked about improvements to their childrens health, most villagers were unable to give a
response. This could mean either:
(1) They really felt that their children were healthy.
(2) They do not have an ideal healthy child to compare with, and if their children seem
normal and similar to those of their neighbours then they were deemed healthy.

Responses that were given were commonly related to cough, cold, fever and sore throat. There
were isolated cases of tuberculosis, tetanus, teary eyes and nosebleed.

9
Children Immunisation
Children Who were Immunised (%)

11%

89%

Yes No

Immunisations are provided free of charge at the health post.

Rare cases where the children were not immunised were due to reasons such as being unable to
bring their children to the health post due ones own health problems (accessibility issues). One
isolated case where the child was given birth to during the war.

Water Source
Water Obtained from Various Sources (%)

19.7%

47.5%
9.8%

23%

Rainwater Stagnant body of water Bought (bottles, water truck) Well

*Take note: There are overlaps in the responses

10
From the responses obtained, the Top 3 water sources used are
(1) Rainwater (46.5%)
(2) Stagnant bodies of water (23%)
(3) Well (19.7%)

Usually, multiple water sources are used by a family, and for different purposes.
Rainwater and well water are commonly used for drinking purposes.
Stagnant bodies of water are commonly used for showering purposes.

Treatment of Water Before Drinking

Water Treated Before Drinking (%)

12.7%

87.3%

Yes No

However, having said so, there may be a lack of consistency for those who claim to treat their
water before drinking. This is especially the case for children, who were seen scooping untreated
rainwater and drinking it as the survey was carried out.

11
 Different Water Treatment Methods Before Drinking (%)

8.3%

91.7%

Boil Water Water Filtration System

1 Response filtered the water before boiling. But in general, we see that boiling water is much
more prevalent than filtering water.

Disposal of Human Waste

Methods of Human Waste Disposal (%)

7.7%

19.2%

73.1%

Toilet Grasspatch Others

From the responses obtained, the majority (73.1%) had proper toilets in their houses.
However, a substantial portion (19.2%) still lacked a proper toilet, and resorted to defecating on
grass patches.
A few isolated responses (3) used the method of digging a hole and covering up the human waste
afterwards.

12
Washing of Hands Before Cooking and Eating
Washing of Hands before Cooking and Eating (%)

15.6%

84.4%

Yes No

84.4% of responses washed their hands before cooking and eating.

15.6% of responses did not wash their hands before cooking and eating.

Out of those who responded No to this question and cited a reason,

3 Responses cited being busy/forget as the reason
1 Response cited an inaccessible water source as the reason

However, it was also observed during the survey that most children ate with their bare hands
without washing them prior to that. This is despite answering that they do adopt the practice of
washing their hands before and after meals.

13
Washing of Cooking Equipment
Washing of Cooking Equipment (%)

13.5%

86.5%

Yes No

From the responses obtained, we see that the majority (86.5%) of villagers have the awareness of
the need to clean cooking equipment before cooking.

Consumption of Food After Cooking

Time within which Food is Consumed after Cooking (%)

29%

45%

26%

Immediately after cooking <1 Hour after cooking >1 Hour after cooking

From the responses obtained, we can see that majority (71%) of the time food is consumed
immediately or within 1 hour after cooking.

14
Storage of Excess Raw Ingredients
Methods of Storage of Raw Ingredients (%)

15%

43%
15%

27%

Do not have excess raw ingredients Covering with net

Leave them in the open Cupboard/Any cool place which can be sealed

From the responses obtained, a substantial proportion (43%) of families did not have raw
ingredients. However, these responses should be taken with a pinch of salt, as usually there should
be some form of storing of raw ingredients. However, this could also be due to the villagers
growing their own vegetables and thus, they only harvested the vegetables when they needed
them for cooking.

A substantial proportion (42%) of families had an awareness of the need to provide some form of
covering/protection for their raw ingredients, whether by covering with a net or sealing away by
other means.

Having said so, 15% left their raw ingredients in the open. A possible follow up would be to see if
they have access to cheap plastic covering nets to establish the practice of covering raw
ingredients if not used to prevent contamination.

15
Storage of Excess Cooked Food
Methods of Storage of Excess Cooked Food (%)

6%
8%

33%

53%

Do not have excess cooked food Covering with net

Leave them in the open Cupboard/Any cool place which can be sealed

From the responses obtained, the majority (53%) of villagers covered excess cooked food with a
net. Still a small proportion (8%) of families left cooked food in the open. Despite the low
prevalence, we can still look into targeting these families.

Showering Habits
Average Number of Showers per Day (%)

20%
24%

56%

Once Twice Thrice

From the responses obtained, villagers showered regularly, at least once per day.

16
 Usage of Shampoo/Soap when Showering (%)

7.5%

92.5%

Yes No

From the responses obtained, there is a high prevalence (92.5%) of the usage of shampoo/soap.

Showering Location (%)

20.9%

55.8%
23.3%

Designated shower area in house Nearby water body Others

From the responses obtained, majority (55.8%) of villagers had a designated shower area in the
house.

For Others, responses included near the well, on grass patches near the house. Isolated cases ran
the risk of contaminating water bodies.

17
Management of Menstruation
Methods of Managing Menstruation (%)

9.3%

9.3%

81.3%

Menstruation pads Old rags/cloths Others

From the responses obtained, majority (81.3%) of villagers utilized menstruation pads.
No further elaboration was recorded for others.

Vaginal Discharge
Females who have Experienced Vaginal Discharge (%)

20%

80%

Yes No

From the responses obtained, a relatively significant proportion (20%) of villagers experienced
some form of vaginal discharge. The vaginal discharges were usually of clear white nature.

For treatment methods, most villagers used salt and warm water to wash the vaginal area.

18
Pregnancy Care
Seeking Medical Care during Pregnancy (%)

15.4%

84.6%

Yes No

From the responses obtained, majority (84.6%) of villagers sought pregnancy care. Within this
group, majority paid regular visits to the health post for medical care, usually once per month or 5
times before birth.

Developmental Changes
Developmental Changes Requested (%)
50
45.1%
45

40 37.8%
Incidence of Responses (%)

35
29.3%
30

25

20

15
11%
10 7.3%

0
Electricity Water filter Clean water source/system Well Better health post

19
For Electricity, the high % incidence of request perhaps may suggest that a substantial proportion
of villagers have no access to electricity (though there could be families with no electricity and yet
did not mention it during this question).
One family currently uses the car battery to light up the house at night.
Many also requested Solar power, fearing the cost of electricity if provided.
Many also requested Solar lights, mainly due to lack of electricity causing lack of lighting at
night.

For Water filter, many responses consist of families with broken water filters.

For Clean water source/system, there was a general complaint of the need to spend money to
purchase clean water during dry seasons, such as bottled water.

Other requests included

Wheelchair bicycle Isolated case for a villager who had some nervous problem and
couldnt walk.
Transport difficulties One familys children did not go to school due to school being too
far. Transport difficulties also pertained to seeking medical treatment.
Better roads
Water drainage system
Shortage of food
Money

Water Filters
Villagers Who have Received our Water Filters (%)

33.3%

66.7%

Yes No

From the responses obtained, the majority (66.7%) of villagers had received our water filters from
the past.

20
However, 53.5% of families who received our water filters no longer had functioning water filters.
This figure should be taken with a pinch of salt, as there are probably families who did not raise the
issue of broken filters or that this issue was not taken down. Hence the actual figure for percentage
of broken water filters should be higher. A problem to note would be that the villagers are
unaware that their water filters no longer serve its functioning purpose after 2-3 years and needs
to be replaced. However, it was a good sign that they had adopted the habit of filtering their water
before consumption.

42.9% of villagers had positive feedback for the water filters. Again, this figure is expected to be
higher in reality due to lack of noting down the response (e.g. those who said that their water
filters broke may not have been probed further to see if they felt that the filters were useful).

There was an isolated case whereby the villager received the water filter but did not use it due to
believing that boiling is more effective than filtering.

There was also an isolated case where the family found it too troublesome to use the water filter,
and also thinking that filtering made no difference compared to boiling.

21
 HEALTH
COMMITTEE REPORT

22
 Project Sothea
H E A LT H S C R E E N I N G R E P O R T 2 0 1 6

KAMPING PUOY & SRA KAEW VILLAGES, CAMBODIA

H E A LT H C O M M I T T E E 1 6 / 1 7

23
 Data Analysis for Adults

Section Pages
SECTION 1: SMOKING HABITS
Sra Kaew
1-4
Kamping Puoy
SECTION 2: ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
Sra Kaew
5-6
Kamping Puoy
SECTION 3: BODY MASS INDEX
Sra Kaew
7
Kamping Puoy
SECTION 4: VISUAL ACUITY
Sra Kaew
8
Kamping Puoy
SECTION 5: VITAL STATISTICS
Sra Kaew
9-11
Kamping Puoy

Data Analysis for Children

Section Pages
SECTION 6: GROWTH PERCENTILES
Sra Kaew
12-13
Kamping Puoy
SECTION 7: VISUAL ACUITY
Sra Kaew
14
Kamping Puoy

24
Overall Statistics


Sra Kaew Village: Screened 490 people (12-14 Dec)
265 Adults1: 186 Female + 79 Male
225 Children2

Kamping Puoy Village: Screened 351 people (9-10 Dec)
133 Adults: 89 Female + 44 Male
218 Children

Peaceful Childrens Home II: Screened 48 people (11 Dec)
19 Adults
29 Children

Data is acquired from people who visited our health screening and is potentially biased
towards certain demographics (eg. mostly female). It is not meant to be representative of
the entire community.

1
Range of ages for Adults: Age >18
2
Range of ages for Children: Age 18

25
Section 1: Smoking Habits (Adults)
SRA KAEW

A. Have you smoked before?

Yes
24%

No
76%


B. If yes to (A), do you smoke now?

Yes
24%

No
76%

26

C. If yes to (B), on average, how many cigarette sticks do you smoke a day?

> 10
37%

< 10
63%

KAMPING PUOY

A. Have you smoked before?

Yes
19%

No
81%

27

B. If yes to (A), do you smoke now?

No
28%

Yes
72%


C. If yes to (B), on average, how many cigarette sticks do you smoke a day?

<10
>10 47%
53%

28

Global smoking prevalence rates3 (2015) 15.3%
Cambodian smoking prevalence rates4 (2011) 42.5%
Sra Kaew smoking prevalence rates (2016) 5.76%
Komping Puoy smoking prevalence rates (2016) 13.7%


The National Adult Tobacco Survey of Cambodia 2011 findings 5 show that 90% of all
Cambodians believe that smoking is harmful to their health. However, public awareness of
harm from tobacco use was found to be insufficient to convince smokers to quit. The
findings concluded that manufactured cigarettes are strategically priced to make them
affordable6 even to the poorest and youngest7 of Cambodian smokers.

It is imperative to note that the above values for smoking rates of 5.76% and 13.7% was
calculated from our survey of the adults that came for our health screening, of which the
vast majority were females. It is hence not meant to be an accurate representation of the
Sra Kaew or Kamping Puoy communities, especially since the smoking rates deviate widely
from the national average.

A trend we noted among the villagers was that men were more likely to smoke than females.
This is in line with NATSC 2011 findings, which indicated that Cambodians appear to follow
cultural norms prevalent in the region, where in this case specifically, cigarette smoking is
primarily a male habit and stigmatized in women. (NATSC, 2011)

3
Prevalence of Tobacco Smoking. (2016). Retrieved December 30, 2016, from http://www.who.int/gho/tobacco/use/en/
4
2011 National Adult Tobacco Survey of Cambodia (NATSC, 2011). (2011). Retrieved December 30, 2016, from
http://apps.who.int/fctc/reporting/Cambodia_annex1_National_Adult_Tobacco_Survey_2011_final_report.pdf
5
2011 National Adult Tobacco Survey of Cambodia (NATSC, 2011). (2011). Retrieved December 30, 2016, from
http://apps.who.int/fctc/reporting/Cambodia_annex1_National_Adult_Tobacco_Survey_2011_final_report.pdf
6
A single pack of manufactured cigarettes was bought by the average smoker for 0.20 USD
7
1 out of 5 of the youngest adult smokers (ages 15 to 19) could afford to start their daily habit of smoking before the age
of 15 years

29
Section 2: Alcohol Consumption (Adults)

SRA KAEW

A. Do you consume alcohol
Yes
16%

No
84%

B. If yes to (A), how regularly? (in a week)

> 3
38%

< 3
62%

30
KAMPING PUOY

A. Do you consume alcohol?

Yes
26%

No
74%


B. If yes to (A), how regularly? (in a week)

>3
37%

<3
63%

Cambodians aged 15 or older drank an average of 5.5 litres of pure alcohol per person from
2008 to 20108. This is in comparison to worldwide per capita consumption of alcoholic
beverages in 2005 which equaled 6.13 litres of pure alcohol consumed by every person aged
15 years or older9.

8
Barron, L. (2014, May 16). Cambodians drinking more. Retrieved December 30, 2016, from
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodians-drinking-more
9
Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health (WHO). (2011). Retrieved December 30, 2016, from
http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/global_alcohol_report/msbgsruprofiles.pdf

31
Section 3: Body Mass Index (Adults)
SRA KAEW
Underweight
(<18.50)
24%

Normal Range
(18.50 - 24.99)
Overweight
59%
(>24.99)
17%

KAMPING PUOY
Underweight
(<18.50)
11%

Overweight
Normal Range (>24.99)
(18.50 - 24.99) 21%
68%

National Averages for Females10 %
Underweight 20.3
Normal Range 70.1
Overweight 18.8

10
WHO Global Database on Body Mass Index (BMI). (2012). Retrieved December 30, 2016, from
https://knoema.com/WHOGDOBMIMay/who-global-database-on-body-mass-index-bmi?country=1000350-
cambodia

32
Section 4: Visual Acuity (Adults)
SRA KAEW

30.00%
24.90%
25.00%
19.40%
20.00%
14.40%
15.00% 13.40%
12%
9.10%
10.00%
6.80%

5.00%

0.00%
6/6 6/9 6/12 6/18 6/24 6/36 6/60

KAMPING PUOY

80.00% 74.00%

70.00%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00% 16.40%
7.20%
10.00%
1.50% 0.50% 0% 0.50%
0.00%
6/6 6/9 6/12 6/18 6/24 6/36 6/60


The village adults we screened generally had good vision relative to global averages.
However, we have noticed that uncorrected refractive errors were the main cause of
moderate to severe visual impairment, with cataracts being the leading cause of blindness
(registered as vision 6/60), especially among older men and women. This was reflected in
our 2015 report as well and we have improved our referral protocol for cataract surgery this
year to subsidize more villagers who require the aforementioned surgical procedure.

We observed that in general, adults in Kamping Puoy tend to have markedly better vision
than the adults in Sra Kaew. In our surveys and/or house-to-house visits next year, we will
seek to identify the underlying reasons, such as better eye-care habits or higher prevalence
of electricity usage, to determine if there are any areas in which we can help the Sra Kaew
villagers.

33


Section 5: Vital Statistics (Adults)

SRA KAEW

A. Blood Pressure Statistics (%)

High Blood
Pressure
(>140/90)
13%

Normal
87%



B. Blood Glucose Statistics (%)

34
KAMPING PUOY

A. Blood Pressure Statistics (%)

High Blood
Pressure
(>140/90)
13%

Normal
87%


B. Blood Glucose (%)

High Blood
Glucose
(CBG>8.0)/%
17%

Normal
83%

10

35
The majority of the villagers we screened had vital statistics that fell within the normal
range. The exceptions were given medication for short term treatment (not more than 3
months worth of medication). Due to limited resources, we were not able to provide long-
term sustainable care for them and this is one area we are seeking to improve on.

We observed, from our house-to-house visits, that some villagers had undergone check-ups
previously and were diagnosed with chronic illnesses such as Diabetes Mellitus and Chronic
Hypertension. Of these, some were able to afford drugs from the local health post, but
apart from the rare few, the other villagers do not receive adequate treatment, with cost
being the main impediment.

11

36
Section 6: Growth Percentiles (Children)

SRA KAEW

A. Height Percentile

40% 37%

35%

30%

25%
21%
20%
15%
15% 14% 13%

10%

5%

0%
<3 percenile 3-10 percenile 10-25 percenile 25-50 percenile >50 percenile


B. Weight Percentile

60% 56%

50%

40%

30%

18%
20%
14%

10% 6% 6%

0%
<3 percenile 3-10 percenile 10-25 percenile 25-50 percenile >50 percenile

12

37
KAMPING PUOY

A. Height Percentile

30%

24%
25%
21%
19%
20% 18% 18%

15%

10%

5%

0%
3-10 percenile 10-25 percenile 25-50 percenile >50 percenile
<3 percenile

B. Weight Percentile

25% 24%
23%
22%

20%
17%
15%
15%

10%

5%

0%
3-10 percenile 10-25 percenile 25-50 percenile >50 percenile
<3 percenile



The growth percentiles of the children we screened were calculated based on global
averages. A worrying large proportion of the children screened fell within the less than 3
percentile and 3-10 percentile categories. It is our concern that the village children are
under-nourished, a trend that is common for villages in rural areas.

13

38
SECTION 7: Visual Acuity (Children)

SRA KAEW

45.00%
40.80%
40.00%

35.00%

30.00%

25.00% 23.00%

20.00%

15.00%
9.20%
10.00% 7.50% 7.10%
6.30% 6.30%
5.00%

0.00%
6/6 6/9 6/12 6/18 6/24 6/36 6/60

KAMPING PUOY

90.00% 84.46%

80.00%

70.00%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00% 13.18%
10.00%
1.35% 0.34% 0.34% 0.34% 0.00%
0.00%
6/6 6/9 6/12 6/18 6/24 6/36 6/60


The village children we screened generally had good vision. Few required intervention.

For children with poor eye vision (vision 6/12), we offered to fund the making of
spectacles for them to prevent the worsening of their conditions that can potentially be a
hindrance to their studies.

14

39
Conclusion
CURRENT EFFORTS

Project Sothea is a relatively young project; and therefore we are blessed with the flexibility
to adapt our health screenings and developmental efforts in ways that will directly address
the needs of the community, which we foresee to be constantly changing over the years to
come.

Above and beyond the conventional health screenings we provide, some areas of aid we
have established as fundamental cornerstones of our project include: education on various
issues such as family planning, chronic illnesses management and proper hygiene; as well as
house-to-house doctor visits to reach out to patients with restricted mobility and to provide
end-of-life palliative care.

FUTURE EFFORTS

Based on this years health report, we have identified a few areas we can potentially explore
directing resources towards.

With regards to eye-care, we will look into partnering ophthalmologists (specifically
Battambang Ophthalmic Centre) to allow for more seamless and cost-efficient referrals of
patients who require cataract surgery. We will also consider funding the fitting of spectacles
for more children with poor eyesight, in a bid to do our best to enhance their education
experience by ensuring that poor eye vision will not be a hindrance to their studies.

In response to the low children growth percentiles relative to global averages, we will
consider increasing efforts to identify possible causes for this matter. Although it is a trend
typical in rural areas and poorer countries; and Southeast Asians tend to be of smaller build,
we hope to be able to help out in areas where we can contribute in our own ways. We will
look to explore educating about proper nutrition that is tailored to their local context and
local resources available.

We also aim to tackle the problem of inaccessibility and low availability of medication for
chronic conditions in Sra Kaew and Kamping Puoy. At present, the local health post that
provides for these two villages has very limited medication stock and severely lacks long
term medication for chronic illnesses. Even then, few villagers are able and keen to seek
treatment to purchase these medication. In view of our goal of implementing an exit plan in
the near future, we will explore ways in which we can increase availability and accessibility
to such medical aid (apart from directly providing financial support) to benefit the patients
in the villages we care for in the long run.

15

40
EXPENDITURE
REPORT

41
Pre Trip Expenditure
Recce Trip
No. Item SGD ($) USD ($)
1 Recce trip air tickets 1488.96 -
2 Recce trip expenses upfront 150 -

Total Expense $1638.96 SGD

Publicity and Fundraising Costs

No. Item SGD ($) USD ($)
1 Health screening publicity posters 9.5 -
2 Commserve publicity materials 19.3 -
3 200 flowers for DnD from Far East Orchid Pte Ltd 94.53 -
4 Sample flowers for promotion at YLLSOM + T-
shirt design publicity 14.3 -
5 D&D extra 60 roses + twine + bouquet paper 67.51 -
6 Gerberas for non DnD deliveries 9.61 -
7 Renewal of 'projectsothea.org' domain name on
Godaddy.com portal 29.05 -
8 Cost price of T-shirts from Trendink 1300 -
9 Stamps and envelopes 121.5 -
10 DnD sales box spare change 2 -

Total Expense $1667.3 SGD

Purchases for Health Screenings

No. Item SGD ($) USD ($)
1 Accucheck strips 234.5 -
2 Logs purchases @ Popular 37 -
3 Logs purchases @ NUH pharmacy 1246.45 -
4 Pre-Trip pharm purchases @ NUH pharmacy paid
for by NUH Paeds 5k Grant 1906.74 -

Total Expense $3424.69 SGD

Total Cost $6730.95 SGD

42
During Trip Expenditure (all in USD)
Transport
Sub
Unit Cost No of
No. Item Total Remarks
(USD) Units
(USD)
1 Sothea Team
transport from Phnom 250 1 250 1 Bus
Penh to PCH II
2 Transport 1st Wave
(2 days House visit to KP
(from PCH II to house
593.5 1 593.5 & SK + 3 days Health
visits + Kamping Puoy
Screening to KP) x 5 vans
Health Screening Site)
3 Transport 2nd Wave
(3 days Health Screening
(from PCH II to Sra 630 1 630
to SK) x 5 vans
Kaew Health Post)
4 Doctors' transport
Multiple taxis over
from Siem Reap to 335 1 335
multiple days
PCH II
5 Logs Truck Diesel 167 1 167 Usage for 9 days
6 Sothea Team
transport from PCH II 180 1 180 1 Bus
to Siem Reap

Total Expense $2155.5 USD

Drugs, Equipment and Personnel Costs for Screenings and Referrals

Sub
Unit Cost No of
No. Item Total Remarks
(USD) Units
(USD)
1 Hair lice combs 0.2 1000 200
2 Printing of
educational materials 11.75 1 11.75
3 Tentage and
tables/chairs for
Health screening 250 1 250
4 Cambodian Doctors'
fees 450 2 900
5 Referrals on
10/12/16 (Deepan,
Joel and Jaime) 184.44 1 184.44
6 Referrals on
14/12/16 (Krish and
Yan Ling) 138.5 1 138.5

43
7 Receipt yet to be sent over
Orthopaedic Surgery
by partner organization as
for Referral Patient on
surgery was post-trip.
14/12/16
400 1 400 Will be collected soon.
8 Ophthalmologist
Consultation for 2
Patients on 13/12/16
(Battambang
Ophthalmic Care- Wei
Ler) 4 1 4
9 Spectacle Frame for
Ophthalmology case
on 13/12/16 49 1 49
10 Referrals on
14/12/16 (Ben Wong) 113.68 1 113.68
11 Minor surgical
equipment purchase
on 11/12/16 9.5 1 9.5
12 Paper Tape purchase
on 11/12/16 3 1 3
13 Drugs purchases for
06/12/16 384.125 1 384.125
14 Drugs purchases for
08/12/16 27.6 1 27.6
15 Drugs purchases for
09/12/16 289.65 1 289.65
16 Drugs purchases for
11/12/16 217.1 1 217.1
17 Drugs purchases for
12/12/16 119.3 1 119.3
18 Drugs purchases for
13/12/16 34.2 1 34.2

Total Expense $3335.845 USD

Miscellaneous
No. Item Sub
Unit Cost No of
Total Remarks
(USD) Units
(USD)
1 International
University students +
Referral patients'
food and 935 1 935

44
 accommodation at
PCH II

Total Expense $935 USD

Total Cost $6426.35 USD

Total Cost in SGD (Based on Dec 2016 average exchange $9253.94 SGD
rate of USD to SGD)

Overall Total Expenditure for Project Sothea 2016: $6730.95 SGD + $6426.35 USD
~ $6730.95 SGD + $9253.94 SGD
= $15984.89 SGD

45
 REFLECTIONS BY
SOTHEA MEMBERS

46
Kevin Lin

In many ways, it was a sobering trip.

In life, we seek out new explorations, new journeys, and we dive head in not for
nothing. We do so because we feel a fire burning within the very core of our being.
A fire that disregards all logic, one that tells us instinctively that this is the right
thing to do. A fire that we have come to known as something called passion. And
through passion, through doing the things we truly love, we find meaning.

When I first applied for Sothea, I was genuinely motivated by a wanting to do good,
and by knowing that I will do good. Well, it is true that I had a bad experience with
OCIP on my previous trip to Laos, where everyone fell sick and returned early, but
I thought that was an anomaly. Surely, if we remained healthy and everything
went as planned, the villagers would have benefitted. The fire still burned bright
after Laos.

As the trip progressed, as I found myself in the middle and under the weight of
many things that were happening around and to me, the fire dimmed.

On the first day of house to house visits, I had the opportunity to be in the group
in which Chum Veuk served as translator. Having done part of the survey
questions, there was a sense of responsibility that I associated myself with the
results and ultimate impacts of the survey. Hence, as the asking of questions
started and the responses started flowing in, I began to process the answers given
and to think about what we could do with them. What could we bring in next year
that will address some of their worries and concerns? I could not think of much.
And I felt stuck.

The things that we could do such as explaining to them the need to boil water
before drinking, explaining to them why they should cover left over food with nets,
or why they should shower daily we did not need to. The majority of them
already recognized and understood the importance of practices such as boiling
water and showering. The things that they wanted to see improved on, such as
having electricity supply felt beyond us as a project. Even in the medical aspect,
the limitations that we face became more palpable than ever. After seeing one of
the villagers who had a son suffering a nervous problem and couldnt walk, talk
and properly control his limbs, someone commented, Even if the doctor comes to
see him during doctors visit, there is nothing that the doctor can do.

It hit me that the villagers were born into and lived in a very different context
from us. And in multiple ways we were trying to help and to serve them in their
context. Despite bringing over things such as medication and flying Singaporean
doctors over, we are ultimately still trapped and limited by their context the
lack of necessary and important infrastructure, the lack of governmental support,
the lack of development.

Frustrated at the things I saw, I asked Chum Veuk, what is your ultimate goal for
these villagers? Perhaps he saw something I didnt and couldnt. He talked about

47
wanting to change the mindset of the villagers. Look at all this land, he said.
They have so much land but they are not doing anything with it. They could be
growing crops and raising animals efficiently, and selling them to make a better
living..

He wanted to change their way of life.

I remember myself feeling this sense of guilt. This man has big goals and dreams.
But I felt that whatever he said, was beyond what Sothea could do or bring. I felt
that we will not be able to help him or the village much. I felt that we were not and
never will be enough.

Then, screenings started.

Screenings presented itself with a different set of struggles. The ways in which the
villagers benefitted were more palpable, but the question became more of are we
doing enough?. Many villagers were diagnosed with conditions such as gastritis,
and were given an amount of medication that was supposed to last for a fixed
period of time. What then happens after they run out of the medication we have
given them? Seeing the villagers collect their medications stirred up mixed
feelings inside me. A part of me finds solace in the fact that they will find alleviation
to their health troubles. But another part of me knows that whatever alleviation
they find will only be temporary.

A huge part of the trip was spent conducting lessons for primary and secondary
school kids. It was reassuring that the students enjoyed the lessons, but yet it is
also equally important that our lessons were able to value-add to the existing
knowledge of the students. This means that we will need to look into exploring
new lesson topics that are relevant and useful.

In the midst of questioning the effectiveness of our lessons, far too often do we get
overly fixated on the extent of our outreach. The sheer number of students we
were teaching seemed to overshadow the things that should have remained
individual. There was a tendency for us to overlook the extent and magnitude of
suffering and pain experienced by an individual. If the gory pictures of oral cancers
managed to deter just one student from picking up smoking in the future, he or
she could have been saved from all the suffering a potential cancer caused by
smoking could have brought. Perhaps as we strive to impact more students, let us
not forget the depth of impact on the individual level.

The doctors teaching to the Cambodian teachers served as a reminder of the

different lenses through which we and the Cambodian people form perceptions of
things. Despite having doubts regarding the usefulness of what Dr Lee taught, the
extent of gratitude displayed by the Cambodian teachers was deeply touching, and
served as a reassurance that Dr Lees teachings brought with them something
special, something that could not have been replaced. Our perception of things is
greatly shaped by our own environment, experiences and thoughts, and as we
attempt to assess the impact and effectiveness of our doings, it is important for us
to leave space for the not knowings, to be more acceptive and acknowledging of
the impacts we bring but may not be aware of. For we all exist in different

48
environments, have had different experiences, and form different thoughts. The
same things could mean different things to different people.

Despite all the questioning and soul searching that took place throughout the trip,
there were definitely moments of light. Moments when I was so glad that the team
was there, because we brought in something that could not have been found
within the local community. The boy with the fractured medial malleolus who
underwent surgery, the elderly lady with a blood glucose of above 33mmol/l, the
elderly man who received stitching for a wound on his hand. But beyond the
medical facet, the smiles on the faces of the PCH children, the smiles on the faces
of the villagers whom we visited during house to house and those who came for
our screening. The gratitude with which one of the teachers shook my hand after
Dr Lees teaching.
Maybe we represented something more than what we intended or thought we
would bring. Maybe we represented something called hope, and a sense of not
being alone, a sense of knowing that someone out there cares. The intangible
benefits, as Krish talked about.

But it is equally important that as we find some form of solace in the intangible
benefits, we remained focused and driven to do all that we can to achieve the
tangible benefits.

The trip has allowed me to see and to discover for myself the extensive limitations
Sothea is and will be faced with. To enact change to the lives of the villagers,
multiple stakeholders have to work together. But we should not and cannot run
away from these limitations and problems. We have to face them head on and find
ways of tackling them. It is critical that the team comes together as one and set our
priorities straight, to discuss and decide on whats most important for the project
to achieve. We need a clear goal because only then can we start navigating the path
around the various limitations towards the goal.

I talked to a few friends from another OCIP project after returning from Cambodia.
They faced similar struggles in terms of achieving sustainability. But we all agreed
that perhaps OCIP is an endless process of trying, and we have to keep trying, to
keep pushing, to achieve the best that we can with the given circumstances.

Hearing about the limitations is one thing, and seeing and experiencing them for
oneself is another. It was difficult to look at things objectively during the trip, with
everything happening around me all at once.

As I thought through things in greater detail after the trip, it became more
apparent to me that there is a need for the team to take bold steps in new
directions next year. The extent to which an OCIP can achieve sustainability is
debatable, but we have to fight for what we truly believe in, or what we truly stand
for. What kind of steps, and in what direction this is something that needs to be
navigated and explored together as a team. And it has to and it will be done.

The fire burns brightly again, perhaps this time, brighter than ever.

49
Jonathan Neo

Project Sothea has truly been a wonderful experience for me. Honestly, I was not
too sure of what to expect of the trip before we went and I was not one who
thought too deeply about the purpose of the OCIP and what its purpose and
motives are. For myself, I was far more concerned about doing my own job well,
making sure the trip was smooth sailing and successful and that I had an enriching
experience and that was just about all I was concerned about. However, my
experiences in Sothea changed all of that.

Being able to have the opportunity to visit villages such as Komping Puoy and Sra
Kraw, places where medical care and treatment was almost unheard of and to
provide them with what they needed was an extremely huge privilege. Even
though most of my time was spent ensuring that the screening flow went well, I
managed to catch glimpses of the gratitude and relief on the faces of the villagers
who came to visit us.

You could see that they truly appreciated the effort we had taken to come over and
provide them with the help they needed and it was not so much the medical
treatment or the drugs we supplied them that touched them, but it was more the
gesture and the thought from us. The fact that we who came from a rich,
luxurious country like Singapore would be willing to take the time off to travel to
this rural part of the earth to render help to them. Certainly, I cannot deny that
some villagers might just treat us as a drug-giving organisation from whom they
can get free medicine from, but I believe I have seen more than enough contented
villagers to comfort myself that what we are doing is of benefit to this community.

From such small gestures, I then began to think of the bigger purposes of OCIP,
issues which to be honest I did not dwell on too much before the trip itself. Of
course, as we all know, the dream and the ideal would be to reconnect them back
to their own healthcare system and at the same time ensure its self-sufficiency but
then again talk is cheap. It would be impossible to do this especially given our
capacity as year 1 and 2 medical students. This was made extremely evident from
my experience with referrals where we were often frustrated and helpless due to
the lack of resources and knowledge to ensure that everyone who was sick got the
treatment they deserved. The thought of this is depressing and demoralising and
it is not something which we can have a quick fix to.

However, my time in OCIP has proven to me how much I do believe in this cause
and that it cultivates the mindset in me that I would like to go back someday when
I am of greater capacity and ability to do just that bit more to affect a change in the
system. It might come in the form of having the authority to meet up with those in
Cambodia who can really do something about the system, to be able to discuss
with them and provide our views to them, to be able to take resources from
Singapore and use them to good effect, it might come in any of these forms but I
think that the purpose of OCIP is in cultivating a mindset.

50
This mindset is that of sustainability and continuity, to be able to influence more
of us to want to contribute, to have the desire to help, and that I feel is more
important than any short term benefit we can give to the people we are helping.
The OCIP does not end after the trip ends, at least for me it is merely the beginning.

51
Faith Ong

Overall, the trip was really fulfilling and fruitful for me in so many ways.

Personal
I was just looking back at my own post-trip reflections I wrote after last years trip,
and much has changed without me really noticing! This year, I really wanted to
spend more time interacting with the Cambodians, and Im truly glad I tried my
best this year to do so. I got to know Sophy a little better and I really did have a
great time talking to her.

I remember there was this one conversation I had with her in the dome, it was a
pretty long one, and I just felt truly encouraged after. It wasnt anything really
significant or poignant that she said, but the simple nature of the conversation was
something I really treasured. It reminded me of the simple joys in life that I often
take for granted. Personally, it has really reminded me to slow down, and reflect
on the just the simple bare things in life!

Health Screening
Screening this year was really organised and very enjoyable. I really enjoyed
working with the IU students and they were great working companions and
friends during the screening! One thing that really caught my attention was the
willingness of the IU students to learn. I was at VA one day, and the IU student I
was working with asked me to teach her how to use the eye chart. After which, she
got really excited, she took over the eye chart duty and started testing everyone.
The eye chart duty which I found slightly mundane, was of great interest to her.
Soon after, other IU students came round to learn from her too. I felt a bit bad for
feeling a little dreary and tired from the monotony of the job, but it did teach me
to be really appreciative of what we have in Singapore. Skills that we learn and
deem as basic in Singapore may not be so in Cambodia. I would love to see more
skill-sharing opportunities woven into Project Sothea over the next few years.
Hopefully, we can be a greater blessing to our IU friends as well!

Education
Being part of the education committee, Im truly grateful and proud of what the
committee has achieved in 2016. We have refined our education plans for the
primary schools we are working with, and we have established important
partnerships with our key stakeholders. Building the relationship with the school
principal was honestly the highlight, and I felt so reassured knowing that we are
making steps to progress towards sustainability and long-term goals. It was truly
a joy to see that the teachers and principals were appreciative of our efforts and
more importantly; I was so happy to see that the staff, were truly interested in the
lives of their students. Kudos to Jun Xuan who headed the whole process! With
regards to the other health education lessons and pre-pharmacy sessions we
organised, I personally felt that they were more focused, fine-tune and more
engaging compared to last years sessions. The material covered was a lot more
targeted, simplified and streamlined for the villagers.

52
I was also really grateful to have Dr Lee on board with education this year. Dr Lee
has brilliant expertise, and had many ideas for us. One of which, was to work with
the Singapore School Health Service with regards to assessing childhood
development in the primary schools. It was really in-line with our objectives and
this potential partnership would be indeed worth looking into.

Overall, from an education perspective, this year the team has gotten a better
footing into establishing sustainable education goals and methods for the primary
schools.

Conclusion
Im truly grateful for the many opportunities and experiences during this trip and
Im looking forward to my next medical mission, be it Cambodia, or elsewhere.
Project Sothea has given me a good glimpse of the joy of serving a community.

53
PHOTOS AND OTHER
MEDIA LINKS

54
 Health screening at Kamping
Puoy Primary School

Educational brochures prepared by Education Committee

55
House Visit at Kamping Puoy

Photo with the principal and

students from the local
primary school after our
teaching sessions!

56
The Education Committee
conducted teaching sessions on
hair lice management, hair
hygiene and hand hygiene
before we opened up
registration.

Health Committee members and

a fellow villager teaching a child
what to do for our visual acuity
station.

Pharmacy Committee member

having fun calling out
prescriptions.

57
We had help from
Cambodian medical
students as well as doctors
from Singapore. Youry, an
International University
Student with Dr. Barbara
Rosario, during a Doctors
Consult Session.

International University
Student, Lichhek,
explaining how to use hair
lice shampoo during one of
our house visits.

Family of three taking their

vitals before proceeding to
our Doctors Consult
station.

58
 Last group shot before heading back to Singapore!

Other Media Links

Project Sothea Trip Video: https://goo.gl/KaJdYX

Project Sothea Email: projectsothea@gmail.com

Project Sothea Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProjectSothea/

More Photos can be found here!

Project Sothea Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/projectsothea/

More Photos can be found here!

Project Sothea Website: http://www.projectsothea.org/

59