The Life & Hope Association
Have you
ever thought that someday you will make world a big different?
How? Just
Stop Smoking, saving that money to make this world a big different
with Life and Hope Association!
Three kinds of life:
- Useful Life: Living for making this world better, make it smiling,
happy, peaceful, hopeful and brightly world.
- Harmful Life: living for destroying the world, make it cry.
- Futile-Life: Living for doing nothing, neither destroying no enhancing
the world, living for dying only.
Which lives would you be leading?
“Rupam Jirati Maccanam, Namakottam
Na Jirati”
“Body always Perishes, We are left only Virtues”
“Good and Evil go out far, Be heedful to do all good deeds”
“ May Your Goodness with great loving-kindness and compassion bless and
protect you well”
LHA Philosophy
The Life and Hope Association is a non-profit, non-governmental
and non-political organization. It envisages a Cambodia that is a
peaceful and cohesive society, with equal rights and equal opportunity,
built on a basis of loving-kindness and compassion.
LHA Goal
The goal of the Life and
Hope Association is to improve the lives of orphans, vulnerable
children and disadvantaged peoples, in order to give them HOPE in LIFE and
the prospects of a better future.
About LHA
Life and Hope Association (LHA) is a Cambodian
non-profit, non-governmental and non-political organization, was established
in 2005, by the Young Monks of Wat Damnak, Young Khmer Youths and generous
friends, who saw the urgent needs of the Orphans, Vulnerable Children,
Poor children, Street Children, (Rubbish Children and Beggar Children)
etc, who are living with miserable lives in the various communities.
LHA is dedicated and committed to alleviate poverty and ignorance of
Cambodians and encourage them to have equal treatment in society by promotion
physical and moral support. LHA located in Wat Damnak, Salakomreuk Commune,
Siem Reap Angkor Dist/Province, Kingdom of Cambodia.
LHA works with several active villages in and surrounding
the Siem Reap and Bakong District, with aim to alleviate poverty/difficulty
of poor families, especially Cambodian Children by supporting them with
basic needs such as foods, clothing, school supplies, health services,
education, accommodation etc.
Back to top
Overall
Statement of Executive Director
The
Monks of Wat Damnak, and friends established
Life and Hope Association in May 2005 as a
non-profit, non-governmental , non-political
organization. Wat Damnak is located in
Salakomreuk Commune, Siem Reap District, in
the heart of Siem Reap Town, the most famous
tourist city in the Region.
Siem reap is situated in The Tonle Sap region. The
Population is about 755,000 in which 369,000
are males and 386,000 are females (51.2% female).
With a female head of household number of 32.4%,
the province consists of 12 districts, 100
communes and 882 villages. Siem Reap District,
named after the province, constitutes the urban portion of the
province.
Siem Reap is a well-known tourist city because
of its location near the world famous Angkor Wat
Historical Park. Ironically, Siem Reap is also
known as one of the poorest provinces in Cambodia.
After Pol Pot’s genocidal regime, foreign
occupation, and extended civil war, all parts of
the country including Siem Reap, were left in ruins.
More than two millions of people were killed, crippled or died
of starvation, disease, overwork, torture, and
execution, countless other were wounded and disabled
and would bear the physical and emotional scars
of the holocaust for the rest of their lives. Families
were scattered-many would never find their loved
ones again. The orphans wandered alone, searching
for protection. Homes and villages were razes,
and corpses fouled the rice-fields and roadways.
Today the effects of war are evident in the lack of food and clean water,
in the missing limbs of land mine victims, and in the faces of our children.
The Royal Government of Cambodia has been working hard to alleviate the poverty
since the end of the civil war. However, the rate of poverty is still
very high and many people are living in very poor conditions. They lack good
quality education and the opportunity to access education. Orphans, the
very poor vulnerable children, and children living on the streets are acutely
effected by this condition.
The Life and Hope Association is dedicated and committed to alleviate
poverty, ignorance, in order to get equal treatment, equal education
and equal opportunity to all people, especially children throughout promotion
and coordination of supporting and education. Monks are the key factors
to implementing to achieve the goal of LHA.
Life and Hope Association is working directly with
various communities in Siem Reap and Bakong districts,
to address the basic needs of those communities. LHA
is helping with such projects as social service
programs, human resource programs, and to assure equal education
for underprivileged children, and the equal treatment
of social classes. Local communities are encouraged
to change their social behavior, and focus on creating
sustainable development programs to improve their
living conditions. The younger generations are
encouraged seek equal rights, equal education,
equal treatment and equal opportunities to access
education.
To date, LHA has been increasing income levels for many poor families
and providing the opportunity to maintain a sustained income. By helping
the families prosper, the children are not forced to leave school in
order to work or beg. The pressure of the family economics is reduced
and children are now free to attend school, better themselves through
education, and subsequently improve their quality of life. Many orphans,
poor children, street children and children vulnerable to domestic violence,
drug abuse and crime in Siem Reap and Bakong Districts, are now receiving
equal education, equal treatment and equal life-opportunities. We also
encourage the communities to work together and form a cohesive and interrelated
society full of loving-kindness and compassion.
Yours
Faithfully
BHIKKHU:
Hoeurn Somnieng
Executive
Director
Back to top
About the Advisory Board
The Advisory Board is the highest governing body with overall responsible
for LHA.
The Advisory Board work with and supports the Executive Director
and Management Team of LHA, who are responsible for daily operations,
leadership, and accountability of the organization.
The Advisory Board selects, appoints and dismisses an Executive
Director.
Advisory Board Members will consist of from five to fifteen members.
The Advisory Board will be elected by board members upon a 2/3
vote, based upon their good will and dedication to social affairs.
The Chairman of the Advisory Board shall have appropriate knowledge,
skills and experience for the position, and shall have characteristics
consistent with self-dedication, loving-kindness and compassion.
The first Chairman of Advisory Board will serve a term of one-year. Subsequent
terms will be for a period of three years. When the Chair completes
one term, he or she may continue to serve subsequent terms if there is
support from 2/3 of the membership.
In case the Chairman resigns or is subject to a 2/3 vote of no-confidence
from the Board before the end of his or her term, an emergency meeting
and election will take place. The Vice-Chair shall temporarily
serve in the capacity of Chair until such election occurs.
No Advisory Board Chairman or member shall receive payment for
his/her services from LHA, even including transportation and lodging. No
one shall use LHA to promote her/his own private interests.
Board Member terms shall five-year terms that can be renewed upon
2/3 vote of other members. Board Members may be dismissed for dereliction
of duty or improper conduct. Failure to attend two or more consecutive
annual Board meetings shall result in automatic dismissal.
The nomination, election and dismissal of the Board Members must
have two-thirds support of voting members.
Board Meeting
Board Meetings shall be held at least
once a year. Extraordinary meetings may be called
Roles/Responsibilities of the
Advisory Board
- The Board shall ensure that LHA remains faithful
to its stated philosophy and mission.
- The Board shall assist in establishing organizational
policies and priorities in consultation with the Executive Director
and Management Team. The Board shall actively participate in
the planning process and assist in implementing and monitoring the
organization’s goals.
- The Board shall approve an annual budget prepared
by the Chairman of the Board in consultation with the Executive Director
and the Treasurer.
- The Board shall account to the public for programs
and services of the organization and the expenditure of its funds.
- The Board shall conduct appropriate audits to ensure
fiscal accountability and shall oversee the establishment of appropriate
financial controls.
- The Advisory Board shall have the authority to select,
review and dismiss the Executive Director of LHA. The nomination,
election and dismissal of the Executive Director must have two-thirds
support of voting Board members.
- Nominations for the position of Executive Director
shall first come from Wat Damnak and shall be made in consultation
with the Chairman of the Board. If the Wat opts not to put forward
a nominee, nominations shall be made by a Committee of the Board specifically
established for that purpose.
- The Board shall review and evaluate the performance
of the Executive Director on a regular basis, in light of a specific
job description, including factors such as the Director’s relations
with the board, leadership in the organization, program planning and
implementation, and management of the organization and its personnel.
- The Board shall support the Executive Director. The
board shall ensure that the Executive Director has the moral and professional
support he or she needs to further the goals of the organization.
- The Board shall explore the viability of setting
up complementary, national LHA organizations in countries like the
United Stated, Australia and Canada.
- The Board shall assume cooperative responsibility
for fundraising to ensure LHA has adequate resources to accomplish
its mission.
- The Board shall ensure the legal and ethical integrity
of the organization and maintain accountability.
- The Board shall recruit and orient new board members
and assess board performance on a regular basis.
- The Board shall enhance the organization's public
standing. The board shall clearly articulate the organization's mission
and accomplishments, advocate on its behalf, and garner support from
the community.
The Qualification of the Advisory Board
The Advisory Board Members shall have appropriate qualifications:
- high level of skills and professionalism.
- honesty, dignity and high social ethical/moral conduct
with loving-kindness and compassion.
- sufficient time and interest to work with LHA
Back to top
Advisory Board Structure Of
LHA
Click image for larger view
List of LHA Advisory Board
Back to top
LHA’s
Management Team
Click image for larger view
|
| |
Back to top
