Results of the 2009 Fundraiser

Our fundraiser was held Oct. 28th at the M&S Grill here in Kansas City. Shawn Duke the GM, let us use an area of the restaurant for a silent auction and raffle. He donated the appetizers, wine and the raffle tickets along with providing Brock, one of their best servers to help. He also gave us several M&S Grill gift certificates to use in the raffle. We really would like to thank Shawn and all the employees at the Grill that have helped so much all year long.

Boulevard Brewing Company donated some of their famous Smokestack series of beer and also provided a new Ale that won't be released for three weeks to be used in the auction. Beauty Brands, Function Junction and Shang Tea Company donated gift certificates for the raffle. Chip's chocolate factory donated three pounds of fudge. Margie Garner donated 2 bottles of the now 3 buck Chuck along with a great wine carrier. JoAnn Banks (my daughter) donated hand crafted granite coasters and a large trivet for the silent auction. Hallmark cards donated boxed Christmas cards. Both my daughters helped with the auction and raffle and keep things moving smoothly. One generous donor gave us $1000 to help two families not only get a well but to start a business that will be self-sustaining. Our total for this year is now at $2400 and I hope to sell a few more photos before we leave if I can find the right venue.

We hope to return to Cambodia by late January or early February 2010. It would be great to tour the new wells and meet the families that will benefit from this fundraiser and everyone's generosity.

M&S Grill fundraiser

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted. We are still in contact with Tin and exchange emails a couple times a month. He has not been getting bookings since the economy is down and there was that earlier trouble at the Bangkok airport. Nancy and I have been able to help him out a little so he could keep his daughters in school. It does seem things are starting to turn around, he has a few bookings for Jan/Feb 2010 Now for some news about the wells. Thanks to the great people at M&S Grill here in Kansas City, we are going to be able to hold our fundraiser at their location on the plaza. The GM has offered to let us use an area of the restaurant for a silent auction and he will help us raffle off tickets for various gift certificates, some of which he is donating. I’m going to have to get busy and get a good slate of photos ready for the auction.

It will be held Oct. 28th at 5:00. There will be appetizers and wine available during the event and other drinks may be purchased at the bar. Plus it will be during happy hour so that always helps. We are still working out the details and an invite will be forthcoming to those that are able to attend.
The employees at M&S have helped so much in the past and Nancy and I cannot tell enough people how great they are. And it’s a really outstanding restaurant, our favorite in town. I really have high hopes for this auction. Nancy and I are working on a plan to return to Cambodia Jan/Feb. 2010 and it would be great to be able to tour some new wells and met some new families.

Paung Oeum's New Business

I received pictures from Cambodia last month of the equipment that the Paung family were able to buy. Tin has told me that he is doing quite well and getting more business all the time. I would have posted this much sooner but things have been very hectic lately.



The air compressor cost $289 by itself and to me it is amazing that he could get the other items with the little money he had left.
Here is a note from Tin after his first visit with Paung.

Yes, last three days I was with 2australians tourist. We stopped at Paung Oeum's house. I chatted with about his business about 15mns. He told me that his business is on the way. He said he can make $3 to $5 dollars a day. He told me that all spare parties were used all and he went to market to get another spare parties for three time already since we bought the first spare parties for him. He said that last harvest month his family got a few hundreds kg of rice to feed 16members so this amount of rice is not enough. So, he said, he has to use the profit money from repairing the bikes to buy some more rice for his family. He said, however he will try to save some money to some more spare parties. As the result, I could see his happy face. He showed me a big smile when I got there while he was repairing two bikes. This is his first hand improvement. I will follow up again when I drive pass there.

It is such a great thing that we can put a family in business for a relatively small amount of money.

I will have my next fundraiser in late June. Some of my friends have come up with some very interesting ideas that I hope will be a big success.

Conrad

Wind machine for landmine victim.

In one of the families that recieved a well"from our friends in Kansas City" is a man that wants to start a repair business. Tin believes that he has the qualities to make a go of it. Here is the note that Tin sent me.

Dear Conrad

One of these two wells is being used by the victim of land mine during last civil strife. The Paung Oeum family with 16 members. Well sign said on 22/Dec/08. This family which I want to help help his family with a small business if we could in future. He was victim of land mine from the last civil strife. All his children, some married and some not married are staying with him. His famiy is very poor. As you can see all his members in the photograph. The other picture are his grand children playing in his home.

I hope all these pictures could help you to raise more money for deduction our poverty. His family is very poor. He said to me that he needs some capital in order to make business. He said he wanted to open a repair shop at his home. He told me that he got enough ability to repair broken motor-bikes, bikes and flat tire or refill wind into car's tube. This business will need a set of crew drivers, a set of wind comressor and some spare part.
I think this business perhaps cost round $400

After reading this, I decided that I would like to help this family. I was getting ready to write this story when I received another email from Tin this morning which is as follows.

Dear Conrad,
Yesterday I was with three Australai tourists. We went to Boeng Mealea temple which located 60km northeast of Siemreap. On the way back we drove pass Paung Oeum's house. We stopped for about 20mns there. I made a request to my clients to help him. The three Australians decided to give him $300 for buying a set of wind compressor, a set of crew drivers, some bike and motor-bike spare parts. The wind compressor is the most expensive. It will be costed $290.
I will bring him to Siemreap to buy those things on 16th/Jan/09.
Paung Oeum was very happy.
So $300 will enough only for the Wind compressor only.
I think he will need another $100 for the spare parts.

Thanks for your participation to help his family.

We are safe and well here.

Best wishes,
Tin

What great news. I also received $50 from one of the fine bartenders at the M & S Grill a couple of days ago. Nancy and I will add another $75 and send it Western Union on Monday and we can get this guy in business. Did you notice the tires hanging in the house.

One additional comments for our friends in Kansas City. If you haven't been to the M & S Grill on the plaza, you are missing one of the better dining experiences in KC. The only thing that is better than the food are the people that work there. If you get the opportunity, sit at the bar, have a meal or enjoy the happy hour there and I promise you won't be disappointed.

December 2008 installations

We were able to get 9 wells installed in December. I was really pleased that Tin was able to get the well for the family in Boston finished in time for their parents Christmas present. You could see the joy in that family that they received a well. Shown below are three more wells that the fundraiser was able to install along with the well for Elmer and Rebecca of Boston. I will try and post the remaining pictures later this month.

I have the receipt posted. The translation for the receipt is as follows.
DAI DEK WELL COMPANY
( Preas Dak village, Preas Dak commune, Banteay srey district and Siem Reap Province)
1: 5 plastic pipes x $3.5 = $17.5
2: Pump head 1 x $46.5= $46.5
3: cement 2 sacks x $6.25= $12.5
4: glue 1can x $ 0.5= $0.5
5: Brick 100 pieces x 400r= $10
6: Crepin (filter) 1 x $4.5 = $4.5
7: metal connection 1 x $1.5= $1.5
8: Sand half cubic m x 20000r = $5
9:Rock half cubic m x $10.5 = $10.5
10: Workers 4 x $12.5 = $50
11: Pickup car & driver = $60
12: Petrol used for 2 pumping machines= $6
13: Well's sign = $25
Grand total = $249.5

I was a little discouraged to see that the signs cost $25 but that is the best incentive that Tin has been able to come up with. I guess it is all a part of doing business. The signs do last quite a while, a year or more. I’ll post more pictures soon. Thanks again for everyone’s effort in making all this possible.

We will have a total of 9 new wells in December

Lauri, Jeannine, Tin, Nancy and myself from our last trip, February 2008

I sent Tin $2250 on Nov.26th. He hopes to have all the wells in by the end of December. After I paid the fees on my end, he had to pay $15 to get the money and the banks along the way took another $35. So he received a total of $2200.00. Earlier a couple of British tourist gave Tin $150 so I added the remaining $100 plus I donated a little extra to get the total to nine wells from the six I thought we could do before. This includes money that a past acquaintance of my daughter that lives in the Boston area also donated. She and her sisters sent me $250 for a well that they donated in their parents name for Christmas. This is a great gift that will last and last. Tin is having a little trouble getting tourist groups in because of the unrest in Thailand since demonstrators have blocked both main airports in Bangkok. He had three groups cancel in November. I think the airports are opening this weekend so I hope other groups have not cancelled as well. Tourism is a major source of income for not only Tin, but the rest of Siem Reap. I had told Tin that since he had lost so many clients that he could use the extra $100 I sent for expenses and wait until some other tourist donated money to go along with the British donation. This is his answer to me.

Thank so much for your kindness. I will not use this money for myself because I have contracted with local well company last few days that I would supply 9wells to 9 families which were already selected. I have to use this money for those 9 families which I have promised with them last few ago. I can't break my promises. Once those families are very poor.Now is winter.At night time is 14degree C and in the day is 25degree C. These people do not have properly clothes and blanket. you know when the temperature varies from 14 to 25degree C means it is chilly here. I am wearing thick cloth every day especially at night time. We donot know how long winter is going to last.Tourism is getting very slow. However thai airport is being ready to open again tourists are still afraid of coming via thailand. We'll see what is going to happen next.

I hope to have plenty of pictures to share after the New Years. It always makes me very happy to see the families and children in the photos and to know that we have made such a big difference in people’s lives.

Updated info

I was reminded that I have not posted my address in quite a while. I’m hope there are tons of people out there wanting to donate and don’t know where to send the money. Please make the check to me and send it to:

Conrad Knab
2525 Main St. #410
Kansas City, MO. 64108

I will make sure Tin gets the money and keep track of when and where your well is built. If you would like to send a smaller donation that’s great or if you can get a group of people to donate a total of $250, we can place the name of a town or group of people on the sign. This would really be a great gift to the people of Cambodia. Wouldn’t you like a picture of a family that you have provided clean water for and a sign showing “Merry Christmas from the Wilson Family”? Or anything other caption you would like posted. This is such a positive thing that we can do for a small amount in the big scheme of things.

As always, if you want to be removed from my email list, just let me know.

Thanks for all your help.