About the Partner
Background
Cambodia has one of the largest disabled populations in the world, including an estimated 40,000 landmine survivors and 50,000 people affected by polio.
To ensure there were sufficient skilled local specialists to provide prosthetics and orthotics services, In 1994 the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (CSPO) was established by The Cambodia Trust, a UK based charity, with the American Friends Service Committee. The school's initial aim was to train Cambodians and today we have trained more than 70 Cambodians.
In 1999 the school was accredited by the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) for its Category II education. In the same year, CSPO began accepting international students from other developing countries in the region with the wish to help other developing nations who also need qualified professionals.In 2002 The Cambodia Trust assumed full responsibility for the running of the school. CSPO also became the first Prosthetics and Orthotics school in the world to achieve ISO 9001:2000 certification
Our Mission
To enable persons with disabilities to participate in the life of the community.
Our vision
Equal rights for persons with disabilities in aninclusive barrier-free society.
Our goals
To increase persons with disabilities’ mobility and functional skills.
Funding
The Department for International Development (DFID UK Government), Nippon Foundation and Leahy War Victims Fund (USAID) are core funders of CSPO; International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Handicap International (HI) Belgium provide components for students. We are very grateful for their support.
CSPO is making good progress towards true sustainability. Students from outside Cambodia are sponsored by their Governments or other International Organisations such as International Committee of the Red Cross, thereby contributing to the school's running costs. In addition, former graduates are receiving training to enable us to eventually phase out all expatriate posts, replacing them with local and regional staff - a major step towards the localisation of the school.
http://www.cspo.org.kh/
Achievements and Focus
- Development of a biomechanics bridging course, to bring students up to a preliminary level of competence prior to beginning the CSPO course.
- Delivery of the biomechanics bridging course and training of a local trainer to deliver the course in the future, ensuring that external assistance was no longer required.
- Curriculum development and delivery of mathematics and mechanics courses at the school, and training of a local trainer to a standard where external assistance is probably no longer require
Aim of the project
The main of the project was
To capacity building for the local lectures
To assist in the delivery of the mathematics and mechanics courses.
Develop student database
Deliver the computer studies course
Conduct an occupational health and safety check of the new CSPO and CT building
Conduct a training / workshop session on occupational health and safety for CSPO and CT managers and team leaders – 1 day workshop
Major successes:
- Capacity building of local lecturers, Thearith in particular. CSPO should be able to conduct the maths and mechanics courses with local lecturers next year.
- Updating computer studies material for a longer course
- Delivery of OHS training for CT and CSPO managers and team leaders – this was really beneficial to CSPO/CT and helped significantly build their capacity. Also great to be able to share this with SLSPO as well.
- Conducting the OHS audit for the new facilities, which provides a list of actions to improve safety, and perhaps more importantly resources and knowledge for doing this in the future. Once again, the materials have been shared with SLSPO.
EWB Field Volunteer and Project Team
Volunteer Name : Helen Adair
What do you think were the major successes of your project? Why?
- Capacity building of local lecturers, Thearith in particular. CSPO should be able to conduct the maths and mechanics courses with local lecturers next year.
- Updating computer studies material for a longer course
- Delivery of OHS training for CT and CSPO managers and team leaders – this was really beneficial to CSPO/CT and helped significantly build their capacity. Also great to be able to share this with SLSPO as well.
- Conducting the OHS audit for the new facilities, which provides a list of actions to improve safety, and perhaps more importantly resources and knowledge for doing this in the future. Once again, the materials have been shared with SLSPO.
What lessons can we learn from this, i.e. how can we replicate these successes in future projects ?
Think broadly about what skills a volunteer is bringing and whether there are any that might be of use for the partner organisation. Obviously the volunteer goes over with a specific project to complete, but I think a lot of the additional value I provided was in the OHS activities
Please describe interesting facts related to the local culture that is important for future volunteers to know ?
CSPO is probably a lot easier than some other projects in that the majority of the other lecturers have spent time in other countries (including Australia) as part of their work and study. Therefore they have a good understanding of the things that foreigners find difficult, and also have a pretty broad view of the world and can laugh at some of the Cambodian peculiarities. CSPO is also very used to welcoming foreign lecturers and staff, and there are a number of british Cambodia Trust employees around as well. The new building is also very comfortable which decreased the level of culture and climate shock that I experienced on arrival. CSPO can seem like an island of sanity in an otherwise chaotic society. I really really enjoyed working with the Cambodian staff – great sense of humour and fun and professional
List of Former EWB Field Volunteers
| Rebacca Hill | Facilitator - Maths and Mechanics |
| Ariella Helfgott | Facilitator - Maths and Mechanics |
| Marlyin Evanchako | Maths and Mechanics Tutor |
| Jess Cameron | Biomechanics Course |
| Elisha Thomas | Biomechanics Course |
| Darius Chapman | Biomechanics Bridging |
| Tam Nyguen | Biomechancs Course |
| Bianca Tom | Facilitator - Maths and Mechanics |
| Elisha Thomas | Biomechanics Course |
| Tom Ward | Biomechanics Course |
| David Hobbs | Biomechanics Bridging |
Funders
The Perpetual Foundation’s purpose is to support practical and effective projects that make a difference in the alleviation of poverty. They have generously supported this project .
The Perpetual Foundation provide a way for our business, our staff and clients to contribute to improving the lives of others. The Foundation is structured in a way that enables specific endowments to be established in their own name. Our staff have an account, with all their donations matched by Perpetual.
We provide research and advice to ensure funds are strategically invested and distributed to maximise their positive impact and that they are used as intended.
The Perpetual Foundation supports a range of charities and causes, a key objective is to direct funds towards charitable projects that focus on preventative measures and education, and projects that address the root cause of problems, rather than providing short-term remedies.
Ultimately, the Foundation aims to increase the capacity of communities and individuals to strengthen themselves and become more self-reliant.