About
Who’s Everyone’s Joe?
Everyone’s Joe is your Joe; their Joe; our Joe.
Joe Politzer.
He was a great son, brother, grandson, friend, co-worker, roommate, you name it. Joe’s short, but amazing life has put us, a bunch of Americans, in touch with people half way across the world who need our help. See more about Joe’s life under the “Joe’s Story” tab on this website.
In the fall of 2009, Joe Politzer was traveling across Southeast Asia in Sihanoukville, a beach side town in Cambodia. Kids were everywhere! Having been born and raised in a poor beach town, these kids were accustomed to selling tourist merchandise or whatever else they could find to make money for their families. Joe’s experiences led him to find Cambodian Children’s Painting Project (CCPP for short) and he became an avid fan and supporter in CCPP’s mission to help these children. Joe’s legacy and love for these kids and the area live on here with Everyone’s Joe.
So, then what’s the Cambodian Children’s Painting Project?
Cambodian Children’s Painting Project, or CCPP, was first begun on the beaches of Sihanoukville in the early 1990′s by a professional artist, Roger Dixon. Roger came to the area and the local children were intrigued by his paintings. His desire to help these children led him to giving what financial means that he could to supply art supplies to children the next summer and it continued on, growing into a charity effort fueled by the support of local and international volunteers.
In April 2006, the project was registered as an NGO (Non-Government Organization) to provide it with a legal status and to make it possible to sustain and expand its activities. Since its humble beginnings almost three years ago, over four hundred children have been a part of the initiative. CCPP now provides so much more to the kids, including access to painting, craft and sports activities, two meals a day, access to medical and dental assistance and the most important thing, an opportunity to receive a proper education. They now run English classes in-house as well as computing, in addition to sponsoring all the kids to attend Khmer school full time. And the plans are to do much more!
In 2007, CCPP moved from its modest beach shack to a safer and more appropriate location off the beach for the children and their needs.
The new center has a range of facilities including a large painting studio, clean bathrooms and a full kitchen, as well as an indoor gallery space, education classrooms and volunteer accommodation.
Most of the regularly attending children no longer sell their bracelets and wares along the beach, yet they continue to earn money to help support their families through the sale of their paintings from our gallery. Paintings are sold in order to offer the children a chance to attend Khmer school, paying school fees, and providing uniforms, bags, books and pens and any ongoing costs such as one-on-one tutoring.
The children now spend their spare time playing, painting and interacting with the great host of staff and volunteers at the center. In a sense, they have been given back their youth, with a chance to be kids again for a couple of hours a day, and are protected, out of harm’s way.
Get more information at CCPP’s website: http://www.letuscreatecambodia.org/