Cambodian children give performances to share their culture and to help the orphanages they call home.
September 13, 2007
Eileen Marie Simoneau
Special to the Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel (Florida, USA)
NEW SMRYNA BEACH - In her first visit to the United States, Sreysros Sok soaked up a piece of this country's culture -- a visit to the historic Kennywood thrill park outside Pittsburgh.
After the 13-year-old enjoyed her first roller coaster ride, she and other orphans shared their Cambodian culture in song and dance during a six-week tour of the U.S., including a recent performance at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach.
They smiled while dancing in brightly colored native costumes. They demonstrated a courtship dance -- a graceful tribute to women and rice-field workers.
They delighted audiences with a Cambodian gesture of respect, a bow with raised hands.
The elegant moves offered a stark contrast to the orphans' harsh backgrounds.
Sok, for instance, was 3 when her father was killed and she was abandoned by her mother.
The children are from seven orphanages founded by the Rev. Sinai Phouek, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge period, when an estimated 1.7 million people died from 1975 to 1979 in Cambodia.
South East Asia Prayer Center supports the orphanages financially, said Mark Geppert, founder of the center, an evangelical Christian group based in Oakmont, Pa.
Phouek and his wife, Somolay Y, are trying to make a difference by providing shelter and education for about 200 children.
"You can't change the whole world, but you can change the life of one child," Geppert said.
The U.S. tour also gave the orphans a host of new experiences.
Sitha Phon, 22, attended his first baseball game. He watched the Baltimore Orioles' minor-league team, the Tides, play at Hampton Stadium in Norfolk, Va.
"For myself, I am very happy to just see a baseball game. I don't care which team lost. One day a team can win; another day they lose. It doesn't matter," he said.
"We tried to catch a fly ball with no luck, but after the game we got to run the bases."
Marai Voth, 11, had fun during the tour but was suffering from a dose of homesickness by the time she reached New Smyrna Beach, the second-to-last stop on the tour. She was looking forward to returning to her orphanage, which she considers home.
"We have the same heart," she said. "We help each other. They are my family."
September 13, 2007
Eileen Marie Simoneau
Special to the Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel (Florida, USA)
NEW SMRYNA BEACH - In her first visit to the United States, Sreysros Sok soaked up a piece of this country's culture -- a visit to the historic Kennywood thrill park outside Pittsburgh.
After the 13-year-old enjoyed her first roller coaster ride, she and other orphans shared their Cambodian culture in song and dance during a six-week tour of the U.S., including a recent performance at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach.
They smiled while dancing in brightly colored native costumes. They demonstrated a courtship dance -- a graceful tribute to women and rice-field workers.
They delighted audiences with a Cambodian gesture of respect, a bow with raised hands.
The elegant moves offered a stark contrast to the orphans' harsh backgrounds.
Sok, for instance, was 3 when her father was killed and she was abandoned by her mother.
The children are from seven orphanages founded by the Rev. Sinai Phouek, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge period, when an estimated 1.7 million people died from 1975 to 1979 in Cambodia.
South East Asia Prayer Center supports the orphanages financially, said Mark Geppert, founder of the center, an evangelical Christian group based in Oakmont, Pa.
Phouek and his wife, Somolay Y, are trying to make a difference by providing shelter and education for about 200 children.
"You can't change the whole world, but you can change the life of one child," Geppert said.
The U.S. tour also gave the orphans a host of new experiences.
Sitha Phon, 22, attended his first baseball game. He watched the Baltimore Orioles' minor-league team, the Tides, play at Hampton Stadium in Norfolk, Va.
"For myself, I am very happy to just see a baseball game. I don't care which team lost. One day a team can win; another day they lose. It doesn't matter," he said.
"We tried to catch a fly ball with no luck, but after the game we got to run the bases."
Marai Voth, 11, had fun during the tour but was suffering from a dose of homesickness by the time she reached New Smyrna Beach, the second-to-last stop on the tour. She was looking forward to returning to her orphanage, which she considers home.
"We have the same heart," she said. "We help each other. They are my family."
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