Khmer Cultural Resource Center Project Report

After about one year of the setting up of the Khmer Cultural Resource Centre at Wat Buddharangsi Melbourne, the evaluation of the project was made and sent to the Greater City of Dandenong, the funding body for the project:

A brief description of the results of the supported activity:

1. Who benefited from the grant funds and how did they benefit?

• A library was set up to house some print materials collected prior and during the funding period. Mrs. Saing Chou Iv, who lives in Perth, donated three boxes of books both in Khmer and English relating to Cambodia. Books were also purchased within Australia and from overseas. Posters were duplicated for the use within the Association referring to Khmer culture. Print materials were reproduced for the use within the ethnic school at the Association and loans of some materials were made to other teachers from other schools.
• The language teachers use many materials collected, and have the chance to experience the exchange of ideas within the workshops shared with other teachers from Springvale Education Centre and Victorian School of Languages, in gaining ideas. Materials brought into the workshop gave a different perspective to the traditional way of teaching.
• A room more appropriate as a display room was set up for musical instruments and other cultural elements.
• The Centre brings the monthly Khmer cultural program to one part of student population from Coomoora Secondary College and at this stage the group of Year 8 student participating in the program is organizing a Khmer folk tale into a play. The programs are well received by students and teachers.
• As well, Southvale Primary School has a group of students going to Khmer cultural session once a month, with enthusiastic attitude from teachers, Khmer students and others.
• The Centre connected with The Student Federation of Victoria and had exchange of ideas and cultural items. They donated some artefacts and the Centre provided them with ideas for the cultural night they are organizing.
• The Centre collaborates with The Khmer Angkor Dance Group to find better ways to convey Khmer culture to young people, discussing how to conduct meaningful activities to the young people some whom are learning to dance every Sunday. A tape was made with the intention of broadcasting in the local Khmer community radio as a promotion for the group. It was organized by the Khmer Cultural Resource Centre.
• Some audio materials were produced and distributed to the elderly group. They are:
• Dharma discussion by a group of monks and lay people from Australia and from Cambodia, done at Wat Buddharangsi Melbourne.
• A copy of the series of programs produced by Radio Australia, Khmer Service, on the Khmer people in Australia.
• A copy of radio discussion on the development of Khmer language from the early 1950’s.
• A copy of radio series on the Australian society, in Khmer.

2. The number of City of Greater Dandenong residents participated would be the parents and students at the ethnic school at Wat Buddharangsi Melbourne, Coomoora SC and Southvale PS and other groups connected by their other activities, which can be at least 150 people during the period of funding.

3.

a.How the agreed outputs, measures, and targets were achieved:

• Having clear objectives in mind is very helpful to gear the activities toward the aim and sought out the possibilities of achieving the targets.
• We focus first at setting up the library and filled it with materials needed for teaching Khmer and the culture behind it, which led to the search for reference and classroom materials hooking into places and people we know.
• By meeting with people, we gained the insight into what, where and how to obtain the materials required, e.g. organizations and people with connections.
• Being alert to situations that can provide for the need to fulfill our aim is another important asset, namely, to recognize the opportunity arises.
• Unfinished production can still be finalised as long the plan is in place.  

b. Barriers encountered:

• After setting up the room for the library, the number of students at the temple rose dramatically that the room has to be changed into a classroom, stunning the set up for every Saturday afternoon meeting with parents who bring the children to school and wait for them. The occasional meeting with the parents had to be relocated in the monk residence. By using the room as a classroom, permanent set up of materials could not be done. Things need to be locked up, preventing easy access.
• As the workers are volunteers with limited time, the work process is slow, this means that any materials borrowed is limited as many books are still in the process of cataloguing.
• On the other front the booklet on “Honorific use of Khmer” and on “The karma” (Khmer scarf) is yet to be produced, due to lack of time as well.
• The wait for people overseas to send materials is hindered by their lack of effort.

4. How we plan to build on this activity in the future:

• We look towards the holiday break to make use of the time to finalise what is left off by the end of the funding period.
• The production of the booklet will be done within the facilities for producing materials funded.
• The cultural sessions with the schools will continue to take place, hoping to have access to more people taking the role of the cultural facilitator for the school groups.
• As the Association is putting a lot of effort into raising funds to obtain classrooms for the school, we will gain back the library in full rights, and we will start to bring school group to the Centre, as a trip to show participation of schools in the community as well as vice versa.

5. Improvement for Community Grant Process:

I found what went through the process of funding was very good, without any hassle at all. Thank you very much.

Click here to see Financial Statement

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