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Author: juerg

Smiling Gecko Educational Campus

A colourful fall

As a small organization with very limited resources, we are always happy to have people join us in raising as much money and awareness as possible through their dedication and passion. We have a number of events planned for October and November that we would like to announce here.

As a suggestion for your calendar:

On October 19, Thomas Buss aka DJ Mr. Tomato will be throwing a big dance party at the Schützi cultural center in Olten to benefit two charities. One of them is Smiling Gecko. The entrance fee is 30 francs. The net profit of the evening will be split between the two organizations. Tickets are available here.

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From October 21 to 26, the great yoga teacher Rebecca Robinson will be hosting a yoga charity retreat at the Farmhouse Resort & Spa for the first time. So anyone who has ever wanted to come to Cambodia now has a double reason to do so. We are looking forward to the event and can say that the daily program looks very promising. Dive in, feel good, switch off and enjoy Cambodian hospitality! All information and the possibility to book can be found here.

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On October 27, Isabel Karajan and friends will be coming to the Kindli Restaurant on Pfalzgasse in Zurich to raise money for us at a charity lunch. We already had the wonderful Austrian actress at the opening of our cultural center “The Gong” in Cambodia and guarantee that she will be there: This is sure to be a very entertaining Sunday lunch. The entrance fee is 250 Swiss francs (donation receipt) and you can still register with Thomas Hemschemeier until 27.9. E-mail: hemschemeier@smilinggecko.ch

On November 9, the Jugendmusik Rechter Zürichsee (JUMURZ) will hold its annual concert at the HesliHalle in Küsnacht ZH. The proceeds of the evening will be donated to us and we will be present with a small stand. Tickets will be available soon.

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Smiling Gecko Educational Campus

Sounds good, Does good

With «The Gong» Cultural Center, we have laid an important foundation for the recovery of Cambodia’s cultural identity. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, was not the only one impressed by the building and the visionary idea of turning the Smiling Gecko Campus into a nationally visible cultural amplifier.

For us, it was less a vision than a necessity to make the country sound again. After all, music, painting, dance, and theater are important components of self-discovery. They are also essential to the intellectual development of our students. The children have already shown how much they enjoy all kinds of music in the numerous pieces we have recorded with them over the years. The latest project is the song “Lisa” by Jan SEVEN Dettwyler, with whom we have had a special relationship since the days of the “Container Full Of Music”.

The studio isn’t quite finished yet, but we were able to use it for some test recordings. We are thrilled with the sound. And to be honest, we’re a little proud of the look, too. Especially considering that most of the interior work was done by our own craftsmen. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?
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Smiling Gecko Campus

"We have to start with the children to change the world".

Once again, a team of current and former students from the University of Zurich Dental Center is visiting us on campus. They treat all of our children in a veritable marathon. In between, however, they took at least three minutes of their time and we were able to ask them about their impressions.
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This is your first time at the Smiling Gecko Campus, Aldin. What are your impressions?

When you just walk around the campus, you don’t feel the poverty in the countryside. When the children come to school in the morning, they are already wearing school uniforms. But from their knees down, you can see the conditions they come from. Their legs are bruised and scarred. Instead of shoes, they usually wear flimsy slippers.

As far as dental hygiene is concerned, the drastic difference between the older and younger children is particularly striking. Between those we have been treating for some time and those who are new. It is clear that what we are doing here, i.e. the treatments, the education and certainly the good nutrition, is bearing fruit. The longer we have each child in the program, the less work we have to do. Many of these children have excellent oral hygiene and we don’t have to do much. They come in for a checkup and are sent back.

You mentioned the maltreated legs. What do you notice when you compare the children here with those in Switzerland?
The children come from very difficult backgrounds that cannot be compared to life here. That’s why it’s so nice to see how grateful they are. It’s fascinating: compared to Switzerland, where people have everything in terms of health and access to education, they are much less satisfied than here.
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What was your first impression, Annika?
I actually found a very well-equipped clinic with a high standard of hygiene. And of course friendly children, exciting children, crying children. It was all there.
Where do you see the difference between the dental status of Swiss children and children here?
Basically, of course, all children are different. But I would say that here in Cambodia, of course, there is less oral hygiene and therefore the teeth are in a worse condition. But that doesn’t stop us from doing our best to treat the children as well as we can. Unfortunately, not all the treatments we would like to do are possible. Or could be done in Switzerland. But the kids are great. They know what it’s all about and they’re totally involved.
What does it mean to you personally to come here to Cambodia? To such a poor country. It’s quite extraordinary, isn’t it?
Maybe I should start by explaining how I came to the Gecko Smile project. A very good friend of mine helped to set up the project and she always told me about it. But I could never really imagine it. So I decided to go and see for myself. And then I came here and it was very overwhelming. It’s a totally different world. It takes a moment to get here and settle in. But it’s spectacular. The kids are just adorable. They come everywhere with us and look at us and hug us. It’s a matter of the heart for me. I think we have to start with the children to change the world. We have to teach them good oral hygiene so they can carry on what they have learned. They have their whole lives ahead of them.
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Sandra, this is your second time with us. What are the differences from your first visit?
It was incredible the first time I was allowed to be here. I had heard a lot about it, but you still can’t really imagine it. You just have to see it. It’s very impressive. First of all, how well equipped we are here in terms of what we can offer the children. But at the same time, the differences compared to Switzerland. Be it in terms of treatment standards, oral hygiene or the dental status of the children. Now, the second time around, it’s really nice to see the progress we’ve made. In terms of teaching the children how to brush their teeth. How the school is supporting them, so these are real changes. We can see that we are really making a difference.
What does it mean to you personally to give up your vacation to be here with us?
It’s just something you can’t experience anywhere else. It’s not something you can buy that you would otherwise experience on vacation. It is truly unique here. During the treatments we experience what it means to live here. And that is very beautiful.
What is your impression of the country?
It’s hard to understand the general state of emergency here. But that’s what makes it so nice to be here. We can give back some of the wealth we have in Switzerland. We can really try to give something along the way. In the sense of giving children something they can do themselves to take care of their teeth. Prevention is a big part of our work, which is also very important to us because it is sustainable. Something we have to remember: These children have a lot of problems and issues that need to be addressed. Teeth are just a small part of it, but toothache is such a bad thing. If we can eliminate it, the children will have so much more potential in other areas of their lives. For example, they can study again without pain. That helps a lot, of course.
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This is your first time with us, Sina. What were your expectations?
I was very pleasantly surprised. I was a bit skeptical at the beginning as to whether I would like it, because we will be here for a whole month and I haven’t had much to do with children before. But on the very first morning, the children came up to us and were extremely friendly and warm and hugged us. The work here is extremely rewarding. Everything is well organized and we are a really cool group.
How else do you notice the children?
We can tell immediately if children have been to us before. For one thing, they have better teeth, and for another, they are less scared than those we treat for the first time. But even the most anxious children open their mouths willingly and try to be brave because they are just happy that we are taking care of them. Sometimes there are a few tears, but as soon as the treatment is over, their smiles quickly return. And they are so grateful.
So would you come back?
Yes. (Laughs)
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It’s also a first for you here on the campus, Suzana. What did you expect before and what did you find in the end?
Of course I had heard a lot about the students and dentists who have been here, but you really have to experience it. Otherwise you can’t imagine how beautiful it is. My expectations were exceeded. I had and still have a great time.
What do you think of the children?
It is very impressive how brave the children are here. So far we have been treating the children between 2nd and 7th grade and we clearly see much more need for action with the younger ones. They have more cavities and more broken teeth. But for the fact that they have bigger cavities, they are doing really well. And I’m happy when we can convince children of the benefits of treatment. It’s wonderful when we can allay children’s fears.
Do you see a difference in the teeth of the children who have already benefited from the Gecko Smile project?
Absolutely. With the older ones, we only need a few minutes each time because there is very little for us to do. They have better teeth that are very well cleaned. That is something we can be really proud of. You can just see the impact of what we do here at the clinic. Also on the parents. There is even more uncertainty with the younger ones. With them, we have to build a fundamentally positive relationship with the dentist. They have to learn to relax and let go.
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This is your second time with us, Nadine. What have you experienced? What does it do to you?
The children are very uncomplicated and very welcoming. And they are very brave. Most of them are great. It’s no problem for them if we have to fill five or six teeth at the same time. I appreciate the gratitude of the children. They give us a lot in return. At the same time, we see things here that we don’t see in Switzerland. The depth of the caries, for example, or the remains of the roots. You really don’t see that in Switzerland.
That must be very painful for the children.
It certainly is. Unfortunately, pain is the order of the day here.

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School and Kindergarten

August: A Month of Hope

August is one of the best months on the Smiling Gecko Campus. We are in the middle of the rainy season and things are growing and blossoming all over the Campus. The absolute highlight is of course the enrollment of our new children, which traditionally takes place in this month as well.
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This year we welcomed about 50 girls and boys between the ages of three and four. 50 children whose prospects for the future improved dramatically from one day to the next. Having just been condemned to a life of poverty and hopelessness, the chance of a self-determined, better future increases dramatically when they pass the school aptitude test. For the children, but also for the parents, who now know exactly how important education is in impoverished Cambodia. We have seen this in countless conversations with them. And we can also see it in the attendance rate of our school, which is 98,6% and thus more than 50% higher than that of the state schools. That’s good.
So here are some pictures of the first day of school, when our older children traditionally take care of the newcomers.
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Farmhouse Resort & Spa

Yoga at the Smiling Gecko Campus

If you really want to do something good for yourself and others, you can now register for the six-day yoga retreat at the Smiling Gecko Farmhouse Resort & Spa, taking place for from 21-26 October 2024.

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Photographed for Schweizer Illustrierte in the Seeschau ‘Yoga and Therapy Centre’: Hannes Schmid and Rebecca Robinson.
Photo: Nik Hunger

Led by the wonderful yoga teacher Rebecca Robinson, you can enjoy a pampering programme of daily yoga and meditation classes while learning about the work of Smiling Gecko. A tour of the Smiling Gecko Campus and a visit to the Smiling Gecko School are included as well as a fine dining dinner by our Head Chef Mariya Un Noun.

This was worth an article (German only) in the Swiss magazine Schweizer Illustrierte and we also have a link to the offer on the Farmhouse Resort website. Here you will also find all the other information about this very special week.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Farmhouse Resort in October.

Click here for the offer >>>

Click here to read the article >>>

The Yoga Shallas in our amazing SPA offer the perfect conditions.

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Smiling Gecko Educational Campus

A voice for Cambodia

What do musician Jan SEVEN Dettyler, actress Isabel Karajan and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Ballet of Cambodia have in common? They are all among the multi-talented artists who will take to the stage at The Gong for our grand opening.
We hope that the (sound) waves we create with the opening will spread like a carpet across Cambodia. How wonderful it would be if this culturally shattered country could reclaim its rich past before it is too late. There are still a few people who remember the time before the Khmer regime. But they are fewer and fewer. The loss would be felt across Southeast Asia.
We are ready to change that: The truly beautiful building by atelier oï houses a multifunctional auditorium for up to 140 people and the top-of-the-range Sonic Studios. In addition to modern music, traditional and even classical music can be recorded here.
By the way, Philipp Schweidler from the Department of Noise and his team gave us excellent support in building and equipping the studio, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them very much. You guys are great.
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If you want to come to the grand opening in June, make sure you book a room at the Farmhouse Resort now. Our hotel manager Daniel Ruprecht is looking forward to your enquiries. And more about bookings.

If you want to have a quick look at the centre before you go, there are already two websites in English. One for the Gong and one for the recording studio. We will be running the latter commercially and hope to have our first bookings from national and international artists by the end of the year. We are confident that they will appreciate the unique atmosphere of the Smiling Gecko Campus and the amenities of the Farmhouse Resort nearby.
Click here for the Gong >>>

Click here for Sonic Studios >>>

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Farmhouse Resort & Spa

From HFZ to Farmhouse Resort

Last weekend, our cooperation partner, the Hotelfachschule Zürich, graduated this year’s class. A total of 12 promising talents graduated this year and are now well equipped for a career in the national and international hospitality industry.
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One of these graduates will soon be joining us at the Farmhouse Resort & Spa. Richard Herren is the winner of the inaugural Prix Kronenhalle, awarded by the Hulda and Gustav Zumsteg Foundation, which runs the traditional Zurich restaurant, in association with the HFZ. The award recognises his outstanding achievements during his apprenticeship.
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In addition to the award, Richard can now look forward to a six-month internship with us at the resort, funded by the Foundation. It will be an exciting time of sharing and learning that will benefit both parties. In any case, we are very excited about our new arrival and would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to him.

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Craftmanship and Production

Our metal construction workshop is about to open

After a demanding planning and financing phase of more than 18 months, we once again had reason to be happy on campus at the end of January. Because the two 40-foot containers finally arrived with the components of the metal construction workshop, which we purchased from M4 Metallbau AG in Mettmenstetten/Switzerland at a special price. The founders of the metal construction company, Jürg and Corinna Müller, are supporting us in setting up and later running the workshop. They will stay with us for at least a year and have already started instructing the first Cambodian trainees about materials and tools.
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The metal construction workshop building was built right next to the carpentry shop. We are happy and proud to be able to offer this craft on campus in the future. At this point, our thanks go, in addition to the Müllers, to the Jansen PrimeSteps Foundation, Erich Leutwyler and numerous other companies and individuals who have supported us with donations.
The arrival of the containers in the film.

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Smiling Gecko Campus

THE YEAR 2023 ON CAMPUS

This year we once again received a significant amount of donations for the Smiling Gecko project from wonderful private individuals, companies and foundations. We would like to thank you very much for this – and at the same time show in our annual review where and how we use the funds.

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Download review as PDF

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School and Kindergarten

See you Again

In Cambodia, where Pchum Ben, the “Festival of the Dead,” lasts 15 days, people have a special relationship with the deceased. That’s why our founder Hannes Schmid wasn’t surprised when students from our 6th grade came to him because they wanted to record a song in memory of their friend Raksmey, who was killed by a lightning strike in 2019.

We looked for a suitable song together and found it with “See you again” by the American rapper Wiz Khalifa. The song, which Khalifa wrote for the actor Paul Walker, who also died much too early, is about loss and dealing with the pain of saying goodbye. The song lines are

So let the light guide your way
Hold every memory as you go
And every road you take
Will always lead you home

It’s not just our campus kids who are touched by the song.

For us at Smiling Gecko, the song is also very special for another reason: its long rap passages make it extremely difficult to sing. And when recording the video, our singers also prove how much they have developed in recent years. As viewers, we instinctively sense that these children now understand what they are singing. So, that this sad song becomes a message of hope and confidence.

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