MODEL FUNDRAISER

Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha is the latest runway rambler to turn to philanthropy, in this case aiding the victims of human trafficking and exploitation in Cambodia.

Rocha is working with Senhoa, a jewellery company with a strong presence in Siem Reap, which supports victims of human trafficking by providing income-generating opportunities.

According to The Telegraph in the UK, Rocha has designed seven items of jewellery using Swarovski crystals, which will be handcrafted by the Cambodian survivors, often children aged 15 and up.

The items will be sold online, with all proceeds going to Senhoa's community development projects that rehabilitate and educate young women in Cambodia.

Rocha became involved with Senhoa after its founder, Lisa T.D. Nguyen, a regular visitor to Siem Reap, attended her wedding to James Conran in June 2010. Back in 2009, Senhoa was an adjunct of the Washington-based NGO Voice (Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscience Empowerment), which operated in Siem Reap.

Voice opened the Senhoa Nail Spa Centre in Siem Reap to provide alternative employment for young women who might otherwise enter the sex trade.

But in late 2009 the NGO was given 24 hours to quit Siem Reap and the Kingdom – staff received their departure notice on a Monday afternoon and were gone by Tuesday evening.

Voice personnel said the official reason they had been ordered to leave was because they were not registered.

The NGO was very active in the Viet-expat arena locally and probed some delicate issues.

NEXT HASH RUN

The local hashers are at it again, psyching up for hash run number 17, designated as the Emperor of the Sun Run. This will be an out of town run.

Runners should meet at the Victoria Angkor parking lot at 3pm tomorrow.

Cost is $5 for both Khmer and foreigners and this includes the walk/run/crawl, drinks, and dinner.

BEST POST PICS

The Phnom Penh Post of course plays an important role not only in running illuminating and insightful news and fabulously entertaining stuff like 7Days, but also in printing high quality original photography.

Indeed, several award winners lurk among the ranks of the Post’s fearless staff snappers.

This contribution will again be recognised in this year’s forthcoming Angkor Photo Festival.

A special slide show, Highlights of The Phnom Penh Post, will be featured at the FCC on Saturday November 19. This will be a selection of the Post’s top images from the last year or so. Most of the photos shown will be feature images,

but there will also be some breaking news shots as well. May we humbly suggest that this is a must-see during the festival.