ASKEP Summary Report on the Programme 2021 I. Introduction Maintaining sports activities during Covid pandemic is too risky for health reasons, nevertheless our team has maintained in 2021 a close presence towards children and their families in Kep, Cambodia. Those activities were mostly directed to support childrens’ families, to recruit our new head coach, to help our “neighbour school” and to maintain the association’s sports infrastructures waiting for the sanitary situation to be back to normal. Thus, our action was directed in four complementary directions: Health Recruitment Education Equipment At ASKep, we are convinced that, during pandemics, focusing on first necessity needs is the basement of our future development. Thus, we will be able to achieve - post pandemic, our initial goal: to provide sports and education to those who need it first. II. Common activity In 2021, as we could not propose sports or expeditions to the 80 children involved, 60 boys and 20 girls aged 7 to 17. We had to adapt and focus on various projects that directly affect the boys and girls to whom we usually propose those activities. Following the departure of Arthur Fourdraine, on site coach since 2015, we had to manage his replacement and are delighted to announce the arrival of Baptiste Joly, a Swiss man installed in Cambodia since 2014. It was a real challenge for our association to be able to attract a new coach in a context where sports practice is forbidden. And we did it, conscious that it was the one and necessary action to focus on in order to keep ASKep alive in such a particular global situation. As a first operational roadmap, Baptiste had to handle some challenges towards the kid’s families and give our association’s help to the school Jardin des Langues and maintain our tennis infrastructures. Baptiste has conducted this roadmap with the unconditional support of Sokkha Hou, and Var Srey, Assistant coaches. All three helped maintain the atmosphere, closeness and friendliness that children seek and need. It constitutes an essential link between the youngest and the oldest. Starting from January 1st 2021, ASKEP continued to support the children’s families all year long and provided the essential necessaries during the pandemic. We also had to face a child car accident outside of the tennis court which was not programmed in our action field and supported his family for his healthcare costs. This kid, name Somnaing, had to be taken in charge in emergency from Kep to Phnom Penh’s hospital, and we are proud to inform you that he is now safe. The school located just by the corner of ASKep, Le Jardin des Langues, also had to face major financial difficulties. As we strongly believe that sports and education are closely linked, we put our efforts and some finance toward the school and helped it to cross this pandemic situation. Our local team has also maintained a strong and close presence toward the kid’s families, providing masks and hydroalcoholic solutions. Those actions allow us to announce that for the second year, none of the ASKep children have declared any Covid infection. Finally, as the tennis courts have not been used and maintained for almost two years, the tropical climate has strongly affected the infrastructures. Before: After: Due to those circumstances, our mission consists in cleaning the courts, filling the crevasses and painting the courts. You can see on the pictures the main court which renewing is being renovated and the mini-tennis that has been maintained in December 2021. Without our ecosystem of partners, in which you hold a central place, we would not be able to carry out these actions towards disadvantaged young people and would like to renew our gratitude to you. The practice of tennis and the discovery of new sports and the values they convey being at the heart of our approach, your support directly participates in the education of children in the Kep region, whatever the context might be. Resilience is a world that we have discovered during this pandemic, our kids and staff too. Whatever 2022 will be made off, you can count on our commitment to support Kep’s youth. Faithfully, Grégory Tissot, President of ASKEP Paris, December 20th 2021
