Open Arms Cambodia

Our Projects History

Open Arms Family Home

Open Arms Family Home started in 2002 as Destiny Children’s Home in Phnom Penh Cambodia. Grahame and Sandra Wade founded the children’s home and became the full time parents of 20 boys and 6 girls aged from 3 to 16 . The children all came from backgrounds of poverty, abuse or abandonment. Grahame and Sandra poured their love and resources into the lives of these children as they developed a unique family-style home.

There are  currently 5 girls aged from 16 to 30 from the original group living in the home, these five young people fully operate Open Arms when Grahame and Sandra are absent and it is expected that they will eventually take over the leadership of Open Arms Cambodia . 

One of the original children is now attending an internationally accredited university she will aim for a Bachelor Degree in accountancy, two of the other original children will attend university this year to learn Business Management and English at a level which will allow them to teach in an international school.

The young people that have left all have good employment, some are married with children and all are enjoying a good life they stay in contact with Grahame and Sandra.

Over the past thirteen years It has been a privilege to see many young Cambodian people embrace life with new passion and self love it has been  rewarding to see them with businesses that are flourishing, good employment and to see them married and  having children.

Alabaster House (on going)

Alabaster House is a project of Open Arms it is situated in one of the red light districts in Phnom Penh the house is intended to be a drop in center for  women they will be offered a shower, sleep, food and lots of love and care it will also provide a safe place for children.

Each month over 200 women come through the house they are women who work on the streets and have no home ,the care givers say they are more peaceful and their health is improving, the women are  introduced to a caring Heavenly Father and they are also very gently told of a Christian way of life they are offered vocational training, Open Arms also gives medical care when necessary.

Open Arms team has identified an urgent need for the women that come to Alabaster. 

Some of these women are  desperate to leave the sex industry, learn a skill and start to lead a normal life. They have no homes or means and it seems impossible to them they say things like “But where would we live and how would we eat while we are training”  some of these ladies are very young and we know that if we can provide training for them they can have a bright future.

Open Arms now has accommodation available for these women, the rooms are away from their current area they can stay there until they are trained on completion there future will be discussed and the appropriate decisions made. 

Open Arms is assisting the families in the community with, Food, clothing, education and medical care when necessary.

Alabaster House Plan

Floor 1          Children ministry 

Floor 2         Counseling room used as an office and prayer room.

Floor 3         Bathroom for showering ,each woman has her own beautiful white towel and shower pack; perfume and body cream is available .

Adjacent to the bathroom is a small area which is furnished with huge cushions, worship music plays and, tea coffee and noodles are available for a quick snack.

Floor 4         Create arts room where the women can express themselves in many art forms. There will be a weekly cooking class and English teaching will also be made available

Roof Area.  There is a big roof area Grahame will secure it then we will have kids club one afternoon a week we will also create a garden restaurant area just to cater for some women that live on the street.

Vocational Training (on going)

Open Arms networks with 32 other NGOs in Cambodia .There are many organizations here in Cambodia caring for the young women and men that are rescued from poverty; trafficking and prostitution, there are various ways of assisting these young people there are after care homes counseling centers and vocational training centers. Open Arms meets the need by offering vocational training. the training consists of a Beauty School where they learn all aspects of beauty care, also housekeeping and cooking for westerners is available.

To date March 2015 eighty eight girls graduated and there be a 94% success rate of good quality employment, eight girls that were trained are now working in Open Arms Beauty Salon. Thirteen of the graduates have started their own salons and are doing very well.

Open Arms Training Centre

From Training to Enterprise -From poverty to Freedom

• Open Arms train’s young people who are underprivileged or rescued.
• Open Arms train’s girls and boys from other Non-Government Organisations in Cambodia a small fee is charged.
• Open Arms will also train girls and boys from the community  .
• Open Arms takes in students all year round.
• Open Arms not only trains the young people in their chosen skill there is also a course available called Chosen and Precious. The course teaches self-esteem, personal hygiene, personal grooming and healthy relations all founded on biblical principles.
• Open Arms also teaches customer service, and a small amount of business principles.
• Open Arms has a graduation party each year in February and it is the delight of all the students.

Open Arms Beauty School   

Subjects Include  

• Hair
• Fingernail Art
• Makeup
• Skin Care
• Salon maintenance

Open Arms Basics Principles of Restaurant Service and Cooking

Subjects Include:

• Table Setting
• Customer Service
• Restaurant cleaning including washing and ironing
• How to keep a restaurant clean including toilets washing and ironing, also personal hygiene
• Customer service, table setting including napkin folding
• Western meals including soups, main meals, salads, desserts, cakes and pastries
• Hot and Cold Beverages.

For any information concerning training please email us on our contact email and we can supply you with more details.

Testimonials

My name is Phara, I’m 19 years old. I’m one of the salon staff members of Open Arms I’ve been working here for about 9 months so far, and I was train to be a hairdresser in Open Arms training center. When I come to study here my life has been change a lot. I’ve had good trainer good care form Open Arms, all open arms staff and trainer are very love and kind people they make me feel very warm here. And I would like to say thanks you to every one of them that have been trained me and encourage me to keep going, and do the best I could. Even I’m not very good or cleaver at my career, but they have been trying to support me until I have complete my training program. After I have done my training course Open Arms has employ me to work as they know that my skill isn’t great or good enough to have the job but they have given me this great opportunity and because of this job it has been a good support for my family in the provinces. I am really thanks full to Jesus for giving me this opportunity to work here and to know Open Arms people. Thank you.

My name is Sophy, I have been trained in Open Arms Beauty School for 1 year to be a hairdresser, and I have been employed to work here about 3 years now. Open arms is a very good place, we have learn a lot about loving, caring and kind to each other, and we have had a very godly mum that always encourage the staff and teach the staff to live in good life. When we sick we been taking good care and when one of us get married they give us a lovely party and brought us gift. And the very great thing is we been trained about Jesus, how to know him, and my life have been change when I started to working with Open Arms and I become a Christian and know god. He has working a lot in my life so far and mum and pa are very kind people, they loved us and teach us good things. And I am very happy to become a hairdresser and so happy that Open Arms has provide us a good skill in our life.

Village Outreach (ended in 2019)

From the beginning, Sandra and Grahame have encouraged the young people to reach out and be a blessing to their local communities. As part of the help provided some time ago to a particular rural village, the Open Arms young people assisted Grahame in building several homes for needy families. In addition to this, funds were raised from Australia for a water well to be placed within the village. The older children also gave lessons in English and Khmer to older people in the village, some of whom had never written or read before. The Open Arms group gained many positive experiences such as construction skills, planning, social services and Khmer cultural lessons.

The Village

Village friends

The current Open Arms village project is based about 2 hours from Phnom Penh. Since 2009 workers with Open Arms have travelled to the village each week to teach sewing classes, English classes, and life skills and to assist the community where they can. Open Arms young people assist the workers during school holidays.

• Village Projects.
• House Building
• Toilet Blocks
• Water filtration.
• Care for the elderly (food, medicine and massage from students from salon)
• English Literacy

Rehoboth Prayer Room (ended in 2019)

“Whilst attending Bible College of Wales at Swansea God touched my heart for Israel and the Jewish people. Along with doing a book report on “Intercessor” by Norman Grubb, I started to ponder and pray about prayer and intercession and after much prayer and wise council Grahame and I believe that God is asking us to create a place for people to come to pray.

We will be asking all who come to pray for Israel before they pray for any other needs.

“Pray for the peace of Israel. May they prosper who loves you.” (Psalm 122:6)

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves,
and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14-15)

It is our personal prayer that Rehoboth will be a place where love, care, unity, healing and restoration will come to all that enters this sanctuary.” – Grahame and Sandra

Rehoboth opened on the 27^th of February 2017. It is a place for churches, NGOs, groups and individuals to come to seek God’s face in prayer and worship. The prayer room opens Mondays- Saturdays from 10am -4pm to the public and for private booking. Extended hours also are available for evenings (5-9pm), 24 hour vigils and to accommodate other prayer needs.

The prayer room features a prayer wall, 24-hour communion and also includes a smaller room for personal prayer. A guitar and keyboard will be available, as well as a drawing easel for prophetic visions. Additional information will be posted on the Rehoboth Prayer Room Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RehobothPrayerRoom

Rehoboth Prayer Room Vision

• Rehoboth will combine worship and prayer to seek God’s face and unlock His presence.
  “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”(Jeremiah 29:13)
• Rehoboth will be a committed place of prayer personally and communally.
  “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.”(Acts 1:14)
• Rehoboth will be a place of great love, joy and unity.
  “These three remain faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
  “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” (Psalm 100:4)
  “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)
• At Rehoboth we will have an expectation that God will move.
  “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)