Andy Sweeney

About me:

The SCOOP (Save Children Out Of Poverty) Foundation is a new approach to charitable fundraising. We fund and support education, creativity and life skills for children and young adults in some of the world's poorest regions. Using our combined love of music, the arts and any type of creativity, our goal is to raise funds through having a good time! Although our initial focus is on universal primary education, we also mobilise skilled workers to pass on their skills to young adults in the hope of a better future for them and their community. So far we have helped fund and will continue to support an orphanage in Cambodia; a school for street kids in India; a HIV/AIDS shelter for children, a football academy and a sewing school in Uganda; and a DJ workshop for underprivileged teenagers here in Dublin. We plan to raise funds through innovative events and having a good time, and we won't pay directors six figure salaries or send 'chuggers' on the street wanting a moment of your time. The SCOOP began its life after a trip to Cambodia and achance meeting with a man named Sith Sameth, a local of the poverty stricken outskirts of Phnom Penh, who was living with his pregnant wife. One day he found a three year old girl in a ditch, abandoned by her parents. Sath cared for the girl and took her in as his own. Locals from the area had heard of this act and instead of helping the man with his growing family, would leave their own children in the dead of night outside Sath's house. Some of these children had suffered serious abuse in the sex trade over there and were no longer profitable to their parents. Instead of returning the children, Sath took on the burden of helping them, giving them food, shelter, an education and more important a loving home. Not getting any help from the Cambodian government, he put up simple signs in hostels around Phnom Penh, mentioning an orphanage that was looking for volunteers to help him and his wife at the Save Children In Asia Orphanage (SCAO). Volunteers arrived and helped this budding family anyway they could. A simple two storey, one room home (upstairs) and classroom (downstairs) were built, some bought sports equipment, others simply came and taught the children phrases in English or played with them. To cut a long story short, Sath housed 12 children and had a small dank classroom. Sath now has built an extra bedroom for more children, now housing 16, and built a bigger, outdoor classroom that at times can have up to 50 local children, and adult Cambodians, attending and learning English and Khmer (education was abolished in Cambodia in the 80's). He now also helps the impoverished elderly in the locality, and a sense of community has now been established, rather than the sentiment that children can be abandoned. It isn't easy for Sath and his wife as they receive no government funding and simply rely on the volunteers that go there. Sath truly is the most amazing man I've ever met, and it is men like Sath that the SCOOP will support. .. Above in the first slideshow are my own pictures from my trip there last April. The pictures below that are the result from the money sent over by the SCOOP Foundation to the SCAO at Christmas. All this came from a simple gig we threw. Since we have hosted a Poker tournament, an Art Auction and a three-floor bands, DJ and comedy extravaganza. We plan to host a number of events before the year is out. The final slideshow are the latest pics from Cambodia (August 2009). You can really see the difference and the growth. The pics below that are from the latest school we support, the School Of Life in India and below that are Calvin's pictures from his trip to Uganda. These pictures are the result of all your support so please keep supporting the SCOOP and our projects. If you would like to be involved with The SCOOP Foundation, contact Andy on 0857781058 or email thescoopfoundation@gmail.com .. .. ..