About this user
KORSANG:
The Organization:
Korsang is a small grass roots program located in Phnom Penh. It is a fairly new program, beginning in September 2004, which has recently increased its small staff of 5 employees to 23 employees and 29 peer educators. Korsang has trained staff to become harm reductionists who are working with the Cambodian population in the prevention of IDU related HIV and other drug related harm. The main component of the Korsang team is to engage in intensive, harm reduction based IDU and drug user outreach and education through peer related connection. Korsang currently works with over 1,000 injection drug users and over 2,300 ATS users.
Korsang is targeting Cambodians who are engaged in injection drug use and yama use who are currently un-served and at serious risk of HIV and other health-related hazards that accompany drug use and high-risk sexual behavior. Korsang staff visits areas where street based injection drug use is a serious issue and sex worker areas where yama and unprotected sex go hand in hand.
KORMIX
Korsang's Creative Arts Programming
Korsang promotes positive self-image to Phnom Penh's at risk young people by providing an outlet to stimulate and explore their creative senses within the field of music, dance and community arts. Giving them the opportunities to build character, leadership skills and gain valuable knowledge in a safe and supportive environment.
Korsang believes that people make changes in their lives based on the relationships they have with others and how they see themselves fitting into the world. We are dedicated to working creatively with at risk young people to empower them with a sense of control and hope in their lives.
The young people involved in Kormix progress toward their dreams in a comfortable environment and will create a sense of accomplishment within the program. Korsang is dedicated to building long term relationships with participants and the surrounding community.
Korsang's art, dance and music programming inspires young people at risk to explore art, dance and music as a form of self expression. Song writing, creative technology, audio, digital music recording, community arts and dance will provide a positive direction and healthy outlet for our participants to express their thoughts and feelings using their body, voice, rhythm and energy.
Once trained, the creative projects that participants develop are taken to the community providing them with free outdoor music, dance and cultural programming offering HIV prevention educational messages heard within the public at large.
The highlights of the programming cumulate when Korsang participants are sharing their drug and HIV related educational music live in Cambodian communities and on the radio. They go out into the city and offer to paint colorful, cultural health related, murals on city walls and engage in break dancing that correlates to the beats and music they produced. The artistic and cultural diversity only adds to the richness of Korsang's organizational services.
KORMIX DANCE PROJECT
For Korsang staff and participants, all this adds up to an art form that, properly channeled, holds boundless opportunities to reach young adults. Hip-hop's American background and its commercial success provide a natural hook to get kids thinking about the future. The influence of the culture's celebrities, coupled with its strong roots among the urban poor, make it an enticing vehicle for youth engagement. Classes are held at Korsang 5 times weekly, each class runs for 90 minutes. Korsang has 2 hip hop/break dancing instructors from Tiny Toones to teach the fundamentals of dance. Korsang participants eventually dance performing in public, with our music project, at mural displays created by the Korsang art project.
KORMIX MUSIC PROJECT
Voices through Hip-Hop and Beats
Hip-Hop can be a social and educational wellness outlet, that uses Hip-Hop music & culture to Engage, Understand, Heal, and Unite those who are at risk for harmful drug use and HIV. The emphasis is on therapeutic concepts that serve as a culturally sensitive catalyst for personal and collective change. Hip-Hop programming utilizes Hip-Hop music and culture, along with a Hip-Hop style, flavor and attitude to address life issues and struggles. This unique approach is useful in helping one to see and reach their full potential, to utilize all of the resources that are available to them, and to begin to work through obstacles that prohibit them from discovering the potential in their life. Classes are held at Korsang 5 times weekly, each class will runs for 3 hours. Korsang has a music technology professional with years of experience creating beats and producing rap.
Through Kormix, current drug users have become former drug users, the music they produce has an educational flavor aimed at sharing HIV prevention messages to the young adults of Cambodia.
