On June 30th, Tiny Toones will celebrate its 10th Birthday with an explosive afternoon of creativity, dance, DJing, live graffiti and massive performers from some of Cambodia’s most exciting stars. Everyone is invited to attend this free event at Factory Phnom Penh, from 12-6. To find out more and sign up to attend, go HERE.

Performers, dancers, DJs and artists confirmed include superstar Nikki Nikki, the Tiny Toones Crew, former student turned rapper Sang Sok Serey, KlapYaHandz, 12me, Kreative Kings, Khmer Thorsue, DJ Cake, DJ Niko Yu, DJ Jay, DJ Shadow, DJ B-Roc, Kbach Crew and more special guests.

“When I first set up Tiny Toones and began offering a few street kids breakdancing lessons, my biggest hope was that one of them might make something of their lives,” said Tiny Toones founder Tuy “KK” Sobil. “I can’t believe that so many have gone on to be successful, and are going to be performing as talented adult artists on Saturday, showing off their rapping, dancing, singing and creative talents. I’m so proud, and so excited about Saturday.”

In June 2008, Tiny Toones finally moved out of founder Tuy “KK” Sobil’s cramped apartment and set up its first real centre in the community, where it began offering disadvantaged and marginalized kids education alongside the breakdancing lessons which had made it locally famous. Its aim was to turn kids away from gangs, drugs and crime, and towards education and a better future.

Ten years later, Tiny Toones has reached over 15,000 kids, and educates more than 100 a day at its centre. 80% of its students, many of whom had dropped out of school or never been, return to public school. 96% have gone on to meaningful employment, thousands have successfully stayed away from drugs and crime, and many have become celebrated rappers, dancers and artists shaping Cambodia’s creative culture.

“I don’t know what I would have done without Tiny Toones, they helped me find my talent,” said Sang Sok Serey, former Tiny Toones student, now rap star. “Tiny Toones helps kids who are hungry for education but cannot pay. They even bring them from far away, if they don’t live nearby. The kids then have space to learn what they need to. Its so good for them. And I would like to see them supported much more in the future, which I hope this event will help with.”

Tiny Toones is delighted to announce that it has secured a grant from Norway’s Kavli Trust which has the potential to transform its work bringing education to Cambodia’s most disadvantaged children. The year long grant will be invested in Tiny Toones’ vital infrastructure, namely its education centre and its transport services, enabling the organization to provide a safe and supportive environment for children to learn, and the means by which to transport them from some of the most deprived slum areas of Phnom Penh.

“We’re always amazed when people or organisations from so far away see our work, value it, and want to support us,” said Tuy “Kay Kay” Sobil, Tiny Toones founder. “What makes this grant so important for us is that it makes the foundations of Tiny Toones stronger. Without our centre or our transport, we can’t do anything. With them in place, we can do so much. Now the small team here can focus our energy on improving the kids’ education, giving them a better chance at escaping the poverty they and their families are trapped in.”

Indeed, the grant comes in the year when Tiny Toones marks its tenth anniversary of running a centre where kids from disadvantaged backgrounds can come to be safe, be creative and be educated. Having a centre has been crucial to Tiny Toones’ successes, but is difficult to fundraise for through traditional means – infrastructure is not typically exciting for individual donors, even though it is crucial to NGOs. That challenge is why Kavli’s support will have such an impact, freeing Tiny Toones from a funding stress that has taken huge amounts of valuable management time away from core creative and educational work.

A small portion of the grant will also be invested into Tiny Toones’ fundraising capacity, providing a path towards greater future financial sustainability. All of this means that the organisation will now be able to focus on its development into a new era of excellence, sustainability and forward-thinking.

“We are a very small NGO with a very small budget compared to others, but there is nothing small about our results,” added Sobil. “That means that Kavli’s investment will have a transformative impact on us as an organization, on our staff and most of all on our entire community of children.”

To learn more about the grant and about the wonderful Kavli Trust, please go here.