Cambodian musicians joins ASEAN orchestra to raise funds for children's education

(Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH - Cambodian musicians joined ASEAN orchestra on Friday night in Phnom Penh to raise funds for low vision children in the country to gain their education like their peers.

The 50-member ASEAN symphony was joined by eight Cambodian musicians performed a charity concert at Chaktomuk Theater in central Phnom Penh to raise funds for low vision children in the country to gain their education through their local schools.

Boun Mao, executive director of the Association of the Blind in Cambodia, said all money raised is for a project allowing "low vision children to gain their education."

He said the project is run in the provinces of Kampong Cham and Kampong Speu.

"This project will allow low vision children to gain their education through their local schools with their friends rather than a special school. The family will be supported through livelihood schemes so they can leave their children in school to gain a full education," Boun Mao said.

The orchestra is supported by The Nippon Foundation, Japan's non-governmental organization with an aim for raising funds and raising awareness amongst younger people of all types of music.

The orchestra is mostly joined by those from the 10-member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

This orchestra is expected to return to Cambodia again next year when this country hosts the ASEAN summits.

ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.