I have recently returned from another trip to Phnom Penh, the highlight being my stay at Help for the Poor centre for 3 nights/days. It was great to see and be a part of the childrens daily lives - going off to school, doing chores, playing, eating, socialising and studying. I worked hard on learning the childrens names and got to discover their personalities better. It confirmed for me to continue the relationship with HFTP and to do all I can from NZ to support their future. Unfortunately due to a lack of funds the preschool that was also run by HFTP closed approx a year ago, they hope to open again in the future but there also may be other options for use of the building.
A STORY
I was also able to see first hand what it was like for 2 new children who arrived that weekend. They were sisters aged 6 & 7 who were abandoned by their mother in their village in Kandal Province. The father is in prison having been charged with domestic violence. The girls were picked up from a neighbour by a colleague of Vuthy and brought to Phnom Penh. I will watch with interest what becomes of them - at this stage they are in a welcoming and loving environment, the older girls quickly took them under their wings and cared for them. They had a haircut and got some new clothes from money given to them by another Kiwi girl visiting for the first time. I so hope that her mother can be found somehow and supported so that she can have her girls back at home with her or perhaps other relatives may be found who can take them in. Seeing one of the girls cry each day for her mum was so sad and I was really torn in getting to know them as I knew that I was going to leave as well.
I was able to talk with Vuthy further about the needs of the orphanage and future options. At this stage the only regular income they have is the monthly food costs covered by a business run by the owner of the Centre whcdih is great - this happened recently as the business has grown enough to do this. They really need further help & support to generate their own regular income which can in turn enable them to pay their staff, pay for the childrens personal & education needs, upkeep and improve their facilities, cover medical/dental expenses and enable further training/ skill development as the children get older.
Feb 2010
The ATM card arrived safely in Phnom Penh in February so we were able to give HFTP $350US thanks to donations from the Banyard & Jackson families plus proceeds from a DVD project that Dave & I did at school. With this money they were able to fund shampoo, kitchen supplies, a repair, reading book, medicine and teacher payments.
