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On a serious note...
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At the risk of sounding like a do-gooder, these are two charities that need advertising. It costs me nothing to give them some space, the least I can do tell people about them. They make a profit on a bracelet that sells for a dollar - so that puts it in perspective. What's a beer in London now? Three quid? I've seen what they are doing and it's good. 1 - The Landmine Museum Cambodia www.cambodialandminemuseum.org On our penultimate day in Cambodia, we paid a visit to the Cambodia Landmine Museum. The tragic past in this beautiful country is so recent. I really had to hold back tears when we were shown around the museum by a one-armed twelve year old landmine victim. I couldn't make out his name, but he told us that he'd been out looking for food with his grandfather at the age of six when the old man stood on a mine. With an arm blown off and now alone, he walked back home. Reading that is one thing - being told it in person is chilling. The museum is run by a former Khmer Rouge child soldier who switched sides and now trains villagers - at his own expense - to find disarm mines. He also houses and feeds these child victims. Writing seriously is not really my thing, but these are people with nothing making a tangible difference to the lives of people with even less. I felt sick with guilt at how fortunate my life is.
2 - M'Lop Tapang M'Lop Tapang employs local people to counsel, provide support for and educate street children who are often victims of abuse and forced prostitution. They also provide food, healthcare, integration back to school, recreation facilities and training in safe forms of income generation. |
| This page was edited on 29 January 2007 |