Bite-sized news!

1. The Riverkids lunch on 22nd July at Valentino's, a wonderful Italian restaurant just off Rifle Range Road, was a huge success. We raised three times our target, with people opening up their hearts and pledges. Thanks so much to Joy Tan and Mei-Lin Chan for arranging the event!

2. Four of our latest Get Ready graduates interviewed and got jobs at Goldiana Hotel! They start as junior housekeepers, and will go for English class afterwards. Riverkids, thanks to RJC's sponsorship, is arranging for bicycles for them as well.

3. We've been able to add English classes to our gradeschool program at almost no cost, thanks to a supply of regular volunteers from another local NGO, Khmer Volunteers. The kids now have art, dance, football and English which keeps them busy and happy when they're not studying.

4. With more than a handful of kids now diagnosed with HIV, we're putting together a new program, Living Positive, for kids and families with HIV. Maryknoll provides excellent help, but if we can, we'd like to help the families lead regular lives without having to move to a new shelter. Advice appreciated!

5. We took in two more weekly boarders this month specifically for attempts at trafficking and child exploitation. We have a couple more for severe abuse, although we're glad to say, some have also returned home. One was a step-parent trying to sell a child, another with a step-parent rejecting the child and a relative trying to send the child to work on the streets.

6. The Botes visited last weekend and fixed up our computer network at the office! We're getting desks and trying to find space for the lab which all our kids will share.