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Children of prisoners are often overlooked andend up being the forgotten victims of crime. In developing countries such as Cambodia, the issue of extreme poverty exacerbates the problem and many children are left in desperate situations at high risk of exploitation, harm, abuse or neglect.
Through a project run by Prison Fellowship Cambodia, the Foundation is supporting these vulnerable children. PFC provides short-term emergency care for children while they look for longer term solutions such as with extended family or foster parents.
This year PFC worked with a family of 3 children from a rural area, who witnessed their father brutally killing their mother. Not only were these children suffering from that trauma and loss, but they had no one to care for them and were at great risk of exploitation. PFC worked with a local human rights agency (ADHOC) to provide help.
The children were bought to Phnom Penh to stay at PFC’s short-term care facility, Michael’s House. They discovered that there were two other older children in bonded employment in the north of Cambodia and through ADHOC they were able to rescue them.
The younger children were provided with counselling from Hagar staff and were accompanied to their mother’s funeral. Because of the large number of children the challenge was to find a place that would accept them all. They found a loving children’s homewhere the children are nowliving in safety, going to school, making friends and receiving lots of love.
Although this story had a tragic beginning, the outcome for these children is hopeful. They've been rescued and protected from further harm and exploitation and are being given the best possible opportunities for a better life.
This is testimony to the work of dedicated organizations such as PFC who network with other local agencies. Thanks to your support wehave theprivilege of partnering with them to restore and transform broken young lives.
Read more about the work of Prison Fellowship Cambodiasupported by the Foundation.
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