Help Destitute Moms with AIDS Care for Their Kids

Update on AIDS Patient Family Support Program:  Continuing the transition to independent living…

As we mentioned in our last update, our focus over the past year has turned to identifying those members of the FSP who are  poorest and sickest and  who  have  no means of support. This should reduce  our patient family load significantly. We are now in the process of revising our budgets for 2014-2015. Off setting  reduced numbers of patient families will be  the never ending upward trend of housing and food costs, which were key factors in trying to reduce our patient family load.  Over the past year,   we  have actively worked  to assess  which  families should  be capable,   of a successful  transition to independence or  a transition  toward receiving   the support  of their own extended families

Over the years during which  the FSP has been active, we have grateful  that due to the continuing advancement and accessibility of medical treatment to victims of HIV/AIDS.   Medical treatment and medication has allowed many of our families to experience  a long period of relative stability allowing children to grow up in a family setting. We  feel that we have been successful   in achieving  our  basic mission of assisting fragile families ( primarily single parent) to stay together .  Our  focus  on keeping dependent children in school remains as a key goal for 2014.

In recent weeks,  Cambodia   had unexpectedly experienced  significant  civil unrest  due to a contested national election. This seems to be developing into an ongoing situation with calls from the opposition party for daily demonstrations, which unfortunately can become unpredictably violent.    In the past, this type of unrest had a  spill over   effect into areas such as  personal safety which could impact tourism and industry and impact donor sentiment. 

In 2014 we will  welcome Lee Bopha as our new home care coordinator. Bopha,  a  Cambodian and trained teacher in her mid-20’s ,  has worked closely  for several  years with Juana Encolada, our longtime and beloved  home care coordinator.  Juana will  be returning  to her previous calling as a Sister with Maryknoll  order   after a 14 year hiatus, during which time she worked for us in our AIDS Patient Family Support Program.

As always , we are deeply grateful to  you, our  generous donors for your  kind support.