Feed our children, give them Wings to fly!

When one of our clients told us last month that she heard of a job available outside Cambodia from an unknown source, we raised the red flag immediately.

We helped her to identify the validity of the job and concluded that it was unclear who the recruiter was and that the job was genuine. Although she seemed caring because she requested Riverkids to enroll her younger siblings in our Weekly Boarding while she might be away from work, she bit them without apparent reasons when they were at home. The younger ones were terrified.

She was happy to let them have training and education, but stopped her younger sister from going to school. She is suffering from borderline disorder and has multi-personality, and this made our counselling extremely difficult, but after rounds of negotiation, we’re able to keep the family within our sight and safe – for now.

In another long-standing case, a loving grandpa threw in the towel, saying that he was no longer capable of looking after his five-year-old grandson due to deteriorating health. For two years, he had been taking care of him because the boy’s mother had been working at night and is HIV+. Our social workers provided monthly visits and allowance to support the grandpa and boy living far away from our centres.

The boy’s mother is now pregnant and near term, so we promised her that we would take care of the boy if no one else could. However, the mother neither wanted her son back nor had him in our Weekly Boarding. None of her friends and neighbours could help. For a month, we were in a deadlock, but broke through recently after going back and forth with her many times until she finally agreed. We met up with the local authority to sign the agreement to enroll the boy in our Weekly Boarding. He was also tested negative for HIV, which was a great relief to all of us, and you.

While all our families have some serious issue, a small minority of the families with multiple severe issues requires more staff time, funding and assistance than the rest of the majority of the families. We work on the Pareto principle (20% of our families take up 80% of our focus) and together with surveys and research, we become very good in what we do.

All these help had been possible because of your funding on May 7th GlobalGiving’s Bonus Day. You raised US$29,379 inclusive of matching bonus of US$6,549 and the US$1,000 award for the highest amount raised among over 3000 charities worldwide who participated. For 550 children we’re serving in Cambodia – that’s enormous help.

As of June 2nd, 2014, the remaining goal stands at US$9,431. The next Bonus Day is coming up on July 16th, 2014 and it’s even more rewarding. Because you have helped us to maintain our Superstar status, we’ll be getting 50% bonus matching funds for the donation anyone is going to make on that day. See you again on July 16th, 9PM Singapore time and for the rest of the world, the time to donate for 50% matching funds is here. Thank you.

We are now forty-five days away from Global Giving’s BIG bonus day, saluted by charities as one of the most generous giving day by all donors worldwide. 

This year, Bonus Day falls on May 7^th, Wednesday and that’s the same week many of us celebrate Mothers’ Day.

Give Mothers hope this May

Can you give something special and big to appreciate all the mothers Riverkids serves in Cambodia?

Impact of your donations to Wings

Over the last nine months, you've helped us raised an astounding US$28,974 which has given 347 families hope for a better future. It kept children out of dangerous street work and in class, so they have a chance in education. It provided temporary shelter to our families whose houses were flooded during the monsoon season in October 2013. Extra blankets, noodles, fish sauce, rice and mosquitoe nets were distributed.

It stopped a debt from spiraling because a mother borrowed $50 from a neighbour to deliver her baby in the hospital. Social workers visited families to work out solutions, our nurse carried out health checks on children, and made sure babies have enough formula milk until they are healthy again. This was the huge difference your donation made to our families who could not find help anywhere near them. Thank you very much.

How much can US$100 do in Cambodia?

The amount of Direct Cash Aid varies among families. For a destitute family with three Riverkids children below 18, one pregnant mother and a granny, they need a monthly stipend of $137, but for another family, $30 a month would adequately pull them through a difficult time and bring them back to stability in three months.

This May 7^th, can you set aside $100 to help a family in crisis with meals, healthcare, school and safety? With Global Giving’s 30% bonus matching where its 15% administration deduction is covered by a very generous donor friend of ours, Lyn, 100% of your donation will be matched and bumped up to $130. Lyn has donated US$7,520 to cover the admin fee because she believes strongly in the work that Riverkids does and that her partnership with you will thrust your donation to provide an extra month of warm and loving meals to a Cambodian family in the slum at no extra charge.

A small amount that does incredible things 

What you can provide with $100 in Cambodia is far more than what the same amount can do in developed countries. Cramped in a two-by-two metres shack in the Cambodian slums, a family of five is able to share a simple meal of vegetable soup with a big pot of porridge and some meat and eggs added to their meal. It pays for the rental of a tiny space so they don’t have to be thrown out by the landlord at the time of crisis and pocket money to replace a teenage girl’s income while she goes through training. Most of all, you are giving the family assurance that things will be stable again soon.

See you in April

April’s coming with a chance to give big and Global Giving’s matching bonus will help Riverkids to give our families extra for free. Catch up real soon!

Exceedingly grateful,

Photo credit: Bernadette Vincent and Micky Wiswedel (child carrying younger brother)