New Mobile Library for Street Children in Cambodia

The Tapang tree, also known as the ‘umbrella’ tree, provides shelter from the elements.  M’Lop means shade or protection in the Khmer language.

M'Lop Tapang was created in 2003 with the aim of giving street children access to the learning tools, resources, and opportunities they needed to build a better future. It offers regular meals, shelter, medical care, education, counseling, and protection from all types of abuse.  Additionally, M'Lop Tapang works to increase awareness in the community about issues affecting street children.

Today M'Lop Tapang works with over 3,000 street living and working young people and 900 families at nine centres in the Sihanoukville area.  It works closely with schools, the police and local authorities to help make the community a safer place for all children.

As we are still endeavoring to raise the money required to buy a new mobile library, here are a few statistics about M'Lop Tapang's work from the last month:

• 263 children attended education classes at M'Lop's main centre
• 1,371 children were treated in the medical clinic
• 557 children and youth in the community received drug awareness information
• 189 children participated in organized sports activities
• 48 children and youth slept safely in M'Lop's two night shelters
• 70 youth participated in M'Lops vocational training programmes
• 2 houses were repaired for poor families
• 16 new beach sellers were trained as ChildSafe members bringing the total community members trained to over 500
• 69 calls were made to M'Lop's 24-hour Confidential Hotline

For more info, please visit: http://www.mloptapang.org