We are currently supporting an orphanage in Phnom Penh Cambodia, run by Scott Neeson of the excellent Cambodian Children's Fund (CCF). We are aiming to raise enough money here to pay for all his current 240 children kept safe under his wing.

Scott rescues 80% of his children from the city's rubbish dump where they live desperate lives scavenging in sub-human conditions. Once rescued, Scott then provides his children with:

• Housing in a secure and caring environment
• 3 meals a day, 7 days a week
• Clothing, including school uniform and shoes
• Medical care, including prescriptions and vitamins
• Schooling, including materials such as books and pencils

It does not take long to see a complete transformation in his children, as they start to recover and grow. It is great to see their enthusiasm to learn!

Cambodia's history and the CCF

Cambodia's recent history has been tragic, with the loss of an estimated 2 million lives (about 25% of the population) during Pol Pot's brutal reign in the 1970's, foreign incursions and civil war. Millions of land mines remain active today and are spread throughout the country.

Child prostitution is rampant here. Children are often forced into the trade, some sold by their caretakers and others stolen from their villages.

The Cambodian Children's Fund's Phnom Penh facility was initially established as a safe house for Cambodia's orphaned, abandoned or abused children, providing secure shelter and nutritional meals within a caring environment. The goal was to house and feed 45 children.

Since then, the facility has grown and with the opening of CCF2 in March 2006 the fund now serves 240 children. This number has further increased with the opening of CCF3 in early 2007.

Today, the CCF provides a comprehensive educational program for all children, including local language reading and writing, multilevel English classes, social studies and maths.

An in-house health care centre provides children with blood testing, medical treatment, dental services and an extensive vaccination program.

A unique aspect of the centre is the rooftop cultural center. Each evening the children are taught their local music, dance and drama, an integral part of the country's heritage that was all but wiped out during Pol Pot's reign.

Vocational training is a key part of the CCF's work. The young teens at the CCF are encouraged to identify their general job aspirations, and training toward this goal is introduced into their educational program. Computer training, hairdressing, beauty therapy, graphic design, restaurant management, banking training, electronic and electrical apprenticeships and language instruction are a few of the current vocational programs.

In November 2006 CCF opened the Star Bakery. This serves as a key vocational training centre, providing intensive training in baking techniques, bread production, food hygiene and business management.