thepromise Orphan’s Promise newsletter | June 2018
Orphan’s Promise newsletter | June 2018
KFT Cambodia by Tim Daniell, Regional Manager, Orphan’s Promise
While visiting Cambodia recently, I had the pleasure of meeting a number of precious families that have joined a Keeping Families Together (KFT) program. Orphan’s Promise began this new and exciting KFT program in April 2017 with a local church partner in an impoverished community. Most of these families live about an hour’s drive from Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, and the area is known for its crime, drugs, and gambling—but KFT is bringing these people new hope and opportunity.
giving hope. promising love.
Orphan’s Promise has launched KFT programs around the world to help vulnerable children by holistically strengthening families. One amazing KFT family that really stood out to me during my visit to Cambodia was Mrs. Kruy’s family. Mrs. Kruy, a very poor widow with three loving daughters, suffers from a blood disease that prevents her from being able to financially support her family. However, she has an incredibly sacrificial 23-year-old daughter, Gunya, who has given up so much to support her mother and two younger sisters. This is their story…
Orphan’s Promise has launched KFT programs around the world to help vulnerable children by holistically strengthening families.
thepromise
Imagine being 23 years old in 2018 and never having had the chance to even finish Grade 1 in Primary School.
Imagine being 23 years old in 2018 and never having had the chance to even finish Grade 1 in Primary School. It may not be shocking to hear this of elderly people in the developing world— people like Mrs. Kruy, who never had any formal education—but that it is true for someone so young and in the prime of their life is tragic. This is the sacrifice Gunya made to support her sick mother and to financially support her two younger sisters, Ratha and Thavy, so they could get a good education and one day follow their dreams of becoming a designer and a teacher.
Gunya (far left), with her mother and two sisters
Gunya gets up at 4 o’clock every morning to buy cucumbers and shellfish at the market to sell to support her whole family. Her old motorbike was constantly breaking down and costing her a lot to repair. So after the family joined the KFT program, Orphan’s Promise helped Gunya purchase a better, more reliable motorbike, with extra equipment and carrying capacity, allowing her to earn a steady income from the small business she enjoys running.
thepromise
Through the KFT program, Mrs. Kruy’s family has grown much stronger and happier. They have received income generation assistance, educational support, and medical assistance, and they participate in family fun days and training days each month. Gunya said with a big smile, “My favorite training day was on Money Management. Now I have learned how to budget and save money for the first time and not just spend everything as soon as we earn it.” Gunya now earns nearly twice what she used to and is able to provide for her sisters’ education and mother’s medical needs. Their family is blossoming, and growing more in love with Jesus. As Gunya has shown so much love and unselfishness to support the dreams of others in her family, through the KFT program she is now seeing her own dreams begin to take shape too, and that is such a blessing to observe!
Orphan’s Promise Regional Manager, Tim Daniell, enjoying time with some of the local children
family care For many years now, Orphan’s Promise has been committed to helping families stay together. Conditions such as poverty and alcohol and drug abuse often drive parents to give up their children, sending them away to orphanages and children’s homes. In many cases, this breaks the heart of the parents, but they feel they have no other option. In cases like these, we believe we can provide another choice. Our Keeping Families Together (KFT) program allows families—those that are interested and willing to learn and pursue opportunities to improve their family situation—to stay together, ultimately allowing the family to heal and the children to remain in the home. We rejoice any time we are able to come alongside a family and watch them begin to transform. Through microenterprise opportunities, parents leave the shame and embarrassment of poverty behind as they begin to feel a sense of pride in working hard and providing for their families with their own hands. Families who enroll in our KFT programs also receive counseling and attend discipleship classes to begin addressing the need for emotional and spiritual growth. This combination produces a truly healthy home environment where the children can thrive.
Thank you for being an Orphan’s Promise supporter and for making the choice to take action. Together, we are truly making a difference!
As we look at the success of families in Cambodia and throughout Asia, we recognize that our Keeping Families Together programs have the potential to make a tremendous difference in every region and every country of the world. We will be expanding our KFT projects around the globe in the coming years and we encourage you to consider making an investment in families who just need a little support to experience all that God has in store for them.
’ I cannot tell you how exciting it is to be able to share with you what God is doing in Cambodia. While we can’t give you specific locations, and a few names may have to be changed for security reasons, we are seeing windows of opportunity open for our projects to love and care for children and families in difficult situations. After years of working under the radar, we’ve been given the green light by our partners on the ground to share the good news with you. Your generosity is truly reaching the farthest corners of the earth with hope and love. Thank you!
Terry Meeuwsen, Founder
give us a call: 1-800-818-4016 orphanspromise.org Orphan’s Promise, a children’s ministry of The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., serves orphans and other vulnerable children around the world, taking them from at-risk to thriving through the transforming power of God’s love. CBN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization and your contributions to our ministry are tax-deductible.