Case Studies To understand these children's lives here is a description of 3 families who are now supported by Anjali.

1 - In July 2007, you would have found 11 year old V. under the glare of the neon street lights selling postcards to tourists in Siem Reap to support his family. He never attended public school. His father and step-mother, both suffering from HIV, have difficulty working and feeding the whole family. The father, handicapped in one leg, (a result of stepping on a landmine) begs or collects rubbish every day only to come home with less than 1 dollar a day. Today, V. is more likely to be found at home in the evenings, tired after a long day of public school, English class, General Studies and workshops.

2 - E., a little 8 year old girl, is the eldest child of five who had never been to school when we met her. She had always been rejected and psychologically mistreated by people around her. It was terrible to see E. so insecure, shy and constantly feeling guilty. Her widowed 23 year old mother was pregnant with her 5th baby and had no job. We decided to give them as much help as we could. Today, E., her brother and cousins come to Anjali 5 days a week. Her mother, who now has a part time job washing clothes for the association, has been given a micro loan with which she has started a small business selling vegetables in the market.

3 - P. is a 16 year old boy. He is trying his best to help his family by studying. His father died 4 years ago, leaving his wife with 7 children to look after. She washes dishes in a restaurant at night time. P. and 3 of his little brothers and sisters are enrolled at Anjali, which eases the pressure on their mother. One of their older brothers has psychological problems. He has spent time in prison, sometimes drinks heavily, steals money and becomes physically abusive to their mother. We aim to give P. and his brothers and sisters the chance to further their education and have a safe environment in which to spend the day.