Eradicating trafficking & illiteracy

The eradication of trafficking and illiteracy amongst girls in Cambodia is something that I feel very strongly about. Two programs that are doing just that are the Girls be Ambitious program run in conjunction with the JRfC/AAFC's Cambodian School Project, and the Cambodian Arts & Scholarship Foundation. The objective of the Japan Relief for Cambodia/American Assistance for Cambodia's (JRfC/AAfC) Girls be Ambitious program is to prevent the trafficking of Cambodian girls and women for sexual and labour exploitation through an incentive program for girls from poverty-stricken homes to stay in school and receive additional vocational training aimed at providing alternative employment and increased income. You can read more about the program that piggybacks the Bernie Krishner-inspired drive to build more schools in rural Cambodia, here. Meanwhile, the Cambodian Arts & Scholarship Foundation (CASF) is a charity that I've raised funds for in the past and who do a fantastic job in improving the lives of girls, often denied equal access to schooling. CASF collaborates with local communities to identify potential students, provides financial, emotional and medical support to these students and their families, and sustains this support for as long as the child wants to learn. CASF has recently launched its new website here. The task of eradicating illiteracy and child trafficking won't be solved by these two organizations alone but both are making a real difference to real lives, every day.