JBCF established a special fund, for orphans or children whose father or mother already died of Aids. From this fund the children receive financial support in order to continue their education. The purpose is to facilitate a foster family programme to care for the predicted boom in children orphaned by Aids.
Via counselling of the families, opportunities will be looked for how to increase the income of the family where possible in order to find ways to become more independent.
For the already HIV infected children JBCF, together with Maryknoll's Children's Homes, created a safe home where children infected by HIV receive care, education and medication from the staff. The estimated costs for this medical treatment will be around US $550, - per year per child. The anti-retroviral therapy medication will be received from the Ministry of Health.
As part of this project JBCF is providing the following supports;
1. Financial family support
Each family under the care of JBCF receives financial support depending on the number of children within a family. The funds are used for education and healthcare for the children, but also for the family. For example, with the provided funds a family can buy a juice machine to set up a small community business to generate income, to in the end being able to support the family and become a productive member within the community.
2. Support in kind
Each family also receives support in kind depending on available funding. These donations in kind can vary from medicines, food to toiletries and educational materials.
3. Extra donation in kind for the child individual
Upon funding children can earn a bicycle, e.g. in case of good performance or progress at school. At the moment 8 children are in need of a bicycle to travel to school. Costs 80$ per cycle.
4. Support for special medical costs and articles
Medicines are also on the list of the needs of children. For example when a child has a traffic accident, these special medical costs are paid by JBCF upon funding.
5. Social support
To obtain their funds families will gather once every month. In addition to the financial support this moment serves to socialize and interact with each other, to learn from each other and to inform other families about all kind of issues.
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A restaurant was set up near the house of the founder and in the vicinity of two educational centres, which would attract enough customers to keep the restaurant running. After three months the restaurant already made some profits with gross income per month of around 2000$. With the profits and some sponsorship JBCF was able, in cooperation with LICADHO, to provide food to HIV/Aids infected prisoners in the biggest jail in Cambodia.
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JBCF has opened a restaurant, Grilled Meat 99, near two educational institutes. Business was going well and JBCF is planning to expand business by both serving breakfast and dinner to student, employees and residents of that area. However, this model was the restaurant and prison business inspired other families in the location to do the same. Regrettably they are able to do this at much lower prices, as they did not need to pay salaries to staff. The consequence was that the income of the JBCF restaurant dropped drastically to around 500$ per month. Good example creates followers! This urged JBCF to move the restaurant to the house of the founder, where JBCF were offering one dollar meals to customers. This worked reasonable well which an income covering just the costs.
At a certain moment JBCF received the offer to start a restaurant in a newly built factory in one of the Industrial Zones on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. For one year JBCF was able to serve to around 80-100 workers lunch and dinner for each 1$ per meal per person six days a week. Even though business was going well, JBCF had to deal with some logistical and transportation issues. When other families in the area started a same restaurant, JBCF had to decide to stop this project as ends did not meet and families were not helped any longer. JBCF is happy to see the area developed and their good example finds followers.
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Through a contract with the Social Work Department JBCF has agreed to provide work experience to students of the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Currently, two students of the Social Work Department of the Royal University of Phnom Penh are doing a one year practical period at JBCF by working every Tuesday with the staff in the sewing centre. They also visit beneficiaries at home, accompanying staff of JBCF on home visits. It is the intention to continue this collaboration with the Royal University of Phnom Penh, as the students are presenting the organisation to other students and are assisting the staff of JBCF.
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Sovanna is a young adult studying Accounting in Phnom Penh. She works part-time at a sewing studio. This sounds like a normal girl going to school and living in a big city. However this was not always the case, Sovanna grew up in a single-mom family with three younger sisters. Her father died of Aids and her mother is HIV positive. Having no income, the family struggled to get food; there was no money for education. Besides that Sovanna is disabled, she is only able to walk with crutches. In Cambodia this means no chance of a future if you grow up in a poor family.
Then the family received support from JBCF, with the money they received from the organisation all girls are able to go to school. Sovanna: “With the money from JBCF I have a future; my sisters and I can now go to school and get a good job. So we can support my mother...Even though I am disabled I have potential...otherwise we would have ended up on the street”
She works hard and does very well in school. With the money Sovanna earns at the sewing studio, she is able to rent a house and become an independent woman. She also volunteers at JBCF, visiting all the other families receiving support from JBCF. Sovanna: “I am very happy I got this chance”.
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The 2009 output of the support by JBCF:
- At that moment 42 children are under the direct care of JBCF, receiving financial support in order to continue schooling, to receive clothing, housing, food and health services.
- All children are going to school and therefore are protected from trafficking and other dangers. Good performances at school are rewarded with a bicycle.
- One girl is going for a third year to the Norton University (Faculty of Business and Accounting) with a scholarship from an Australian University. Another girl has quit her study, as she is too busy with her job at the NAGA Casino.
- One boy passed his final exams in High School in June 2009. He wants to continue his study at the University. A scholarship has been requested already, though it is waiting for the boy to make a choice which faculty he wants to go.
- Two boys are on the waiting list to follow training in cooking on their wishes.
- All children are going to English classes.
- Two boys orphans are playing football in a local (expatriate) team
- One girl is receiving computer training.
- The university student is working part-time as a home visitor after intensive training, visiting all children two times a month.
- All children are enjoying health care insurance together with their family.
- With the help of our sponsors, JBCF was able to renovate a mini-van, which is now used by JBCF and his partner organisation HPHAO to transport children.
- A new motorbike, financed by Foundation Watercarriers, will be used for home visits.
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This lead to a opportunity in Takeo and Takmao province. In the past few years many women enjoyed their vocational training and were able to start their own business and can now support their families. JBCF is very proud to have been able to help these women and their children to a stable future.