This Christmas, help get families back on their feet
Austcare has changed its name to ActionAid Australia For more information please visit the ActionAid website www.actionaid.org.auA message from Bahara in Afghanistan
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My name is Bahara, and I am 9 years old. I have four brothers and one sister. My elder brother is in class 9th and my elder sister is in class 8th. I am studying in class two and the others are younger. One day, before I was born, a rocket hit our home, which destroyed some parts of our home and hurt my mother. The neighbors took her immediately to Red Cross hospital, where she received care for twenty days, but she can't move her leg now. My father works as a cleaner in a hospital, but he doesn't earn very much, and it is difficult to feed and send six children to school. So now we live in my grandfather's home. A few months ago, two people came visit my mother to tell her about a program they were starting for people with disabilities like my mother. She was very surprised that there was a program to give her training and to help her get a job. They also told us that people in Australia has given money to support this project! My mother is studying in a beauty parlor workshop. When she finishes, Austcare will help her to open her own business. These days she is very busy and cannot play with me so much anymore! But soon she will be able to earn more money, so that we can all go to school. Then I can be a doctor in Maiwand hospital when I grow up. |
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A message from Samune in CambodiaMy name is Soi Samune and I'm 12 years old. I have 4 older brothers and sisters and a younger brother. I am in grade 5 at school in and my favorite subject is mathematics. When I was 4 years old, my father stepped on a landmine in the forest. He had one leg amputated and the other foot still has shrapnel in it. I was so scared for my father. It was a year before he could start farming again, but he could only stand for a few minutes without pain. We didn't have much food and my parents didn't have much money to give me for school - it was very hard for us all. Two years ago, Austcare began working with our village. The village chief picked my dad to start a Model Farm. Austcare trained us in growing rice, vegetables and fruit trees as well as how to raise fish and chicken. They gave us tools, plants, seeds, baby fish and chickens and helped us build a coop and dig a pond. Now we can grow different crops all year round. Even if there is a drought we have fish and eggs to sell so we always have food now. My favourite job is raising the fish. My father spends a lot of time showing other farmers how to grow better vegetables and tells them about the proper fish raising techniques. Before the model farm, I used to only get 500R to take to school - now I get 1500R!! It pays for tuition and breakfast - and sometimes even cake! I'm happy that I can go to school - I really want to be a teacher when I grow up. |
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