This project got off the ground on impulse. Everywhere about town you would see these kids if not digging into rat-infested garbage were being chased of by packs of gnarly dogs or property owners with big sticks. One group of kids in particular caught my attention because they never made a fuss and I never saw them rude to foreigners. When time allowed them to be boys, that just what I saw: boys having fun as boys this age should. Their fun was a game played with an old broken flip-flop on a plane field of chipped stones and broken glass.

To begin, I thought about a Khmer kitchen run by kids coming up to the time they had to leave an orphanage and that possibly my staff at LGB would be able to train them. Our first attempt at this failed on the ground of theft. Yes indeed, this we come up against almost on a daily basis. But this is a matter of another topic and as yet not the reason for these pages. “Ours is not the reason why”. The first six months were a bit haphazard. Basically if the timing was right I had my staff give them some food. Don’t knock me for this: bread and sugar baguette, “sugar butty” and cup of coke. Hideous, I know! Glad to report that a better Khmer diet is now the order of the day.

Funding is now our aim. 6 young boys, 1 good meal and a drink and then have some fun and activities with volunteers and backpackers whishing to experience the moment. We now have some small travel bags for sale and in these are kid school pencils etc… All proceeds for these items allow us to restock and with cloths that folks can buy for the boys.

This month the first act of class in Art drawing and ABC have been taking place and run by a nice Japanese lady volunteer by the name of Hiroi from Kumamoto Kyushu Island. She’s here with us for 2 months. If you pass through this little town say hello and buy a gift for a Tin Can Kid!