Kids on the night shift

You’d never guess that Pich is 13 years old. He is in grade 3, and until recently, worked nights collecting plastic alongside his younger siblings and parents. Pich was hit by a motorbike late one night and his family approached Flame for financial assistance to pay for his hospital bills. He had a suspected concussion and his front teeth were knocked out. The accident occurred while he was on the job, but there is no compensation for a child like Pich.

The entire family have been collecting bottles at night when the temperatures drop,  so despite the fact that the children are enrolled in the local school, and the youngest is enrolled in kindergarten, they’re just too tired to go.

Pich’s Dad works days also as a Moto-taxi driver, shown here with Pich’s youngest brother Thy who is 5.

A kiwi Flame supporter had stepped up to help this family, so  now the kids are attending both public school and the Flame Activity Centre daily - and no longer need to work at night. A Flame case worker has been assigned to the family and we are looking at practical solutions to their desperate situation. With both mum and dad willing and keen workers, there must be a way for them to become sustainable.

If you want to help families like this, partner with us. We can’t do this without your help.

These kids can now go to school ... let’s try and help the whole family out of poverty