VIDEO: UNICEF correspondent RobMcBride reports on efforts made by Buddhist monks to support families affected by HIV in Cambodia. Watch in RealPlayer
By Rob McBride
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, 6 February 2012 – Cheng Sophea dropped to the ground with her son and bowed in a gesture of respect as Khun Khat arrived at her home in Kampong Speu Province, several hours outside Phnom Penh.
Ms. Cheng was diagnosed with HIV in 2002, and a year later her husband died of an AIDS-related illness. Since then, Khun Khat, a monk, has visited regularly, offering invaluable support as the 34-year-old mother comes to terms with the challenges of living with HIV while raising her 11-year-old son, Seung Panha.
“Sophea has had a lot of challenges in her life,” said Khun Khat, “but we’re advising her, and others, how to live and how to carry on.”
His assistance is part of the Buddhist Leadership Initiative (BLI), a UNICEF-supported programme that enlists the help and resources of pagodas – which wield considerable influence in this devoutly Buddhist country – to support adults and children living with or affected by HIV. Read the rest of the article at UNICEF.org.
By Rob McBride
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, 6 February 2012 – Cheng Sophea dropped to the ground with her son and bowed in a gesture of respect as Khun Khat arrived at her home in Kampong Speu Province, several hours outside Phnom Penh.
Ms. Cheng was diagnosed with HIV in 2002, and a year later her husband died of an AIDS-related illness. Since then, Khun Khat, a monk, has visited regularly, offering invaluable support as the 34-year-old mother comes to terms with the challenges of living with HIV while raising her 11-year-old son, Seung Panha.
“Sophea has had a lot of challenges in her life,” said Khun Khat, “but we’re advising her, and others, how to live and how to carry on.”
His assistance is part of the Buddhist Leadership Initiative (BLI), a UNICEF-supported programme that enlists the help and resources of pagodas – which wield considerable influence in this devoutly Buddhist country – to support adults and children living with or affected by HIV. Read the rest of the article at UNICEF.org.
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