Life is unimaginably tough for many Cambodian children, as illustrated in this report that says some 1.5 million Cambodians under the age of 14 are forced to work, foregoing schooling, and often toiling long and hard under hazardous conditions.

According to the World Bank, somewhere around a quarter of a million Cambodian kids work in recognized areas of danger like the dumps, mines and on the streets as beggars. (No mention of prostitutes in this report.)

The Cambodian human rights NGO... more

A story of innovation and determination caught my eye earlier this week, and I'm please to be able to pass along information about this new orphanage in Battambang, set up through the efforts of a young Australian woman who refused to walk away from other peoples' misery.

Tara Winkler came face-to-face with the reality of Cambodian orphanhood and the dire and despicable circumstances that often come with, took a minute to re-think her life; then dedicated herself... more

Missing an arm and a leg might make some people weigh in a bit light, but the UK's Chris Moon has more than enough heart to tip any scales in his direction with admirable force.

He lost his arm and leg while clearing landmines in Mozambique ... that would be the hard way, I'm thinking ... and is now riding a bike from Thailand's border with Cambodia to Sihanoukville, raising money for The Cambodia Trust... more

Starting with the concept of international adoption, stretching it like silly putty, then taking it out for a very long walk, you could come to this story out of India that describes a scenario that's becoming increasingly common.

It's about a 45-year-old acupuncture physician in Miami, Nicole Brown, hoping to hear she's in the process of gestating a baby created... more

Those not up on such things ... meaning our kids were born elsewhere so our learning curve has followed a different course ... will be interested to learn that Ethiopia is just preparing to enter the Third Millennium.

The calendar there runs according to Julian, not Gregory ... two old popes who held a lot of sway over calendars and stuff in their time ... and that puts them seven years behind us year-wise. This being the case, they are really getting behind the Millennium... more

With the weekend behind me, it's time to catch up with all the bits of news that I have collected and to pass the information along.

Starting with a brief report from Nepal on discussions coming up today on provisions regarding adoption.

It is said that today's meeting will be to acquire information, and that to date the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare has given approval to foreign nationals of 17 countries to take 1,800 children for... more

As domestic adoption slowing gains popularity in India, stories and information designed to share and educate are appearing more often in the Indian media.

This on easing the process for adopted children is one example of how attitudes are changing in the country, and how some are trying to pave the way for more and smoother transitions.

President of the Voluntary Adoption Resource Agency and adoptive mother, Vinita Bhargava,... more

The US is chipping in with military training and exercises to "... to improve the country's capabilities to fight global terrorism," this from the commander of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Timothy J. Keating.

Okay.

Maybe they'll be able to put a stop to tortoise trafficking.

Although no one has yet figured out a motive, two... more

Starting off this week's Cambodian news, an update on a story from a few weeks back on government orders to halt development on a project that began with filling in Beong Kob Srov Lake by the Long Chhin Resort Company.

This particular land scam, like many others, has hurt a lot of people, but this... more

Call me slow on the up-take, but since I'm not mom to Guatemalan-born kids I haven't been following the politics of that country as closely as others have. That being the case, I'm relying on others to bring me up to speed on happenings there and the "Why" that goes with.

Lisa fills in many gaps well, and information from other bloggers flesh out the picture.

Why... more