It’s a story of hope. A dream of adoptive families to touch the lives of the children left behind in Cambodia.

Adoptive families coming together to help the children of Cambodia who will never be adopted. Those dreams are now an evolving reality.

In 2002,Kai’s Kids[the humanitarian arm of Adopt for The Love of a Child established as a non-profit organization to raise funds to help improve the lives of orphaned and poverty-stricken children in Cambodia] along with the Cambodian NGO, Society for Orphan Support developed the concept of Kai’s Village. The idea of the village was to create a safe, loving and educational environment for the underprivileged.

Kai’s Kids and S.O.S. truly believes that “it takes a village to raise a child,” and through hard work, determination and a lot of heart they are creating a place that will provide many children with a safe environment to grow and live in. In addition, these beautiful children will be offered an education and life-building skills, ensuring them a more hopeful future.

Physically, the village will include a number of small, traditional Khmer-style homes to provide a family life environment. Through donations by various fund raising activities, the initial phase of building Kai’s Village has been completed. The land has been leased, a well has been installed for water, an old existing farmhouse has been renovated and a modern bathroom has been installed.

The first of the stilt houses has been completed and plans are underway for the second house. The children within the village are cared for by nannies on a full time basis. Currently, Kai’s Village is home to 30 children, and 14 adults. Other children in surrounding communities are provided for so that their families are not forced to relinquish them for their own survival.

The odds are against them.

Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Asia with an average income of $300 dollars (U.S.) per year. About 40% of the population is classified as poor. Nearly 80% of the population lives in the countryside, where most people’s livelihoods are agriculturally-based and reliant upon the annual rainfall.

A book written by Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times Southeast Asia correspondent Henry Kamm notes some startling statistics on Cambodia’s children, and quotes a UNICEF report as saying, “A Cambodian child is more likely to die before the age of one year than a child in any other country in the East Asia and Pacific Region.” In numbers, this means that 110 of 1,000 Cambodian children die before reaching their first birthday. The regional average is 42. Sadly, 181 children in 1,000 do not live to see the age of five.

Children with special needs need special people.

Kai’s Village does not turn any child away, regardless of age, disability or level of need. Many children at the village are in need of medical assistance and full-time personal care. Kai’s Village provides children with a loving, nurturing environment in which to grow and heal. For those children who need it, emergency medical care is provided. Doctor’s visits and necessary medications and medical provisions are also provided.

These special children are offered a second chance at life through Kai’s Kids fundraising efforts.

How you can help

You can contribute online with Visa or MasterCard through PayPal on our website www.kaiskids.org, or send a donation to Kai’s Kids, c/o AdoptTLC, 5201 Great Divide Drive, Austin, Texas 78738. We pledge to you that ALL donations will be used to benefit the children of Cambodia.

Contributions cover everything from bedding to clothes, books, food, water, formula, mosquito nets…. the list of needs is endless.

Raise money …..

We will assist you in setting up Loose Change, a unique program to raise money that you, your church, or company can use to collect spare change from those around you. We have also developed a video presentation to use when approaching other community-based groups.

Sponsor a child…

There are many children who need support. Not only does sponsorship help the children of Kai’s Village, but sponsorships are also available for children throughout the village whose families need respite from their poverty stricken lives.

Contribute to our medical fund….

Although Kai’s Village is home to several special needs children, from time to time, a child comes to Kai’s Village with extraordinary medical needs. Contributing to Kai’s Kids’ medical fund will ensure that those children can receive the best quality care and medicines available to them. With your help, Kai’s Kids’ medical fund can purchase medical equipment not readily available in Cambodia (i.e. electronic feed pumps, IV pumps, specialized baby formula, etc.), but desperately needed.

Sponsor a project ….

Kai’s Village has an immediate need for new generators, a deeper well (so that drinking water no longer has to be trucked in), roof repair to the first stilt house (damaged by high winds in a recent storm), school supplies and uniforms for the children attending the local school, as well as ESL supplies.

Contributing to the article: Mary Jo Turney and Kathee McCright [Adopt for The Love of a Child]; Mary Jo and her husband, Joe are the parents of five Cambodian children. Kathee is a single Mom to 2 Cambodian boys; Winifred Davis [Grandmother to the five Turney Children]; Sandy Powers [Sandy and her husband, Brad are the parents of two Cambodian girls; and Kendra Riley who really wants to be the mother of a Cambodian child.