Saturday, 20 December 2008

Belfast boost for children of 'Killing Fields'

Inspire Magazine

Around 3,000 men from across Northern Ireland – and beyond – have given nearly £20,000 to help the fatherless children of Cambodia’s ‘killing fields’.

The generous gift was made recently at The Mandate men’s conference in Belfast, as delegates responded to the plight of street kids in Phnom Penh. And now the money will help Cambodia-based Hosea Ministries to set up an assessment centre in January, for children with drug misuse problems.

Each year The Mandate – which has become known as one of the biggest men’s conferences in Europe – focuses on a charity as part of its one-day programme of Christian worship and teaching. For 2008 they chose Hosea Ministries, a young organisation helping to restore the troubled nation of Cambodia.

The donation was warmly received by Hosea board member Gail Fisher, a native of Northern Ireland.

"We were so thrilled to hear the news that £20,000 had been collected," she said. "Our centre can be a place where staff can encourage children and family members in their motivation to change."

Cambodia was victim to some of the most horrific events of the 20th century, which were powerfully portrayed in the 1984 action thriller The Killing Fields. Most of the educated adult population was killed – or forced to flee their homeland – as the Khmer Rouge tried to wipe out all intellectuals.

According to Hosea Ministries, the average age in Cambodia is still only 19. The organisation wants to help the country recover from its horrific past. A key part of their work is the rehabilitation centre Hosea House, which assists children and young people with substance misuse problems.

For more information, please phone The Mandate office on 028 9045 7500

www.themandate.net

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