Untenu has granted three new requests for assistance the past month: medical and food assistance, repair moped, Buddhist funeral ceremony.

No money, no ARV

The request for aid for S. was described on this website earlier. He lost his voluntary fee and when his motorbike broke down there was no way to generate an income. Therefore he had no money to collect his ARV in the clinic. Please click on this link to read the under which circumstances S. couldn’t afford his ARV anymore.

Buddhist funeral ceremony

photo by Chin Kimtouch

From Battambang we heard the tragic news of the decease of a lesbian woman. She died in hospital from the effects of AIDS and diabetes. The relatives couldn’t afford a decent Buddhist funeral ceremony. The hospital took care of the cremation already. Untenu donated the money that was needed to pay for a Buddhist Seven Days Ceremony. Now the relatives could pray in the pagoda for the repose of the soul, both of the deceased as of the family. Monks were invited to pray and offers had been made.

Food aid

A gay man living with HIV in Phnom Penh was hospitalized. The family had no money to buy the food he needed in hospital. Without food, getting cured is much harder. In better condition, the man took care for the livelihood of his relatives. He had a small income by selling water outside pagodas during Buddhist ceremonies. Not much at all, but sufficient.

By a contribution from Untenu the man had enough food during his hospitalization, as well as a small contribution to himself and his relatives to provide food afterwards. Hopefully he can resume his work later.