Geoffrey Olal and his five sisters were orphaned five years ago when their parents died of AIDS. At the age of 13, Geoffrey was forced to work laying bricks to feed himself and his sisters. In a good month he made 40,000 shillings, or about US $25.

“To make even this much I worked every day, all day long,” he said. “So much work made me crazy.”

A child protection committee started by the IRC found Geoffrey doing work that was hazardous to his health and inappropriate for his age. The IRC helped him go back to school and build a career as a skilled carpenter. He’s now able to pay for his sisters’ education. Link

- KCBI TV, Boise  Leslye Boban says “[Iraqi] refugees coming into the United States are coming because they don’t have any other solution.”

- The New York Times: Alyoscia D’Onofrio responds to a front page article about widespread rape that is terrorizing women in Congo   

- The Arizona Republic: An apartment fire in Phoenix forces 20 refugees from homes, destroys personal items, legal papers

- The Arizona Republic: IRC volunteer Lori Lause says refugees arrive “with nothing more than a toothbrush. But help from IRC volunteers can ease the voyage.”

- The Philadelphia Inquirer: Jenny Perlman Robinson writes of a recent Women’s Commission visit to Uganda in a letter to the editor: “These young people want to help themselves, but can’t do so without support.”