John A Silkstone
17-06-08, 11:37
In 24 Field Ambulance we were fortunate to have a keen well integrated Dental Officer who was faced with an appalling tragedy. Philip Holmes returned from work to find that his beautiful wife Esther Benjamins (a successful Dutch lawyer) had taken her own life after a long struggle with childlessness. Philip decided that he would give up a promising career in the Royal Army Dental Corps and dedicate his life to the cause of disadvantaged children in a country with strong British military connections.
With the help of ex-Ghurkha soldiers he went to Nepal to see what he could do to help. He set up in his wife’s memory The Esther Benjamins Trust. This is a short summary of what he and his team have achieved. The Esther Benjamins Trust has been rescuing children from quite appalling circumstances in Nepal since 1999. At first children were found to have been incarcerated in prisons with their felonious parents. The Trust not only rescued and housed them in secure, caring accommodation but campaigned for a change in the law to prevent children going to prison in those circumstances. Recently a project to rescue vulnerable Nepalese girls from ghastly abuse in Indian circuses has resulted in over 200 kids being repatriated into the refuges set up by the Trust.
The Esther Benjamins Trust now seeks to concentrate on the even more worrying trend of the exploitation of very young girls in the expanding sex industry. To carry on the struggle against child trafficking in the raw poverty of this charming country, the Trust needs support desperately, to provide secure accommodation, educational life chances, re-training opportunities and a safe reintegration into the children's own communities.
The greatest reward will be the chance to give these children back their childhood.
You can learn much more by visiting the website at: www.ebtrust.org.co.uk
The charity has had a lot of support from his colleagues in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Many have sponsored children to help them with education and skills training. Colonel Paddy Magee (Philip’s CO in 24 Fd Amb) is a trustee of the charity and an active fundraiser. On the 23rd August Eve Magee will set out to trek The Great Glen Way from Inverness to Place Type a distance of 73 miles – to raise funds for the Esther Benjamins Trust. If you would consider this worthy of your support then please visit: www.justgiving.com/evemageetrek. where you can sponsor Eve or send a cheque made out to The Esther Benjamins Trust and send to 4 Dashwood Rise, Duns Tew, Oxfordshire PostalCode OX25 6JQ
Many thanks for giving us the opportunity to tell you about a great cause with strong Army Medical Services connections that is fighting against child trafficking and the abuse of young kids The words ‘In Arduis Fidelis’ seem very appropriate Update as at 16 June 2008.
We have had a major success this week against one of the most notorious Indian circuses when we were able to rescue 28 young kids most of who are under age, and who had been cruelly treated and abused. The latest is that the owner is locked up!
This gives Eve great heart as she trains hard for her 73 mile trek!
With the help of ex-Ghurkha soldiers he went to Nepal to see what he could do to help. He set up in his wife’s memory The Esther Benjamins Trust. This is a short summary of what he and his team have achieved. The Esther Benjamins Trust has been rescuing children from quite appalling circumstances in Nepal since 1999. At first children were found to have been incarcerated in prisons with their felonious parents. The Trust not only rescued and housed them in secure, caring accommodation but campaigned for a change in the law to prevent children going to prison in those circumstances. Recently a project to rescue vulnerable Nepalese girls from ghastly abuse in Indian circuses has resulted in over 200 kids being repatriated into the refuges set up by the Trust.
The Esther Benjamins Trust now seeks to concentrate on the even more worrying trend of the exploitation of very young girls in the expanding sex industry. To carry on the struggle against child trafficking in the raw poverty of this charming country, the Trust needs support desperately, to provide secure accommodation, educational life chances, re-training opportunities and a safe reintegration into the children's own communities.
The greatest reward will be the chance to give these children back their childhood.
You can learn much more by visiting the website at: www.ebtrust.org.co.uk
The charity has had a lot of support from his colleagues in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Many have sponsored children to help them with education and skills training. Colonel Paddy Magee (Philip’s CO in 24 Fd Amb) is a trustee of the charity and an active fundraiser. On the 23rd August Eve Magee will set out to trek The Great Glen Way from Inverness to Place Type a distance of 73 miles – to raise funds for the Esther Benjamins Trust. If you would consider this worthy of your support then please visit: www.justgiving.com/evemageetrek. where you can sponsor Eve or send a cheque made out to The Esther Benjamins Trust and send to 4 Dashwood Rise, Duns Tew, Oxfordshire PostalCode OX25 6JQ
Many thanks for giving us the opportunity to tell you about a great cause with strong Army Medical Services connections that is fighting against child trafficking and the abuse of young kids The words ‘In Arduis Fidelis’ seem very appropriate Update as at 16 June 2008.
We have had a major success this week against one of the most notorious Indian circuses when we were able to rescue 28 young kids most of who are under age, and who had been cruelly treated and abused. The latest is that the owner is locked up!
This gives Eve great heart as she trains hard for her 73 mile trek!