Hi everyone, there seems to be some confusion as to whether of not I'm still alive, so here is the latest journal entry . . . !

My email access is very limited, so that is why I have been so quiet. Also been very busy with the Think B4 U Drink Roadshow, which is happening with over 100000 kids here and all our other programs. Annie has a vocal chord, throat and tonsil infection and has totally lost her voice, so I have also been doing all her public speaking. I've had a lot of emails regarding "' The Little Rock", so am sending some more information . . .

I have spent hours on end with The Little Rock (again, I am not printing her name), her mommy and her brother in the past week.

As I said last week, this girl was taken by a family friend two years ago. He hit her over the head with a brick, raped her, threw her in a fire and left her for dead. This amazing child somehow found the strength to pull herself from the fire and crawl 1km through the bush to her house.

This is an attack that affects the whole family and the surrounding community. The Little Rock now has scars from the fire on about a quarter of her body, which will require constant plastic surgery - her mommy has told me that as she grows, the skin grafts will also have to have further surgery. She also has a heart condition that was caused following the stress of the attack. She has trouble sleeping, and as you would expect, is very jumpy all the time.

Since the attack, the stress has taken its toll on the family as well. The daddy was working, but after the events that happened (The Little Rock has been in and out of hospital) needed to take some time off. This then meant he lost his job. He is now working again, along with his oldest son. His work is as a painter, which means when it rains (Cape Town has been having heaps of rain), they don't get paid. The same work standards that apply in Australia don't exist here, and wages are very low, especially with 8 people in the family.

When we took the family home on Sunday, I got to see where they live, and it was horrible. It is basically a shed, with holes in the walls and ceiling. The mother, father and all six children share one bedroom, with the kids sharing beds. The toilet is behind a curtain in the bedroom, and when it rains, water comes into the house. With winter coming, there is not enough blankets to keep the family warm - I was cold in there and that was in the early evening - and there is obviously no form of heating. Electrical wires are hanging from the roof, which when wet pose a fire hazard. I am going to put some photos in the photos section of this website so people can see for themselves what is happening.

When the kids were at our house, they were so excited about things like hot showers and food, and after visiting the house, I can see why. There is very little food for them, and limited clothing, which in winter time when the temperatures drop is going to be a problem. The house is also located in a very dangerous part of Cape Town, and there is no form of security for the family, as I'm sure that anyone who so much as leans on the house will send it toppling to the ground. We would love to have them live with us permanently, but don't have the room.

Our goals for this family are as follows:

• to get suitable housing - it doesn't have to be luxurious, just liveable

• to give them enough food to eat

• to assist with medical care for The Little Rock, as well as much needed counseling and assistance for the rest of the family, who have also suffered greatly as a result of events that have happened

• to give The Little Rock a birthday party to remember on her 9th birthday on June 4

• to share the story of The Little Rock, who is now ready (and determined) for the world to hear her. This attack happened because the man was drunk, and she is asking everyone to "Think B4 U drink" and to be careful

These are very simple goals, and I am asking everyone who can assist, even with the smallest amount to please help. I have permission from the child's mother to post photos of the family, so that is why I am sending them - I have however blocked out the face of The Little Rock for safety reasons. Please take the time to have a look, as these children could be anyone's.

Because of the amount of time I have spent with this family in the past couple of weeks - and that Annie has spent with them in the two years since the attack - we have become very attached and are both desperate to help out.

Even if you can't help financially, I ask you on behalf of The Little Rock and her family to forward this story on, so that others are aware of what is happening in other parts of the world. Thank you!