After the Khmer Rouge regime in the late 70s, Cambodia was wiped out of most of its infrastructure and educational institutions. People who were educated or considered as such were actively targeted and executed during the genocide, leaving behind a traumatized and torn Cambodia, that has had to rebuild itself from scratch.
This is the reason, why many people of that generation never had the privilege of having access to education. Chantha was one of those people who was never able to attend school. All her life, she had to help her parents in their household and the rice fields. This actively affects Chantha’s life until today, as she is unable to find any kind of work with a reliable income without any form of educational background. Chantha is a single mother who not only has to look after her teenage daughter Any but also her father, who is suffering from several illnesses. On top of that, Chantha herself has been struggling with her health and had to undergo major cardiac surgery a few years ago with regular checkups and daily medication ever since, resulting in high costs, that the family can’t cover.
Additionally, we helped Chantha open a small shop in front of her house, where she can now sell cold drinks, snacks, and other necessities such as soap, shampoo, and toothpaste. While this is only a small business venture, people in the neighborhood like to stop by to stack up these items, leading to Chantha making a small profit every single day.
Through this unique approach, we aim to help Chantha and ultimately her daughter, who currently attends high school, gain a sense of stability and independence in their daily lives.
