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CAMBODIA
Fourteen-year-old Sodany Hen and her family have had first-hand
experience of this transformation. Sodany Hen, the second
of three daughters of Davy Nun and Mala Hen, has been supported
by a UK sponsor for the past four years. Her family is just one
of 94 in the World Vision Kampong Tralach project area who have
benefited from help and prayers of the aid agency's supporters in
Britain.
Six
years ago her family was barely surviving on her father, Mala Hen's
teaching salary. His monthly income of £14 meant the
family of five was forced to live hand-to-mouth in a tiny one-room
house.
The
children of the village did not have access to many basic services.
Only a primary school education was available to them and, because
of a lack of healthcare facilities, villagers resorted to superstition
to heal many of their illnesses.
With
more than fifty years of aid and development experience, World Vision
has learned that development can only be successful if it works
alongside the community. Charity work is about so much more than
just giving people money. The thinking goes that communities will,
in time, learn the skills and structures to develop their own community
without the assistance of the charity.
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One
example of this is the business loans offered to budding businessmen
and women. Sodany's mother, Davy, took advantage of this opportunity,
and began a variety of small businesses. She used her first
loan to open a grocery shop. The additional income generated
by the shop allowed the family to live more comfortably.
Over time, Davy was able to pay back the first loan and borrow
again. With the money from the second loan, Davy became
a local rice broker. Now Davy buys rice from the local
villagers and sells it to the grain mill. Her
new income also enabled her to begin raising a couple of pigs.
Now Davy has ten pigs.
These
past six years have seen an incredible change in the quality
of life for Sodany's family.
Despite
her shy nature, Sodany has great hope for the future.
She says, "I want to be a doctor. I want to study at university
to fulfill my dreams. I want to help my villagers to be healthy."
Sodany's parents want their daughters to continue their education
beyond what is available in their home village. Thanks to
money generated by Davy's small businesses, the family can
afford to send them to high school.
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World
Vision's work provides the villagers not only with the skills and
abilities to fend for themselves, it also gives them spiritual support.
Thavy Ser, the Christian Impact Coordinator for the Kampong
Tralach project, noticed over time a dramatic change in people's
attitudes to superstitions. 
"Instead
of relying upon superstition to heal diseases people are now bringing
their children to the health centre," he said.
All
this is possible through the Kampong Tralach project that receives
its funding from World Vision child sponsors. It is only through
the generous donations of people in the UK that poor people in rural
areas develop the ability to transform their own lives and the lives
and futures of their children. |
