15-year-old Sokhouen lives with her mother, father and five younger sisters. Three years ago, Sokhouen’s parents were struggling to feed their children and couldn’t afford their school fees. They decided to send their daughters to an orphanage, believing this was the only chance for their daughters to get an education.
When their Village Chief was told of the decision to send the six sisters to an orphanage, they got in touch with CCT. In May 2017, we began supporting the family with everything they needed so the children did not have to leave their family. Our family finance team partnered with the family and provided financial coaching and literacy skills which helped them to grow their own business selling vegetables.
By the end of 2019, the business was going so well that they were self-sufficient and no longer required assistance from CCT. But, 2020 brought new challenges which meant the family needed support again. The pandemic slowed their business and then Sokhoueun’s mum fell sick and couldn’t work. In October, when freak flooding hit Battambang, their crops were destroyed and their business was lost.
We are again supporting the family with the services they need so that they can stay together. In 2021, our social workers and family finance officers will focus on building this family’s strength and resilience, so they are in an empowered position to meet and overcome any future challenge that may arise.
