Livelihood Projects Open Doors for Women in Cambodia

Phally worked tirelessly but still couldn’t provide for her seven children on the wages she earned as a day labourer. Two of her daughters had to quit school to go to work. The family’s dreams of a better life were fading away.

“We struggled to make ends meet, facing the bitter realities of poverty and vulnerability,” Phally said.

But the family was hopeful when Samaritan’s Purse started a chicken-raising project in their village in Cambodia. Phally received a supply of chicks, chicken coop materials, feed, medicine, and an incubator. She eagerly embraced the Samaritan’s Purse training and was excited to learn about chicken coop construction, how to care for the birds from chick to full-grown, and how to manage a proper feeding schedule. The classes, resources, and encouragement from our team fuelled her entrepreneurial spirit.

Since then, Phally’s chicken-raising business has flourished and is providing a steady income for her and her family. Now she’s able to buy food, pay for her children’s education, and access healthcare when needed. Her hard work has also inspired others and made her a role model in the community. She’s passing along her knowledge to her neighbours and sharing her resources.

Our livelihood projects in Cambodia, which also includes growing mushrooms and raising pigs, has empowered a number of families to earn an income in their villages. And these earnings provide for more than just their everyday needs. The ability to make money at home has helped protect these vulnerable families from the dangers they would have faced during the many unsafe migrations they would take each year. Many impoverished Cambodians, in search of employment far from their villages, make dangerous crossings into neighbouring countries where they can become easy targets for exploitation and human traffickers.

Mushrooms Bring Income for Struggling Family

These are the threats San and her husband worked hard to avoid as day labourers at the construction and agriculture jobs not too far from home. Yet their income was barely enough to meet basic needs and feed their five children.

San prayed that one day her family would have a steady income and less of a financial burden. Although her family struggled, she continued to trust God and to share her faith in Jesus Christ with others.

She was delighted when Samaritan’s Purse staff came to her village to lead a mushroom-raising project. We provided her with mushroom spores and trained her in how to harvest and sell the mushrooms in the market.

Since then, San and her family have harvested nearly 90 pounds of mushrooms. The money she’s earned from selling the mushrooms has boosted the household income. The mushrooms themselves have become a welcome addition to the meals she cooks for her family.

“I would like to thank Samaritan’s Purse for helping my family to grow and improve,” she said.

Please pray for San as she grows in her faith and shares the Gospel with others. Pray for San, Phally, and the many other women in Cambodia who are supporting their families through our livelihood projects.