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HOPEworldwide Cambodia: From Begger to Businesswoman

MikeT - Sat, 2008-02-09 01:50

ChanthyChanthy’s Story: From Begging to the Bank
 Chanthy was eight years old in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge came to power in Cambodia.  Four grueling years later the regime was overthrown, but not without leaving its mark as one of the worst genocides of the 20th century. 

 In an effort to regress the Cambodian people back to the old ways of agriculture, the regime oppressed the country through forced labor, overwork, starvation and execution, ultimately obliterating an estimated 1.5 million people.    Chanthy was no exception.  Her parents were murdered during the regime, and that was only the beginning to the many hardships she has fought to overcome.  At age forty, her life has seen more adversity than many people will ever face in a lifetime.   During the time of the Khmer Rouge, she was overworked on forced labor camps, where often it wasn’t uncommon for workers to labor for12 hours without food, water or rest.  Left without family to care for her, she was married at a young age to a farmer.  Yet, after having their third child she and her husband separated, and by age 19 Chanthy was living in Phnom Penh as a single mother with three children.   With little work for women in Phnom Penh, Chanthy was left with no choice but to beg for money, making US$1.25 on her best day and no more than fifty cents on others.  Sometime later, she met a man, also a beggar, and they started a relationship, living together in a makeshift home, set up against a temple wall.   This man, whom she calls her second husband, only brought more hardship to her life, however.  He often beat her and would gamble away what little money they had to survive on.   In 1998, Chanthy’s husband, infected with HIV, became sick, and it was then that she learned she was also infected with the virus.   Bringing Hope for a Future The Home Care Team from the Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE (SHCH) became a part of Chanthy’s life while she continued to care for her husband as diarrhea and AIDS took his strength, and later his life in 2000.   “I felt sad when he died because I didn’t see his face anymore,” said Chanthy.  “I told his family he was dead, but nobody came to join with the funeral.” After her husband died, Chanthy continued to beg, and even began gambling later.  However, the Home Care Team at SHCH became involved in her life and slowly things began to change.  She was encouraged to enlist in the hospital’s support program for widows and children.   The counseling in the program gave Chanthy hope, and with their help, she was able to find a place to live.  She was motivated to make an honest living, and purchased a scale for US$8 to weigh people for a small fee.  She was able to make between US$1.25 and US$2.50 a day, and also stopped drinking and gambling as part of the program’s guidelines.   The Home Care Team also provided counseling and treatment since her HIV and tuberculosis had not been well controlled.   As her condition improved, she saw greater possibilities for herself.   In 2004, instilled with hope, she asked for assistance to buy a foot-powered sewing machine to start her own business.  With her new sewing machine, Chanthy makes bags for another organization to sell in their shop.   Once a beggar, Chanthy now supports herself with a small business.  She is able to save money each month, and her two daughters are able to attend school.   Though she is not disease-free, both the HIV and tuberculosis are controlled, and she feels good almost everyday.   Running down the list of things she has to be grateful for—a place to live, money in the bank, clothes on her back and her own business—Chanthy said, “I have more power than before.  Thank you so much.”


SHCHStaffHOPE worldwide is truly grateful for the dedicated donors, staff and volunteers who are making the Sihanouk Hospital of HOPE a beacon of hope a nation where history has taken a deep toll. 

PP Slum

 

To learn more about the ongoing work of the SHCH, click here.

To make a donation that will help continue bringing hope and changing lives in Cambodia, click here.

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