A future for my daughter
Suorn Phearith is a community volunteer with a home care team in Stung Meanchey district in Phnom Penh, managed by WOMEN, a local non-governmental organisation. She is living with HIV and now on antiretroviral treatment.
“My husband and I are from Kampot province. When we moved to Phnom Penh he had a job as a driver, and we lived in our own house. In 1999, he fell sick with AIDS. We sold our house, moved back to Kampot, and slowly went through our savings as he became more and more sick. Within a year he died. In 2000, I decided to move back here to Phnom Penh with my daughter. We didn’t have any money to live here, but there was no good schooling in the village and I couldn’t imagine a good future for her there.”
“At first we rented living space under a house – we couldn’t rent the house, just the space under a house, just a space to live. I also rented a sewing machine and worked – I worked very hard. Soon enough I met the home care team from WOMEN, and they helped us with some food, basic medicines, school fees, and some money for the business. I kept working a lot, sewing. Now with money from sewing I’m renting this house. I want more capital to expand the business, and what I really want is to see my daughter finish high school – she’s got four more years. She’s also studying English and computers too.”
In 2003, Suorn Phearith became a home care team volunteer. She exhibits self-confidence, resourcefulness, and a sound understanding of business administration. “I can sew quite well, and I’m a good designer, and I can teach others too – there’s a market for all this. WOMEN bought me a sewing machine but this way it’s too slow, I can only work on one thing at a time. I need more capital – to get raw materials in bulk, to rent more machines, to teach people, produce more. It’s not worth it to produce such a small amount each day – this business needs cash flow.”
Suorn Phearith reflects, “Before all this we had enough money. AIDS pushed us into poverty. But then the home care team and antiretroviral treatment transformed my life. I’m in much better health and I have hope for my daughter’s future. That’s the most important thing.”
