Battambang, KH – Garden keeps family together – 20 Oct 2014

YYM and his wife are struggling with a very hard life near Battambang, Cambodia, living with their three children in a small cottage roofed with coconut leaves.

YYM does not have permanent work. He sometimes works as building laborer, rice harvester and fisherman. His wife always picks morning glory that grows naturally in the ponds and rivers in order to sell them in the market. They are focused on feeding and educating their children. They could go to work in Thailand and earn a better income, but their strong love for their children causes them to remain and struggle with this hard life here in Cambodia. They want to stay with their children.

The shop team met YYM when building a garden for YY. YYM was so very interested in the Food Always In The Home (FAITH) organic vegetable garden, but he did not dare to approach the team. By chance, while building the garden for YY, the team asked YYM if they could sit nearby his house in order to rest a while. This gave YYM the chance to chat with the team.

Listening to his life and how he loves and takes care his family and children, the team asked him whether he wanted a FAITH garden. He and his wife were very happy and responded immediately that they really wanted one. They said this type of garden would help their family a lot.

YYM and his family now work very hard in their FAITH vegetable garden, and it looks very green and productive. They earn US$5 to US$10 every time they sell surplus vegetables that they harvest from the garden. This earns the family between US$10 to US$20 per month, which they spend on living costs and their children’s education.

YYM and his wife would like to save for house improvements but their income is currently not enough. They have a plan to fatten piglets, and possibly raise geese and chickens to earn money. Money that will be used to fuel future savings for adding onto their one story home.

The family sees the benefits that the garden offers them, so they maintain the garden very well and practice relay planting in order to maintain the productivity. The shop team are very impressed with the family’s efforts and want to support them with a livestock loan.