Siem Reap, KH – Family will reunite in Rent-to-Own home – 31 Jan 2022

It has been a long road for Savun with many challenges, but now he is reuniting with his loved ones. All his family are looking forward to the sense of belonging that the Rent-to-Own (RTO) community will give them. The Peaksneng Thormacheat garden shop started assisting Savun five years ago, after he had been moving from one place to another for a long time hoping to earn money and find a safe place to live for his children. Unfortunately poverty had driven Savun and his children to separate from each other. From that time he had held onto his only wish that one day fortune would bring them back together. After five years, Savun built enough trust with the shop to qualify for affordable housing assistance in the form of a RTO home.

The RTO house was first designed to be a size for him to live, but his son living in USA has assisted him to enlarge it so that he can be united with his children and grandchildren. A wonderful achievement during this challenging pandemic time. Savun says that “being reunited with loved ones is a feeling of being connected and this is very reinforcing, and it contributes to happiness, mental health and to physical health”. The garden shop manager Rey agrees with him, because he believes that when people feel better connected they feel better physically and are certainly less likely to feel depressed. Savun now has a feeling of security, knowing that sooner or later his dream to have a home will come true. He is excited everyday.

To dream big or small helps make life wonderful at any age! Savun says “When I was young, I had big dreams. The happily ever after kind of dreams. We would live in a nice house, and my children would all be healthy and happy. They would never want for anything, but the world we live is not very fair for us. Now I am a grandfather and it is never too late to dream. The desire to provide for my children and grandchildren with the best, and a sense of love and security is something that I would now say dream come true.”

Challenges are normal to Savun’s everyday life. This time, he felt the pressure of waiting for the RTO home because of the weather. The house has long been planned and approved, but because of the rainy season it was difficult to deliver the equipment and materials. Finally his patience has paid off because his RTO house is taking shape.