Most Significant Change Story - Increased livelihood income skills and opportunities for poor and vulnerable households.

My name Keo Sarean 45 years old living in Beung Chhouk village, Knar Toteung commune, Bakan district. I was a monk and learned for 12 years in pagoda. I got marry with my wife name 26 years old learned in school for 5 years. I have 3 daughters the first one is 11 years old leaning at school for 6 years, the second one is 9 years old learning at school for 5 years and a youngest one is 2 years old.

Before ADRA came to develop in my village, my family was in ID Poor 2 and without real job. My family was famer planted rice on a small land, grew rice with unknown technic and got very small income. After rice season I made labor migration to Thailand. It was the informal migration and I could not make good money, then returned home with small amount of money. I smoked cigarette for 10 years since I was a monk.

When the ADRA started activities of CHOICES for Children project in my village at year 2014, my wife and I became the RC members. Later on, the ADRA team promoted me to be a man RCF up to now is for 2 years. My wife and I learned in RC discussions about hygiene and sanitation, nutrition in children under 5 years old, nutrition in pregnant women, PD/Hearth, LTP, and etc. My wife also learned about home gardening in last year, I also learned about chicken raising and rice growing in last 3 years, which those trainings conducted and supported by the ADRA/CHOICES project. ADRA sent me to learn haircut from a skills barber in last 6 months. Now I have job as a man RC Facilitator and a barber in my village. I could make money about 10,000 riels ($2.50) per day, about 400,000 riel ($100.00) per month. My wife works in a drinking water factory and she can make income 10,000 riels ($2.50) per day, about 400,000 riel ($100.00) per month too. These income could afford for foods, for study of my children and for health care, and it makes better living in my family.

My wife and I are the saving group members. I could save some amount of money in saving group, then I could have chance to borrow money to make the haircut profession in my village. I am very happy that I have joined in activities of CHOICES for Children project. My family received a water filter from ADRA. I could build a latrine. I stopped cigarette smoking for 2 years since when I joined in the cease smoking campaign conducted by ADRA.

“I`m thankful to ADRA team and ADRA`s supporters for the trainings I have received as well as for the development activities that have been happening in my village and my community so far” Keo Sarean said with smile and happy to us.

 ADRA make me and my family changed in knowledge, stop smoking, facilitation and job skills, behavior changes in child feeding and child caring, make good income and available money for illness treatment. Now my family is living in better hygiene, use clean water, less sickness, could have regular saving money, and living in better lives.

The changes in living of my family and change in my job are very important because I could share my experience and my best practice to other men and other poor families through the RC discussion and the meetings. They can learn from myself about haircut if they like this job.