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.
Beungbot Kandol commune, Robang
Romea village, December 2017 - I`m Hou Khon 57 years old married with my
husband named Khem Ngon 58 years old. He has left leg sciatica for 10 years, and
terygium removed with decreasing vision from both eyes for 5 years. We have 3
sons, the last one aged 21 years living in family and now he migrated to Thailand,
no daughter. Other 2 sons live with their wives at separate houses. I had
career as selling of vermicelli or Khmer noodle. It is hard work in doing by
hands and by traditional tool. We could produce only in small amount in each
day about 15 kilogram of vermicelli per day with would get income 20,000 rile =
$5.00 (earned 10,000 riel = $2.50) per day, about 30 clients per day. This
income was not enough to feed the daily need of the family. When someone got
sick, there was no money to spend for treatment.
My family has no rice field, but we grow home gardening vegetables and grow
some fruit trees around the house. 
I have become a RC member for almost 2 years and my husband
has become RC member for more than one year so far. We always attend in the RC
discussion every week. My family has become a 
I learned topics in RC discussion such as hygiene, nutrition,
learning through play, social marketing and bookkeeping, hygiene and home
gardening.
Now Soth Polounh completely stopped alcohol
drinking and he stopped beating his wife. He continues participation in RC
discussion. He has changed habits and behaviors in doing of house`s works such as
cook foods, take water from well, find fire wood, look after children,
including feed chicken and plant vegetables, etc. In the last home visit by
ADRA staff, saw that Polounh has good communication and delight talking with
the monitoring team. 
Theakong said, Since her husband has become the man RC member he helped
in house`s works and did outdoor hard works for the family. Now the family is
not in loan or debt. Career of chicken raising is improving the family living.
Chicken/hens do not die like in the past. She is happy with getting income in
the average per month 20,000 riel from chicken sale, 15,000 riel from taking
care of neighbor`s buffalo, and some income from vegetable sale. Her family
plans to expand chicken raising, and make home gardening to be farming
gardening. “I`m thankful to ADRA team and ADRA`s supporters for the trainings I
have received as well for the development activities that have been happening
in my village so far” Theakong smilingly said to us. 
