KHB Family Update

After a whole week of building, Chea Sreymom, 31, finally made a move to her new home and new life at the New Holistic Hope Community, Oudong with the other 50 families already in the community.

After years of living with eight people in a shared 18 square meters room in Russey Village at Stoeung Meanchey dumpsite, Sreymom is now able to live under the roof of her own house with pride and a great sense of ownership. With a smile on her face, she said, “I’m very happy and grateful to all the national and international volunteers that came to help build my house.

I can’t wait to start saving as the price of food here is lower compared to the price in Phnom Penh and my family is now able to have safe water and electricity that I do not need to pay for every month as before.” Sreymom is now being hired to work at the farm where she can earn about US$3 daily by plowing the field, planting and watering vegetables, and feeding the fish. In addition to her farm work, Sreymom will also have her business where she will open her personal manicure shop at her new home.

“I will never disappoint the people who help me. To make a decent living, I will also need to help myself to carefully save up. My own house allows me to focus on my new job, my new business as a manicurist at home during
the weekends and caring for my family,” said Sreymom.

Sreymom’s mother, Bun Sophorn, 60, who used to live in an informal settlement near the railway tracks about 30-minutes’ ride away also moved with Sreymom where she intends to sell gas canisters used for cooking, bottled drinks, snacks and rice.