Woman’s tears, ADRA workers pain

!@(uploads/35.jpg popimg: “woman”)(Real story on how representing Gods character sometimes become difficult dilemma)

It was this woman’s tears, on what should have been a celebratory occasion that first brought her plight into the hearts and minds of the ADRA Cambodia staff here. Indeed, it was a joyous day because the Community Health Educators, commonly called CHE’s, were all receiving new bicycles to aid them in their work. As CHE’s, it is their responsibility to disseminate pertinent health information to the community in which they live. The Community Health Educators are truly the link between the health centers and the villages. A bicycle would obviously ease the burden of trudging door to door each month. To this particular woman a bicycle meant more. It meant that her life would get significantly easier. Not only could she use this bicycle to assist in her volunteer work, she could also bring her granddaughter to school, as well as bring more vegetables to the market for sale. As a CHE for ADRA Cambodia since 2000, she had dreamed of a bicycle to do her work. They were tears of joy. When questioned further, the woman began to explain her situation to the listening ADRA staff. Her name is Sok Heng and this is her story…………

We had just finished a meeting at the local health center and were on our way home, dropping Sok Heng off along the way. Her story had been told to the ADRA staff and we were hoping to meet the rest of her family. There were eight people living at her current residence. So Heang was more or less supporting them all. At 50 years old and with only a 2nd grade education, this was indeed a burden. Furthermore, she was left a widow back in the mid 70’s, when the Khmer Rouge overthrew the current government and spread terror throughout the country. So Heng’s husband was one of many unfortunate victims during the Khmer Rouge rule.

!@(uploads/36.jpg popimg: “womans tears”)We pulled up to a house and I examined the establishment. A young girl stood on the stairway peering at us. I realized that this was not where So Heng lived as she ushered us to a small residence behind the house. So Heng and eight others lived on an area so small that it can best be described as two picnic tables pushed together. A small tree leaned against one of the elevated, wooden platforms, offering shade to her family. There wasn’t really a roof, only four skinny sticks plunged into the earth and poking vertically on each side of the wood, two flimsy red rags were attached between the tops of each stick.

It was her grandson that first greeted us. A naked little boy of three that walked up to us and looked up at us with a dirt-smeared face. So Heng’s daughter-in-law and her four children had come to live with So Heng after So Heang’s son had passed away 3 months ago, due to HIV/AIDS. So Heng’s daughter-in-law was also infected and relied heavily upon her mother-in-law for support. So Heng’s daughter-in-law was holding her six-month-old baby when we arrived. Thankfully HIV hadn’t been transmitted to any of the daughter-in-law’s four children. The children ranged in ages from 11 to 6 months. The daughter-in-law, upon seeing us, started to cry and I walked towards her and put my hand upon her shoulder. The two other members of So Heng’s family, her younger daughters were at the market selling vegetables.

As I stared at this family’s evident distress I realized that I needed to help them, which is why I am telling you So Heng’s story. I hope to reach a very manageable goal of raising $500.00, with the hope of sending one of So Heng’s daughters to vocational training. A useful skill in Cambodia is sewing and the money would be enough to provide job training, a sewing machine and start up material. The money would also send So Heng’s grandchildren to school. This kind of opportunity will make a huge impact on the lives of this family. In a country where many survive on less than a dollar a day, even a small amount will make a big impact. This family has nothing but hope.