This article was written in 2008 while I was working for World Vision Cambodia.
Title: Peace and love now
reigns in Kan Oum’s family
Samlot district is one of the poorest
districts in Battambang province. Productivity has been limited over the past
years due to the lack of improved agriculture technologies, poor irrigation systems,
land mines and lack of working animals.
Opportunities for additional income are very limited due to lack of skills and capital. The civil war years back, the destruction and displacement it caused to Cambodian people have been contributing factors to the district condition.
The historic events relating to this province during the last 30 years include the dreaded Khmer Rouge (KR) take-over in 1975. Kan Oum’s family is one of hundreds of families in Samlot district that experienced the pain of the civil war.
Kan Oum, 10, grew up seeing his mother and father quarrel daily. His mother named Yum Ben, 47, and father Ken Un, 52, are farmers. Kan is in grade two and the youngest son amongst seven siblings.
Between 1982 and1989, Kan’s father was a prosperous merchant of gems with a Thai business partner. Ken Un was respected by the villagers and was admired his business success.
Unfortunately in 1990, the business collapsed because Khmer Rouge leaders drove out all the gem merchants from the area and his Thai partner escaped to Thailand bringing a large amount of properties from Kan’s father. Frustrated and desperate of what happened, he turned to alcoholism.
“My father became an alcoholic. Whenever he is drunk, he shouted insulting words to my mother and all of us his children. I was always upset and ashamed because all the neighbors heard him. Often, he would sleep along the road and stay unkempt. It embarrassed us to see him in such situation. My mother always cried but being very kind, she never fought with my father,” Kan sadly recalls.
“We kept quiet when my father is drunk and would be prepared to run when he becomes violent. This affected my studies and I got very low grades”, adds Kan.
“He always broke our things and created trouble. Sometimes our neighbors would intervene for my children and me. I didn’t fight against him because I knew how he felt losing the business and being cheated by a friend. He became lazy and drunk all day”, recalls Kan’s mother.
In 2007, after participating in World Vision’s training on Gender Sensitivity and Domestic Violence, Kan’s father pledged not to drink alcohol anymore and change for his family’s sake. He realized the pain he has been creating and wants live in peace with his family. He says, “I am remorseful of the things that I did and for turning into alcohol that made my family’s life very difficult. I thank World Vision for helping me wake up and change to a better family man.”
“My goal now is to become a good father and husband. Now that I have grandchildren, I want to be a good grandfather too. Alcohol is not good and I will always remember that”, smiles Kan’s father while Kan proudly sits near him.
Kan, who wants to become a policeman someday, said he is very happy with his father’s transformation. The village chief also expressed amazement of his father’s change of attitude saying that when he offered him a beer, he said he no longer drinks any kind of alcohol.
Opportunities for additional income are very limited due to lack of skills and capital. The civil war years back, the destruction and displacement it caused to Cambodian people have been contributing factors to the district condition.
The historic events relating to this province during the last 30 years include the dreaded Khmer Rouge (KR) take-over in 1975. Kan Oum’s family is one of hundreds of families in Samlot district that experienced the pain of the civil war.
Kan Oum, 10, grew up seeing his mother and father quarrel daily. His mother named Yum Ben, 47, and father Ken Un, 52, are farmers. Kan is in grade two and the youngest son amongst seven siblings.
Between 1982 and1989, Kan’s father was a prosperous merchant of gems with a Thai business partner. Ken Un was respected by the villagers and was admired his business success.
Unfortunately in 1990, the business collapsed because Khmer Rouge leaders drove out all the gem merchants from the area and his Thai partner escaped to Thailand bringing a large amount of properties from Kan’s father. Frustrated and desperate of what happened, he turned to alcoholism.
“My father became an alcoholic. Whenever he is drunk, he shouted insulting words to my mother and all of us his children. I was always upset and ashamed because all the neighbors heard him. Often, he would sleep along the road and stay unkempt. It embarrassed us to see him in such situation. My mother always cried but being very kind, she never fought with my father,” Kan sadly recalls.
“We kept quiet when my father is drunk and would be prepared to run when he becomes violent. This affected my studies and I got very low grades”, adds Kan.
“He always broke our things and created trouble. Sometimes our neighbors would intervene for my children and me. I didn’t fight against him because I knew how he felt losing the business and being cheated by a friend. He became lazy and drunk all day”, recalls Kan’s mother.
In 2007, after participating in World Vision’s training on Gender Sensitivity and Domestic Violence, Kan’s father pledged not to drink alcohol anymore and change for his family’s sake. He realized the pain he has been creating and wants live in peace with his family. He says, “I am remorseful of the things that I did and for turning into alcohol that made my family’s life very difficult. I thank World Vision for helping me wake up and change to a better family man.”
“My goal now is to become a good father and husband. Now that I have grandchildren, I want to be a good grandfather too. Alcohol is not good and I will always remember that”, smiles Kan’s father while Kan proudly sits near him.
Kan, who wants to become a policeman someday, said he is very happy with his father’s transformation. The village chief also expressed amazement of his father’s change of attitude saying that when he offered him a beer, he said he no longer drinks any kind of alcohol.
-Ends-
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