This article was written in 2010 while I was working for World Vision Cambodia.
Title: From playing cards
addicted to a good woman
It takes around 15 minutes from Phnom
Penh City, the center of Cambodia, to a well-known slum area called Steung
Meanchey. It looks like a mountain; mountain of garbage with foul smell and
squishy decaying rubbish underneath the feet. Sopheak’s family
is one of the families living in that area. Sopheak is a mother of three
children. She used to spend her time playing cards from early morning until
evening. She was so addicted to cards that she did not care about doing
housework or make food for her husband who works outside to earn income for the
family. There was also violence in her family that was caused by Sopheak.
Things changed now since she became a part of World Vision’s programme. She
promised to be a good woman from now onward for the sakes of her children’s
future.
“I know I was not a good mother, wife, daughter, sister and neighbor; I was really addicted to playing cards with neighbors without helping to earn income for the family. I didn’t take care of my children. All the children were with my mother who takes care of them. I went to playing cards. I didn’t cook food for my husband, who works hard outside. He was angry that I did not cook for him when he came home from work but he did not hit me. I was happy when I won at playing cards, yet I made trouble with all my family members when I lost,” shared Sopheak Phan, who is twenty-six years old.
Sopheak’s family lives in the area where playing cards are a normal way to have fun. For some it is a way to earn income, for others it is a way to fall into debt and or violence because of gambling. It’s thought to be a bad habit for Cambodian girls to spend time playing cards and ignored doing housework. Once Sopheak tried to playing cards and she won, and she was really happy. She kept on going to playing cards without caring about the family. Playing cards sometimes makes Sopheak didn’t hungry meal. Playing cards is her breakfast, lunch, and dinner. From morning till evening, Sopheak was playing cards outside home.
She added with tears, “I am addicted to playing cards it made me in debt. I almost sell my youngest child to the others to solve my debt. There is a good neighbor who always helps me, she advises me often and I listened to her. I also realized that I shouldn’t sell my child even when I am poor. I must try hard to raise them and money I can earn.” Continuing, “I didn’t listen to my siblings’ advise, I was impatient, and had a hard-headed. I beat my children at home when I came back from playing cards outside. I seemed to be in a bad mood all the time.”
Sopheak became involved with World Vision in 2008; a community small group leader of Hope and Peace Area Development Programme encouraged and advised Sopheak to participate in the group and attend trainings conducted by World Vision. Sopheak said, “I am never absent from attending any training of World Vision. I have learned a lot about Domestic violence and the impacts of gambling, HIV and AIDS, Hygiene and Health care, value of education, Trafficking, Drug using, Dengue fever, Environment, and Nutrition awareness. I am happier now because I have gained lots of knowledge.”
World Vision staff keeps encouraging and advising Sopheak to change and see the future of her children. Sopheak seemed awaken and ashamed about her previous behavior. Sopheak now spends her time to do housework, look after all her children and her mother who has mental problem. Sopheak also wash clothes for others to get back some a money to buy good food for her children and her family members. Sopheak described, “I can earn from 10,000- 15,000 riels (US$2.50- US$3.75) a day, and my husband works as a construction worker. So I would save very little. We keep working hard to generate income for the family.”
Sopheak and her family live in the small house. Under her house the slum water looks really black with bad smell. When asked about hygiene, Sopheak explained, “I always feed my children with good food regularly. Before, all of my family members, including my children drank only unboiled-water. My children often had diarrhea. However, now we changed to drink filter water. I have observed my children have better health. I always clean up the mess in the house and wash all dirty clothes. I understand nutritious food for my children, and never careless with my children’s health.”
Sopheak is now a savings group member, and she has a good relationship with all the members. They are all very helpful and exchange good experiences with each other. She has learned lots from others in order to improve herself. She shared with her eyes looks straight at all her children, “I want to see my children able to go to school and study hard for their bright future. I will advise them to stay far from gambling. Gambling brings us nothing, and puts us in debts and poor.”
Thirty-three year-old SroEm Chuon who is a neighbor of Sopheak said, “I have seen Sopheak changed a lot. She spent her time with playing cards from early morning until evening, and left all her children with her mother to take care. There was also domestic violence in her house, shout insulting words and sometimes beating. She now stops playing card and stays home instead. She washes clothes for others to earn income. . She takes a good care of all her children. I see she has good relationships with all her family members, and I consider her as my sister. I really admire her that has changed from a playing card addicted to a good woman. It’s good for other women to learn from her.”
“I know I was not a good mother, wife, daughter, sister and neighbor; I was really addicted to playing cards with neighbors without helping to earn income for the family. I didn’t take care of my children. All the children were with my mother who takes care of them. I went to playing cards. I didn’t cook food for my husband, who works hard outside. He was angry that I did not cook for him when he came home from work but he did not hit me. I was happy when I won at playing cards, yet I made trouble with all my family members when I lost,” shared Sopheak Phan, who is twenty-six years old.
Sopheak’s family lives in the area where playing cards are a normal way to have fun. For some it is a way to earn income, for others it is a way to fall into debt and or violence because of gambling. It’s thought to be a bad habit for Cambodian girls to spend time playing cards and ignored doing housework. Once Sopheak tried to playing cards and she won, and she was really happy. She kept on going to playing cards without caring about the family. Playing cards sometimes makes Sopheak didn’t hungry meal. Playing cards is her breakfast, lunch, and dinner. From morning till evening, Sopheak was playing cards outside home.
She added with tears, “I am addicted to playing cards it made me in debt. I almost sell my youngest child to the others to solve my debt. There is a good neighbor who always helps me, she advises me often and I listened to her. I also realized that I shouldn’t sell my child even when I am poor. I must try hard to raise them and money I can earn.” Continuing, “I didn’t listen to my siblings’ advise, I was impatient, and had a hard-headed. I beat my children at home when I came back from playing cards outside. I seemed to be in a bad mood all the time.”
Sopheak became involved with World Vision in 2008; a community small group leader of Hope and Peace Area Development Programme encouraged and advised Sopheak to participate in the group and attend trainings conducted by World Vision. Sopheak said, “I am never absent from attending any training of World Vision. I have learned a lot about Domestic violence and the impacts of gambling, HIV and AIDS, Hygiene and Health care, value of education, Trafficking, Drug using, Dengue fever, Environment, and Nutrition awareness. I am happier now because I have gained lots of knowledge.”
World Vision staff keeps encouraging and advising Sopheak to change and see the future of her children. Sopheak seemed awaken and ashamed about her previous behavior. Sopheak now spends her time to do housework, look after all her children and her mother who has mental problem. Sopheak also wash clothes for others to get back some a money to buy good food for her children and her family members. Sopheak described, “I can earn from 10,000- 15,000 riels (US$2.50- US$3.75) a day, and my husband works as a construction worker. So I would save very little. We keep working hard to generate income for the family.”
Sopheak and her family live in the small house. Under her house the slum water looks really black with bad smell. When asked about hygiene, Sopheak explained, “I always feed my children with good food regularly. Before, all of my family members, including my children drank only unboiled-water. My children often had diarrhea. However, now we changed to drink filter water. I have observed my children have better health. I always clean up the mess in the house and wash all dirty clothes. I understand nutritious food for my children, and never careless with my children’s health.”
Sopheak is now a savings group member, and she has a good relationship with all the members. They are all very helpful and exchange good experiences with each other. She has learned lots from others in order to improve herself. She shared with her eyes looks straight at all her children, “I want to see my children able to go to school and study hard for their bright future. I will advise them to stay far from gambling. Gambling brings us nothing, and puts us in debts and poor.”
Thirty-three year-old SroEm Chuon who is a neighbor of Sopheak said, “I have seen Sopheak changed a lot. She spent her time with playing cards from early morning until evening, and left all her children with her mother to take care. There was also domestic violence in her house, shout insulting words and sometimes beating. She now stops playing card and stays home instead. She washes clothes for others to earn income. . She takes a good care of all her children. I see she has good relationships with all her family members, and I consider her as my sister. I really admire her that has changed from a playing card addicted to a good woman. It’s good for other women to learn from her.”
-Ends-
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