This article was written in 2010 while I was working for World Vision Cambodia.
Title: Khem Experienced
Carelessness about Health
A thirty-year-old, Khem Thy is married
with two children. Comparing between her first and second
child, they look really different in terms of health and growth, both mental
and physical. Khem had never checked up her health at the health care center
even after she has learned about the value of health. She was pregnant with her
first child and she delivered the baby at home by a traditional mid-wife as the
old ancestors practiced because she thought it’s cheaper and her family’s
living condition was bad. Khem was awakened by the experience of her first
child. She really valued and practiced what she has learned about health care.
Khem sadly said, “I was a hard-headed person, I ignored the need to get health check ups even when I know it’s dangerous. My family’s living conditions was really bad, that’s why I didn’t want to spend much on my health check ups and delivering baby at home, so I could save.”
Generally, most Cambodian people living in the countryside use a traditional mid-wife to deliver baby because it's cheaper; they would spend around 20,000riels (5 US Dollars)- 30,000riels (7.50 US Dollars) with a basket of fruits and cooked-chicken.
Khem looks at her first child’s face, Noreak who is now 8 years old, “My first child was born with only 1.1kg, and nobody thought he could survive because he didn’t drink milk from my breast and his body looked like a little rat; I could see everything inside his stomach. I was really scared, but I must take care of him because he is my son, and it’s my fault that I didn’t get health check up.” She added with sobs, “My second child was born with 3kg, I got health check up regularly, and delivered by skillful mid-wife of the health care center in the village. I see my second child’s health is better than my first son. My first son’s mental and physical growth is very slow, and he has a bad memory, I feel pity for him.”
Khem’s first child is a sponsored child of World Vision; Noreak is studying in grade 2 and he likes studying so much; he expressed, “My mother always makes good food for me, and she advises me to take bath regularly, and clean hands before and after eating and going to the toilet. World Vision staff visits my family often, and encourages me to study hard.”
Noreak’s mother has been involved with World Vision since 2001 by World Vision’s Village Health Support Group (VHSG). She has learned a lot with VHSG in terms of health. Khem shared, “Even I learned about health, and live in good environment, yet I didn’t practice. There is VHSG Leader, Huoy Choeun, who always encourages, advises, and explains to me the value of health and health check up especially when pregnant. I feel ashamed that I have learned lots, but no practice in the real life. I now have awakened and take good care of family members and myself. I want to see all my children live in good health and have a bright future.”
Khem shares her real experiences to her neighbors and other women in her community. She is an open-minded woman, and she would like to encourage all mothers to take good care of children, and go for health check up regularly, so it’s safer for both mother and baby, especially for delivering. Do not use service of mid-wife as our ancestors practiced even if it’s cheaper, yet it’s not safe for mother and baby. She said, “I am thankful to World Vision staff who is patient with me, and really value and take care of me as the whole community people to live healthy and safe. I always called to share other villagers to live in clean environment, and please practice what we have learned. Do not learn and keep those lessons hidden. I experienced my carelessness with health. Money we can earn but good health for children one lost is lost forever.”
Ask for his dream in the future, Noreak smiled, “I want to be a good physician because I get sick very often and I feel a lack of energy. I want to take care of my parents; I don’t want them to get sick because I love them so much.” Khem sits nearby him and with the beginning of tears, “If I had only went for health check up, my first son would have a better health. I am excited with his dream.”
A Village Health Support Group Leader of World Vision, Huoy Choeun, 51, smiled, “I am so happy to see an amazing change of Khem and her family. I have spent many years to transform her and to push her to practice what she has learned with VHSG. She seemed to ignore about health and hygiene. She is now a good model for other villagers in the community. I always invite her to share with other villagers her real story, hygiene, and health session. She is a curious one to learn, and now her husband also changes to focus on his wife’s and children’s health.”
Khem sadly said, “I was a hard-headed person, I ignored the need to get health check ups even when I know it’s dangerous. My family’s living conditions was really bad, that’s why I didn’t want to spend much on my health check ups and delivering baby at home, so I could save.”
Generally, most Cambodian people living in the countryside use a traditional mid-wife to deliver baby because it's cheaper; they would spend around 20,000riels (5 US Dollars)- 30,000riels (7.50 US Dollars) with a basket of fruits and cooked-chicken.
Khem looks at her first child’s face, Noreak who is now 8 years old, “My first child was born with only 1.1kg, and nobody thought he could survive because he didn’t drink milk from my breast and his body looked like a little rat; I could see everything inside his stomach. I was really scared, but I must take care of him because he is my son, and it’s my fault that I didn’t get health check up.” She added with sobs, “My second child was born with 3kg, I got health check up regularly, and delivered by skillful mid-wife of the health care center in the village. I see my second child’s health is better than my first son. My first son’s mental and physical growth is very slow, and he has a bad memory, I feel pity for him.”
Khem’s first child is a sponsored child of World Vision; Noreak is studying in grade 2 and he likes studying so much; he expressed, “My mother always makes good food for me, and she advises me to take bath regularly, and clean hands before and after eating and going to the toilet. World Vision staff visits my family often, and encourages me to study hard.”
Noreak’s mother has been involved with World Vision since 2001 by World Vision’s Village Health Support Group (VHSG). She has learned a lot with VHSG in terms of health. Khem shared, “Even I learned about health, and live in good environment, yet I didn’t practice. There is VHSG Leader, Huoy Choeun, who always encourages, advises, and explains to me the value of health and health check up especially when pregnant. I feel ashamed that I have learned lots, but no practice in the real life. I now have awakened and take good care of family members and myself. I want to see all my children live in good health and have a bright future.”
Khem shares her real experiences to her neighbors and other women in her community. She is an open-minded woman, and she would like to encourage all mothers to take good care of children, and go for health check up regularly, so it’s safer for both mother and baby, especially for delivering. Do not use service of mid-wife as our ancestors practiced even if it’s cheaper, yet it’s not safe for mother and baby. She said, “I am thankful to World Vision staff who is patient with me, and really value and take care of me as the whole community people to live healthy and safe. I always called to share other villagers to live in clean environment, and please practice what we have learned. Do not learn and keep those lessons hidden. I experienced my carelessness with health. Money we can earn but good health for children one lost is lost forever.”
Ask for his dream in the future, Noreak smiled, “I want to be a good physician because I get sick very often and I feel a lack of energy. I want to take care of my parents; I don’t want them to get sick because I love them so much.” Khem sits nearby him and with the beginning of tears, “If I had only went for health check up, my first son would have a better health. I am excited with his dream.”
A Village Health Support Group Leader of World Vision, Huoy Choeun, 51, smiled, “I am so happy to see an amazing change of Khem and her family. I have spent many years to transform her and to push her to practice what she has learned with VHSG. She seemed to ignore about health and hygiene. She is now a good model for other villagers in the community. I always invite her to share with other villagers her real story, hygiene, and health session. She is a curious one to learn, and now her husband also changes to focus on his wife’s and children’s health.”
-Ends-
No comments:
Post a Comment