Houn Ann and her family joined the project in 2008. She cares for ten children; none previously attended school. Now, instead of working or helping out at home, four regularly attend school and none of the children under the age of 15 engage in paid employment.
Houn Ann has poor health—failing eyesight and heart problems force her to seek treatment at public hospital, which costs 500 baht (about $16) per treatment. She also travels 3 kilometers away to a Khmer traditional hospital for additional treatment. She worries about the younger children in her care—one falls quite ill every 3 months and Houn Ann cannot afford the medical fees (about 20 baht per treatment) for common ailments such as dengue fever. She encourages her grandchildren to drink more water and they sleep under mosquito nets to reduce their risk of sickness.
Even though she had such a large family care for, before she joined the project, Houn Ann earned only $70.50 each month. Now, she earns $120 per month making carpets—enough money to buy enough food for the entire family and to send all of the children under 15 years old to school. She also makes cakes that her husband sells at the markets for an additional $3.20 per day so the family lives without taking loans, but they sometimes buy commodities on credit. She feels that her life has changed for the better since joining CfC as now she can provide her children with adequate nutrition and education. She hopes that all of the children in her care complete secondary schooling.
