Sary Reth

Sary Reth started making carpets with CfC in 2008. She has seven children. Additionally, in her house live her husband and three other relatives. Before she started with the project, all of her children had irregular attendance at school. Her children aged more than 15 years stayed at home to help their parents work.

Sary Reth earned $82 per month before joining the project; now, she averages $120 per month making carpets (as of 2010). She further supplements her income by selling cakes, earning $1 per day. She still does not earn enough money to cover all of her large family’s expenses, so she must purchase commodities on credit and borrow money from her family. She has no outstanding loans.

Currently, the family all experience bad health. Sary Reth is very weak and cannot work hard, and her daughter has bladder problems and low blood pressure. When her family suffers from minor illnesses, she goes to the public hospital that charges $2.20 per visit. If her family suffers from major illnesses, she prefers to seek treatment in a private hospital, which charges her $4.80.

As a result of making carpets with CfC, Sary Reth has more income to spend on food and she sees that her relationship with her husband has improved. When they spend too much of their earnings, however, they cannot access the health care they need nor send their children to school. Sary Reth wants to work harder and take care of her own health so that these problems no longer compromise her children’s education.