Youem Yet and her family joined the project in mid-2010. She has seven children with her husband—two under the age of six, two between six and 15, and three older. Previously the children attended school irregularly because they worked as cart-pushers in the Thai market. Now, all of the children aged six to 15 attend school full time.
Youem Yet earned $82 per month making carpets. Additionally, her older daughter made a profit as a cart-pusher in the Thai market (about $1 per day). In such the short period working with CfC, Youem Yet gained the confidence and capabilities to start her own business. She has recognised the opportunity to start a mushroom farm. And now sells mushrooms locally. CfC supported her project by helping her to purchase the equipment needed to start this farm.
Currently, the family spends more than they earn and they usually must borrow money from friends for emergency expenses. Youem Yet has an outstanding loan from a microfinance institute to fund the construction of her house. She still owes $646 on that loan with a monthly interest rate of 2.5 percent.
Since she joined CfC, Youem Yet’s life has changed for the better. She earns an increased income so she can pay off her debt, and her children have the chance to study every day. Even though she worries about the cost of keeping her children in school, she hopes that through an education, they can find better jobs in the future.
