DanChurchAid
Cambodia
Landless female farmer
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DanChurchAid
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| Kong Pov (to the left) together with one of the older women in Farmer Field School . |
In 1998 they returned to the husband’s village in the province of Phnom Srouch – only to find that all arable land had been distributed to others. The future looked bleak for the poor, young couple. Luckily, one of the wealthy families in the village offered Kong Pov and her husband to borrow a plot of land where they built a small house, and the energetic woman is now turning the land into a larder.
A better future
Kong Pov is now 43 years old and has a lot of drive. Her eyes beam with joy and pride of what she has achieved during the past 18 months.
‘I have learned a lot in the Farmer Field School . Especially that we can do something ourselves, and now I can dream of a better future for my family,’ says Kong Pov.
On their small piece of land she has made fencing for the two cows in which she will soon have a share. She has established a small kitchen garden, and from the profit of the sale of crops she bought two chickens which have multiplied into five by now. In addition she has planted some fruit trees and a small paddy field.
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DanChurchAid
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| Rich result of Farmer Field School |
'My own land'
She has already achieved a lot, but Kong Pov has more dreams which she has drawn in a small note book. The drawing shows a beautiful house with land and cows. ‘My own land,’ she underlines.
However, land is expensive in Cambodia, so it may take some time before her dream will come true. But she is determined, and that is the first important step towards a better future.
By Lisbeth Engbo ( libo@dca.dk )
Cambodia
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