mom family

Prok Mom, 38, is a mother of nine children and a member of the Strey Aphiwat Self-Help Group (SHG) in Peany, a village in Cambodia's Takeo province. Mom’s family is considered to be the poorest in the village. Her husband and one of their sons work in Thailand. The couple has a daughter who works at a garment factory in the city and another son who works on another family's farm. Prok Mom stays busy raising their six small children, the youngest of which is a one-year-old girl, at home in their village.

Prok Mom, along with 24 neighbor women and their families, formed a SHG in June 2012. In the first few months, the members saved an average of 2,000 Riels, or about 50 cents, per month. By August, Heifer's Improving Income and Nutrition through Community Empowerment (INCOME)project was introduced, and the Strey Aphiwat SHG was selected to participate. The group received a series of trainings on topics including self-help group management and leadership, animal raising, microfinance, and Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development.