Kim Channy (22) lives in eastern Cambodia. She is the eldest child in a family living off farming. She did not finish school. Kim says she has always been very shy and did not talk much. "I didn't understand much about society. I didn't care that much about the people around me, the community."
When Kim was 17, she started a shop selling iced tea, eggs and snacks. It did not go well and after only a year, she had to close the shop. She joined the savings group her mother was already a member of and that was the beginning of the change in her life.
Addressing problems
"I learnt a lot from the meetings with the adults. In 2022, the leader of the savings group, Ms Sameth Sreiva, asked me to do something for the youth of the village. I liked that. When I became leader of the youth group, my interest in social work and community development was piqued. I began to understand the problems in my community. With the local authorities and the school board, I started addressing those problems.
I helped train young people and organised community meetings on early marriage, drug abuse and deforestation. We organised an event to raise money for school supplies for children from low-income families. We were able to use some of the money to buy food and clothes for someone with a disability and for a struggling family. We also do Bible study together. We learn a lot."
An income of your own
Kim says she has changed. She has become braver and she enjoys contributing to the community. Her shop is open again and she has expanded her range to include papaya salad, noodles and coffee. Business is good: Kim earns enough to live on and can even help pay for her brother's education.
Positive changes
The village development Kim talks about is a project run by the PNKS foundation. They provide training on citizenship, keeping chickens and pigs, climate change, parenting and common diseases, for example. "Very educational," thinks Kim. A whole number of families now earn a good income by keeping animals. More young people attend and complete secondary school.
Some practical things are also being addressed, such as access to clean drinking water. Clean water and more hygienic sanitation facilities help stop the spread of disease.
Kim: "I understood that PNKS is supported by the churches in the Netherlands. That's why I want to thank you for this support!"
