Votey:
Regarding your questions about Votey:
1. Where does she live in Cambodia? Tell me more about her family?
She lives in Andoung community (a poor village), Prek Pnov district, 20 km. from Phnom Penh, the mother's name Kith Sophea and the father is Tang Rithy, 55 years old, mostly jobless but sometime work as construction worker (the work is only offered from time to time), the family has four kids, three sons and one daughter which is Votey.
2. Where is she in her schooling? High school? What are her career goals?
She studies at Choukva High school near Andoung in grade 8, She is not sure about her future yet but wants to finish high school and wants to have a small business like a coffee shop to help support her family.
3. What will she use the $50 per month - for what expenses?
She will use some for her school expenses and give whatever is left over to her mother, because the family situation is not good.
4. Tell me about her economic situation, how do they earn money? Would it help the family to buy animals like chickens or geese etc.?
Yesterday I spoke with her mother, the mother said, the most income in family is from her working as cleaner in the morning, it is half day work but to support kids to stay in school is hard, plus they owe money to someone, it is 150$, it is sound like much but the interest is 37.50$ per Month, they still can not pay it off. I also asked the mother what she would like to do for income, she said she wanted to make cakes for sale in the afternoon, for that she needs a bicycle, flour, sugar and oil, I think 400$ would be enough for that.
5. Can you send photos of her home and some shots of her in school etc.?
Here are some photos at their home, I didn't meet everyone
Please let me know what do you think Marc?
Sreng
My response:
Hi Scott,
$1,000 would be life-changing for this family. But that's a lot to handle all at once for them. So, send me $1,000 and Sreng will give it to them in several installments.
We can keep Votey in school, end the debt and its (usurious!) interest rates, help them start the cake business and other purposes I may not know about at this moment (meds, shoes, etc.).
Sreng always sends reports with photos.
I love our collaboration. I have had similar experiences with other donors but usually as a "one-off" - let's do more, I have many potential aid recipients in numerous countries.
