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Cambodia: Pig changes family fortunes |
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Heang Han, her daughter and the pig that made them self-sufficient.
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Heang Han was just 33 when her husband committed suicide, leaving her with three small children and an unborn baby. Today her children gather around her, proud of their mother and her ability to support her family with her successful pig raising business.
The four children are now teenagers and they are still at school Han says with pride. "VisionFund means my children can go to school. Pig raising has really helped my family," she says.
Heang Han, her children, her pigs and their brood of little piglets live in the Kampong Thom province 3 hours from Phnom Penh. With her first loan from the Community Bank, Han bought one pig and a bike, which enabled her to go to the markets.
Soon she was selling groceries outside her home and buying more pigs. The income this generated enabled her to put a new roof on her home and soon she was graduating to bigger loans.
"I try and tell people in my village about how VisionFund helps people not just by giving money but giving them credit to generate their own income," Han says.
Han has now planted cashew nut trees, expanded her grocery business with the purchase of a cart and stall, and just built a new home for her children.
Holding a piglet in her arms Han laughs when she's asked what she wants for her children. "I want my children to be like you (VisionFund staff) with a good job and help people."
"VisionFund has helped my family and also our village," she says. "We have more money for food, better homes, and can send our children to school."
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