Women Get Well
Heng Nat, 27, lives in a rural village in Cambodia with her elderly mother and invalid brother, for whom she must provide. Women like Heng Nat are the key, in many instances, to relieving family poverty. However, rural communities are often isolated and miss out on development opportunities. Women in particular can miss out on educational opportunities and involvement in community decision making. Many are also bound to labour-intensive activities.
But things are changing. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), for example, through its Women’s WELL project, is making a difference. The project aims to help women in the areas of water, empowerment, learning and livelihood.
Water. Access to potable water is poor. This affects mostly women and children, who are responsible for providing the water for family, gardening and animal needs. In some villages, women fetch water during the night in order to avoid the queues in daylight hours.
Empowerment. Being deprived of educational opportunities and other community activities means many women in rural Cambodia today possess low self-esteem and lack confidence.
Learning. Women in these communities have little or no education, and many are illiterate. They also have limited knowledge about health, nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, the environment and HIV/AIDS, all of which threaten their health and lives.
Livelihoods. Access to economic resources is limited, and owning a small business is difficult. Women are often too busy with household duties to devote the necessary time to make a business successful. They also pay high interest on loans, which means family savings are minimal or nonexistent.
WELL works through empowerment groups, providing opportunity for them to share, grow and learn. Empowerment is the first step in this holistic approach to poverty. Stimulating minds and developing thinking ability in a group context is fundamental to sustainable development. The empowerment groups use adventure games and team activities to build confidence, helping to train women leaders in community activities. They also form the basis for planning and managing local water systems. Women learn how to assess water needs, and mobilise communities to install systems.
Community participation is vital to the success of such a project, so villagers make a financial contribution. The cash is added to a credit fund run by the group, which gives low-interest credit.
Heng Nat is a member of an empowerment group. “Before the ADRA program came, I had no confidence and couldn’t decide what to do, because our own money was not enough,” she said. But when she heard about the WELL project credit plan, she was keen to get involved.
Her loan of just $A63 allowed her to buy chickens, which she then sells at the market. She will cycle 40 km to buy chickens at a cheaper price. She can now provide the everyday needs of her relatives. She’s also been able to buy new pots and replace the roof on her home.
Heng Nat has plans to expand. In the meantime, thanks to WELL, she’s able to make a better life, confident of providing well for her extended family.
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