Empower HIV+ Women in Cambodia to Start a Business

Thank you for your generous support of our project. Rather than give you just the numbers of women taking part in our sewing class, we would like to share the stories of women whose lives have been transformed through participating in our sewing program.

The sewing program was started in Battambang Province with the contributive supports from Face to Face AIDS Project and Global Giving. The immediate goal of the program was to nurture poverty and HIV-infected or affected and vulnerable women to be able to gain quality technical skills in sewing so that they might be able to support themselves and their families. The SCC-Battambang vocational sewing program gave young women from poor families both pride in their own work as well as hope for a more prosperous future.

Ms. Doung aged 28, Ms. Roeuth aged 24 and Ms. Yib aged 24 joined the sewing and tailoring program with SCC Battambang after visiting Wat Norea Community Centre and taking a look at the program. With the Program they had to stay and learn from Monday to Friday at SCC’s Centre, they also worked outside on Sunday and Saturday for getting income during their learning at SCC.

With their hard work and learning at SCC’s Centre, they improved their sewing skills and would like to start their own business at their communities. At the end of 2013 they decided to leave SCC’s Centre and then later three of them requested the sewing machines from SCC. SCC suggested them to set up as a group for supporting each other and they later accepted it.

SCC decided to provide them the interest-free loans to purchase the sewing machines and the pong machine. Now they have a daily income from these sewing and tailoring. They can earn around 3.25 dollars each per day. They can save the money which is a big help for their family.

Thank you for being part of the SCC family and supporting our work to combat the economic hardships that HIV imposes on women and their families in rural Cambodia.

Mrs. Chamnan is a 42-year-old widow, living with AIDS. Prior to that, her husband was seriously ill and all her small assets were sold to cover his medical treatment. Unfortunately, he died in 1998 and left her behind with one daughter, one year later their daughter died too. Since then, living conditions of her family became deteriorated without profitable business and sufficient food to survive. She left her home to live and work in Poy Pet district and Banteaymean chey province.

In 2004, being sick and very weak, Chamnan decided to come back to her homeland and to be tested for HIV. As she was diagnosed as being HIV-positive, her family was selected as a part of SCC’s target group in Ekphom district of Battambang province. SCC’s intervention aimed to alleviate suffering of its beneficiaries through the provision of participation, non-discrimination, human rights and gender equality, physical and practical support, HIV/AIDS, anti-stigma, gender and human rights education. Chamnan has received SCC support services such as regular home base care, Buddhist counseling, meditation instructions, referral to healthcare service and monthly WFP food Aids. Moreover her business grows. For now she is able to earn income by sewing after she has received 150 USD a start-up capital.

As the above-mentioned situation changed positively, Chamnan has secured food for living, she mentioned that, “the villagers always invite me to attend ceremonies and wedding receptions. My business keeps me very busy, but it brings in income every day. Even though, those activities keep me busy, my health is largely stable”.

Thank you for your generous support of our project. Rather than giving you just the numbers of women taking part in our Empowering HIV+ Women in Cambodia to Start a Business, we would like to share stories of women whose lives have been transformed through participating in our sewing program.