By Tracy Brookshaw | General Manager
Last month, the Senhoa family bid a fond farewell to our friend and colleague, San* as she returned to her homeland to be with her family.
San* originally came to the Senhoa team in 2010 as a part-time artisan. Shortly after joining our vocational training program, San’s mother fell seriously ill and needed costly medical treatment. Desperate for money, the family discussed ways to find the funds. With few options available, San considered selling her virginity. This loss of innocence potentially leading to a life of sex work with little prospect of marriage in the future.
Senhoa stepped in and paid the medical treatment for San’s mother. San, in turn, flourished during her jewelry making training and was quickly promoted to team leader becoming a valuable member of Senhoa’s social enterprise in Cambodia.
Prior to leaving Senhoa, San passed on all her knowledge and skill to her friend and successor, Sina* to ensure the legacy of her training techniques and ability continued going forward.
The team hosted a small party with mango and passionfruit cake to say goodbye to San and presented with her a very unique Senhoa gift. A video they had choregraphed to a Khmer song that would help San remember them always. The gift was received with both tears and laughter.
For San, life beyond Senhoa looks bright and with a new-found confidence she is looking forward to a future continuing to make jewellery and to perhaps train as an accountant as she loves numbers.
*names changed to protect the privacy of our artisans.
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