Empower At-Risk Girls in Cambodia

In Cambodia where some of the country’s poorest people live a hand-to-mouth existence, emergency family expenses or sometimes even putting food on the table are regularly covered by money from loan sharks. These loans come with a heavy price tag not only in exorbitant interest rates, but spiralling families into more and more debt and often keeping them living in poverty.

At Senhoa, we actively encourage our artisans to save for a rain day or in many cases towards a financial goal. Our artisans can achieve this in two ways by either saving independently or putting money aside using the Senhoa Monthly Savings Scheme.

To make saving independently easier we have recently supported our staff to open bank accounts where we pay their salaries monthly. With money often kept at home in a box or under the mattress, having money safely stored in the bank was a new and scary concept to our team. To assist with these changes Senhoa provided training on the benefits of using a bank account and how to save, including more practical sessions on how to use an ATM machine.

Saving money is empowering our girls to support themselves and their families and encouraging them to plan for their future. Currently our artisans have many financial goals, these including saving for the education of their children or younger siblings. Others are working towards buying land and increasing their family’s financial security.

As our artisans become more independent and increase their nest eggs, Senhoa still offers a financial cushion with interest-free loans for those needing support such as emergency medical expenses for family members.

Photo: Pictured here are some of our artisans with their new ATM cards. Lida* and Sophorn* are saving for their children’s education, while Theary* is saving her niece’s schooling. Socheata* is hoping to buy a motorbike next year.

*names changed to protect the privacy of our artisans.