Chandon's story

“Life was very difficult for me growing up,” 18-year-old Chandon recalls. From the age of twelve, she already knew the toll of poverty on her life. Every day, she would pluck vegetables from her vegetable patch and take them to one of Phnom Penh’s markets, hoping to earn enough to feed herself and her parents.

“It was never enough,” she admits, recalling how she was also forced to work as an 'Ajay' (plastic collector) when the vegetable selling was slow. “Some days we only had enough for one meal.” Her parents, both of whom suffered from severe lung and liver problems, had already sent Chandon’s brother to live with her Grandmother as they could not afford to look after both siblings. Their poverty was compounded by their illness, which required daily medication and a steady source of income to pay for the treatment.

When Chandon's parents succumbed to their illness and passed away in 2004, her world game to a grinding halt. However, God had not forgotten about her and neither had her Aunt in Somrong Village, Kompong Thom. Upon hearing about Chandon's situation, she immediately arranged for the grieving 16-year-old to come and live with her in the village along the main road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

With no parents and no possessions, Chandon arrived in Somrong to piece together the pieces of her broken life. Her first real opportunity to rebuild came when her Aunt arranged for her to participate in weaving training at the nearby Khmer Life Centre. Before long, she was offered a permanent job at the project, which is run by a Christian mission group looking to improve the plight of Kompong Thom's poor.

“Even though my parents have died, I have a better life now,” she says, smiling. Her new job and newfound friends have also brought Chandon a newfound sense of confidence and belief in herself. She has also decided to become a Christian and is now a regular attendee at the local church.

Her perspective on life is also different now. As she puts it: “I now know that there's a spiritual life that I need to look after. It’s not just about my physical life.”