Pouv and Samean (see picture here) met each other nearly 16 years ago while both were living in the Dey Krahorm subdivision of Cambodia’s capitol city of Phnom Penh. Pouv grew up in a suburb of Phnom Penh called Steung Meanchey. Though Samean was born in the province of Kampong Chnang, about 80 miles north of Phnom Penh, shortly after her birth, her family moved to Phnom Penh in hopes of finding work and a better life. This was shortly after the genocidal Pol Pot regime (Khmer Rouge) was defeated by the Vietnamese army, and all who were evacuated from cities such as Phnom Penh were permitted to re-enter and begin to rebuild. Pouv had been doing odd jobs as a child, and eventually worked in construction during the rebuilding (which is still going on today).
Pouv and Samean were married 15 years ago in the Dey Krahorm subdivision. They have six children total. All but one of their children were born to them during their time living at Dey Krahorm. When he wasn’t working on a construction project (for around $2.00 per day), Pouv enjoyed playing volleyball with his friends. Before the children arrived, Samean enjoyed playing badminton with her friends and cooking all kinds of Khmer dishes. In Dey Krahorm, she sold fruit, and cooked a popular dessert to supplement their income. Though always at poverty level, the Pouv family never went without, thanks in part to construction projects such as luxury hotels, universities, and embassies, which were being built close to their home. Unfortunately, the development of their area caused their land value to rise rapidly and become attractive to developers. Eventually a certain developer, with the backing of the Cambodian government, was given permission to acquire the entire subdivision of Dey Krahorm, with the promise of fair compensation to those who owned property there. What the families were offered, was about 5% of what the property was worth, and by that time, would not be enough for them to by another home in any of Phnom Penh’s worst slums. After a trial eviction in 2007, stopped by human rights organizations, the people were promised they would not be evicted while negotiations for fair compensation continued.
At 2am Saturday morning, January 24, 2009, unilaterally breaking their promise, the development company arrived with municipality police in riot gear, and an army of hired workers with hammers and axes, using tear gas and rubber bullets, forced over 400 families to flee their homes, which were then flattened by bulldozers and back hoes. The Pouv family managed to take some clothes and their children out of the house, while inhaling and choking on the tear gas, but lost everything else they owned. Samean recalled trying to get to coolers in their house which had food and safe drinking water in them, but those too were destroyed by the violent workers and their tools. They ended up being taken to a relocation area owned by the developer, about 12 miles outside Phnom Penh. No schools for the kids, no markets for the families, and no jobs for those without transportation. At their new home, they had no clean water, no electricity, and no shelter. Just a pile of scraps from Dey Krahorm to build what they could. Eventually, their makeshift homes were destroyed again, so the developer could finish building condos on the relocation area land, which led them to this community less than a year ago, where Manna4Life is working to helpbuild a viable community which will one day be able to sustain itself through agricultural enterprises.
When asked what she missed most about Phnom Penh, Samean says it was much easier to make a living there. In her new community, now 23 miles from Phnom Penh, the only customers she would have if she attempted to sell fruit or dessert, would be the community’s other residents who are just as poor as the Pouv family, having little money for luxuries. Pouv himself goes to Phnom Penh for construction work by ‘taxi’, which means an overcrowded minivan, but the cost of such transportation and food while he’s at the site, make the small wage he receives; practically not worth the trip. The children not pictured were staying with relatives who live closer to a school, and their daughter Socheata who is pictured is mentally disabled, and is currently being cared for by an organization called; ‘Friends International’.
The Pouv family has received a new home by the generosity of people like yourself who are willing to share their blessings in life with those less fortunate .
If you feel led to help another family like the Pouv’s please go to this link at Canadahelps to make this a reality.
http://www.canadahelps.org/Giv
Each new home costs $ 570 we have built 31 homes so far and a total of 100 homes are needed. Every dollar received from Canadahelps will go directly to building a new home .
This Christmas season a time of giving what better way to use your resources than being a part of building HOPE in this community.
God bless
Kevin and Leakhena
