Rotarians Les Dennis and Ken Adams on a pilot study for Andrew Costello’s (Cosi) charity “Cows for Cambodia visited a shack (hovel) where a young woman lived with her 2 children under 4 on the edge of Cosi’s farm.. Her husband had deserted her She had nothing. She was given some children’s clothes and a solar powered torch. She cried and so did we. You could put her possessions in a bucket. We don’t know how she survives (no income no government help.)
Her only options are prostitute herself or sell one of the children. (1 in 4 children in Cambodia are sold to slavery or other.) We have started a fund to buy her a decent house on Cosi’s farm which he will give her rent free. If we give the house to her, the husband who abandoned her would claim it. We would also like to raise enough money to provide mosquito nets, bedding, cooking pots and pans, a rainwater tank, a bag of rice now and again, and maybe some solar lighting. The club will send money for her wages ($5 US) per week. Maybe later we can buy her a cow. The house will cost $2,100 plus about $1,000 for the extras. Photos show the house being built, the woman with volunteers, and a finished house.
We have now raised $5,000 and have transferred the money to Cosi. As soon as time allows he will begin to build the house and provide the extras. Thanks everybody for their generous donations.
The new wooden house is now completed and when Cosi let’s us know how much money we have left we will proceed with a toilet, solar panels or a well. The solar panels and battery are now installed, a generous donation from Brennan Brook from Queensland. Now she can make some money by charging villagers to charge their phones etc. Her name is Pov. Work has commenced on the well and toilet and there will be enough money for 2 goats and some needs inside. She is very happy and said that she never dreamt that she would live in a house like this.
We have purchased a Rotary sign.
Ken Adams and his wife Norma travelled to Cambodia in November to present the house and attach the Rotary sign. The family were given more gifts, money and clothes for the children. The lady looked very thin. We believe she was giving the only food she had to the children. A small wage will be provide to her for food (US$5 a week) The project is now completed and a big thanks goes to Cosi, Jet and Brennan Brook, Rotary and all the people who donated money.