New life, New hope....for a Sihanoukville Housewife

Mom Sinoun is a 50-year old housewife and mother to two adult children, ages 25 and 20. She lives in Stoeung Chhay district in the province of Sihanoukville, located approximately 230 km from Phnom Penh. Her son and daughter are garment factory workers in the capital. Her husband, 66 years old, is a vicar (acha) at the pagoda and makes a living through donations for his services from pagoda visitors. Mom raises chickens at home for extra income. Together, the couple earns around $60 a month, with $35 coming from her children. Her modest bamboo home of 4m x 5m has no electricity. She has one bicycle, no land to farm and no other livestock to raise. Mom Sinoun came to the hospital for the first time in 2003. A motorcycle accident left her with a broken right hand and head trauma that left her unconscious for a week. Prior to coming to the Center of HOPE, she had tried other hospitals, including her district hospital. One day, a neighbor told her about the Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE (SHCH), explaining that if she sought care there, she would “get a new life because the treatment and the medicines that they provide are such good quality.” Mom Sinoun raised money for transportation and came to Phnom Penh to get care at SHCH. Upon arrival, Mom Sinoun was treated for acute injuries. She was also treated for her chronic thyroid disorder and kidney infection. “The pain and discomfort that has bothered me for so long have gone away. The medicines I received helped me so much.” Through SHCH, Mom has received free medication for her hyperthyroidism as well as high cholesterol medication. “I really appreciate all the staff and doctors here. They take very good care of me. Thank you so much for all the free medicine and the good care.”

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SHCH prevented three boys from losing their mother

“Thank you so much again for saving my life and for giving me a chance to see my kids again.”—Sokhim, SHCH patient

Chey Sokhim, a 28-year-old farmer from Kork Bateay District in Kampong Chnang province, is a wife to Sokheang, 30 years old and mother of three young boys—ages 8, 6 and 3. Living 110 kilometers (about 68 miles) outside of Phnom Penh, their home is a modest wooden structure with a thatched roof. The family owns two bicycles and they farm a field of ½ hectare (about 1.2 acres). The land provides the family with rice for the entire year but they need money to buy other food supplies and send the kids to school. To supplement their income from farming, her husband works as a fisherman during the dry season.

They live a simple life. With no electricity and a small home of 35 sq. m. (379.5 sq. ft.) to maintain, the family is able to live on their meager income of $90 a month.

Two weeks before going to the Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE, Sokhim had gotten very sick. Due to a lack of proper knowledge and diagnosis, a well-meaning family member gave her medication to ease her stomach problems. The medication, intended for hepatitis made things worse for Sokhim. She got weaker, suffered from high fever; poor urine flow and her stomach got bigger each day.

When she first arrived at the hospital, Sokhim was found with cirrhosis of the liver and severe ascites that led to abdominal distention. With the right diagnosis, proper care, treatment and correct medication, she got better. Sokhim was sent home from SHCH three weeks later.

All aspects of her treatment were delivered free of charge.  Read more

Building Homes, Bringing Hope, Changing Lives

To everyone else who sees it, Oum Leap lives in a bathroom. But for this widow, she calls it home.

“It’s my home. It is much better than being homeless. My children and I were homeless for two years.”

The life of a widowed AIDS patient

At age 50, Oum Leap has been an HIV patient for over 10 years. Her husband died of AIDS in 2000, leaving her to raise their teenaged children on her own. She tried to make ends meet but when she couldn’t afford to pay rent anymore, she and her family ended up living in the dumpsite in Stung Meanchey District in 2007. Here, she expected to earn enough to feed her kids by collecting recyclable materials. When they first arrived, they spent two years in a tiny structure without walls in a shantytown next to the landfill. One organization that runs a school near the dump site took pity on her and allowed her to stay inside the school grounds to protect her family from roaming gangs, drug addicts, thieves and inclement weather. Since there was no space inside the school for a family, she and her children set up their makeshift home next to the abandoned toilet. It was under these living conditions that the Home Care Team of Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE met Oum Leap in 2010.

Oum Leap’s life the last couple of years has been about living and working at the landfill. She earns $2-$3 per day collecting recyclable materials. The family has to endure the stench from the dumpsite 24 hours a day. Daytime brought thousands of flies and nighttime meant thousands of mosquitoes.

But she did not worry much about food and shelter.

The rainy season brings relief from the stench but this one brought the family another misfortune. The rains had made the grounds muddy. Oum Leap slipped and broke her knee, leaving her unable to work at the dumpsite.  Read more