Mork Nget and his family were among the most vulnerable in their Cambodian community. Like many of their neighbors, they struggled to put food on the table and didn’t have the funds to meet other basic needs.
But the small family faced especially difficult circumstances, as three of the four family members suffer with physical disabilities. Nhip Tola, the oldest son, has a hand disability. 11-year-old Nhip Seyla faces a leg impairment. And Mork Nget himself, the father and provider for his family, struggles with his vision.
The family had no consistent source of income. They grew some cassava plants and foraged in the forest for items to sell. Mork Nget and his wife, Toch Yin, simply didn’t have the training or tools to develop a livelihood. Neither of them had graduated from school. In fact, Mork Nget only attended through the third grade, further limiting his options for work.
But because of the help and training they received when Food for the Hungry (FH) came to their community, their lives today are far different than they were even a year ago. Mork Nget and his family have experienced incredible breakthroughs and overcome challenges in their fight to break free from extreme poverty.
A Family on the Brink
“Most of our money was spent on the medical treatment of my sons,” Mork Nget recalled. “Because we all had to work in order to eat, they had to quit school and could just barely read and write. Relationships became strained to their breaking point, and I became violent with my family.”
The family stopped living together as a result of the abuse. “My older brother stopped even speaking to my father, because he was violent with my mom,” said Nhip Seyla, the youngest son.
God at Work
FH’s work strengthening communities includes making sure all parents have options for livelihoods that allow them to provide everything that growing children need to grow up strong and meet their God-given potential. But it is also about learning about reconciling relationships within the family and community. “FH trained me to understand the root causes which led my family into poverty,” Mork Nget said. “This encouraged me to focus on solving problems, rather than spreading blame.”
Nhip Seyla says his father has dramatically changed and all abuse has stopped. “He looks after all of us with love and helps my mother to make our lives better,” he said. “Everyone in the community now cares about us, too. And my family is starting to live in happiness.”
Mork Nget attended programs and training that FH supporters made possible, providing him with new agricultural techniques to help him develop a sustainable livelihood. At the end of the training, FH provided the family with 22 chickens to help them launch their chicken farm.
Because FH taught Mork Nget how to care for the chickens, prepare their feed, and create optimal enclosures, his business is thriving. The poultry provides protein for their diet, and they have surplus eggs and chicks to sell to cover their expenses. His sons are now able to get the medical help they need.
Looking forward, Mork Nget no longer sees a hopeless future, but one that is bright and full of possibilities.
He shared his dream: “I would like to see my family’s livelihood improve by continuing to successfully raise chickens and extend into new sources of income. And I’m committed to working harder in order to support my sons’ education.
“I want to continue to have a good relationship with neighbors and feel more valuable to my family and all the people surrounding me. And I want to share all my knowledge and good experiences with my neighbors.”
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