New knowledge is making things grow in a remote village in North Eastern Cambodia. Phim Theun and her family have seen their crops and home garden flourish thanks to new farming techniques they have recently introduced.
Phim lives in a remote farming village and is the mother of four children aged from 12-20. She and her husband earn a living farming rice and cassava.
Making the most out of each crop is essential for Phim to help lift her family out of poverty. Any additional income, from improved crop yield, provides Phim and her husband with money they can spend on their children’s education, healthcare and to put some money away for the future.
CARE partnered with Phim’s village to share information on planting techniques and improving crop yields. Phim recalls “I learned about transplanting rice, so when we get a higher yield we can keep seed for the next growing season.” The ability to keep some seed aside is vital for sustainable farming, and Phim works side by side with her husband planting and nurturing the crops to maximise production.
CARE has also assisted Phim’s village over the past few years with home garden vegetable production. Having vegetables close to home saves the family money and also brings diversity to their diet. Phim has noticed a huge difference; “Life has changed by learning new planting techniques and improving yield.” Phim has turned 10kg of input soya bean seed into two sacks totalling 300kg.
The benefits of increased crops extends to the whole family “I have cash crop seeds for next season’s planting and also some money for the family, especially for the children to go to school.”
Phim has mixed feelings about the future, with uncertainty about her land and great hopes for her children. “We hope that our children grow up and hope they have education and get a better job.” With all four children in school and attending extra tutoring with money earned from her crops, things are looking positive for Phim’s family.
