Community Health Development Changes Lives
Set Sokom has one of the most well-known faces in the village of Lvea Sor in Kandal Province.
The 49 year-old smiles as she recalls how generations of her family have made the this part of the Lvea Em flood-plain their home, growing plantation crops such as rice and soy beans on land owned by the family for many years.
Her smile is gentle but also resolute, hiding not only years of hard work but the pain of having lost her husband at a young age and the burden of having to raise their nine children without him.
?At first it was really difficult,? Sokom admits, recalling how her husband contracted malaria while working in altthe forests of Northern Kandal Province, a disease which eventually killed him. ?During the three years that he was sick, everyone in the family had to work very hard because we didn?t even have enough money for his medicine.?
By the time her husband succumbed to his illness in 1993, Sokom?s situation was desperate ? nine hungry children and no way of feeding them. She decided to move back to her homeland, relying on the help of her Mother to feed and raise her children as well as the income she made growing crops in the field in front of her house.
What Sokom did not expect on return to Lvea Sor was the support of AOC, which had begun to educate villagers on preventative healthcare as well as providing needy families with water filters, latrines and digging wells since Sokom left the village. Read more...
Community Health Education
The Community Health Education (CHE) Project works in three villages in Lvea Sor commune. It follows the Community Health Education model developed by Medical Ambassadors International (MAI) which helps people take responsibility for the health conditions in their communities. Lvea Sor commune is home to 660
families and covers an area of 7km x 3km along the Mekong River.
In January 2005 we conducted a baseline survey from 100 randomly selected families. The survey indicated low levels of sanitation, prevalence of typhoid, influenza and abdominal pain. The difficulties the village faces are compounded by flooding most years where for two months of the year the village can be under up to 1.5 meters of water.
In response to this, the CHE project focuses on water purification, sanitation, and community health issues. Three village development committees have been appointed. CHE volunteers have been be identified and are receiving ongoing training.
In December 2005 a repeat survey will be carried out to assess the impact of the project.
