Cow project aids Cambodia's poor

Ownership of a cow can prove a big economic help to Cambodia's poor, who can sell calves to create a sustainable source of income.
"I am very happy to get this cow," said Chen Kea, a mother of seven whose husband is a fisherman. "It's a foundation for my family." |
POSTED: May 16, 2007
By John Patrick
CAMBODIA - For many Cambodians, the difference between poverty and wealth can often be determined by a cow.
Just ask 28-year-old Chen Kea of Cambodia, and mother of seven children.
Chen and her husband work as fishermen to bring food into their single-room house, built out of paper boxes and other scrap material. Their combined efforts, however, only bring in about $7 a month and they often have to borrow food from a neighbor.
"My family is too poor and lives from day to day, without hope or a future," Chen said. "Everyday I worry about my children because I have no ability to give them good things in life."
Thanks to Operation Blessing's cow project, Chen and other poverty-stricken families like hers are each being given a calf to raise and breed.
Ownership of a cow can provide an economic boost to Cambodia's poorest citizens, whose income prevents them from being able to purchase such livestock. Cows produce calves, which can be sold to create a sustainable source of income for a struggling family.
"I am very happy to get this cow," Chen said. "It's a foundation for my family."
In addition to receiving a new calf, Operation Blessing's Back-To-School program is also helping providing educational assistance so that Chen's children can remain enrolled in school.
"Now, I'll be able to live a long life and give my children the best," she added.
How You Can Help
Whether it's the gift of a cow, building cisterns or supporting schools, your support is helping make a difference for those in need. You can be a part of equipping impoverished families like Chen's by making an online donation toward life-changing programs with Operation Blessing.
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