Pov Pouch, Fisherman

Update on Pov Pouch


Pov, age 48, and wife Sokom, 42, live in a small (10'x12' – and housing 8 people!) wood and thatch home. The loan officer and I navigate over a series of fallen coconut palms and wooden planks, gripping a makeshift bamboo rail on one side so as not to fall into the water below, to get there. We sit on a woven mat that is laid out for us on the narrow front porch, inches above the water. As we talk, we repeatedly have to tuck our legs in to allow for both neighbors and dogs to pass on this temporary sidewalk.

Pov's loan of $400 is being repaid on schedule as of October. This is the second time he has taken out a loan through Maxima Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. here in Cambodia. Previously he had borrowed money through another local micro-finance institute, but their interest rates were higher. This new loan, funded through Kiva, has enabled Pov to buy a larger fishing boat and new nets.

Pov is a quiet man and he let Sokom do most of the talking. Pov's been a fisherman for almost 20 years. He learned from his father as a young boy and is now teaching their children to fish after school. The old boat, which sat tied up near their home, is very small (more like a wooden canoe) and was unusable when it was windy. On those days, Pov couldn't fish in the open water, but instead had to collect water lilies for his wife to sell - An item of considerably lower profit. With his new, larger, motorized boat, Pov can now fish every day, regardless of weather. Every day, Sokom takes the catch to the large district market where they can earn anywhere from 10,000 - 300,000 Riel ($2.50 - $75 USD) a day. This is a very profitable business by Cambodian standards, but not secure, as we learned.

They told us about some of their ongoing troubles. Fishing nets are expensive, around $10 USD for a small one, and are prone to theft. Pov sometimes sleeps in his boat after setting his nets, to wait for the fish. He's awoken on a few occasions to find the entire net with catch gone! When this happens, they must rely on taking a loan to cover their upfront costs and begin again. It's a frustrating situation for them.

Despite their financial uncertainty, their six children are all attending the local school. This is fairly typical. It's only after grade 6 that many families are forced to take their children out due to the expense and difficulty of getting them to a secondary school, which is usually farther away. She and her husband's greatest hope for the future is that they can afford to keep their children in school so that they have the opportunity to be whatever they want to be. (Photo: Pov fishing with new boat)

MAXIMA Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd.
Posted by Tami Rowan from Pon-Nhea Leu district, Cambodia
Nov 4, 2007


Comments

I want to applaud Tami Rowan for her excellent writing. She makes me feel as though I were blessed to meet the people I care about, myself. She gives me a glimpse into their lives, which makes me very glad I have loaned. That extra description makes all the difference!

Posted by Rosemary from Idaho, USA
Nov 6, 2007



Thank you very much for the update, Tami. It's to bad that Pov has to deal with having his nets stolen. If he ever decides to apply for another loan, I'll participate again.

Posted by Jundee from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Nov 6, 2007