Seng, age 53, and his wife Eksavy, 48, greeted us warmly at their home. Seng is a primary school teacher and tends cows in his free time. Eksavy has been a weaver for almost 30 years. She weaves at home, like many of the women on her island of Koh Dach in the Mekong outside of Phnom Penh. They have four children, three of whom are still living at home and attending school. Their one daughter, 16, helps Eksavy weave when she comes home from school.
Seng's loan of $350 is being repaid on schedule as of October. This is the third time he has taken out a loan through Maxima Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. here in Cambodia. This new loan, funded through Kiva, has enabled Eksavy to get a better price for silk thread and other silk and cotton products to resell. Eksavy already has a buyer that comes to her home to purchase her goods, so she will have no problem making a profit.
Weaving is painstaking work and the profit for each piece of basic weaving is only $2-3 USD each. Eksavy says she can finish about ten pieces per month. Seng complains that teachers make very little money in Cambodia, so they rely on selling his wife's income to support their family. As with many Cambodians we've met, their greatest hopes for the future are for her children to be able to stay in school and have a good education. (Photo: Seng and Eksavy)
MAXIMA Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd.
Posted by Tami Rowan from Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Nov 4, 2007
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment