Sytath, 44, and her husband welcomed us into their home. (She is married, not a widow as previously reported) We sat in the open living/ work space on the ground floor, underneath the raised wooden home above. Two looms sat threaded with brilliantly colored silk in varying stages of completion. Both husband and wife are weavers. Weaving is a good business, Sytath said, as it allows her to be home and take care of their children.
Sytath's loan of $200 is being repaid on schedule as of October. This is the third time she has taken out a loan through Maxima Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. here in Cambodia. This new loan, funded through Kiva, has enabled her to purchase raw silk thread and other weaving materials.
Cambodia woven goods are in increasing demand, both from locals and tourists. However, the costs of silk materials are on the rise and the prices the buyers pay for completed products have not compensated the weavers for this increase. Most weavers we met, like Sytath, complained that they require the loans just to get by as any profits they make must go back in to purchasing new materials or providing for their family's basic needs. It's an endless cycle, and one she does not see a solution to.
In the future, they hope to make enough money put their young sons, ages 3 and 5, through school.
MAXIMA Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd.
Posted by Tami Rowan from Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Nov 4, 2007
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