Seam, 58, welcomed us into her home the other day. When we arrived, Seam's daughter was bent over a pot of boiling water, dying the raw silk thread a deep magenta color. Seam sat spinning the dyed thread onto a spindle in preparation for weaving while we talked.
Her two daughters, ages 20 and 28, do all the weaving with some help from their mother. Seam and her husband primarily farm vegetables, sugar cane and rice. They sell these at either the local market or in Phnom Penh, depending on the amount they have to sell at any given time. They're able to get more for their crops in Phnom Penh, but the time and cost of going there is sometimes prohibitive. Their 7 children are all grown, but 5 still live at home with them.
Seam's loan of $600 is being repaid on schedule as of October. This is second time she has taken out a loan through Maxima Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. here in Cambodia. Previously, she had been borrowing money from a local money lender but switched because she could only borrow very small amounts. This new loan, funded through Kiva, has enabled Seam to buy her raw silk in bulk and thereby increase her profits.
Weaving is painstaking work. Seam's daughters are each able to produce about four pieces a month. They sell their goods to the local buyer for around $35 USD each, as they are skilled in weaving a more complex pattern. Still, their profit for each piece is only about $5 USD each. Seam tells me she is happy that all her children are working, though she's sad that she was only able to afford a low level of education for them. They were all forced to quit school at varying ages to work weaving, farming or at one of the many government-run garment factories to help support the family.
Seam's greatest hope for the future is that her family can provide better for the next generation than she was able to. She especially hopes that they will all be able to send their own children to school. (Photo: Seam with daughters)
MAXIMA Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd.
Posted by Tami Rowan from Khsach Kandal district, Cambodia
Nov 4, 2007
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