Ny, 32, greeted us in front of her busy grocery store / eatery the other day. As is common here, the store is an extension of the open front room of her house with additional display tables in front. Ny motioned to us to sit down on the ubiquitous bamboo wood platform that everyone uses here. There were children running around and old women purchasing produce with the traditional, checked-pattern cloth called "krama" over the heads. We began asking Ny about her life, family and the effects of her loan between transactions with customers.
Ny's loan of $700 is being repaid on schedule as of December. This is the fifth 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 additional items for her grocery store as well as a new moto-scooter for her husband, a construction contractor, to get to and from work. Ny has been running this store for the past 8 years. She sells many items such as sauces, noodles, crackers, cookies, sodas, beer, gas cylinders, fresh meat and produce. What makes her store unique from the five others on the island though, is her small eatery. Here, locals can eat fresh-cooked Chinese noodles by day or sip coffee by night. It's a thriving business which keeps her busy from 7 AM 'til 9 PM every day. Every day too, she rises early to go to the larger district market to stock up on her fresh items.
In the future, Ny hopes that she will be able to borrow again to continue expanding her business. She plans to begin stocking rice and other items that are currently unavailable in the village. If business continues to prosper, she feels confident that she will be able to provide a good education for her two daughters, ages 5 + 9, so that they have the opportunity to be whatever they want. (Photo: Ny with daughters)
MAXIMA Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd.
Posted by Tami Rowan from Khsach Kandal district, Cambodia
Dec 2, 2007
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