Best CHOICES Cambodia
Donate NowCambodia
The Best CHOICES Project, standing for Best Community Household Opportunities through Improved Community Empowered Solutions, works with vulnerable families in 50 communities in rural Cambodia, where people experience poor maternal and child nutrition as well as child exploitation. Because many vulnerable people in Pursat Province are financially insecure and are exploited for their labour, our project helps participants to make safe decisions about labour migration, personal health, non-communicable diseases, hygiene, waste management and livelihoods.
This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
Improving health and wellbeing – How is ADRA helping?
Cambodia is one of many countries where ADRA is helping to improve the health and wellbeing of communities. We have ongoing health projects that have been developed in collaboration with trusted partners and communities to build healthier lives. Examples of ADRA health project activities include:
– Improving access to safe water sources
– Providing hygiene and sanitation solutions
– Implementing waste management strategies
– Helping families access nourishing food
– Preventing, addressing, and combatting non-communicable diseases like diabetes
– Supporting pregnant women and mothers with maternal and infant health and nutrition
– Improving awareness on issues like domestic violence and sexual abuse against women, children, and others
– Providing psychosocial support as per identified need
40% of Cambodian children are chronically malnourished.
The average life expectancy for men is just 58, while for women it’s 64.
Stories
Vourn and Sarourm’s Story
Vourn and her husband Sarourm live in rural Cambodia with their three-year-old son. Both have lost a leg to a landmine on separate occasions. With no local jobs, the pair would migrate to Thailand to do physical labour. But with a disability the work was hard. The pair returned to Cambodia but struggled to make a living.
Through ADRA, Sarourm received training and materials to help him establish a bike repair business. Both Sarourm and Vourn participated in agricultural training to help them get the most out of their vegetable garden. The project also provided them with a latrine and water filter to improve their family’s health.
“The biggest difference is that I no longer have to leave my country to find work,” says Vourn. Sarourm says, “The most significant change is the improvement in my bike and motorcycle repair skills. I can earn 10 times as much as I do from farming.”