INDEPENDENT

CASE STUDY

ON CWARS GRADUATES  

LOCATION: 

BANTHEAY MEANCHEY PROVINCE, CAMBODIA  

CONDUCTED BY:  

BEN TIPPER  AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEER   

YEAR: OCTOBER 2007 

DAY 1 – TUE 23^rd October 2007

 MR. TE GEN

Current Address: Village Bantheay Chmar Commune Bantheay Chmar District Thamr Pouk Province: Bantheay Meanchey    

Training

Barber

Commenced in June 2005

Injury: Landmine - 1986 when he was fighting as a soldier in the war against the Khmer Rouge along the Thai border.

Mr Gen enjoyed his training immensely, and was one of the top students in his class. He graduated with an extremely high score, and as a result is running his business very successfully. Mr Gen is hopeful that the training will bring him a higher income, and thus a higher standard of living.

Due to his injury, it made the task of travelling to search for work in the surrounding towns or cities extremely difficult. When first approached by CWARS, Mr Gen was quite depressed about his situation, and very unhappy about not having a job.  His new training has given him a good job to focus on, and support his family.  Before training with CWARS, Mr Gen was unable to afford any livestock, and did not have enough money to send his children to school. Now that he is earning a good income, his other family members can work in the rice fields to earn further money, he was able to buy livestock for his family, and he can now send his two children to school so they can receive a proper education.

With his new prosthesis, Mr Gen is now completely mobile, and has no difficulties in getting around.

On average Mr Gen sees between 5 and 10 customers per day, with only 2 on a quiet day.  For each haircut, Mr Gen earns 1500 Riel. Of the 350 families in his community, he is one of only two people with such an injury.

Mr Gen was a quiet man who seemed to genuinely enjoy his training.  He was acutely aware of the benefits he would receive as a result of his training.  It was noticeable that he still lacked some self confidence, but I am sure as his business grows, his confidence in himself will grow with it.

MR. HUAN SEN

Current Address: Village Chlork Commune Bantheay Chmar District Thmar Pouk Province: Bantheay Meanchey  

Training

Bicycle Repair

Commenced in September 2005

3 Month Course

Land Mine - 1987 when he was fighting as a soldier in the war against the Khmer Rouge in the Obey Chen region.

            Mr Sen enjoyed his training with CWARS very much.  He would now like to further his knowledge by continued training in motorbike repair.  He is very appreciative for the training that CWARS has provided him, and the equipment they provided him with in order to start his business.

His standard of living after starting his new business has improved considerably.  His new income allows him to take time out of his day to grow vegetables and rice to provide food for his family. He also makes his own noodles to sell at the local market.

Prior to his training, Mr Sen was forced to travel into dense scrub to cut and collect wood to sell.  The exhausting task made further difficult by his injury. His new prosthesis makes travelling long distances much easier and much more comfortable for him.

            Mr Sen finds the best success from his training comes from buying damaged bikes and restoring them to working condition for sale. On average, he will make 20 000 Riel per bicycle. He has 8 children, 5 have married and moved away, and 3 live at home with him.

            Mr Sen was one of the friendliest students I spoke to, and probably my personal favourite.  Here is a grandfather in his sixties who loved every bit of his training, and loves his new job.  So much so that he is jumping out of his skin to do another course.  On our trip to meet Mr Sen we had a punctured tyre on our motorbike. When Mr Sen saw this he could not wait to help us, and had the tyre repaired in no time at all.  Having seen the benefits of his training, he already is starting to invent and create his own devices which will only benefit his life. If all of the younger students had the same level enthusiasm as Mr Sen, every graduate would be successful.  He showed me that students of any age can find success in the CWARS program, and he never stopped smiling the whole time we spoke to him.

MR. SEY SAO

Current Address: Village Kasin Commune Thmar Pouk  District Thmar Pouk Province: Bantheay Meanchey    

Training

Barber

Commenced in November 2005

6 Month course

Injury: Land mine - 1996 when he was fighting as a soldier in the war against the Khmer Rouge in the Cho Pot region.

         Mr San enjoyed his training with CWARS.  It has helped him earn enough money to eat every day, a luxury previously not afforded by him.  His new income also allows him to send his two children to school.  He is delighted by the skills and tools provided to him by CWARS, in order for him to make a living. 

            Before his training, he had no job, and no way of earning any money to support his family. He is much happier now that he is trained and working. He is by no means rich, but happy he can cut hair every day to provide a comfortable living for his family.

            Mr San cuts hair for 5 people per day on average, and receives around 1500 Riel per service.

            Mr San was a quietly confident man who spoke as he worked. His business was thriving, and he had not eaten breakfast of lunch due to the constant flow of customers through his business.  Even as we finished speaking to him and began to leave, he told me he would not eat til dinner time, as 4 more customers arrived seeking his expert skills.

MR. BIE HOUB - 38 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Kasin  Commune Thmar Pouk District Thamr Pouk Province: Bantheay Meanchey    

Training

Bicycle Repair

Commenced in April 2006

Injury: Land mine - 2003 when he was farming in an area riddled with landmines left over from the Khmer Rouge conflict.

            Before his training, Mr Houb had no skills or employment to enable him to support himself, or his young family, after his injury.  He now has a young baby son, whom he is saving money for to send to school once he is old enough.

            He enjoyed his training with CWARS, in particular the business side of the training. This taught him to keep detailed records of his business transactions, and balance his books.

            Like other graduates, he would like to take part in further training with CWARS.  However, he feels it is important to take care of his baby sone and his wife until his son is older before he undertakes any further training.

            On average Mr Houb repairs 2-4 bicycles per day, earning about 5000 Riel per day.  His business is only very new, so he is looking forward to it growing further in the coming years.

            I was deeply touched speaking to Mr Houb. As we were talking about his family he mentioned that his young daughter had drowned in Battambang at the Pchum Ben ceremonies last year.  Despite this second tragedy in his life, his determination to make his business successful and provide a good life for his wife and infant some was unbroken. His positive attitude and confidence in his abilities was truly inspiring to me.

 MR. PREY PROP

Current Address: Village KoumRou CommuneKoumRou District Thamr Pouk Province:Bantheay Meanchey    

Training

Agriculture

Commenced in August 2005

2 Week Course

Injury: Landmine - 1995 when he was fighting as a soldier in the war against the Khmer Rouge in Srey Ompen.

            Mr Prop grows mainly tomatoes on his land, with a further 1^1/2 hectares of rice.  He enjoyed his training thoroughly, and is interested in returning to the CWARS training centre to learn to be a barber.  However, he is simply too busy with his farm, and has not got sufficient time to do so.

            Mr Prop has a much improved standard of living since his training.  He has enough vegetables on his farm to both feed his family and sell at the market for a profit.  With his spare time, and thanks to his new prosthetic leg, he is able to travel into the jungle to collect timber.  With the timber he has been making extensions to his house, to make it a more comfortable home for his family.  His income has also allowed him to send his 2 children to school.

Mr Prop was a happy, gentle man.  He seemed to enjoy speaking about his successes since completing his training with CWARS, and was just as interested in my life as I was with his.  His wife also seemed more than content with her husband’s new training, and was enjoying the success of his training. She too was interested in why I was still not married and when I intended to do so. She was also requested I return with a copy of the photograph I took of her and her husband, so she could put it up for display. The two truly were a happy family.

 DAY 2 – WED 24^th October 2007 

PAP PEY – 29 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Treash Commune Treash District Svay Chek Province:BMC  

Training

Radio Repairs

Commenced in August 2005

12 Months Course

Injury: Polio

           Before his training, Mr Pey relied on his parents completely.  He is now completely independent and living the life he always wanted. The training improved his knowledge of business, inspiring him to expand his radio repair shop into a store selling DVDs and stationary to the school students near by.  He earns enough money with his new business to live comfortably and independently.

            He buys 40,000 Riel worth of stationary, which he can then sell for 60,000 making a tidy profit for his business. On average he fixes 2 TVs/radios per day, for around 10,000 Riel per repair.

Mr Pey was a bright and cheerful young man, revelling in his new found independence. His gift for business was obvious when I arrived at his shop. He started selling and cleaning DVDs for his customers with the tvs, and he also detected immediately the opportunity to sell stationary from his repair shop as the new school opened near his shop. All this along with his ever beaming smile, it was obvious Mr Pey is going to be extremely successful with his business.

MR. HUN SETH – 30 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Chreurng. Commune Saroung District Svay Chek Province:  BMC 

Training

Bicycle Repair

Commenced in May 2006

3 Month Course

Injury: Polio

Hun Seth was very interested and excited to start and complete his training with CWARS.  He knew the course would enable him to be mobile and independent despite his disability. 

            Prior to his training, Mr Seth was cleaning houses in Thailand to earn money to live.  The travelling was long and exhausting, regardless of his condition.  Now he is able to earn a much higher income from the comfort of his own community. 

On average, Mr Seth earns between 3,000 and 10,000 Riel per day, almost 3 times what he was earning cleaning houses.

He was recently married, and has a beautiful little son, which makes him extremely happy and proud of his new life.  He has become a very important, popular and well liked member of his community, which also makes Mr Seth very proud.

Mr Seth was the first of the students I spoke to who displayed some remaining ill effects of his disability. He was quite subdued during our interview, and lacked the spark or contentment the other graduates displayed. Perhaps his business is not yet as successful as he would like or believed would be at this stage. Still, he only had positive things to say about the training and how it had improved his life.

MR. YIEN RAN – 41 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Mkak Commune Mkak District Serey Sophorn Province: BMC    

Training

Barber

Commenced in October 2005

6 Month Course

Injury: Landmine - 1986 when he was farming, he went to the jungle looking for fire wood in Am Gat.

            Since he was young, Mr Ran always wanted to be a barber when he grew up.  Now, after the misfortune of his debilitating injury, he was given the opportunity by CWARS to fulfil his dreams.

            Since completing his training, Mr Ran has been able to earn enough money to support his wife and 3 children. However, his community is very small, with most of the workers travelling to Thailand for work.  As a result his business is limited to only 2 or 3 customers per day.  He makes 2000 Riel per haircut, which isn’t much, but allows him to work from home without having to travel the long distances for work. 

            The biggest success of his training was the discovery of his new increased self esteem and pride, both of which were severely lacking in his life prior to his barbering course. Furthermore, he is now able to send his beautiful children to study at the local school.

            Mr Ran was another happy and smiling fellow, who took great care in his appearance, and making sure himself and his business came across as professional as possible. As mentioned he had always wanted to be a barber, so the CWARS training was tailor made for him. From what I could see he suited his new job perfectly and would be successful for a long time to come.

MS. NOM TOM – 42 Yrs Old                       MS. NAN ERM – 38 Yrs Old 

Current Address: Village Mkak Commune Mkak District Serey Sophorn Province: BMC 

Training

Sewing

Commenced in October 2005

6 Month Course

Injuries: Landmines – Nom Tom in 1985 when she was carrying rice to Thailand for sale, and Nan Erm in 2002 when she was collecting firewood in the jungle her cow stood on a mine.

            Both women were very excited and emotional about beginning and completing their training.

            Nan Erm is now able to support her family with her income, making it possible for her two sons to go to school.  She has also now been able to buy her children bicycles to ride the long distance to their school.  Nan Erm is also able to care for her aging mother comfortably now. 

            Nom Tom is delighted with her new found independence due to the CWARS training program.  Prior to her course she had no skills and nothing to do to occupy her time.  She was isolated at her parent’s home, and had no source of income.  She was living a lonely and uneventful life.

            The women are able to produce around 3 garments per day, fetching 900 Riel each at the markets in Thailand.

These two lovely women were a joy to speak to. Having completed their training together, then opening their businesses in partnership, they have a distinct advantage over other graduates.  Together they have been able to share their problems, their hard times, and their financial burdens together. Thus they have been able to support each other in the difficult early stages after the completion of their training.  They have clearly formed a lifelong bond that will be of great benefit to them emotionally and in their everyday life. They were laughing and smiling the entire time I spoke to them, and the confidence they had in themselves and each other was obvious.

MR. SAN KEN – 42 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Mkak Commune Mkak District Serey Sophorn Province: BMC 

Training

Barber

Commenced in May 2006

6 Month Course

Injury: Landmine - 1989 when he was fighting as a soldier in the war against the Khmer Rouge.

Mr Ken found his training with CWARS quite difficult initially.  He was unsure as to how the training was going to help him earn an income.  Since completing his training, he no longer has to travel great distances for work, carrying large bags of rice.  He is now able to stay in his own community and earn a steady income.  His income supports his family, without the daily hard labour required of him previously.

            His 3 children have also benefited from his training, now having the opportunity to go to school.

            Mr Ken sees 2-5 customers per day on average, and charges 2000 Riel per haircut.

Mr Ken was again a quietly confident man, not too enthusiastic to begin with, but always holding himself with confidence and self esteem.  I got the feeling he didn’t entirely enjoy his training, but watching him cut Mr Thai Neth’s hair showed he takes much pride in his work.  He was somewhat of a perfectionist in his work and did not stop until he thought the job was perfect. The care taken in his work would rival any western culture barber.

DAY 3 – THUR 25^th October 2007 

MR. CHET BORAY – 21 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Chum Theav Commune Rousey Koruk District Mongkol Bourey Province: BMC    

Training

Motorbike Repair

Commenced in April 2006

6 Month Course

Injury: Polio

            Mr Moray thoroughly enjoyed his training with CWARS, and he enjoys running his new business very much.  Prior to his training, Mr Moray worked at a cement making company, which is long, back breaking work, made even more difficult by his condition. 

            He feels very fortunate for being given the opportunity to take part in some training at the CWARS facility.  He is the only motorbike repairer in his community, which is very promising for his future earning potential.  His parents are extremely proud of Mr Moray for his dedication and new found independence, and they believe it is a very important step in his life.

            On average he repairs 2-3 motorbikes per day, averaging 5000 Riel per repair.  Mr Moray also repairs, bicycles, which also looks good for his future business, as a new school is opening near his shop.

            To show his appreciation, he offers all CWARS staff the opportunity to have their motorbikes repaired by him.

Looking at Mr Moray it was hard to see any sign of disability. He is a very fit, muscular young man who obviously works hard.  It was not until I saw him work that it was obvious he was suffering from polio. To work at a cement factory with his condition must have taken plenty of courage and determination.  However, the smile on his face when he speaks about his new job and own business, suggested he really enjoys his new life.

MR. MEU  CHIENG – 44 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Sranoul Commune Sambou District Mongkol Bourey Province:BMC    

Training

Motorbike Repairs

Commenced in April 2006

6 Month Course

Injury: Polio

Mr Chien sought training with the CWARS program in order to find work that would better support his family.  He had an interest in motorbike repairs prior to the course, so he enjoyed the training immensely. He was very appreciative for the chance he was given by CWARS to learn a trade despite his debilitating condition.

As a result of his new work skills, the income he now receives has given him the time to grow rice and raise chickens and pigs both as food for his family, and for sale at market to further increase him income.

Before his training, Mr Chien’s only means of earning money was through farming.  Due to his condition, the work was very difficult and very time consuming for him.  Working this way made it very difficult for him to even earn enough money to feed his family.  Now his family eat every day in plentiful supply, and an extra bonus is that now he can send his daughter to school to be educated.

On average, Mr Chien repairs 2-3 motorbikes per day, earning up to 100,000 Riel per repair if he reconditions an engine.  The fact that Mr Chien is the only motorbike repairer in his community of over 200 families means that his business is extremely successful, and will be sustainable in the future.  From his farming, he will harvest 20 bags of rice, each weighing 100 kg. Each bag will earn him 60,000 Riel, and he will harvest 2 crops per year. 

Mr Chien was another quiet man, who looked quite comfortable with his new job and lifestyle.  He was relaxed the entire time we spoke, and at no stage looked disheartened or disappointed in how things have turned out.  It was also clear he was well liked, as he had at least 4 or 5 friends sharing his company that day.

MR. HONG KEM HA – 45 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Phnom Tboung Commune Ou Prasat District Mongkol Bourey Province: BMC    

Training

Motorbike Repairs

Commenced in April 2006

6 Month Course

Injury: Landmine - 2001 when he was walking through dense scrub to sell rice at the Thai border.

            After his injury, Mr Ha was confined to his family home where he tried to sell noodles and porridge to make some money.  As there were many such shops in his community, it was almost impossible for him to make enough money to support and provide for his family.  As a result, Mr Ha closed his shop and began work as a rice carrier.  This too provides only minimal income, and involves extremely hard labour, particularly for someone with Mr Ha’s injury.

            After 2 yrs of the back breaking task of carrying rice, Mr Ha was approached by CWARS to begin training at the facility in Banteay Meanchey.  He is extremely happy with the training he has received, as it has renewed the independence and self esteem he lost when he was injured, and given him new respect in his community.

            He now ears over 10,000 Riel per day, and has been able to put all 3 of his children into school.

Mr Ha was another enthusiastic and excitable character. With a huge smile and booming voice, he speaks nothing but praise of the CWARS organisation and opportunities he has received.  His 3 children were at school, yet he was still happy to spend his day with a local boy not as fortunate as his children. He was explaining everything to he young boy as he did it, and had him assist at every opportunity. He was a very kind hearted man, who had benefited in every way from his time at CWARS.

MR. SA NGA – 48 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Pong Reang Commune Phnom Touch District Mongkol Bourey Province: BMC    

Training

Motorbike Repairs

Commenced in October 2005

6 Month Course

Landmine – 1991 when he was a soldier fighting in the war against the Khmer Rouge.

            Mr Nga believes the training he undertook with CWARS was vital in order for him to be able to properly support his family.  Before undergoing his motorbike repair course, he was a farmer earning minimal money, and found himself often with nothing to do but wait for his rice to grow.  He also found himself eating day to day, not knowing what tomorrow would bring for him and his family.

Thanks to the skills and equipment provided by CWARS, he has now greatly improved his standard of living, and is able to support his family comfortably. He can now feed his family everyday, without concern for going hungry tomorrow.  His children now have the chance to go to school, for which he thanks CWARS very much.

On average Mr Nga earns between 10,000 and 20,000 Riel per day fixing motorbikes. There are only 2 or 3 such businesses in his community of 500 families, which will mean he is able to continually grow his business and live comfortably in the years to come.

Mr Nga was a rather difficult man to talk to.  He was obviously struggling emotionally at the time, whether due to a lack of business at the time or some other part of his life. From looking at him I believe he is not in particularly good health, with many smoked cigarettes laying around (he also smoked nearly 5 in the time we were talking to him). So perhaps if his health improved, he would appear happier with his current situation.

MR. DAM KA – 37 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Seu Commune Seu District Mongkol Bourey Province: BMC    

Training

Motorbike Repairs

Commenced in October 2005

6 Month Course

Injury: Landmine - 1990 when he was walking through dense scrub to sell rice at the Thai border.

            Before his training, Mr Ka repaired bicycles in his community without any formal training.  The work was very sporadic, as there are many repairers in his community.  After taking part in the CWARS program, he can now repair both bicycles and motorbikes, giving him a much greater earning potential in his community of more than 300 families. 

He found the training challenging but not difficult, and enjoyed his time at the CWARS facility.  The training has resulted in more customers and a more successful business for him. The business is in fact so busy, as every family owns at least 1 motorbike, that Mr Ka has no free time to himself.

            Mr Ka is much happier now, with new respect in his community, greater self esteem, and enough money to feed and shelter his family. His eldest child now has the chance to be educated at the school in his community. Mr Ka now earns more than 10,000 Riel per day servicing his community.

Again, Mr Ka was a great example of what this type of opportunity provides these people with.  He has clearly grasped his opportunity with both hands and made the most of it. Another beaming smile could not contain the happiness he had in his new life thanks to his CWARS training.

MR. HENG HEY – 31Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Anlong Tham Commune Botrong District Moungkol Bourey Province: BMC   

Training

Barber

Commenced in May 2006

5 Month Course

Injury: Polio

            Prior to beginning his course at the CWARS vocational training facility, Mr Hey was confined to his parent’s home. Here he could do nothing but literally sit around the house in boredom.  Now formally trained, he believes that his work will now give him the opportunity to look after himself independently, when his parents eventually become too frail to take care of him. 

Mr Hey is one of 3 barbers in his community of 400 families and, for reasons he is unaware, he is clearly the most popular. 

His business is much more successful than the others, and he believes it is in some way due to the superior formal training he received with CWARS, and the equipment they provided him with.

            Currently Mr Hey sees around 5 customers per day, at around 1500 Riel per haircut.  With the money he is saving, Mr Hey is hoping pay for his wedding when he finally meets his future wife. He then hopes to teach his family and future children his skills, so they too can live as comfortably as him.

            Mr Hey is also interested in going back to the CWARS facility and receiving training in television repairs. He believes this will make his business more successful, and further improve his standard of living.

Initially very worried about depending so heavily on his parents, Mr Hey is obviously proud of his achievements and exudes confidence in the ability to be independent and take care of himself. He was a quiet and reserved man, maybe due to my presence, he also made sure he was always standing straight with his head held high. On occasions he smiled broadly when talking about his achievements, even though he tried not to show much emotion.

DAY 4 – FRI 26^th October 2007

MR. CHUM SAM – 46 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Ou Snam Commune Ou Sralao District Malai Province: BMC 

Training

Bicycle Repairs

Commenced in July 2007

3 Month Course

Injury: Landmine - 1989 when he was a soldier fighting in the war against the Khmer Rouge.

            Mr Sam enjoyed the time he spent at the vocational training centre very much. He found the practical training in the classrooms particularly difficult at the beginning of his course. However, despite the hardships early in his training, Mr Sam now enjoys his new work immensely. 

Prior to the formal training he received, Mr Sam was immobile and confined to his home where he was forced to take care of his 5 children while his wife worked.  With his new income, he is able to support his family, and his new prosthesis makes him mobile once again.

            His clients consist predominantly of workers who travel the long distances to Thailand for work. The large numbers of bicycles, combined with the poor quality roads to the border, means there is plenty of work for his business. 

Despite the many other bicycle repairers in the community, Mr Sam’s superior training with CWARS means that unhappy customers bring their business to him regularly after poor work with other repairers.

            Mr Sam earns greater than 10,000 Riel per day, and is able to repair motorbikes and small tractors as well. This makes his business quite unique in his community.

Mr Sam was another man who struck me as a little disappointed and frustrated with his business.  His business is still very young, and I think with time his business and confidence alike will improve greatly.  He has young children which I think he worries about providing for.  With some advice about advertising and setting his work area up a little more professionally, I believe things will improve rapidly.  I think he is simply one of those students who need a little extra attention once the training is complete and they are on their own again.

MR. Chhorn Chen – 47 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Sralao Commune Sralao District Malai Province: BMC   

Training

Barber

Commenced in Jan 2004

5 Month Course

Injury: Landmine - 2000 as a farmer when he was taking his vegetables across the Thai border for sale.

            Prior to commencing training with CWARS, Mr Chen was a farmer.  To support his family he would take his produce long distances on horrifically poor quality roads for sale in the Thai markets.  This difficult work also only produced minimal earnings.  After his injury, this work became almost impossible. 

            Now that he has been formally trained as a barber, Mr Chen can earn much more money, without the arduous journey across to Thailand. His wife also does some farming and sells the produce at the local markets to supplement his income.

            Mr Chen has 6 children, and is able to support them all, and send them all to school to receive and education.

            On average Mr Chen sees 4-5 people per day, usually in the evening when the workers in the community are returning from work in Thailand. He earns 1500 Riel per haircut. With his spare time during the day, he constructs fish traps to sell to his customers and helps his wife with the farming.

Mr Chen was an inventive and creative man, looking for ways to improve his life in any way possible.  The creativity to build fish traps, cut hair and farm, shows he is quite ambitious also.  He showed a great sense of humour, laughing and joking regularly, and clearly had the full support of his wife.

MR. NIANG CHENG – 48 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Ou Sralao Commune Ou Sralao District Malai Province:    

Training

Motorbike Repairs

Commenced in May 2006

6 Month Course

Injury: Landmine - 1986 when he lost both legs fighting as a soldier in the war against the Khmer Rouge.

            Losing both of his legs during the war had a devastating affect on Mr Cen’s life physically and emotionally. He required extensive counselling with TPO, a partner organisation with CWARS, in order to turn his life around. 

Prior to his CWARS training, Mr Cen was confined to his house, taking care of his children and raising chickens.  Mr Chen believed that the training he was receiving was so important, that during his stay at the CWARS vocation training facility he did nothing but study and practice his work. Even during his spare time and on weekends, he felt that he needed to be improving his skills. As a reward for his dedication, Mr Cen has an extremely successful business, and a large shop full of supplies and equipment.  Out of the 2 motorbike repairers in his community, he is the preferred repairer due to his formal training.

Before his injury, he was earning 7000 Riel per day travelling to Thailand to work in the rice fields. Now, with his extensive training and the equipment supplied by CWARS, he is able to around 30,000 Riel per day without the long and difficult travelling. He is also able to rebuild motors in his village for around US$30, or around 120,000 Riel.

            His daughter is now married, and his son is enjoying his education at the local school.  Mr Chen also enjoys high self esteem and a new positive outlook on life, despite his disability.

If first impressions were everything, Mr Chen would be the most successful and well off of all the students I spoke to. He took great care in his appearance, both personally and that of his business.  His workshop was perfectly clean, and every part was in its place.  All of this was despite loosing both legs to a land mine.  He is living proof that any student, if he is dedicated enough, can make a success out of his life.  His business was doing so well he was even talking about expanding his shop further (it was already the largest I had seen).  He was truly inspirational too me, and by the end I didn’t even notice he had a disability. He would put a lot of able bodied people to shame!

MS. HE MOM – 28 Yrs Old

Current Address: Village Koh Snoul Commune Toul Pong Rou District Malai Province: BMC   

Training

Sewing

Commenced in July 2007

2 Week Course

Injury: Landmine - when she was only 17 years old, He Mom was cutting wood only 20 metres from her house and she stood on a mine. CMAC have now cleared the area of mines. 

He Mom found the going tough when she began her training with CWARS. In particular cutting the material was quite a challenge for her.  However, despite these challenges, she enjoyed staying at the vocational training centre and the sewing training very much.

            Prior to her stay with CWARS, He Mom was earning very little money farming rice. Her new training now allows her to start her own business just meters from her family home.  Her shop is not only used to sell her made to order clothing, but is now a place for locals to pick up small snacks and groceries as they travel past.

            He Mom is 1 of only 2 people with sewing training in her community, allowing her business to grow rapidly.  She will serve around 5 customers a day, earning around 25,000 Riel per day.  This is an excellent business for such a young woman in her community, and this high income is allowing her to live comfortably despite the terrible luck involved with her injury. Previously she was unable to afford to buy clothing from the market, now she can make her own clothes to sell at the markets, or customers can provide her with material and she will design the clothes herself.

            She is now able to start saving her money, and build a more secure future for herself and her family.

Another inspirational young person to me, He Mom showed again that you can be successful despite such terrible tragedy.  Being injured so young and so close to home must have been extremely difficult to deal with.  However she has recovered, completed her training, and is thriving.  Showing experience beyond her years she has modified her shop into a thriving business that will support her comfortably for the rest of her life.