On a floating village on a lake in Cambodia, young Linh can be found fishing—whether you arrive early in the morning or as the day stretches into the evening.
This young man lives a simple life without electricity or clean water, and works hard to support his family—a task made all the more difficult because he and his loved ones are illegal Vietnamese immigrants living in Cambodia.
Linh’s lack of status is a challenging obstacle to his security and stability.
As a result, Linh couldn’t attend school as a child and he barely speaks Khmer, the official language of Cambodia. Without that knowledge, the young man is barred access to many better paying jobs.
A steady income is hard to come by for those in Linh’s situation.
Recently, an international worker discovered the need for accessible education for illegal Vietnamese immigrants in Cambodia and began a school. Linh chose to attend and he soon discovered not just a love for language, but also the fact that he is a talented student.
In less than a year, Linh could read and write. He even began to dream of becoming a teacher one day.
That same international worker also served as a bridge between Linh and Work of Your Hand. With his talent and our resources, we created a partnership that allowed Linh to earn a fair wage. By making greeting cards that we then purchased and sold in North America, Linh was empowered to better support his family financially and to provide for their basic needs.
Linh’s work also allowed him to continue his studies, which his previous job as a fisherman did not allow.
Sadly, due to family complications, Linh only partnered with Work of Your Hand for a time. Here’s the harsh reality: the creation of accessible, fair paying jobs is a powerful weapon to fight poverty, but that’s just one challenge of many that impoverished people must overcome in order to thrive.
We believe in Linh and continue to pray for him as he courageously remains faithful to his family.
We hope that the young man will see his dream of becoming a teacher realized and will encounter open doors in his journey out of poverty.
Thank you for partnering with Linh and for seeing his abilities.
