We have the pleasure of working with Pha as part of our Greeting Card project in Cambodia, called Project 52, where the young woman helps make cards that are then shipped to North America and sold.
Pha has struggled in poverty since she was a child, and has shared some of her story with us—which we’ll now share with you.
Here’s Pha’s story, in her own words:
My name is Pha and I am 26 years old. I started to go to school when I was 12 years old and I stopped going when I was 17, I completed my grade 5.
I almost died of malaria when I was 15. I had 12 siblings, two of them passed away, at the age of 1 and 2. When I was young my life was very difficult because I had to look after my brothers and sisters while my parents went to work in the field.
When I grew up, I also went and helped my parents working in the field. At that time I had not gone to school yet. I really wanted to go to school when I saw my friends going to school. But there was no one else to look after my brothers and sisters.
One day, my parents let me go to school. When I was in grade 5, my mother became very sick. Then I had to quit my schooling and I helped my parents working at the field instead.
I would love to ask you to pray for my family and also for the Jarai people. Thank you!
