A New Beginning for the Chou Family: From Struggles to Stability

Written by Elizabeth Williams on August 27, 2024

The Chou family’s journey involves resilience, hope, and transformation. For years, they lived in desperate poverty, their home a makeshift tent pieced together from old wood and a tattered tarpaulin, located near the former dump in Steung Meanchey, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. With no running water, electricity, or a bathroom, life was a daily struggle for this family of five.

Eight years ago, everything began to change. The Chou family was offered a house through World Housing in partnership with the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF) in a community close to their old home. For the first time, they had a proper house, a safe community, and access to essential services. This new environment provided the family with the stability they so desperately needed.

Now, the Chou family is on the brink of another exciting chapter. They have been selected as a model family within their current CCF community and are looking forward to moving into a new home in Lenkov Village. This home represents more than just a place to live; it symbolizes their perseverance and progress.

Peng, the father, is 37 years old and the sole provider for his family. He works as a garbage scavenger, collecting recyclables to sell. Despite the challenges of living in one of Cambodia’s most impoverished areas, Peng is a proud and dedicated father. He works tirelessly to support his family, always striving to give his three daughters a better life.

“I am very happy we will have a new home. It’s another new beginning for us,” says Peng, reflecting on the opportunities this move will bring.

His wife, who stays home to care for their youngest child, shares his optimism. She knows their daughters’ future depends on education, which they could focus on with the security of housing and healthcare World Housing provided them. Their eldest daughter, 12, dreams of becoming a teacher and studies with a local organization, while nine-year-old Pisey, who is enrolled with CCF, has ambitions to be a doctor. Their youngest, Tida, just two and a half years old, is looking forward to starting at CCF’s nursery soon.

Pisey is particularly excited about the move. “I am so excited about our new house,” she shared.

The new home will be closer to the girls’ schools, reducing their travel time, and it will also provide the family with much-needed privacy and comfort. “Having our own bathroom, being private, will make a big difference for the girls, too,” says their mother.

Thanks to the support from CCF, the family also benefits from free dental and medical care and receives rice for Pisey’s good attendance at school. The new house will provide them with even greater comfort and security.

“Life is going to be very comfortable for us with the new house. I want my girls to have a safe place to grow up in. We are so grateful to have this chance,” says Peng’s wife, expressing her deep gratitude for the opportunity to build a better future for their family.

World Housing’s work, supported by generous donors and building partners, is a shining example of how providing homes can create a ripple effect, transforming lives and entire communities for the better.