Sophany is a 31-year-old taxi driver living in Phnom Penh with his wife and daughter. He only earns about $3 – $6 AUD a day and tries to supplement his income by taking up odd jobs, which vary based on the season. Sometimes he collects recyclables to sell and during the rainy season, he heads to the provinces to harvest rice for others.
He and his wife, Bunheng are both HIV positive, which means that they are frequently sick and sometimes unable to work. With an unstable income, they are unable to pay for rent. At times, they do not have enough food to eat. On top of this, they struggle to provide for their daughter’s future, who is currently in year 3.
Their rental room where they have lived for the past 10 years costs them about $50 AUD a month and this excludes electricity and water. With a dream to have their own home someday, they bought a plot of land by borrowing money from the bank.
Habitat for Humanity started working in Sophany’s community and identified his family as in great need. Sophany’s family were selected to be recipients of a new home and with the help of Habitat supporters, the family were able to move in last year. Their new home means that they can now build a brighter and healthier future for themselves.
“Thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts to Habitat and the volunteers who came to help build our house.”
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