When COVID-19 Hit Cambodia

Times have been tough for 12-yearold Chanra and her family especially since the COVID outbreak in Cambodia.  She showed us the empty pots on the wood burning stove where she live in the Kandal Province, Cambodia

“My dad could not find work so we don’t have a lot to eat. Some days we did not eat anything,” Kandra told CBN. 

Chanra’s father Phal had worked in construction. Now there were no jobs and no way to earn money for food after the government shut down the nation during the COVID 19 pandemic. 

“We were poor even before the Covid 19 outbreak,” said Phal.  “Some days I made 5 dollars. doing construction. Then the virus hit.” 

Earlier this year we met Chanra at an after school program sponsored by CBN’s Orphan’s Promise in a church in the village.  There we provided Chanra and her sister hot meals 5 days a week until the Government suspended that program too.  

“Normally the girls would eat lunch at the church.  But now the church is closed so we have to make do with what we have,” said Phal.

Phal tries to catch a few fish at a pond near their house. But the fish are small and not very plentiful. 

“Sometimes when I can’t find any fish we don’t have anything to eat.  We have to ask the neighbor to help.  Sometime they help, sometime they can’t,” he said. 

So Orphan’s Promise provided some help for Chanra and others in her community. Instead of group meals just for the kids, we brought food boxes, sacks of rice, and other groceries so that everyone will have enough to eat for a month!  And we’ll continue to provide food packs every month until the crisis ends.  

“I am so happy that you gave us this food.  Now we will survive and our children will not go hungry.  Thank you so much,” said Felix, his eyes smiling behind the face mask he wore.