Meet Joot Red

My name is Joot Red and I am 68 years old. I am part of the Community Leaders Base (CLB) in the Life with Value program. I started participating in this program in 2016. I love being involved in this group because this program supports my community. It is helping my community improve in the health sector. 

While in this program, I received great, valuable lessons. I was trained in the practice of “starting a fire,” where we as a community learn to initiate practical activities to support the community. We received information regarding matters of migration, women and children’s trafficking, drug and substance abuse, domestic violence, dengue fever, and measures of protection for COVID-19 and dengue fever. Through this vital information, I began to pay more attention to the needs of my family and community.

During the pandemic, I have worked hard to protect my community alongside FOH by sharing information and safety measures. As a vice-village chief, I am worried and tried all that I could to support my community so that we can learn how to fight against this new disease. I am grateful for the work and the cooperation from FOH. I am happy that the villagers heed the information and try to protect themselves as well.

I am grateful and feel proud to have programs from FOH. I see that it is very beneficial to my community. It has given me great aspirations I had not thought of before. I began to understand and reflect more about the problems at hand in my community. I am glad too that my community is healthier and learning new things through this program.

I ask that this program will continue to support us so that we can learn new things. The local authority alone is inadequate to support the community. FOH gives a better voice and support for the needs within this community. 

Finally, I hope that FOH’s program will continue to run in this village and continue to support us here. And, as a request, I hope that in the future when we do a campaign like for dengue fever, there will be other practical materials to support the communities as well. Thank you.  

Meet Voeunn

My name is Voeunn and I am 54 years old and a farmer. My husband’s name is Heng. We have eight children (five daughters and three sons). 

Before I participated in the FOH training programs, like the Leaders of Safe Community, I didn’t know what FOH was. Based on the name, I thought it was just some organization that provided clean water. Yet, I was curious and thought maybe they would teach me how to use and produce clean water. 

Once I entered the training program, I began to understand the many projects FOH provides to support and strengthen communities; health, general hygiene, and other initiatives to inspire the community to cooperate, work together, and help one another. Through the FOH training, I learned about relevant topics impacting my community; community mapping, the dangers of drug abuse, impacts of domestic violence, HIV, trafficking, and various other health-related topics. 

I am happy to work with FOH to share useful information with my village. I want my community to know how to prevent drug abuse problems, trafficking, and domestic violence. 

I want to say thanks to the teachers in FOH that are willing to come to my community to teach, educate, and provide useful information so that I have sufficient information to share with my community. 

Meet Oul

Greetings, my name is Oul, I am 39 years old. My father passed away when I was a little girl and my mother is a farmer.

Every morning as a child, I would sit on the stairs watching other children go to school. Some were riding bicycles. Others had lots of fun chatting and playing around. I really wanted to go to school like the other children. At that time, I was almost six years old, the age to start school. However, what I had anticipated was cast aside. I could not go to school because I was crippled. I had not been able to walk since I was four years old. I was told that when I was little, I had a really bad fever. My mom called a village doctor to care for me and the doctor gave me injections. Because of these injections, I could not use one side of my body; I was unable to move my hand and leg. 

I was filled with despair. I could not go to school. I knew that no one would want to marry me. My mom often encouraged me that if no one wanted me, I would always have her that she would always be right by my side. Even though I had encouragement from my mom, I could not find peace. 

One day, a man riding a blue motorcycle visited my home. His name was Mr. Sreng Peach from Fountain of Hope and he was pleasant. He greeted me and asked how I was doing. He encouraged me with truths from the Bible. He shared with me that in this world there is something of greater importance. We live in a temporal world and our true home is not here. He encouraged me to not be disappointed, because there is a God who is waiting to help me; His name is Jesus Christ. God loves everyone, especially me, a cripple. He loves me so very much. 

That day as I heard those words, I began to believe and asked the Lord Jesus into my life. Mr. Sreng Peach continued to teach me and introduced me to a support group, where I learned about acceptance and my value. He taught me how to pray to God. I started to pray often to the Lord and found encouragement through the word of the Lord. God asked me not to look to man, but to Him alone. Now my life is filled with peace, and I have fellowship with other believers. 

I am so thankful to God for loving me. I no longer want to end my life like I used to. I am no longer worried because I have the God who cares and encourages me. I would like to ask for prayers for my mother’s health. May the Lord bless her with health and help her to trust and have strong faith in the Lord. Amen!