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Village health funds in Cambodia are saving lives

Children living in rural Cambodian villages like Toul Kros, Kdei Kvao, and Roleap are dying but their families are too poor to do anything about it.

The Situation:

Becoming even a little bit sick in rural Cambodia can be life-threatening.Live-saving medical care and medicine is available, but families are so poor they cannot afford the trip to the hospital, the doctor’s appointment, let alone the medicine.

In many cases, the cost adds up to as little as $25. But if you’re extremely poor, $25 is more than you earn in an entire month. It's well beyond what you can afford, especially when every penny earned is spent on day-to-day survival.

What HOPE International Development Agency donors are supporting:

Jessalyn Jacob is living proof that clean water transforms and saves lives.
We're helping villages establish Self Help Groups comprised of the village's poorest families and those most in need. Group leaders are trained to teach group members how to protect their health, grow nutritious vegetables in family gardens, and develop small family-run businesses that generate a sustainable income and savings for the future. In addition, the groups also work together to develop clean water resources in their community.

Families who belong to a Self Help Group are often able to pay for medical care and expenses using a portion of their savings. If their savings are not enough, they can take a low-interest loan from the Self Help Group - it’s like having medical insurance.

We're also helping the villages establish village health funds that can assist families who are not yet able to afford medical expenses as they arise.

The Result:

Families, once destitute and unable to meet even the most basic and modest of medical needs, can now afford to pay for medical appointments and the medicine they need.
Children are no longer dying from diseases that are either preventable or curable with the right medicine and medical attention. Small businesses, started by village families, are creating a thriving local economy and enabling families to send their children to school, meet their basic daily needs, and save for the future.