Stories

She eats rice with chili, drinks muddy water that contains harmful bacteria, and she may drop out of school anytime due to poverty. 12-year-old Sreyneang lives a completely different life than the children in Hong Kong.

As the eldest child in her family, Sreyneang bears the responsibility to take care of her two younger brothers and cousin. Her parents were separated and gone since she was little. They were raised by their grandmother who worked in the rice fields to provide for them. However, after years of tough work, grandmother became ill and can work no more. She has to rely on medical treatment. And the four children have to find a way to feed themselves.

Every day, Sreyneang fetches water from a pond, the only water source in the village, but the water is muddy and contains bacteria. Because they do not boil the water thoroughly, they often suffer from diarrhoea. Their daily meals are only scorched rice and no other dishes, so Sreyneang adds chili and salt into the rice to make it taste better. Yet, how much nutrients do children receive from eating these?

Knowing their situation, their neighbour, a poor old man, tries to help, "I feel pity for the children, so we all try our best to help by giving them food sometimes."

How could we respond with silence when their neighbour in poverty also tries to help? Sponsor a child NOW to help transform their lives!