Tey’s family didn’t have access to safe water, latrines, or basic health education. “We were unaware of the importance of vaccines and proper nutrition for our only child,” Tey explains. “Sometimes, we even avoided the health centre staff when they came to administer vaccines in the village, fearing they might make our child sick.”
As a result, Tey, her husband, and four-year-old daughter suffered from preventable illnesses like waterborne parasites and dengue fever. With the health centre 18 kilometres away, it was hard to get treatment so they relied on local but unsafe medicines.
Being sick frequently and spending hard-earned income on medicine made it difficult to make a living even with farming and raising small livestock. “I was greatly distressed,” Tey remembers.
Creating a Healthy Future
When Tey joined an FH-initiated health and nutrition group, she gained access to information she’d been missing. She learned simple, yet life-saving practices like handwashing, eating a balanced diet, and when to have her daughter vaccinated. They installed a latrine at home and learned how to purify their drinking water. These changes transformed their family health.
“My family’s quality of life has significantly improved. Our daughter has received all the required vaccines, maintains good health, demonstrates intelligence, and regularly attends preschool!” Tey beams.
Experiencing the power of these changes has motivated Tey to take action. “I take pride in being able to share my knowledge and witness [my neighbours] applying what I teach in their own families. It brings me great joy!”
Tey has a passion to see the children in her community get vaccinations and eat nutritious food, so she trained with the health centre as a community worker to empower other mothers with critical health information. And it’s working! Tey is shifting parents’ perspectives on vaccines and treatments offered by trained medical staff.
Put Pech, an FH staff member, observes, “The role of dedicated volunteers like Tey is very significant for her community. They will continue to make changes in their communities even beyond the life of FH’s partnership. Their community will continue to flourish because [of] their care for each other.”