The Caregiver

Hem Vi “Savi” has been a caregiver most of her life.

When Savi was 10, her father abandoned the family — Savi, her mother, older brother and three younger sisters. Soon after, her mother became ill. From then on, Savi and her brother were responsible for supporting the family.

Every day, after getting their sisters off to school, Savi and her brother would go to work. During the rainy season, they labored in the rice paddies. In warmer weather, they harvested fruit from palm trees, which Savi boiled into sugar to sell.

At 22, Savi married Say Sim and settled on an acre of farmland given by her mother. Soon after their marriage, Sim contracted malaria from a mosquito while searching for wood to build their home. Plagued by chronic ailments, Sim can work, but only if the labor is not too physically taxing.

“I [had] buffalo in the past, but I sold everything for treatment of my husband,” she added.

So, just as in her childhood, Savi is the caregiver.

To keep the family afloat, Savi tried raising chickens, but they soon wandered off or were stolen. She also tried raising a pig but couldn’t afford to feed it. She grew a small amount of rice and vegetables, enough to earn about $50 a year. They survived on that and charity from their families.

Life began to brighten in 2018, when Heifer launched a project in her community designed to help small-scale farmers like Savi bring their goods to market.

Heifer’s first priority was to give Savi the tools and knowledge she needed to succeed. She received a small loan of $125 from her local, Heifer-supported agricultural co-op, which she used to buy 20 chickens and materials for a proper coop. Heifer provided training to help her keep the chickens alive. “I did not know that we have to put the chickens in a coop. And I did not know that we have to separate them [by age],” Savi said.

Savi’s flock has grown steadily ever since, and today includes four roosters, 25 hens and 45 chicks. Instead of selling chickens, she now sells eggs — a product that readily replenishes itself.

“If I sell chickens, I [made] $50 a year before, but now I can sell the eggs every week,” she said.

Heifer also taught Savi how to increase her rice and vegetable yields, including selecting the best seeds and converting plant and animal waste into rich organic compost. Even the most basic lessons make a big difference. “In the past, I just put several seeds in one hole,” she said. “They teach me that I should put only one seed in one hole so it grows better.”

Today, Savi’s garden overflows with nutrient-rich, in-demand foods like pumpkin, peas, eggplant and basil. In just two months, she earned $100 from vegetable sales. The family’s daily diet is much improved, and she is making enough to pay down their debts.

Thank you

This family and thousands more now have brighter futures thanks to your monthly support. Thank you for your generosity!