Improving Health, Nutrition, and Livelihood

Over the past year, Helen Keller International has been working to bring our Homestead Food Production program to four districts of Ratanakiri Province in Cambodia, which is among the least developed countries in the world.

The main objective of the project is to improve the health, nutrition and livelihood status of vulnerable women and children in these districts, helping participant families like Ms. Payin and Mr. Leong, who live in Kmang village in Ratanakiri Province with their five children. Ms. Payin and Mr. Leong are rice farmers who produce just enough rice for household consumption each year. Ms. Payin used to grow a few seasonal vegetables using traditional techniques but she faced many challenges, such as pests and plant diseases. In recent years, her family has been forced to purchase vegetables for family consumption throughout the year. After receiving training and agricultural inputs from the project, she has been busy establishing her household garden by preparing the soil and building fences.  She told HKI: “With knowledge and skills gained from this training, I hope that my new home garden will provide enough healthy vegetables for family consumption, so that I do not have to spend money to purchase it.” She also hoped to be able to sell vegetables for income so she can purchase other necessities for her family.