Battambang, KH – Despite challenges HPH family maintains productive garden – 3 Feb 2017

HPH continues to maintain a productive garden despite experiencing a drought and severe issues with pests. The income they earn from their garden helps them pay for school uniforms for their three children.

The family’s organic garden is earning them US$5 to US$10 every two weeks and that is after they have fed their family with healthy organic vegetables. They use any money they earn from their garden to save up for school uniforms which have to be purchased every year. They are proud of the amount of vegetables they grow and neighbors love to come by and visit when they have a good harvest.

Cambodia is experiencing one of the most severe droughts in decades and it is proving difficult for families who don’t have deep wells to secure access to sufficient water for their farms and gardens. HPH’s shallow well dried up during the worst of the drought but he was luckier than many Cambodians and was able to find water within 200 meters of their garden. When they had to fetch water from a distance, it would take the family twice as long to water their garden than normal but they persevered because of the benefits they receive from it.

They also had some issues with aphids on their lettuce which they solved with a small amount of rice flour sprinkled on the leaves to deter the insects.

They still dream of improving their home and buying a cow. They think that raising additional pigs will be a good way for them to earn income towards achieving these dreams. They are also planning on saving up for a deeper well so that they can expand their garden without worrying about water supply.