By Post Staff
Tuesday, 01 May 2012
Phnom Penh Post
Dum Ream is 72 years old and is raising three grandchildren on her own.
She
describes her story as, “their father passed away and their mother
remarried so I look after them now. They all go to school. It is very
difficult for someone older like me to look after young kids but they
are my grandchildren so I have to take this challenge on.
“I am a member of the older people’s association in my village. I
really like the association meetings but sometimes if I have to work
that day or feel ill I send one of my grandchildren to the meeting and
then they tell me what happened in the meeting. I have many friends at
the association and we talk about our problems, our work and we share
how best to care for our grandchildren.
“I tell others always
that all children are different and that there is no recipe for raising
them. But by sharing our problems we feel better and we always advise
each other. The association and HelpAge also organise health camps every
2 months and I get my medicine for hypertension from these camps.
“HelpAge
has also been helping with the school fees and clothes for the
children. If HelpAge was not around I would be heavily indebted and have
to take out lots of loans.
With the USD 20 HelpAge gives me every 3 months, I am able to buy rice.
“I
earn my living by making rice noodles. Through the older people’s
association I also got a loan of 20,000 riels (USD 50) for my rice
noodle business. They only charge 2% interest but I will pay it back as
soon as I can. I sell them in front of my house as I no longer have the
energy to carry them over long distances. They sell for about 500 riels
but if I had the strength I would go door to door to sell more noodles.
“I
do this because I want my grandchildren to have an education. All I
want for my grandchildren is for them to be educated. I want all of them
to complete their studies so that they can succeed. I have seen in the
past that those that are educated are the ones that get work and can
succeed. I would prefer to deprive myself so that my grandchildren can
succeed. I will continue fighting for them till the day I day.”
Dum
Ream’s grandson, 11 year old grandson, Heran lives with her and says,
“I go to school in the next village and we study writing and
mathematics. Mathematics is my favourite subject but I like playing
games with my friends too. I miss my grandma very much when she has to
go for work. I love her from the bottom of my heart and she has taken
care of me since I was very young. She looks after me and gives me cake
and noodles to eat whenever she cooks it.
“She looks after me
when I am sick. She also buys me medicine which makes me better. When I
have a fever she holds my hand when I have to go for the injection. She
takes me to school. She is my mother.”
2 comments:
This is precious!! Yay, you have a heart of gold. May God bless you and your grandchildren. This is what the country needs more parents to act like this grandmother.!!! :)
I worry when she falls ill or gets old, who will look after the grandchildren or her? I feel bad that their mother is not looking after them. Thanks that NGO is helping out as well.
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