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Cornerstones Cure a Woman Gambling Addict

Mrs. Khoeun Mealdei, 43, a resident of Kaon Sek village, Battambang province, was addicted to gambling. She seemed to care more about her addiction than taking care of her three children or helping her husband, Phaon Touch, 48, support the household. Most of her time was spent gambling away family property, plummeting them deeper and deeper into poverty. Due to her neglect, the children were often hungry and did not attend school regularly.

In 2009, Mealdei met Ms. Sarn Phalla, a Heifer project Literacy Facilitator, who explained the important advantages of being a self-help group (SHG) member. Convinced, Mealdei decided to become a project participant. Through the project, she received training on the 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development, animal husbandry and management, and growing vegetables. Mealdei also received 10 ducks, horticulture seeds, and agriculture equipment from the project as tools for generating income. She and her family converted unused land around the house into a garden. After implementing simple techniques she learned from training, Mealdei's ducks have become quite productive. When she learned that poultry can be raised and sold for income in a short amount of time, Mealdei took out a loan from the group fund to buy chickens and enhance her poultry production. Today, Mealdei can be found working hard on her farm and getting up early to clean pens and feed animals with her family. Life is better now. The children attend school regularly and are rarely hungry. Mealdai joined a literacy class to improve her literacy and numeric skills. With this knowledge, she is able to teach her youngest son and help him with homework.

"After attending the Cornerstones training, it was like something opened my ears to hearing and seeing farther and wider about my family's future, in particular the future of my children," said Mealdei. "Based on the Cornerstones concept, I have taught my children not to follow my old path that led to family destruction." Her family cultivates rice on 1.3 hectares of land that provides a good yield with utilization of compost. She earns 20,000 Riels, or about $5, each day from selling vegetables, and 100,000 Riels, or about $25, each month from selling chickens. Her husband also receives a monthly income from his work at the school. "It is unbelievable that Heifer's Cornerstones can cure my wife from a gambling addiction," said Phaon Touch, who considers the 12 Cornerstones a mental medicine. "I advised her for several years, but it was useless. However, she gave up the gambling after joining the group. I am very happy and thankful to Heifer, in partnership with Aphiwat Strei, for bringing harmony to my family."

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