HABITAT FOR HUMANITY – CAMBODIA

November 2018

The primary build site for this Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip to Cambodia was in Chrab Krosang Village which is on the outskirts of Battambang town which is in north eastern Cambodia. Agriculture is the primary industry in the region. Rice is the main crop along with oranges and other fruits.

Chrab Krosang Village is a small community of about 4 thousand. Most of the village is relatively poor and rely on part time labour from construction, farming and the government.

The house we built was for a family of five, consisting of Phat Chheng, age 32 and his wife Iep Rady, age 28 and their three children, son Makara age 11, daughter Thida age 9 and son Dina age 7.

The familyis extremely poor and have been living in a shanty hut made out of old metal roofing material with no proper door or windows. In the rainy season they must find somewhere else to stay because the roof and walls leak and the dirt floor turns to mud. Because of a lack of education and skills they must make do with manual labour jobs when they are available. Phat Chheng recently got a job as a security guard for a salary of $150 per month.

Habitat for Humanity Cambodia works in partnership with local organizations to offer grant-based housing to vulnerable groups living in sub-standard housing conditions by providing new houses and/or house repairs and upgrades, secure land, water and sanitation, and provide skills training and family development support.

Cambodia’s population is currently estimated to be 16 million with a median age of 24 years old. During the Khmer Rouge rule which started in 1975 and estimated 1.7 to 1.9 million were killed, more than 20% of the population. Many of the older population are still affected by this period.

The local Habitat Affiliate had started construction on the house before we arrived. Six cement posts were in place which would form the raised foundation for the house.

Our job was to provide manual labour such as trimming bamboo for the floor, chiselling notches into the wall posts and stair risers, digging a large hole for the latrine, digging footing holes for the steps and latrine then filling them up with rock and gravel to make footings for the bricks. We also installed the bamboo floor, laid the bricks and backfilled everything that had been dug out. Other jobs included hauling in sand and rocks using buckets and wicker baskets, moving bricks and mixing cement. Photos of House No. 1

We made enough progress on the first house that Habitat Cambodia gave us a second house to work on. This house was for an elderly couple and was built at ground level rather than raised on pillars. The wife had been suffering from dementia for many years and the husband restricted to part time work because of the time he had to spend looking after his wife.  They were living in a small shack on a property owned by the sister of the wife. Photos of House No. 2

The Global Village team was led by Tammy Carter and was made up of thirteen individuals from various parts of Canada. Some had worked together on previous GV builds and some were on their first build.

During the Build we stayed in the King Fy Hotel in Battambang. The hotel overlooked the Sangker River and the downtown area of Battambang and was within easy walking distance of lots of good restaurants and the local market.

The houses and latrines we built were framed with a local hardwood (no one could tell us what type of wood), corrugated metal roofs and a siding material called “white board”  which was a very hard cement like material just under 1 cm thick and in sheets about 4’x8’. Bricks were used to make foundations and steps and split bamboo for flooring.

At the end of the Build there was a Dedication ceremony. It was an informal, very moving and fun event that included the family, the local workers, a few neighbours and our Habitat team and the local Habitat coordinator. No government officials and long speeches which is the norm for these type of events.

Following the build the team did the usual R&R by doing some local sightseeing in and around Battambang.  

Prior to the build I spent several days in Laos and in Siem Reap doing some touring around. To see the photos of Laos click on Luang Prabang and Vientiane.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity, Habitat Global Village or Habitat Cambodia, click on the following links:

Habitat Global Village (Canada)

Habitat Cambodia