One of my favorite project that I’ve been a part of in Cambodia was a follow-up about one of our programs. In the last year, our office has built two community birthing centers (CBCs) in remote villages, and there are plans for five more to be built in 2015. The province in which we are building these CBCs has the highest infant mortality rate in Cambodia. Many women give birth at home with a traditional midwife, and they are far away from medical help if anything goes wrong. Because of this reality, many women fear giving birth.
I had the opportunity to meet a number of women who were either pregnant or had just given birth. They welcomed our staff into their lives and their stories. As I capture photographs, I heard stories about their fear, joy and dreams for their children.
Not every story has a nice, neat bow on the top of it, though. Since arranged marriage is common, I met some women who got married when their parents told them to do so but had wanted to continue their education instead. Once married, there is a cultural expectation that they will have a child as soon as possible. Although their lives may not be going exactly how they had hoped, these women are working hard to learn how to take care of their children.
Because of the entire generation that was eliminated in the Cambodian Genocide, a lot of basic skills have been lost along the way. Our staff help to organization classes on hygiene, cooking and healthy family dynamics. I sat in on a cooking demonstration, where women learned how to make simple, healthy meals for their children.
For many years, I have cared deeply about the plight of women around the world. Through this project, I put names and faces to so many of the heartbreaking statics that I've read. At the same time, it gave me hope to see the work that my organization is doing and the lives that are being impacted.
I will be writing more about this experience in the future. In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about this project and the women shown in the photos below, I encourage you to check out the story that my coworker crafted.