Resilient grandparents nurture 19 grandchildren
ALREADY facing financial hurdles, two white-haired grandparents in Kampong Chhnang province’s Rolea Ba’ier district encountered deeper strain when their nineyear-old granddaughter was diagnosed with leukaemia.
Selling land became a necessity to cover treatment costs, heightening economic challenges as they cared for their 20 grandchildren.
Aging, hardship – and the emotional distress caused by the passing of the 9-year-old in 2022 – have not deterred the devoted grandparents in Prey Moul commune’s Prachak village from wholeheartedly nurturing their grandsons and granddaughters.
One of the grandchildren is Sovann Rithy, a spirited 14-year-old navigating Grade 7 with resilience amid a difficult upbringing. His parents’ divorce led him to find comfort in his grandmother’s care.
Despite his mother’s employment at a garment factory in Phnom Penh, some 100km from home, she makes regular visits.
Facing financial hardship, Rithy and his siblings actively join forces by harvesting paddy panicles for their daily meals. Their ingenuity extends to the forest, where they gather vegetables and adeptly catch crabs and fish to enhance their sustenance.
“When I return from school, I assist my grandparents by catching fish and gathering vegetables. Struggling with finances, my grades aren’t as impressive as my peers’. I wish for new school clothes, just like others, but we can’t afford them,” says Rithy.
The dedicated grandmother is Long Saroeung, a resilient 68-year-old mother of seven daughters. Currently, three of them share her home, three are working in Thailand and one – Rithy’s mother – is employed in a Phnom Penh garment factory.
One of the three daughters who share her home is a skilled basket weaver, while the other two work for a garment factory in the village.
Saroeung, herself a skilled basket weaver, and her husband compassionately tend to the 19 remaining grandchildren, all under the same roof.
Dressed in a red shirt and black pants, the grandmother tells The Post that although she receives some money from her daughters working in Thailand, it isn’t enough for her to make ends meet with so many grandchildren to support.
Harvesting hope
Saroeung and her husband dedicate themselves to caring for the children, aged 2 months to 20 years. Some have attended Grades 1 to 7 at the village primary school.
Each day, Saroeung cooks an impressive 16kg of rice and takes a stroll to gather wild water morning glory and water lily. Using a basket, she skilfully catches crabs and snails, ensuring their meals are varied if not satisfying.
Despite her efforts, the unfortunate reality is that oftentimes her grandchildren go without sufficient food.
She recalls that her family once owned farmland like others in the village, but tragedy struck a few years ago when her granddaughter battled leukaemia. To fund the treatment, they had to sell their land, but were still unable to prevent the nine-year-old’s unfortunate demise.
The loss has left the family in enduring poverty, uncertain about the future and struggling to make ends meet.
Currently, the aging couple craft shallow flat baskets, producing five to 10 a day, which earns them about 20,000 riel ($5), which they use to buy milled rice. The bamboo for the baskets comes from her husband’s foraging efforts in the forest.
“As elderly caregivers, my husband and I take on the responsibility of looking after our grandchildren. Their parents work far away, unable to bring the children along, as it would hinder their jobs. Describing the depth of our hardship is challenging,” she reflects.
They regularly receive some money from their children who work in the local garment factory to alleviate financial hardship, but it’s still a struggle.
During rice harvest time, they take their grandchildren to gather fallen paddy panicles in the fields, drying them for three days and husking them to produce a bushel of milled rice for cooking.
Communal engagement
Prey Moul commune chief Thong Hong confirm that the elderly couple originally had land and cattle distributed by local authorities.
She says she actively engages charitable philanthropists, including monks, to support the family due to their commitment to raising the children.
“Saroeung holds an IDPoor card and local authorities extend assistance to ease her living expenses as much as they can. Witnessing the challenging circumstances the family endures, it’s evident they lead a very difficult life,” he observes.
Sek Socheat, co-founder of the Mindset Development Organisation, explains that the practice of the new generation having children live with grandparents involves several factors.
Firstly, livelihood constraints often lead parents to migrate to other areas, leaving them with insufficient time to care for their children. This stems from the necessity of working simply to earn a living.
Secondly, societal development lacks ample safeguards for citizens’ lives, creating serious issues such as poor living conditions, limited time and low incomes. This compels parents to seek additional employment, impacting the time available for raising children.
“I believe these factors are critical and warrant thoughtful solutions. Additionally, I see a crucial role for the government in assisting those grappling with these crises,” he says.
Socheat spotlights the need for the government to formulate a policy safeguarding children under 18.
He said the policy should ensure not only proper nutrition but also a quality education, nurturing them into responsible individuals.
He noted that another essential aspect is fostering collaboration among all stakeholders, adding that this involves creating flexible job arrangements for working couples, allowing, for example, the husband or wife to work but with allocated times to care for their children.