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Our Story: Getting Food Getting food then... Even before Navy's father died, her parents had to work very hard to provide for their family. Like most families in Cambodia, they had several small ways of earning money. 
Rice: The family used to have one hectare of rice fields. Navy's father, Dorn, was a strong man. He worked hard in the fields, ploughing, planting, tending and harvesting. He grew 1500kg of rice each year. In those times, with the extra food they could buy from their other income, that 1500kg was enough rice to feed the family for the whole year.
Palm sugar: The family owned several sugar palm trees. Navy's father, Dorn, used to climb the trees every day during the dry season to collect the sap so Navy's mother, Siep, could cook it to make palm sugar. In the four-month season, they could make 3000 riels ($1.60) each day. They used this money to buy extra food, like vegetables or flour. 
Wall panels: In the dry season, when there was less work to do in the fields, Navy's mother, Siep made wall panels to sell. Dorn climbed the palm trees and cut the long, flexible leaves. Then Siep separated the sections and stitched them together to make panels for houses. She could sell 100 panels for 15,000 riels (about $5). Most years she could make 200 panels during the season, so this business made about 30,000 riels ($10) in total....and now Eight years ago, Navy's father got sick. The family borrowed money and then sold everything they could, including some of their fields, to pay for medicine, but nothing seemed to make any difference. After two years of illness, Dorn died. Now Navy's mother, Siep has to try to support the family, but she is sick too and not able to do any heavy work. With no husband to plough and harvest, no more sugar palm trees and only half a hectare of fields left, life is a real struggle. 
Rice: Navy's uncle, Sok, helps with the ploughing and other heavy work, but with only half a hectare of land left, the family can only grow 900kg of rice each year. That is not enough to feed the family for the year, so a few months before the harvest, they borrow rice from the moneylender. When harvest comes, they have to pay that back, leaving even less to last for the following year.Palm sugar: Navy's uncle, Sok still has some palm trees, and this is how he earns enough to feed his own family. Wall panels: Siep still makes the wall panels, but now she has to pay someone to climb the trees and collect the leaves. Find out more about food in Cambodia
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copyright worldvision 2003
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