Savun's Group

Savun's Group

Status: Reviewed
$400.00 Loan Request
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=28513

About the Group Group Name: Savun's group
Group Members: Sokhorn Sbaung , Savun Choun
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Farming
Loan Requested: $400.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To buy diesel irrigation pumps for growing grass and straw
Date Created: Dec 19, 2007


These two families live in a small village along the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. They are requesting this, their first group loan from Maxima, to buy two small diesel-powered water pumps for irrigation.

Mrs. Choun Savun (age 48 – right in photo) and her husband (age 44) have been married since 1978. They have ten children, five of whom still live at home. Of those, three still study in school. As a child, she attended school for only three years and, like many Khmers (Cambodians), she focused her life on working to survive. Savun has been weaving grass mats since she was a young girl. She and her family also grow some of the grasses and straw they use for weaving.

Mrs. Sbaung Sakhorn (age 55) and her husband (age 60) have been married since 1970. They had eleven children but two died. Six still live at home with their parents and only the youngest boy remains in school. Like Savun, Sakhorn has been weaving since she was young. Neither Sakhorn nor her husband ever attended school.

Both weavers also buy some weaving materials such as reeds from villages across the nearby Mekong River. They sell everything they produce to people in their and nearby villages. A mat, typically used as a sleeping pad, will last for two to four years and costs about (US) $9.00.

Born Sophoin

Born Sophoin

Status: Reviewed
$1,000.00 Loan Request
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=28518

About the Entrepreneur Name: Sophoin Born
Business Name: Transportation
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Transportation
Loan Requested: $1,000.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase a horse and cart
Date Created: Dec 19, 2007


Mr. Born Sophoin (age 29) lives in a small village near the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Sophoin and his sister live with their mother. Sophoin attended school only through the sixth grade. Sophoin and his sister are requesting this, their third loan from Maxima, to buy a third horse and a cart. The two siblings have been operating their dirt hauling business for two years. Currently they have two horses and carts but would like to buy two more. A horse costs about (US) $700 and a cart from $200-$300. Their house is backed by the Mekong River and it’s from there they get soil which is used as fill on construction sites. Each year during the monsoon, the river swells and deposits tons of silt along its banks. As the water recedes, entrepreneurs like Sophoin load the soil into carts and transport it into neighboring villages. Depending on how far they have to drive the cart, Sophoin charges between $3.50 and $4.00 per cartload.

Arifin Kop

Arifin Kop

Status: Reviewed
$600.00 Loan Request
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=28515

About the Entrepreneur Name: Arifin Kop
Business Name: Fishing
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Fishing
Loan Requested: $600.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase a fishing boat
Date Created: Dec 19, 2007


Mr. Kop Arifin (age 31) and his family live in a small village near the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Arifin and his wife (age 27) have been married for nine years. They have a five-year-old girl. Arifin attended school only through the third grade. His wife attended through the tenth.

Arifin and his wife are requesting this, their third loan from Maxima, to buy a fishing boat. Arifin has been fishing on the nearby Mekong River since he was young. He usually fishes with his father but, during the main fishing season, which runs from January through March, they hire up to six workers. In addition to taking care of the home and family, his wife sells the fish in a market at a village on the opposite shore of the Mekong. They also sell to roaming Vietnamese buyers who take the catch back downstream to their own country. If Arifin and his wife can save enough money, they want to build a new house. (See part of their current house behind them in photo.)

Phoy Lois

Phoy Lois
Status: Raised
$400.00 Loan Request
$400.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27982

About the Entrepreneur Name: Phoy Lois
Business Name: Selling vegetables
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Fruits & Vegetables
Loan Requested: $400.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase produce for resale in Phnom Penh
Date Posted: Dec 17, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 18, 2007


Ms. Phoy Lois (age 33) lives in a small village near the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Phoy has one daughter, who attends school in their village. Phoy herself never attended school. Phoy buys produce from farmers, which she then resells at a large market in Phnom Penh. Every day, Phoy leaves her village with her stock of vegetables at about 1:00 a.m., riding in a shared pickup truck. In Phnom Penh, she sells her produce to retailers, and then she returns home by about 5:00 a.m. She has been doing this for ten years and often sleeps only four hours a night. In the attached photo, Phoy is bundling the leaves of the “kon tuit” (starfruit) tree. Cambodians eat these with some fish dishes.

Phoy is requesting her first loan from MAXIMA for $400, to buy produce from farmers to resell at the market in Phnom Penh.

Seng Soy

Seng Soy
Status: Raised
$100.00 Loan Request
$100.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27984

About the Entrepreneur Name: Seng Soy
Business Name: Farming
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Farming
Loan Requested: $100.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides
Date Posted: Dec 18, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 18, 2007


Mr. Seng Soy and his family live in a small village along the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Seng (age 45) and his wife (age 47) have three children, one of whom attends school in their village. The two oldest live at home and work in a nearby plywood factory. Seng has been farming for about ten years. He learned with the help of a neighbor. His main crops are two varieties of greens – one similar to mustard greens (see photo), and another that is a type of lettuce. They also have a small grove of banana trees. A local middleman buys their produce and sells it at one of the large markets in Phnom Penh.
Seng and his family are requesting this, their third loan from MAXIMA, to buy seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides for their farm. They are requesting a loan of $100.

Math El

Math El
Status: Raised
$300.00 Loan Request
$300.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27980

About the Entrepreneur Name: Math El
Business Name: Selling materials to recycle
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Plastics Sales
Loan Requested: $300.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase discarded materials for resale
Date Posted: Dec 17, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 18, 2007


Mr. Math El and his family live in a small village along the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Math (age 40) and his wife (age 38) have three children, all of whom live at home and attend school in their village. For many years before, Math fished in the nearby Mekong River. The catch has been declining for the past several years, so two years ago he and his wife started gathering recycling materials. They buy discarded household materials, which they then sort and resell to another, larger business in a nearby village. The business that buys their materials bundles them in bulk and then ships everything to Vietnam, a couple hundred kilometers to the east.

Of the materials Math and his wife collect, aluminum is the most valuable. They also buy and resell iron, steel, copper, hard plastics (such as PVC used in plumbing pipes), glass, paper, fiberboard, automotive batteries (for the lead inside), and any other items they can make some profit on. Math and his wife drive the lanes of their own and the neighboring villages gathering materials household by household. Math drives the motorbike and his wife sits behind holding the cart they pull (see photo). They don’t make much money doing this, but it does provide their main source of income. With luck, they hope to continue to work and buy a second-hand truck, which would allow them to carry more materials and drive farther.

Math and his family are requesting this, their second loan from MAXIMA, for $300 to buy discarded household materials.

Sar Tam

Sar Tam
Status: Raised
$1,200.00 Loan Request
$1,200.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27979

About the Entrepreneur Name: Sar Tam
Business Name: Fishing
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Fishing
Loan Requested: $1,200.00
Repayment Term: 20 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase a fishing boat and motor
Date Posted: Dec 17, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 18, 2007


Mr. Sar Tam (age 67) and his family live in a small village near the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Sar and his wife, Chet Ror Keas, have been married since 1979. Sar attended school through the second grade, and his wife attended through the fifth. They have four living children; two died in infancy. Of the four still living, three live at home with their parents. The two youngest, both boys, still study in school. The eldest son works in Phnom Penh as a security guard.

They are requesting this, their second loan from MAXIMA, for $1,200 to buy a fishing boat and a boat motor. Sar has been fishing on the nearby Mekong River his entire life. Depending on the season, he fishes in a single boat with one of his sons using a smaller net. During the main fishing season from January through March, they use three boats and a big net. At that time he and his neighbor work together and hire up to ten men to work with them. In addition to taking care of the home and family, his wife sells the fish in the local market.

Phally Toem

Phally Toem
Status: Raised
$700.00 Loan Request
$700.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27978

About the Entrepreneur Name: Phally Toem
Business Name: Transport
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Transportation
Loan Requested: $700.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase a horse and cart
Date Posted: Dec 17, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 18, 2007


Mr. Phally Toem (age 55) and his family live in a small village near the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Phally and his wife, Heng Vung (see photo), were married in 1978 in a large group wedding arranged by the Khmer Rouge, who then held power. Phally went to school through the fourth grade, and Heng never attended school. They have seven children, all of whom still live at home with their parents. One daughter has a business as a hairdresser. Three still study in school.

Phally and his wife are requesting this, their third loan from MAXIMA, for $700 to buy a cart and a second horse. Phally will use the horses and cart to haul dirt used for fill on construction projects. In addition to the hauling business, they grow produce (squash) and are currently raising three cows. Heng also sells fish in the market in their village.

Sam Bath Houn

Sam Bath Houn
Status: Inactive
$1,000.00 Loan Request
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27184

About the Entrepreneur Name: Sam Bath Houn
Business Name: Transportation
Location: Ta Khmao district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Motorcycle Transport
Loan Requested: $1,000.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase a motorbike and supplies for a shop.
Date Created: Dec 10, 2007

Mr. Houn Sam Bath (age 49) and his family live in a small village off of National Road Two about fifteen kilometers south of Phnom Penh. Houn and his wife (age 47), have been married since 1979 and have eight children, one of whom studies in school. The others work in nearby garment factories. His wife has a small stand selling groceries and other household goods in front of their house (see photo). Houn has been driving a motorbike taxi in Phnom Penh for ten years. His wife has had her shop for the same amount of time. He is requesting this, his family’s eighth loan from Maxima, to buy a new (second-hand) motorbike and to buy supplies for his wife’s shop. Phnom Penh may well be one of the world’s largest cities void of even one municipal bus. Motorbike taxis and tuk-tuks are the preferred and, with the rare exception of an automobile taxi, only way to get around. On a good day, Houn can make about 15,000 Riel (US) $3.75.

Sopho's Group Loan

Sophos's group
Status: Inactive
$600.00 Loan Request
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27190

About the Group Group Name: Sophos's group
Group Members: Sophos Chin , Chanthorn Noun
Location: Ta Khmao district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Farming
Loan Requested: $600.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: Group loan to purchase a cow and a motorbike taxi.
Date Created: Dec 11, 2007

These two families live in a small village off of National Road Two about fifteen kilometers south of Phnom Penh. They are requesting this, their first group loan from Maxima, to buy a second cow and to buy moto-remorque taxi. Mrs. Chin Sophos was selected to be a group leader by members for a loan from Maxima. 1- Mrs. Chin Sophos (age 25) and her husband (age 28) have been married for two years. They have one child. Chin has worked in a nearby garment factory for six years. Her husband drives a moto-remorque taxi. They also raise cows (see image on right of photo). She is requesting a loan from Maxima with the amount US$400. She will use this loan to purchase cow for raising. 2- Mrs. Noun Chanthorn (age 26) and her husband (age 33) have been married since 1997. They have three children, two of whom study in primary school in their village. Noun has been working in a garment factory for a year. Her husband also drives a moto-remorque taxi (See image on left of photo – her husband and son are pictured on one as an illustration.) Closer to Phnom Penh, National Road Two is lined with garment factories. At each shift change, thousands of workers, mostly women, need to be ferried to and from the surrounding villages. Cambodians use the moto-remorque, a very economical combination of a trailer pulled by a 100 or 125cc motorbike. They typically hold as many as eighteen or more people. Noun is requesting a loan from Maxima with the amount US$200. She will use this loan to purchase carriage for transporting.

Thy Ouch

Thy Ouch
Status: Inactive
$500.00 Loan Request
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27189

About the Entrepreneur Name: Thy Ouch
Business Name: Fishing
Location: Ta Khmao district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Fishing
Loan Requested: $500.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase one calf and buy fish traps.
Date Created: Dec 11, 2007

Mr. Ouch Thy (age 50) and his family live in a small village off of National Road Two about fifteen kilometers south of Phnom Penh. Ouch and his wife (age 47 – see photo), have been married since 1980 and have two children. Both children have finished studying in school. One is married with two children of her own. All of them, as well at two grandparents live at home – total of eight persons. Ouch (pronounced “ook”) has fished since he was a young boy. His wife explained that he fishes for two to three months of the year in the Tonle Bassac (river) a tributary of the nearby Mekong. The remainder of the year he fishes a nearby lake using locally made fish traps (again, see photo). They are requesting this, their eighth loan from Maxima to buy a cow and fish traps. Ouch’s wife said a trap costs 70,000 Riel (US $17.50). She also said he can catch twenty kilos on a good day making about 50,000 (US $12.50), depending on the types of fish he catches.

Leang Chorn

Leang Chorn
Status: Inactive
$500.00 Loan Request
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=27187

About the Entrepreneur Name: Leang Chorn
Business Name: Transportation
Location: Ta Khmao district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Motorcycle Transport
Loan Requested: $500.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase a motorbike.
Date Created: Dec 11, 2007


Mrs. Chorn Leang (age 30) and her family live in a small village off of National Road Two about fifteen kilometers south of Phnom Penh. Leang and her husband (age 37), have been married for 12 years and have four children, three of whom study in school in their village. The fourth is still too young to attend. Her husband (not pictured) has been driving a motorbike taxi in Phnom Penh for about ten years. Prior to that, he was a “cyclo” or bicycle taxi, driver. They are requesting this, their fourth loan from Maxima, to buy a new (second-hand) motorbike. Motorbike taxis are by far the most common form of transportation in Phnom Penh. Leang’s husband leaves their house at 4:00 a.m. and returns around 6:00 p.m. In a typical day he makes about 15,000 Riel (US) $3.75.

Update On Sambo Chuop

Update On Sambo Chuop
Entrepreneur:
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=20171

This entrepreneur is funded by a Kiva loan administered by Maxima Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. here in Cambodia. Sambo lives in a small village along the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Her loan is being paid off on schedule.

Sambo, derives her primary income from selling noodles, coffee and beer at a modest stall/shop (see photo) in front of her brother’s house next to the road that passes through their village. She’s been selling noodles for about twenty years but, in 2006 upgraded her menu to the more complex “Chinese Noodle” fare. Prior to that, she sold what is referred to as “Khmer (Cambodian) Noodles”. Her husband had been working as a waiter in a restaurant in Phnom Penh and, over the course of a year, learned how to prepare and serve Chinese style noodles. He then taught her and she made the change.

Sambo wanted to open her shop at or near the district market but rents there are as much as (US) $25 month. Her brother charges her nothing. She said she sells about ten kilograms of noodles a day to between sixty and seventy customers. She said her business was not initially, so popular. Now, she’s refined her fare and can sell everything she makes.

Her business helps support seven people, six of whom still live in the home. One child lives in Phnom Penh where he studies in school. Her husband now works as a cook for a catering company. That sounds more grandiose than the actuality. Khmers have many weddings, funerals and other parties requiring larger-scale food service. Typically, mobile kitchens are erected next to party tents. There, teams of three or more people prepare a meal for the revelers over high-btu gas burners. In a good month, a cook might make $35 or $40.

Other than noodles, the biggest portion of Sambo’s revenue comes from beer sales. She has a karaoke machine and two large speakers which provide amplified entertainment should her customers desire it. (Her daughters also sing in a local band and occasionally practice in her shop.) The music has to be turned off by 9:00 p.m., though.

She hopes that in the future she can continue to grow her business so she can support her one son in college. She is also saving to rebuild her shop but project is two years away.

Posted by Darin Greyerbiehl from Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Dec 4, 2007

Sles Tol's Group

Sles Tol's group
Status: Raised
$600.00 Loan Request
$600.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26667

About the Group Group Name: Sles Tol's group
Group Members: Ousman Sos , Math Sles , Tol Sles
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Fishing
Loan Requested: $600.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: Group loan to purchase fishing nets, a boat motor and to repair fishing boats.
Date Posted: Dec 12, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 12, 2007

These three families live in a small village near the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Like many men in this area, the husbands have all been fishing since they were boys. Two of them, Mr. Sles Math and Mr. Sos Ousman, were fishing at the time of the loan interview. They do not appear in this photograph. They are requesting this, their first group loan from Maxima, to buy fishing nets, a second-hand motor for one boat and for general boat repair costs.
1- Mr. Sles Tol (aged 45) and his wife (center couple in image) married in 1989. They have six children, three of whom study in the village school. One son fishes with his father. His wife takes care of the children and household as well as sells the fish her husband catches. They are saving to buy a car that they will then use as a taxi. They are requesting a loan from MAXIMA for US$300 and will use this money to buy fishing nets and a second-hand motor for his fishing boat.

2- Mr. Sles Math (aged 39) and his wife (far right of image) married in 1990. They have four children, two of whom study in the village school. His wife sells green papaya salad at the afternoon market along the lane that runs through their village. They are requesting a loan from MAXIMA for the first time for $US100 and will use this money to buy fishing nets.

3- Mr. Sos Ousman (aged 44) and his wife (far left of image) married in 1986. They have six children, two of whom study in school, two of whom have stopped studying and two of whom are physically disabled. His wife describes the disability as “their arms and legs don’t work”. She said that the children must be fed, clothed, bathed and be given assistance with any other activity requiring mobility. Sos and his wife also farm - both to provide food for the house and to supplement their income. They are requesting a loan from MAXIMA for the first time of $US200 and will use this money to buy fishing nets and to cover general boat repair costs.

Update on Rohimas Lors

Update on Rohimas Lors
Entrepreneur:
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=12137

This entrepreneur is funded by a Kiva loan administered by Maxima Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. here in Cambodia. Rohimas lives in a small village along the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Her loan is being paid off on schedule.

Rohimas and her husband used the funds from this loan to buy a boat a motor (They did not buy nets as stated in their business description.) Of Rohimas and her husband’s seven children, one fishes with the father and one studies English and Chinese in Phnom Penh.

Rohimas’ husband does all of his fishing in the Mekong, which forms the rear border of their yard. In addition to the one son who fishes, they employ six workers during the season which runs from January through March. The workers get paid between (US) $2.50 and $3.75 per day. They fish using large, small-meshed nets. (See photo of stacked net behind Rohimas and her husband.) A typical net is 150 meters long and 45 meters deep. They take two boats out into the river, float parallel and start to feed the net into the water in between. When the net is fully extended, the current bends it into a huge “C” shape. They leave it there for about two hours before closing the ends together and hauling it in.

Like other fisherpersons in this area, Rohimas and her husband expressed concern that the catch from the Mekong has been diminishing every year for many years. Many people attribute the decline to using nets with mesh that is too small thereby catching even the “fry” or baby fish not allowing them to mature. The authorities have recently banned these nets but the affect has yet to be seen. Many fishermen, including Rohimas' husband, believe that decreased rainfall and a shorter rainy season have limited the habitat for fish to reproduce. This most recent rainy season has continued a trend of less rain and shorter monsoon season for Cambodia.

Fish the world over is one of the cheapest sources of protein. Cambodians, blessed with very rich fresh water lakes and rivers, get more than sixty percent of their protein from fish. The crown jewel of this water system is the Tonle Sap (see link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonle_Sap), Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake. During the rainy season overflow from the Mekong River, which is connected to the Tonle Sap, floods the fields and forests of central Cambodia increasing the size of the lake by more than five times. This provides a perfect breeding ground for fish.

Lower fish yield is the most significant (but not their only) problem. Rohimas said they have to pay the usual $50 “tax” to the authorities who patrol the river. Government officials are paid very little in Cambodia so they have developed “systems” to supplement their incomes. We’re told that virtually no business of any size is exempt from the various levies. Her husband also expressed concern about the cost of gasoline which is rising very quickly. He is not sure he can pass along the increased cost to their customers.

Mainly due to the lower fish catches, Rohimas said she’d like to start selling fruit in the market (as well as fish) to supplement their income. Even in the best of times, they said it’s difficult to survive for a year with income from a three or four-month fishing season.

Posted by Darin Greyerbiehl from Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Dec 4, 2007

"Preparing a Loom" from the Kiva Fellows Blog

http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2007/12/06/preparing-a-loom/

So...with our MFI (Maxima), we visit a lot of people who make a living by weaving cloth. With extant samples of hand-woven cloth dating from 5000 BC, weaving must be one of the world's oldest ways to make money.



More than two hundred years ago, the Industrial Revolution introduced processes that, to this day, have passed by the villages and the people we visit. The looms that Maxima’s clients use are hand-made and the technology has not changed for many decades if not longer.
There appears to be a range of skill levels and ambitions among loom operators. Some weave simple, one-color cloth. Some weave with blends of different thread – silk, cotton or nylon. Some weave cloth with a pattern that runs down one long side. Occasionally, we see some working looms with many suspended ‘templates’ that separate the threads of the "warp" allowing the weaver to create complex patterns. (The following photo shows a loom with many templates.)



It can take years to learn to weave high-quality cloth. Watching the ladies (and occasional man) work made we wonder about how they even get started. By this, I don't mean how they learn to weave. I mean how the loom gets set up before any weaving can take place.



Our loan officers talked about "preparing" the loom but I'd never seen this process. I was clueless as to what might actually be involved until one day we drove past two women sitting on a small platform in front of a house (see second photo above). They were in the process of setting up a loom. We stopped for a closer look and I was fascinated by the complexity of the work. Thread, often cotton or silk, needs to be stretched between two parallel wooden rods or boards and maintained with equal tension (see first photo at top and photo below). These longitudinal threads are called the "warp". With the looms in this area, the warp typically spans a distance of three meters and is eighty or so centimeters wide.



Between each wooden anchoring rod are templates or walls of vertcal separating strings which I think are called "heddles" (see photo). The loom preparer winds bulk thread around the board at one end of the loom, threads it string-by-string through the templates or heddles.



The threads are each strung again through a comb-like piece of flat metal that is used to beat the "weave" thread uniformly into place. (see following photo) This process requires two people, a specialized hook tool and what must be fantastic eyesight....not to mention phenominal patience.



The teeth or tines of the comb (which I think is called the "reed") are so finely cut that you can see through them. Over the width of this reed there were 2,600 threads . . . each one threaded, tied and tensioned equally!



A typical loom takes a month to set up and can be used for perhaps three to four. For this . . . the loom preparer makes about (US) $30-$40! Amazing...
If you're curious about more Cambodian weaving information, you can see any of these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_clothing

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B05E2DD163FF933A15757C0A961958260

http://www.leisurecambodia.com/Leisure_Cambodia/No.07/culture.htm

http://www.eicambodia.org/events/upfile/EXPORT_DIVERSIFICATION_VALUEADDITION_by_Vuthy.pdf

Update on Hok Ly

Update on Hok Ly
Entrepreneur:
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=20184

This entrepreneur is funded by a Kiva loan administered by Maxima Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. here in Cambodia. Hok Ly lives in a small village along the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. His loan is being paid off on schedule.

Hok, age 54, and his wife have seven children, three of whom still attend school in their village. He used the funds from this loan to buy a new diesel generator and a replacement battery charger for his battery recharging business. Hok has been recharging batteries for almost thirty years. He learned the business in 1979 after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime and it’s been his main source of income since. He lost his right leg fighting in the civil war of that time so farming was not open to him as an option for making his living.

The homes of most people in rural Cambodia are not connected to the electrical grid. As a supplement, a growing number of people use 12-volt automotive batteries to power lights, radios or televisions. Hok explained that, depending on the amperage of the battery and its uses in a home, a charge can last from one to three weeks. He charges from 1000 Riel (US $0.25) for a 40 amp battery to 2500 Riel (US $0.63) for a 150 amp size. He says he charges between 60 and 100 batteries day.

Apart from equipment, his major cost is for diesel fuel which costs $ 0.85 per liter. With one liter he can charge about 60 mid-sized batteries. He’d like to buy a larger capacity charger that would allow him to charge up to 300 batteries at one time. Longer-term, he’d like to open a shop selling batteries, televisions, spare parts for electrical appliances and tools. He said he feels that such a shop would be successful because more people can buy small appliances now and he already has a loyal group of customers.

Posted by Darin Greyerbiehl from Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Dec 5, 2007

Sokheng Chhay

Sokheng Chhay
Status: Raised
$1,000.00 Loan Request
$1,000.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26412

About the Entrepreneur Name: Sokheng Chhay
Business Name: Sokheng Chhay's Silk Production
Location: Khsach Kandal district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Weaving
Loan Requested: $1,000.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase materials for weaving; to buy finished woven cloth for re-sale; and to buy tools and materials to expand her son’s jewelry business
Date Posted: Dec 5, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 5, 2007

Mrs. Sokheng Chhay (age 49) and her family live in a small village across the Mekong River about fifteen kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Sokheng and her husband (age 53) have been married since 1976 and have six children, four of whom still live at home. The two younger ones study in secondary school in the village and two older ones study in college in Phnom Penh.
Sokheng is requesting this, her first loan from Maxima, to purchase thread for weaving; to buy finished cloth from other weavers for re-sale in Phnom Penh; and to help her son expand his jewelry business. She has been weaving, a skill she learned from her mother, for about thirty years. Five years ago she started buying finished cloth from other villagers for re-sale at the large markets in Phnom Penh.

Sokheng's son (see photo) learned to make jewelry in Phnom Penh. He now produces it at home and sells the finished pieces to middlemen in Phnom Penh. Their main goal is to continue growing their businesses so the remaining kids in school can go on studying. Sokheng also wants to continue saving so they can buy a semi-automatic power loom.

Koin Chea

Koin Chea
Status: Raised
$200.00 Loan Request
$200.00 Raised

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26411

About the Entrepreneur Name: Koin Chea
Business Name: Koin Chea's Silk Production
Location: Khsach Kandal district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Weaving
Loan Requested: $200.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase and set up a second loom and buy thread for weaving
Date Posted: Dec 5, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 5, 2007

Mrs. Koin Chea (age 47) and her family live in a small village across the Mekong River about fifteen kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Koin and her husband (also age 47), have been married for eighteen years and have four children. The two younger study in secondary school in the village.
Koin is requesting this, her fourth loan from Maxima, to purchase and prepare a second loom and to buy thread for weaving. She has been weaving for six years. Her daughter who will work on the second loom (see photo) learned at the same time as Koin. They said they can each finish about fifteen pieces in a month so they feel they will have no problem paying back the loan.

Sroeun Kech

Sroeun Kech
Status: Raised
$150.00 Loan Request
$150.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26410

About the Entrepreneur Name: Sroeun Kech
Business Name: Sroeun Kech's Silk production
Location: Khsach Kandal district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Weaving
Loan Requested: $150.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase thread for weaving and to set up a second loom
Date Posted: Dec 5, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 5, 2007

Mrs. Sroeun Kech (age 28) and her family live in a small village across the Mekong River about fifteen kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Sroeun and her husband (age 31), have been married for eleven years and have two sons, the older of whom studies in primary school in the village.
She is requesting this, her second loan from Maxima, to prepare a second loom and to buy thread for weaving. She has been weaving, a skill she learned by apprenticing on a nearby island, since she was fifteen years old. She has since taught her husband to weave and he will use the second loom. He also works at construction, farms, and raises cows. As is almost universal for Cambodians, Sroeun’s main goal is to maintain or expand her business so she can support the studies of her children.

Oeun Choy

Oeun Choy
Status: Raised
$1,000.00 Loan Request
$1,000.00 Raised

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26409

About the Entrepreneur Name: Oeun Choy
Business Name: Choy's Carpentry Business
Location: Khsach Kandal district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Carpentry
Loan Requested: $1,000.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To help her son purchase tools and materials to expand his carpentry business
Date Posted: Dec 5, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 5, 2007

Mrs. Oeun Choy (age 58) and her family live in a small village across the Mekong River about fifteen kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Oeun and her husband (age 62) have been married since 1971. They have five children, the youngest of whom still studies in high school in the village.
Oeun is requesting this, her first loan with Maxima, to help her son expand his carpentry business in Phnom Penh. He learned his building skills from his father. (See photo for Oeun, husband and one, shy granddaughter.) He has been working at this business for three years.

Oeun's and her husband’s house could be a model of cottage industry. In addition to taking care of the home, Oeun weaves cloth, something she has been doing since she was fifteen years old. Her husband still does construction, repairs, fills motorbike and bicycle tires, and re-charges auto batteries (for electrical use in homes and on farms). Oeun expressed hope that, with this loan, her son will be able to continue to expand his business in the city.

Sopheap Por

Sopheap Por
Status: Raised
$100.00 Loan Request
$100.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26406

About the Entrepreneur Name: Sopheap Por
Business Name: Sopheap Por's Silk Production
Location: Khsach Kandal district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Weaving
Loan Requested: $100.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase thread and pay to set up loom for weaving
Date Posted: Dec 5, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 5, 2007

Mrs. Sopheap Por (age 45) and her family live in a small village across the Mekong River about fifteen kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Sopheap and her husband (age 50), married for twenty-one years, have three sons. Their youngest attends primary school in the village. The older two dropped out in secondary school because of the cost. (Even though school is ostensibly free in Cambodia, students are asked to pay direct “fees” which can be prohibitive for poor families.)
Sopheap is requesting this, her first loan with Maxima, to buy thread for weaving and to pay to set up her loom (see photo – unprepared loom). Sopheap has been weaving, a skill she learned from an older sister, for six years. Her husband cuts hair in a small wooden hut next to the sole road that passes through their village. He’s been doing this for thirty years. Sopheap hopes to continue to grow her business so she can support her children’s studies. She expressed enthusiasm that they could perhaps get their oldest son to re-enter school because they believe he has much potential.

Mak Pin

Mak Pin
Status: Raised
$100.00 Loan Request
$100.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26406

About the Entrepreneur Name: Mak Pin
Business Name: Mak Pin's Silk Production
Location: Khsach Kandal district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Weaving
Loan Requested: $100.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase thread and pay to set up loom for weaving
Date Posted: Dec 5, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 5, 2007

Mrs. Mak Pin (age 50) and her family live in a small village across the Mekong River about fifteen kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Mak and her husband, married since 1977, have five children, three of whom attend school in their village.
Mak is requesting this, her third loan with Maxima, to buy thread for weaving and pay to set up her loom for weaving. Mak has been working at weaving for three years, a skill she learned, along with one of her daughters, from a fellow villager.

Mak's husband and son also make large (~150 liter) urns for storing rainwater. Her husband has been making these for more than twenty-five years. Mak hopes to continue to grow her business so she can support her children’s studies to the highest possible level.

Sokphun Auk

Sokphun Auk
Status: Raised
$300.00 Loan Request
$300.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26405

About the Entrepreneur Name: Sokphun Auk
Business Name: Sokphun Auk's Silk Production
Location: Khsach Kandal district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Weaving
Loan Requested: $300.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase thread and other weaving materials
Date Posted: Dec 5, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 5, 2007

Mrs. Sokphun Auk (age 24) married in 2002 and has two children (see photo). She and her family live in a small village across the Mekong River about fifteen kilometers north of Phnom Penh. She is requesting this, her second loan with Maxima, to buy materials for weaving.
Sokphun learned to weave when she was a teenager over the course of a year in which she traveled to a nearby island in the Mekong. It’s not uncommon in this area for young people to apprentice with experienced weavers. Initially they weave the simplest designs and, as their skills improve, their output is exchanged as fees for instruction. Sokphum has since passed along the craft to a younger sister.

In addition to weaving, Sokphun and her husband also farm rice to feed the family. He also does construction work in the area. She explained that the loan will help her by allowing her to buy weaving materials for cash rather than by barter with a middleperson. If she works with a middleperson, she trades two of every three finished pieces just to pay for the weaving thread. She, in turn, gets the sales price from a single piece. If she pays cash for the thread, the cost is cheaper. If she sells for cash, she can increase her profit by as much as 10% or more per piece. Sokphum smilingly expressed confidence that she could easily repay her loan because, with the quality of her weaving, she can sell all she makes.

Srun Meo

Srun Meo
Status: Raised
$500.00 Loan Request
$500.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26403

About the Entrepreneur Name: Srun Meo
Business Name: Srun Meo's Rice Farm
Location: Khsach Kandal district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Farming
Loan Requested: $500.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase a cow, rice seed, fertilizer, and weaving materials
Date Posted: Dec 5, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 5, 2007

Mr.Srun Meo (age 64) married his wife, Luch Yom (age 57), in 1971. They live in a small village across the Mekong River about fifteen kilometers north of Phnom Penh. They share their one-room, stilt house with three of their eight children. The youngest child, a boy, studies in grade seven in the village school.
Like most everyone in rural Cambodia, Srun lives from the skills he’s learned and applied over the course of his life. On a 2,700 square meter plot of land he farms rice. In a good year, of every three kilos he harvests, he keeps two to feed his family and sells one. Interestingly, they expressed concern about the rice harvests. Apparently, demand for snake meat has increased dramatically as Cambodia’s growing economy creates an upper class that will pay more for exotic foods. Cobra meat sells for $10 or more per kilo in Phnom Penh currently. With fewer snakes as the natural predators, the population of mice has increased and mice are a pest that eats rice on the stalk. Srun said many farmers in the area do not know what to do.

Srun also currently has two cows and would like to buy another. He says he can make US$ 150 profit if he can raise one to maturity without illness. His wife weaves cloth of silk, cotton and nylon thread. She learned when she was eighteen from her older sister but only started again three years ago so she could teach one of her daughters.

They hope this loan will allow them to increase the family’s cash flow. Their primary goal is to keep the remaining son who studies, in school. The furthest any other children advanced was grade eleven.

Thorn Ith

Thorn Ith
Status: Raised
$300.00 Loan Request
$300.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=26402

About the Entrepreneur Name: Thorn Ith
Business Name: Thorn Ith's Silk Production
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Weaving
Loan Requested: $300.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase silk and nylon thread and other materials for weaving
Date Posted: Dec 5, 2007
Date Funded: Dec 5, 2007

Mrs. Thorn Ith (age 52) has been widowed since 1997. She lives in a small village across the Mekong River about fifteen kilometers north of Phnom Penh. She shares her one-room house with three of her children, one son-in-law and one grandson. Though Thorn learned to weave from her mother many years ago, she’s been working at it commercially for only about seven or eight years. She has also taught her daughter, now age twenty-one, (see photo) who joined on a second loom. They both laughed that the daughter is now the better weaver because her eyes are better than her mother’s.
Thorn is requesting this, her third loan from MAXIMA, in the amount of $300. She will use the funds from the loan to buy materials for weaving. Prior to taking out a loan, Thorn worked on a barter basis with a local middleperson. The middleperson would advance her an amount of weaving thread. Out of that thread, Thorn would give back two finished pieces and get the profit only from one. She now makes more profit as the cost of the thread is less and the price she gets for the finished cloth is more – as long as she conducts all the transactions in cash.

In addition to weaving, Thorn also farms rice with her son-in-law. Her farm plot is five kilometers from her house so weaving productivity declines during planting and harvest seasons due to the demands of farm work and commuting. In addition to paying for family living costs and the fees for her one child who remains in school, she is saving money to buy a cow.

Update on Sambo Chuop

Update On Sambo Chuop
Entrepreneur: Sambo CHUOP
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Amount Repaid: $25.00 of $300.00
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=20171

This entrepreneur is funded by a Kiva loan administered by Maxima Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. here in Cambodia. Sambo lives in a small village along the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Her loan is being paid off on schedule.

Sambo, derives her primary income from selling noodles, coffee and beer at a modest stall/shop (see photo) in front of her brother’s house next to the road that passes through their village. She’s been selling noodles for about twenty years but, in 2006 upgraded her menu to the more complex “Chinese Noodle” fare. Prior to that, she sold what is referred to as “Khmer (Cambodian) Noodles”. Her husband had been working as a waiter in a restaurant in Phnom Penh and, over the course of a year, learned how to prepare and serve Chinese style noodles. He then taught her and she made the change.

Sambo wanted to open her shop at or near the district market but rents there are as much as (US) $25 month. Her brother charges her nothing. She said she sells about ten kilograms of noodles a day to between sixty and seventy customers. She said her business was not initially, so popular. Now, she’s refined her fare and can sell everything she makes.

Her business helps support seven people, six of whom still live in the home. One child lives in Phnom Penh where he studies in school. Her husband now works as a cook for a catering company. That sounds more grandiose than the actuality. Khmers have many weddings, funerals and other parties requiring larger-scale food service. Typically, mobile kitchens are erected next to party tents. There, teams of three or more people prepare a meal for the revelers over high-btu gas burners. In a good month, a cook might make $35 or $40.

Other than noodles, the biggest portion of Sambo’s revenue comes from beer sales. She has a karaoke machine and two large speakers which provide amplified entertainment should her customers desire it. (Her daughters also sing in a local band and occasionally practice in her shop.) The music has to be turned off by 9:00 p.m., though.

She hopes that in the future she can continue to grow her business so she can support her one son in college. She is also saving to rebuild her shop but project is two years away.

Posted by Darin Greyerbiehl from Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Dec 4, 2007

Update On Rohimas Lors

Update on Rohimas Lors
Entrepreneur: Rohimas LORS
Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Amount Repaid: $600.00 of $600.00
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=12137

This entrepreneur is funded by a Kiva loan administered by Maxima Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. here in Cambodia. Rohimas lives in a small village along the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. Her loan is being paid off on schedule.

Rohimas and her husband used the funds from this loan to buy a boat a motor (They did not buy nets as stated in their business description.) Of Rohimas and her husband’s seven children, one fishes with the father and one studies English and Chinese in Phnom Penh.

Rohimas’ husband does all of his fishing in the Mekong, which forms the rear border of their yard. In addition to the one son who fishes, they employ six workers during the season which runs from January through March. The workers get paid between (US) $2.50 and $3.75 per day. They fish using large, small-meshed nets. (See photo of stacked net behind Rohimas and her husband.) A typical net is 150 meters long and 45 meters deep. They take two boats out into the river, float parallel and start to feed the net into the water in between. When the net is fully extended, the current bends it into a huge “C” shape. They leave it there for about two hours before closing the ends together and hauling it in.

Like other fisherpersons in this area, Rohimas and her husband expressed concern that the catch from the Mekong has been diminishing every year for many years. Many people attribute the decline to using nets with mesh that is too small thereby catching even the “fry” or baby fish not allowing them to mature. The authorities have recently banned these nets but the affect has yet to be seen. Many fishermen, including Rohimas' husband, believe that decreased rainfall and a shorter rainy season have limited the habitat for fish to reproduce. This most recent rainy season has continued a trend of less rain and shorter monsoon season for Cambodia.

Fish the world over is one of the cheapest sources of protein. Cambodians, blessed with very rich fresh water lakes and rivers, get more than sixty percent of their protein from fish. The crown jewel of this water system is the Tonle Sap (see link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonle_Sap), Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake. During the rainy season overflow from the Mekong River, which is connected to the Tonle Sap, floods the fields and forests of central Cambodia increasing the size of the lake by more than five times. This provides a perfect breeding ground for fish.

Lower fish yield is the most significant (but not their only) problem. Rohimas said they have to pay the usual $50 “tax” to the authorities who patrol the river. Government officials are paid very little in Cambodia so they have developed “systems” to supplement their incomes. We’re told that virtually no business of any size is exempt from the various levies. Her husband also expressed concern about the cost of gasoline which is rising very quickly. He is not sure he can pass along the increased cost to their customers.

Mainly due to the lower fish catches, Rohimas said she’d like to start selling fruit in the market (as well as fish) to supplement their income. Even in the best of times, they said it’s difficult to survive for a year with income from a three or four-month fishing season.

Posted by Darin Greyerbiehl from Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia
Dec 4, 2007

Update on Him Sar

Update on Him Sar
Entrepreneur: Him Sar

Location: Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia

Amount Repaid: $42.00 of $500.00

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=20173

This entrepreneur is funded by a Kiva loan administered by Maxima Mikroheranhvatho Co., Ltd. here in Cambodia. Him lives in a small village along the Mekong River about twenty kilometers north of Phnom Penh. His loan is being paid off on schedule.

Him, age 42, has been fishing since he was a young boy. He used the funds from this loan to buy a fishing net and to continue repair work on one of his boats. Him and his wife have five boys all of whom fish with him. Three of them study in the village school, as well.

Him explained that he does all of his fishing in the Mekong, which abuts the rear of his yard. He had two boats moored to the shore and a third, under renovation, up on supports behind his house. Like many Cambodians, Him is a model of self sufficiency. He not only fishes and maintains all his gear, he builds and, in this case, re-builds his boats himself (see photo). At about eight meters or more, the boats are not small craft either. His renovation project looked like a something a professional boatwright might spend months completing. Him said he’d have it complete by the beginning of the fishing season in January, though.

As the loan officer and I sat on the floor of his house, Him and his wife mended nets, a task that he explained is never ending. If you use a net, it gets damaged. If it’s going to work, it needs to be fixed so it has no holes. I felt like I was underdecks on an old pirate ship. Their house, like all houses in this area, is built on stilts because of flooding. Through the open, rear window we looked directly onto the Mekong. Just after we sat down, though, a fairly large bird hopped down from where it was resting on a basket handle and jumped across the nets to get a closer look at me. It seemed so curious, we wondered if even the bird could tell I wasn the sole non-Cambodian.

Him and his sons fish using large nets. He said a typical net is 150 meters long and 45 meters deep. They take two boats out into the river, float parallel and start to feed the net into the water in between. When the net is fully extended, the current bends it into a huge “C” shape. They leave it there for about two hours before closing the ends together and hauling it in. On a good day, Him said they can bring in 2000 kilograms of fish! I was astounded, but began to understand as he went on to explain. They catch three types. The largest is the size of a man’s thumb; the smallest the size of a pinky finger. For a kilo of these fish, Him can get between 200 and 500 Riel (US $0.05 and $0.13). He sells all he can at the local, district market. Whatever is left, he sells to people who make what Cambodians refer to as “cheese”. The fish are fermented en masse making an extremely pungent and long-lasting pâté called “prohok”.

Him also explained that the catch from the Mekong has been diminishing every year for the past ten years or so. He showed us what is believed to be the cause. Until the last two fishing seasons, people used nets with a mesh only 3-4 millimeters wide. Virtually no fish, including hatchlings, escaped. Fish the world over is one of the cheapest sources of protein. Cambodians, blessed with very rich fresh water lakes and rivers, get more than sixty percent of their protein from fish. When the fishermen noticed that catches continued to fall, the government outlawed the small mesh nets. Him said a new net can cost between $1,000 and $2,000. Few people here can replace such a piece of equipment at the drop of a hat so it has taken – and will take more – time before the old nets are purged. Him hopes the fish population will rebound to its old levels. (I think I now understand why hammocks and sun-shades made of fine netting are so ubiquitous here.)

When he saves enough, Him wants to re-build his house. He so far has purchased the wood but the other materials will take two more years of saving.

Posted by Darin Greyerbiehl from Muk Kampoul district, Cambodia Nov 29, 2007

Ly Tes

Ly Tes
Status: Raised
$700.00 Loan Request
$700.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=24512

About the Entrepreneur Name: Ly Tes
Business Name: Farming
Location: Kean Svay district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Farming
Loan Requested: $700.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: Purchasing seed, fertilizer and pesticide.
Date Posted: Nov 19, 2007
Date Funded: Nov 19, 2007

Mr. Tes Ly (aged 53) and his wife Chhet Srey (aged 50) got married in 1981. They have nine children, seven of whom still live at home and four who are still in school. This $700 loan is their first loan from MAXIMA. They will use this loan to purchase seed for vegetable produce, fertilizer and pesticide. They have been farming for fifteen years.
Ly and his family live on the edge of a large, shallow depression just west of the Tonle Bassac (river) south of Phnom Penh. During the wet season, the depression fills with water for about three months. As the water recedes, local people plow and plant vegetables in the very fertile soil. To make the most of the growing season, they start seedlings in protected areas in their front yards (see photo). As soon as the plots are ready, they transfer the seedlings to the open depression.

The main vegetable Ly and his family grow is a leafy green similar to broccoli. In a normal season, they can get five cuttings. Over the nine-month dry season they can plant three times. They also grow some cucumbers, cabbage and corn. They irrigate using a gas powered pump. Many people in the area still carry water in large sprinkler cans carried one to a shoulder.

They sell their produce to buyers who, in-turn, sell it in the large markets of Phnom Penh. They both say that farming has been a good livelihood and they’ll continue to do it as long as they can. Their farming future is not guaranteed. They explained that the government is considering building a large port facility along the Tonle Bassac which could encroach on their farming plot. If this happens, they would have to sell their land and move elsewhere to farm. As of now, those development plans remain speculative and the farming continues. Other than continuing to farm and save, both Srey and her husband expressed the hope of having their children study in school to the highest possible level.

La Leang

La Leang
Status: Raised
$1,000.00 Loan Request
$1,000.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=24510

About the Entrepreneur Name: La Leang
Business Name: Farming
Location: Kean Svay district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Livestock
Loan Requested: $1,000.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: Purchasing three cows and a boat & fishing net.
Date Posted: Nov 19, 2007
Date Funded: Nov 19, 2007

Mr. Leang La (aged 47) and his wife, Keat Pov (aged 39) got married in 1986. They have three daughters and two sons, two of whom still study in school and two who work in a garment factory. They are requesting their first loan from MAXIMA in the amount of $1,000. They will use this loan to purchase three cows, a boat and a fishing net.
Currently, they grow food such as rice and raise chickens and a few pigs. La also does construction work when he can find employment. As is typical here in Cambodia, we met beneath their stilt house in the area that serves as an indoor/outdoor live/work space. La explained that he actually built his family’s home in 1994 using salvaged lumber. The many tunnels and voids gnawed by termites testified to both the decrepitude of the prior dwelling that was the source of the lumber and the imminent need for replacement of this one. When they save enough money, Pov and La said they hope to replace their very modest house with a new one.

La learned to raise cows many years ago before the Pol Pot regime here in Cambodia. Because it is relatively expensive, beef has fallen down the list of sources of protein. Nonetheless, as the economy joins in the growth of the other countries in this region, beef is regaining popularity. Pov and Las's use mosquito netting to protect the animals from murderous bites and have already walled off a space beneath their house to use as a stall.

Pov and La explained that there is a breeder near their village who sells a bovine “starter pack” of sorts – one adult male and one adult female for US $400 each plus one calf free of charge. La and Pov say that it takes one year to raise a cow to maturity. In that time, it will eat approximately $200 worth of food – mostly grass and rice straw. These both need to be purchased due to high population density and to flooding during monsoon season (both factors limiting grazing space). When the cow is mature, they sell it either for slaughter or for further husbandry.

By far the most popular source of protein here is fish. This country is graced with an abundance of freshwater lakes from which Cambodians harvest two-thirds of the protein they consume. La has fished for many years but has never owned his own boat. A used boat and a net will cost them about $200.

Soy Leng

Soy Leng
Status: Raised
$800.00 Loan Request
$800.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=24605

About the Entrepreneur Name: Soy Leng
Business Name: Grocery Store
Location: Kandal Steung district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Grocery Store
Loan Requested: $800.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To build a small shop in front of their house and to purchase groceries and other goods for inventory.
Date Posted: Nov 20, 2007

Mrs. LENG Soy (age 35) and her husband PHOM Ponlok (age 51) have been married for 12 years. They have 5 children, 3 boys and two girls. Three of the children study in school. They live in a farming area along National Road 2, several kilometers south of Phnom Penh. Her husband (third from left in photo) serves in the Cambodian Army. Soy herself (not pictured), works in a nearby garment factory. Even though monthly wages of garment workers is about US $45-$50, it is considered a good job in Cambodia. Women make up 85%-90% of the factory workforces.

She is requesting this, her second loan from MAXIMA, in the amount of $800. Her family will use the funds from the loan to build a small shop in front of their house for selling groceries and other household goods. They will use the remainder of the loan to purchase inventory for the shop. After the store, which is partially built, is finished, their eldest son (far right of photo) and Soy’s mother-in-law (far left of photo) will work there. They will travel to the district market to buy inventory such as cooking oil, sugar, rice, laundry detergent, dish soap, and children’s snacks.

Sophin Leuk

Sophin Leuk
Status: Raised
$600.00 Loan Request
$600.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=24604

About the Entrepreneur Name: Sophin Leuk
Business Name: Selling fish
Location: Kean Svay district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Fish Selling
Loan Requested: $600.00
Repayment Term: 20 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To buy a motorbike to transport fish and to buy fish for re-sale in her village.
Date Posted: Nov 20, 2007
Date Funded: Nov 20, 2007

Mrs. Sophin LEUK (age 35) and her husband (age 34) have been married for 10 years. They have 2 children, one boy and one girl. The girl who is the eldest, studies in school in their village. They live in a fertile farming area along the Tonle Bassac (river), a tributary of the Mekong, several kilometers south of Phnom Penh. Her husband drives a multi-person motorbike taxi called a “remorque”, transporting workers to and from the many nearby garment factories. She is requesting this second loan from MAXIMA in the amount of $600. She will use the funds from the loan to purchase a motorbike for transporting fish that she resells in her village. Any remaining money she will use for buying fish for re-sale.
She has been buying and reselling fish since 1997. Fish is, by far, the most common source of protein in Cambodia. Sophin says she typically sells about three kilograms per day. Over the course of the year, she says she sells perhaps 7 or 8 different kinds, depending which type is in season. Depending on the kind of fish, the sales price ranges from 5,000-12,000 Riel (US $1.25-$3.00) per kilogram and she nets about 50% profit. Sophin usually goes to a nearby village on the edge of a large lake to purchase her fish. In the event she can’t buy what she needs there, she travels to the larger district market to buy. She then returns to re-resell her inventory at the small market that springs up along the road in her village. In the event she can’t sell everything she buys, she goes door-to-door in her village to move the remaining stock.

Sophin’s long-term hopes are to keep growing her business. She explained that the loan will allow her to travel to and from where she buys fish much more easily. She also hopes that she’ll be able to save more money to improve her family’s life.

Vary Uch

Vary Uch
Status: Raised
$800.00 Loan Request
$800.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=24603

About the Entrepreneur Name: Vary Uch
Business Name: Farming
Location: Kean Svay district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Farming
Loan Requested: $800.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To buy a contract to purchase banana tree output from two village plots now at a specified price. She will harvest in 3-4 months and sell the bananas at the future market rate.
Date Posted: Nov 20, 2007
Date Funded: Nov 21, 2007

Mrs. UCH Vary is 39 years old, and she and her husband married in 1990. They have four children, all of whom are in school studying in grades 3-9. They live in a fertile farming area along the Tonle Bassac (river), a tributary of the Mekong, several kilometers south of Phnom Penh. She is requesting this first loan from MAXIMA in the amount of $800. She will use this loan to purchase a contract for the future harvest of two banana farms in her village. In 3 to 4 months she will sell them at a price higher than the agreed-upon price she pays today.
She has been farming since she was a teenager and buying and selling bananas for more than 15 years. Many people of Chinese descent live in Cambodia. During the celebration of Chinese New Year, bananas are used as a traditional offering and the price increases greatly. Vary also grows jasmine for use in Buddhist ceremonies and longan, a fruit similar to lychee. She sells these to retailers at one of the large markets in Phnom Penh.

Vary’s long-term hopes are to keep growing her business. She explained that the loan will allow her to buy a greater number of banana contracts for future sale, allowing her to make more income. As is typical in Cambodia, she plans to use any extra income to help her children continue their studies.

Chantorn Sorm

Chantorn Sorm
Status: Raised
$800.00 Loan Request
$800.00 Raised
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=24606

About the Entrepreneur Name: Chantorn Sorm
Business Name: Food selling
Location: Kean Svay district, Cambodia
Primary Activity: Food Production/Sales
Loan Requested: $800.00
Repayment Term: 12 months - repaid monthly
Loan Use: To purchase dishware, utensils, and food supplies for her business.
Date Posted: Nov 20, 2007
Date Funded: Nov 21, 2007

Mrs. SORM Chantorn (age 53) and her husband married in 1979. They have five children, four of whom still live at home as well as one son-in-law and two grandchildren. One daughter studies at college. They are requesting their first loan from MAXIMA in the amount of $800. They will use this loan to purchase dishware, utensils, and food supplies for her cafe/restaurant.
While Chantorn’s husband works as a security guard, his job for the past eight years, the family’s primary source of income is the food and drink stand she operates in front of their house. She’s been doing this for the past three years and her business continues to grow. She told us that she learned to cook professionally during an eight-year period in the office of a Cambodian senator. Her current clientele are comprised of people from her village and passers-by on the road that runs past her shop. On a good day she can serve up to 50 customers.

She currently prepares and sells basic noodle and soup dishes commonly referred to as “Khmer Noodles”. She hopes to refine her shop and menu so she can sell a range of more complex and expensive fare referred to as “Chinese Noodles”. The main difference between these two styles of cooking comes from the expense of ingredients, the method of preparation, and formality of dining. A typical serving of Khmer Noodles costs about US $0.25 while a serving of Chinese Noodles costs $0.63.

Chantorn’s main goal in growing her business is to better support her one child who studies at college.