Friday, 8 August 2008

Migration from Home Is a Factor That Men Bring AIDS into Their Homes

Posted on 8 August 2008
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 572

“Battambang: AIDS is a fierce disease which kills millions of people every year around the world, whether they are old, young, male, or female - and Cambodia is also attacked by this murderer.

“So far, no scientist has announced publicly that there is medicine to treat it, although there are medicines to delay death.

“A factor for, and a source of having AIDS or being infected with AIDS often result from migration from home.

“Mr. Sum Samnang, 38, who lives in Souphi, Anlong Run, Thma Koul, Battambang, said that he had left his village in 1997 to work as a worker carrying second hand clothing bundles in Poipet.
Because he was far from his wife, after finishing work he sought sex services; sometimes he used condoms, but sometimes not, as he was drunk and forgot.

“In 1999, he returned home to Souphi. Until 2005 he did not know that he contracted AIDS, until he had his blood checked. He decided have his blood checked because his health became weaker, he was often sick, and he frequently had diarrhea. Mr. Samnang is now a moto-taxi driver, and because he takes good care of himself, he looks like a normal person.

“Chhay Sinang, Sum Samnang’s wife, recounted that her former husband had died; she had been infected with AIDS by her husband. She continued to say that her former husband was a construction worker who moved to far away provinces, and he liked to go to drink, and where he went, he always sought sex services.

“Mr. Yin Hieng, 37, who lives also in Souphi, said he frequently went to work at faraway provinces, and when he was far from his wife for a long time, he sought sex services. Since 2004 he knew he has AIDS, but his wife was not infected with AIDS, because he always used condoms.

They have three children, but none of them have this fierce disease - their blood had been checked. Nowadays, as his business, Mr. Yin Hieng feeds ducks for eggs and meat with the help of the program of the Lutheran World Federation [LWF] in Cambodia, which provides loans at very low interest rate of only 1%. First, he borrowed Thai Baht 70,000 [approx. US$2,100] from the LWF, then Baht 100,000 [approx. US$2,300], and then Baht 110,000 [approx. US$330,000]. He has to make repayments every six months. The feeding of ducks operation does not belong to him alone; there are five and sometimes six more members who all have AIDS.

“When journalists of Rasmei Kampuchea asked him how his livelihood was before borrowing money from LWF, Mr. Yin Hieng responded with a happy face that before, he borrowed money from other people, but the interest payments were very high, and so his livelihood was terrible. Because of the LWF loans, he has capital to make his business run continually, and his livelihood is much better.

LWF helps People who have AIDS to have hope in new life.

“Mr. Sy Savuth, the head of the Anlong Run Health Center and the team leader taking care of homes of people who have AIDS, said the Anlong Run Village was created in 1987 and there are 4,722 people.

“There are 21 people who have AIDS in 19 families. His health center and LWF have cooperated with each other since 2002, and LWF concentrates on people who have AIDS. Each month, this organization provides a food package containing 15 kg rice, canned fish, fish sauce, sugar, cooking oil, and noodles, which a worth of US$10 in total, to families that have members with AIDS.

Moreover, LWF provides money for traveling, to go to receive these donations, as well as to get the medicines, and to have meetings at the center of the province.

“Besides support such as money, medicines to delay death, food, and loans with low interest rates to people who have AIDS, LWF also goes directly to provide preventive education, encouraging people who have AIDS to struggle and be strong in their lives, as well as to train people participating in a Friends Educate Friends Network among youth, moto-taxi drivers, police, and soldiers.

“As results, people understand better what AIDS is, discrimination declines, and the livelihood of people who have AIDS in Souphi is improving..

“Mr. Sy Savuth added that many people who have AIDS are those who returned from the Cambodian and Thai border areas; some of them worked as porters [waiting to be hired to carry things] and some worked as taxi drivers from Phnom Penh to Poipet.”

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4661, 7.8.2008
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:Thursday, 7 August 2008

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