Kob May Saros

My name is Kob May Saros.

Photographer: Paul Garrett, Cambodia

My disability is because of dengue fever. After I had dengue fever, I got pain in my leg, and then could not walk. After I could not walk, nobody fed me besides my parents. Even my husband went away from me for a while, for many years, and he joined the soldiers. I lived with my parents, and I could not do anything, because I could not walk.

Before dengue fever I was growing rice but after I could not walk, I could not grow rice. Before, I had the rice-land but poverty came to my family: I sold the rice field and moved from there to here. Because I could not walk, I had to sell the rice field.

I go to find shells in the mud close to the seaside, and I bring those shells to sell in the market to buy the rice to support the family. But my income is not enough to feed my family. Because of my disability, I cannot earn more money. I cannot earn more than 3,000 riel, less than one dollar a day. If I try and walk far I get a pain in my leg. It is a limitation of my leg.

I would like to support my family to survive, to provide for my children to go to school, and find enough food for them to eat and clothes for them and books; I want to provide for them. I do not think people know much about me but I care about my income to support my family.

Now I have joined the community. There are changes like I have psychological support, to help me have the full rights like other people in the village. If I do not have determination people treat me badly.

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