Tai Po Fire Emergency Response
Where Dreams Begin Again
Dara Chhim
Eight-year-old Rina lives in a small rural village in Mongkol Borey District, Cambodia, with her grandmother, Chim Sav, the person who loves her the most.
Rina’s parents work far away in another province to earn a living, returning home only when they can. For Rina, her grandmother is her home, her comfort, and her greatest source of strength.
They depend on a small plot of land, but the changing weather, poor soil, and crop eating insects meant that many days are filled with worry about whether there will be enough food. With limited income and no knowledge of improved farming methods, their future felt uncertain.
Everything changed the day Rina was enrolled into World Vision’s Child Sponsorship programme.
With the support of sponsors, Rina began joining activities she had never experienced before. She is learning about child rights awareness, joining handwashing and hygiene sessions, and spending time learning and reading in the library at school.
“I really enjoy drawing and playing with my friends,” Rina says shyly. “I learn many new things.”
At home, her grandmother participated in training on climate-smart agriculture and received seeds and essential farming materials. For the first time, she learned how to protect crops, manage soil, and grow vegetables sustainably despite unpredictable weather.
Rina’s grandmother remembers the hardship they once faced. “I didn’t know how to grow vegetables properly,” she says. “Everything was lost due to insects.”
But now, things are different. Together, Rina and her grandmother planted their very first garden, a dream they had never thought possible.
Today, the once barren soil is full of life with long beans, leafy greens, and rows of fresh vegetables. Rina helps her grandmother harvest them with a basket.
“I used to grow vegetables for our meals, but now I can also sell them,” her grandmother shares. “With this income, I can support Rina with school supplies and clothes.”
Rina now enjoys nutritious meals from the garden she helped plant. “Now I enjoy my meals even more,” she says. “The vegetables taste better because my grandmother grew them and I helped too!”
Rina is one of 3,402 sponsored children in this area programme. Through Child Sponsorship, she is learning, growing, and dreaming bigger than ever.
“In the future, I want to be a teacher,” Rina shared proudly. With a shy smile, she adds, “Thank you to the sponsors who support my family and my community.”
