Welcome to this photo tour of a typical home in a remote north Cambodian village where money from New Zealand is supporting a range of practical development initiatives.  

This village is in the region of Stong, about 3 hours drive north of Phnom Penh.  

This family fully consented to their home being displayed.  Photos by Kirsty Griffin.  Read about the World Vision staffer responsible for this village elsewhere on our website. 

View from front door looking across to neighbours.  All 70 houses in this village are raised up off the ground, due to regular flooding.  

In early October 2009, very heavy rainfall from Typhoon Ketsana left 0.3m deep water throughout this village for over 2 weeks.

Village homes are typically one room, with a sectioned off area for sleeping.  This house sleeps 7. 

Construction began 2 years ago, and it will be completed in a year or two. It has a corregated iron roof, wooden floorboards and exposed timber beams.

Cooking is usually done under the house, but the cooker was temporarily relocated upstairs due to the recent floods.  

When used, it makes the house smokier than usual. Next year more of the exterior walls will be installed, replacing the blue plastic sheeting.  

Staggered construction is typical in this village – with work taking 4-5 years to complete, as family finances allow.

Taking pride of place – a TV which was bought for the parents a month ago by their children in Phnom Penh.   The mother says they watch the Cambodian TV channel CTN and a local station which shows national and international news.

The family know about US President Barak Obama, and followed reports about recent flooding across northern Cambodia.  The TV runs off a car battery, which is taken to a nearby village for recharging every three days. 

“We were happy to have the TV come,” says the mother. 

“It means our children now don’t need to go to other homes at night to watch TV.”

In one corner of the main room, cotton is prepared for use by the nearby weaving group which the mother belongs to. 

The group make colourful scarfs which sell for US$1.50 each.   Money from World Vision supporters in New Zealand paid for a weaving tutor to live in the village for 6 months, and the weaving group took out loans to buy 10 looms.

Photos of extended family members – dead and alive – in pride of place.  This family has several older children who have left the village to work in factories in Phnon Penh.  The sleeping area is behind this curtain.

Rice is the main dish, sometimes accompanied by a little fish or beef.  Vegetables in poor remote villages are in short supply, contributing to high incidence of stunted development in children.

Water storage inside the house.  Water collected off the roof and dirtier water from ponds is put through a biosand water filter below the house – producing clean, safe-to-drink water for the family.

At the rear of the house, a latrine (toilet). At the beginning of 2008, this village of 70 homes had no latrines.  After sanitation training by World Vision, the villagers worked together over a 4 month period to build a latrine for every house.

To the rear of the house, a chicken coup, which has been used as a temporary storage area since bad flooding in early October 2009.

Note the large clay pots which collect water off the roof.  These are found in most homes in the village.

View to the rear section.  Will be planted with corn and other crops during the dry season.

Cooker, which burns wood and other organic material gathered locally.

A mosquito net which covers the area where the family sleeps.

Another photo of the bedroom.

A small shrine for remembering loved ones who have died.

View back across the road.

Husband in his workshop and usual cooking area under the house.

View across to a neighbour’s section.

Washing ready to be hung.

No bench for these food items.

Storage space is at a premium.

Bedroom storage.