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| Photo by Amanda King |
Disabled as a civilian casualty of war, Pheng Mong was forced to stand by as his wife set off for the faraway garment factories of Thailand in search of work to support their family. But now, thanks to a CHAD cow bank, Mong has the resources to bring her back.
With two adult cows and one calf on the way, Mong's family now has financial security — something that's been out of their reach since the '80s, when Mong drank water from a well poisoned by Vietnamese troops. Ever since, he has suffered from a chronic lung disorder that frequently leaves him gasping for air.
Unable to work and provide for his family, the brunt of that burden fell on his wife, who has spent much of the last several years moving from job to job as a garment factory worker. She's currently working in Thailand, far away from her husband and son.
But if Mong has his way, that will all change soon.
Mong has big plans for those cows. He expects one more calf from each of them before he sells them to finance his dream — a small village grocery store he can run, side-by-side with his wife and son, finally reunited.
Want to know more about cow banks?
Mong's family wasn't the only one to benefit from this project. CHAD cow banks operate with a philosophy of passing on the gift, whereby some offspring of the original cow are passed on to others in the community. In this case, a local preschool teacher and a church women's leader received calves from Mong's cow. Learn more...
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