Leab

Loan description:

Leab Kheng is 52 years old and a widow with three children. They are 22, 18 and 10 years old respectively. The elder two are already working while the youngest still attends school. They live in Bakrotes village, Prek Loung commune, Ek Phnom district in Battambang province. Leab has been a member of Ek Phnom Credit Union for over five years. She is a farmer and owns one and half hectares of rice paddy. After harvesting the rice she grows green beans on the same land as do most other farmers in her village. She keeps about 500 kilograms of rice for the household's own consumption and sells the remainder to merchants. With help from her children, Leab has another business selling fish at the Boeng Chhouk market. They have been doing this for about three years. She also grows and sells aubergines as well, although these are usually sold within her village. Leab has sought a loan from the credit union in order to buy seeds, insecticide, and pay for ploughing and harvesting costs. A part of the loan will also be used as working capital for her fishmonger business. Leab's ambition is to open another stall selling general household goods at the Boeng Chhouk market.