Transcribed by Imm Sokea, MCC Cambodia Connecting Peoples Coordinator
Photos by Isaac Alderfer, 2022-2023 SALT participant at ODOV

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My name is Rath Morn. When I was a child living with my parents, there were two seasons – dry season and rainy season. There were no changes within the seasons unlike nowadays. I was able to support my living by foraging plants in the field and in the lake. Our family were not lacking anything. During the dry season, the lake never completely dry out. The cows and buffaloes always had water to drink. We had water to drink and to bathe and there was no extreme weather that impacted our health. Also, the weather did not change suddenly like it does now. What I mean, there were plants that grew naturally in the field and in the forest, or there are wild fish living in the lake that we were able to find enough of for eating. We didn’t lack anything in the family. We could sell what we foraged. When I was young, I made my living fishing in the waterways.

When it comes to the rainy season, there was always regular rainfall. There was plenty of rainwater for irrigating rice fields and farms. For the dry season, it was not too hot and it did not cause problems like it does nowadays. Back then, dry season was dry season and rainy season was rainy season. Dry season was not the same as rainy season. They were distinct seasons.

I was living in Sampor village, Prey Totueng commune, Me Sang district, Prey Veng province.

Back then, there were abundant fish and the lakes never completely dried out. There were many crops that we could grow for our family to eat and to sell the excess. It was enough that we didn’t lack anything. There was no migrant labor.

When I was living with my parents there was no climate change. Dry season was dry season, rainy season was rainy season. There was no off season rain like now. Now, when it rains, it rains too much. It impacts the crops and rice that we are growing. Now they die, beaten down or drowned or having insects destroy them. There are many effects on our health. The lakes dry out completely and the forest is gone. When the rainy season comes, it has rainfall, lightning, thunder and strong winds. Before, we only had rainfall but now extreme weather comes with the rain such as strong winds, lightning and thunder. So, the weather nowadays has many effects on us.

The weather nowadays effects my family such as when it is too hot, it causes my animals to die and we have the drought so a lot of my crops are dying. As the result, my family lacks food to eat and income, so no money to deal with the costs of living. So, I had to do migrant labor away from my homeland and family, to find work in another place to pay for my family’s living.

Climate change doesn’t just affect my family, it effects my whole community. The animals are dying. The crops are dying. There is not enough income for families. So, there is migrant labor or even crossing the border into other countries. If people don’t do so, we cannot deal with the problems in our family.

ODOV has taught me about the techniques of growing crops, raising animals, and how to take care of my crops by using the technique to provide cover for the plants and vegetables and how to take care of the animals. They help me gain more knowledge about new farming techniques. Regarding raising chicken, ODOV has taught me on how to use the poultry vaccine and grow my own medicine for the chickens. Different medicines for rainy and dry season to heal and prevent disease for the chicken. That include using different plants for ingredients such as Kapok shells and Golden bine plants. In rainy season I add ginger, garlic, and sugar to their food. For my water system I dug a pond to preserve the water for the daily use, water my crops and protect the animals from the lack of water. In addition, ODOV taught me on how to sell my vegetables to make income again. They taught me how to delegate work within my family so that my family doesn’t have to do migrant labor because we are able to live off with what we have.

During the dry season we don’t have enough water. I have asked the local authorities in the village and commune to help clear the water canal, so that we could have water to use for irrigation and for all the other farmers too. Also, we asked to have vegetable merchants to sell our produce. If we don’t have markets to sell the produces, then, there will be a problem.

We got trained on new techniques on how to make good produce. We share and learn together with others.

Thank you to ODOV for coming to teach us about growing crops and new farming techniques. They help us a lot in the community and in the family to understand, so that we can learn and apply the new techniques in practice and improve on raising animals and growing crops. People are getting better and I can see the improvements in their families. In each family, people do not do anything that would cause harm to others. Instead, they share with each other (both male and female). They have good cooperation in the family and community. There are improvements and there’s revival in each family. They don’t criticize but help each other.

ODOV teaches the technique on using compost and plowing in a different way to grow healthy crops. Also, I learned how to protect the soil by planting cover crops. I grow crops and keep one part of the land for digging the pond to preserve the water.

Addressing climate change means more peace because in my family, people live peacefully and there’s no separation from the family by going away to do migrant labor. In the community, people share with each other and help one another. I see improvement in the community.