The Family Partnership programme is at the heart of all of Tabitha's work and is best described as community development focused on families. Participation in the programme is a prerequisite for families or villages to participate in any of the other Tabitha programmes.
The majority of Cambodian families have virtually no possessions. Perhaps one old set of clothes per person, one drinking cup to share, and a thatch shelter. Despite this, most families generate a small weekly income, which may be earned by collecting and selling empty plastic bottles or cutting grass to sell to a farmer. However, it can be difficult for families to break out of this poverty cycle. The Tabitha Family Partnership programme provides a means to do this, working side by side with the community and families.
It is a very simple self-help programme with families committing to save a certain amount for a 10-week cycle. Prior to the start of the 10-week cycle, Tabitha staff members help the families to develop a vision of a better life and each family decides what they are saving for (their "dream"). "Dream" items can include the barest essentials, such as a towel, a blanket, a cooking pot, or a three-month supply of rice.
Each savings cycle lasts 10 weeks and the savings are collected weekly by Tabitha workers.
Saving as little as 25 cents per week allows the purchase of life-transforming items. Families save for income producing items such as a fishing net, piglets, chickens, oxen, a watering can, or a bicycle to take produce to market. This, in turn, brings the family a stable food supply and regular income - sometimes for the first time - and allow for steadily increasing weekly savings.
Most families remain in the Family Partnership programme for about five to seven years, at which time they have usually attained food, income security and some form of health care, as well as put their children in school.
This year our goal was to work with and reach 79,876 families with 639,008 dependants, we ended the year with 78,006 families (624,048 dependants) in the Family Partnership programme in 15 project areas, and we worked with another 289 families in the Cottage Industry. Even though we were not able to reach our goals (due to factors beyond our control such as the Kings passing, elections and protests) we consider it a remarkable acheivement.
The core of our program is savings. Our families saved US$3,369,223 this year, but the miracle is the purchase and life changes that bought about. In total the families purchased US$21,626,575 worth of goods and services, changing their lives from absolute poverty to subsistence levels.
For example:
There were 140,478 changes in basic needs - needs such as at least two nutritious meals per day; basic needs such as pots and pans, blankets, mosquito nets, needs such as clothing.
35,792 families were able to improve their security through the improvement of their housing; through the building of latrines; through the gift of light by purchasing batteries.
18,152 families were able to buy some form of transportation while all of our families (70,004 units of income generation) were enabled to increase their incomes through small businesses, farming and animal husbandry.
This year, 17,443 families were able to start raising pigs, 25,888 families began raising chickens and ducks, and another 1021 families started raising fish and frogs. The ingenuity of some of our families is amazing - we have some families that have even started raising crickets!
Over 200,000 families have "graduated" from the programme since inception. This year 2,900 families graduated from our programs. Graduations are difficult as families don't like to leave our programs. It takes an average of 5 years for families to move from absolute poverty to middle class rural Cambodian families. At the end of our relationship, families have attained their basic needs, they have 4-6 sources of income, they have access to water, electricity of some form, transportation and 4 out of their 5 school aged children in school. The families have traveled a hard road. Their determination, their change in how they see themselves, their pride in what they have achieved is wonderful to see.
For a financial contribution of just SGD$25, one family can be supported for one year in Family Partnership. For questions or more information, please contact [email protected].
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