Tut Nga’s life has been shaped by resilience, courage, and an unbreakable determination to provide for her family.

Born with a visual impairment in one eye, she faced daily challenges from an early age. By 2016, she was living with her husband and two young children in a small, fragile home, struggling to survive. While her husband worked in construction, Tut Nga collected firewood and took on labouring work to support the family.

“We worked hard every day,” she recalls, “but it was never enough.”

Everything began to change when she joined a gathering at the Metta Karuna Centre, run by our project partner Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Cambodia. The program supports people living with disabilities through livelihood training, assistive devices, housing, and more. There, she found both knowledge and community.

“I learned about my rights and saw the struggles of other brothers and sisters with disabilities,” she says. “It became a powerful motivation to change my family’s future.”

With a bicycle and small business support, she began selling fruit, building a steady income.

In 2019, tragedy struck when her husband was involved in a serious accident that left him with a intellectual disability. The family spent everything on medical care, and he later passed away, leaving Tut Nga to care for her children alone.

In this moment of hardship, support returned. With the support of JRS Cambodia, made possible by your compassionate support, she received capital to restart her business, school supplies for her children, and a new home to replace their fragile home. This became a turning point, restoring her confidence and hope.

“I am very happy now. I can support my children and plan for their future.”

Tut Nga

Today, Tut Nga is financially independent and proud. She has saved enough to buy a motorcycle, allowing her to carry more goods and increase her income.

Find out more about our work in Cambodia