Munichan’s Story
Country Director
My childhood unfolded during the Cambodian war. I remember the shelling three times a day; I remember being forced to farm from dusk to dawn. We had no proper food, no schools, no money, no medicine. I still have health issues because of inadequate care during that time. We saw the Khmer rouge kill professionals, intellectuals, policemen and anyone affiliated with the government. They tried to brainwash me too, but I didn’t know what capitalists or businessmen were, I only knew I had to work hard and do as I was told. My father survived because he was in agriculture, a specialist in fertilizers, and my mother was the principal of a primary school.
In April 1975, the Vietnamese took power. We didn’t have many opportunities then either. The country was strictly embargoed, everything was broken. People were broken. But I was still able to move to Phnom Penh to complete high school. My mother lied about my age otherwise I would have been sent out to the battlefield to fight the Khmer Rouge. My only dream then was to live in a peaceful country. I was lucky to study at a University in Thailand where I obtained my Masters in Rural Development Management. Back in Cambodia, I worked for the UN for 11 years and then 9 years with the World Bank and subsequently came to the Maddox Foundation.
I would divide our achievements in two phases. In the first chapter of our organization, in the early 2000s, we were very poor; it was a post-war situation. Our organization invested in infrastructure to alleviate suffering. We built a new health center, a new school, a mobile health center, and continued with landmine clearance. This helped the local community we serve tremendously. It allowed them to stand up again. Since 2015, people have been able to work, save money and improve the quality of their lives. This is real development.
We have also contributed to preserving the Samlaut forest and developed a comprehensive range of pillar programs to achieve our mission, which includes increased access to health, education, and measures for sustainability and reforestation.
