Human Interest Story: Building Resilience and Opportunity on Koh Dach Island

Koh Dach Island - also known locally as Silk Island due to its long-established silk weaving traditions - is home to many women who operate small, home-based businesses to support their families. While the island is rich in cultural heritage, many households face significant challenges related to income stability, caregiving responsibilities, and limited access to essential services. Through its financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and mental health programmes, Inclusive Cambodia is helping women on Silk Island and wider Phnom Penh build stronger livelihoods and greater resilience for the future.

Strengthening Livelihoods Through Practical Financial Skills

Sengheang, a seller of weaving materials, clothing fabric, and tailoring services, supports a household of four family members. Like many women entrepreneurs on Silk Island, her business plays a central role in sustaining her family, yet she previously lacked formal knowledge in financial management.

“Before now, I did not consider the market,” she explained. “I only bought what I wanted to sell, and sometimes that was wrong. Now I think about the customer first - what they like or what they may be looking for.”

Through Inclusive Cambodia’s financial literacy and entrepreneurship workshops - delivered with support from ASEAN Foundation volunteers - she learned essential business skills including budgeting, demand assessment, pricing, and profit planning. These tools have helped her make informed choices and manage her small business with new confidence.

Empowerment Through Financial Awareness and Confidence

Two other women on Silk Island, Panha and Sreytouch, also described significant improvements in how they handle their daily finances.

“In joining this programme, I gained more knowledge about saving, spending, and keeping records,” said Panha. “Before, I spent money on the things I wanted today. Now I think about how much I should spend today and tomorrow.”

For both women, these skills have translated into stronger financial discipline, clearer decision-making, and a sense of empowerment in managing their household budgets. They also expressed appreciation for the English classes offered to children, viewing them as an investment in future opportunities.

Project attendees take their assessments at the end of Inclusive Cambodia’s 12-part Financial Literacy Workshop series.

Supporting Families Raising Children with Disabilities

Inclusive Cambodia’s mental health programme has been especially meaningful for families on Silk Island raising children with disabilities.

Sreymorn, a traditional weaver, supports a family of five, including a son with a disability. She explained that before joining the programme, she had struggled to find any place willing to accept her child.

“No other place before them would accept my child,” she said. “After I brought him here for therapy, now I can put him in the local kindergarten.”

She also described the emotional support she received. “When I was unhappy, I could come to discuss or consult with the teacher. I feel safe and warm. Before, I had no place to go.”

Through the programme, she also learned how to better manage her household income, expenses, and time - reducing some of the financial and emotional stress she previously experienced alone.

Another mother, Raksa, also a weaver, supports a family of four, including a daughter with a disability. She described the joy of seeing her daughter join other children at school. “Hopefully she will improve and talk more in the future,” she said.

Both mothers noted that caring for children with disabilities often leads to isolation, and that the Inclusive Cambodia’s peer support groups provided them with a safe and understanding community.

A Counsellor’s Perspective

The emotional progress of families on Silk Island has also been shaped by the dedication of Sovansa, Inclusive Cambodia’s Mental Health Lead and Trainee Counsellor. Reflecting on her work, she shared:

“This job has helped me grow not just in my career, but also as a person. I’ve learned how to be a better listener, how to support people through tough times, and how to understand the effects of trauma. It has changed the way I see and connect with others.

Every time I talk to someone or help in even a small way, I’m reminded of how important this work is. I feel thankful to be part of something that truly makes a difference. The people in these communities show me what real strength and connection look like, and they inspire me every day.”

Her words highlight the deep human connection formed through the mental health programme and the essential role that locally trained counsellors play in supporting long-term community wellbeing.

A Peer Support Group gathers to discuss their to share their stories of living and working as a woman on Koh Dach Island.

Expanding Access to Knowledge in Cambodia

To ensure the programme’s lessons reach wider communities, Inclusive Cambodia produced three educational podcast episodes on debt, gender-based violence, and how to seek help. These digital resources, expected to reach at least 10,000 people, will remain accessible long after the project ends.

The project also trained Youth Ambassadors for Change, equipping young women with presentation and communication skills to share financial literacy knowledge within their communities. This youth-led model supports long-term sustainability using those that know their villages best.

Creating Foundations for Long-Term Impact

Across Silk Island, and two further urban poor communities - Toul Sangke and Steung Meanchey - Inclusive Cambodia supported 132 women through financial literacy or entrepreneurship training. An additional 539 family members benefited from the mental health support programme. Training a local counsellor through the tailored 5-Module course ensures the continued availability of counselling services within these communities.

Strong partnerships - including extensive support from the ASEAN Foundation and the Maybank Foundation - further strengthened the programme’s quality, reach, and sustainability.

A Shared Hope

Reflecting on their experiences, the women involved in the project shared a collective hope that their stories might encourage others to seek support, build new skills, and strengthen their own resilience. They expressed optimism that their children - whether learning English, joining school for the first time, or receiving therapy - will continue to grow in confidence and opportunity.

Their stories show that with access to knowledge, supportive networks, and a safe space to learn, women can strengthen their livelihoods, improve their emotional wellbeing, and build more stable futures for their families. Their message to other women across Cambodia is clear: empowerment begins with opportunity, and opportunity grows when women are given the chance to learn, participate, and hope.

A class of women graduate after completing their financial literacy training, each equipped with new knowledge and business plans to take their own small businesses to the next level.

This summer, Inclusive Cambodia partnered with the ASEAN Foundation and the Maybank Foundation to develop and deliver its Financial Literacy curriculum to women entrepreneurs living in poverty.