Communities providing relief in health emergencies
Needing emergency treatment to help a child is a significant burden on any parent, especially when the funds could keep them alive. Fortunately for Lin Nith, the young 27-year-old mother of Phan, 16 months old, she lives in a community in Cambodia which works together to contribute to a “Healthy Box”. This box is a collective source of funds for newborn children and parents burdened by unexpected health-related expenses.
“When my son was just 20 days old he became weak, and his skin grew pale – I was so worried,” said Lin, who recalls the heartbreaking moment when her son was experiencing seizures and her grandmother urged her to take him to hospital. After a stressful and expensive journey, Lin discovered that her son had an unexpected heart condition requiring urgent surgery. She wasn’t even close to having the funds required for the surgery which would help keep her son alive.
“It was an enormous expense for my family at an extremely difficult moment. I really didn’t know how to find the money to save my son – I was so nervous,” she said. That’s where the Healthy Box came to the rescue. Each month, community members contribute a small amount of money to protect themselves in circumstances that require emergency health expenses. Participants can borrow money and repay at any time without interest.