If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll see that I post frequently about my marathon training. It’s kind of a big deal in my world. I know that people run marathons all the time, but I never thought I would be able to! My longest run so far has been 10 miles, and I’ve been surprised at how well it’s going.
The biggest hurdle so far has been accepting the fact that I am slow and getting out there and running anyway. One of my mantras has been “Mr. Poy never gave up.”
You see, I am a fundraiser for World Renew in my day job. So I have had the privilege of visiting people in poverty around the world. One thing that strikes me is how very hard they work. One such inspirational person is Mr. Poy.
A few years ago Poy and his wife struggled to support their six children as rice farmers. They often supplemented their income by cutting timber in the forest and selling it in nearby villages. Poy had to ask five of his children to stop studying and go to work in construction or garment factories in Phnom Penh to help them survive.
Then just two years ago, Poy participated in an animal raising workshop through World Renew. Poy’s first attempt at raising chickens didn’t go well. Many of the chickens died.
Poy didn’t give up. Last year he decided to try again, acquiring a few more chickens to raise. He applied the techniques he learned from the workshop, using traditional medicine and natural chicken food. He also built a chicken coop and cages. During the day the chickens run free in the yard when the family is home; at night they are protected from other animals in the coop or cages.
And now, Poy is seeing the fruits of his labor, or rather, the eggs. In 18 months’ time, Poy sold several chickens, earning about $200. Poy no longer asks his children to quit school to work in the city; all of his children are attending school, and the family has achieved a much more stable situation.
“I am deeply grateful to World Renew for providing me the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in chicken raising. I hope that I can get a better life from chicken raising in 2015,” says Poy. In addition, Poy is sharing his success with others so they can also improve their livelihoods.
As a member of Team Free A Family, we encourage you to never give up–just like Mr. Poy. The funds you raise will help families like Mr. Poy’s gain the support and knowledge they need to break the cycle of poverty.
If you would like to support me in this effort of running a half marathon (Oct. 18) and marathon (Dec. 6)
to raise money for people like Mr. Poy, please visit my fundraising page.
What's on your mind?