Nai Moeun still remembers how her parents dealt with her as a child. Small transgressions would result in an angry or violent reaction and she would repeatedly be told about so-called mistakes she made. These interactions were normally antagonistic.
These experiences with her parents became embedded in her interactions with her two sons, aged 14 and 7 years old, perpetuating a cycle of violence in the community and its families. “In the past, when my children did not listen to me I used to shout at them and use bad words,” says Moeun, who runs a small grocery store in Siem Reap town.
This was until she joined a workshop organized by Women’s Resource Center (WRC), which discussed family dynamics, positive parenting techniques, gender-based violence, drug use, and other issues families face in Cambodian communities. The NGO uses the learnings from these engagements with communities to advocate for social justice programs and strategies in the country and the region.
The NGO runs half a dozen programs with local communities to prevent and address domestic violence, which is widespread in Cambodian society. Other programs focus on working with schools and teachers to support students on issues like gender inequality and sexual harassment. The organization’s “Coffee Talk” initiative invites men and fathers to meet and discuss their attitude and behavior with their families and learn from the positive experiences of other participants.
Moeun, who was attending a WRC workshop last month in Siem Reap province, says she has recalibrated her behavior with her children and now does not only have a positive and respectful relationship with them, but they are also more inclined to help her or do more household work.
These change in her home have spurred her to share these learnings with her community. She is eager to share parenting techniques that have helped her, such as taking a few deep breaths when she gets angry with her children and tries to not react immediately. She discovered that she tended to communicate better and understand her children better when she spoke to them once her anger had subsided.
“If I had kept using aggressive communication with my kids, they would probably do the same when they grow up,” Moeun says. “The lessons made me realize how my actions are wrong and now I have the opportunity to share my knowledge and experiences in taking care of my children.”
This article is an excerpt from "Profiles of Courage." Click here for the full reading.