Life on fishing boats for Cham Muslims in Phnom Penh is a cycle of poverty.

By: Zahron Sokry

Life on fishing boats for Cham Muslims in Phnom Penh is a cycle of poverty.

The scene on the riverside near a five-star hotel opposite the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is picturesque, with hundreds of fishing boats lining the bank, but life is hard for the poor Cham ethnic community which lives on the vessels.

Sitting on the ground not far from her boat with her fellow fishermen and women, a 52-year-old widow said in more than three decades on the boat her life had become worse and worse after losing her beloved husband almost 20 years ago.

Mat Slamah, one of thousands of poor Cham Muslim people living on the boats, said there were no words to describe how hard her life was without land or a proper home.

Speaking in a low tone, Ms Slamah admitted that she had borrowed money from a loan shark at a high interest rate to buy fishing gear.

Since becoming the breadwinner of her family of five who have lived on the boat since birth, Ms Slamah has failed to overcome the constant hardship and poverty.

“Sometimes I cannot endure this severe hardship and handle it smoothly,” she said. “If I have just a small plot of land, I could build a hut to live in and do something. I think it might be better than this.”

Despite knowing the loans they get are at interest rates not allowed under Islamic law, Ms Slamah and some other fishermen have no choice but to take the money because of their severe financial hardship.

Fellow fisherman Nes Ly appeared to be annoyed when being asked about taking out loans. Mr Ly seemed reluctant to answer questions on a personal issue which people considered a secret.

Standing opposite the Sokha Hotel ferry, the 54-year-old turned his face toward his fishing boat and said in a low voice that he and his wife had taken loans from a moneylender at 10 percent monthly interest for daily expenses because fishing was banned in this season.

“This year is more difficult than previous years, since I cannot find fish even for my family to cook,” he said. “It is not because of the ban by fishery officers; I think that there is not much fish left in the water.”

Fisherman Math Yousof, 42, said that from June to November, most fishermen earn nothing.

Their difficulties are not only financial. They face anxious times on their boats when there are rainstorms and big waves, especially at night, he said.

“I stay awake, keep myself vigilant and let the children sleep,” he said. “When there is strong wind with heavy rain, they also get wet, as my boat is small and I have six children staying with me.”

“It is very hard to live as a fisherman with nothing besides a small boat,” he added.

His family situation was terrible because his wife fell ill and he had no money to bring her to hospital.

As her condition worsened he decided to take a loan from a moneylender to take her to hospital for treatment.

Community representative Y Yousof said his community had 250 families but only 66 families were under his legal control.

“I cannot leave them behind and live a better life alone. I have to help them because they are also my brothers and sisters in faith,” he said.

The 66 families have better livelihoods and they take no loans from any institutions, he claimed.

He acknowledged that some families in his community took loans from moneylenders for daily expenses but he did not know the exact number since they were not under his legal control.

“Taking loans is a secret and a personal issue, so they do not report it to me because they may feel timid telling me that they take loans from moneylenders for daily expenses,” he said.

Few families told him about the loans, and they knew it was prohibited under Islamic law.

A fisherman since the age of seven, Mr Yousof said the condition of people in his community was one of poverty because the work was seasonal.

About 50 out of 250 families in the community lived in extreme poverty and were in an even worse situation when they could not go fishing, he said.

Most fishermen living around the riverside heavily rely on aid during the period when they cannot catch fish.

Mr Yousof, 57, called on the government and NGOs to help his community.

He said he received aid from Red Cross Cambodia once, about a month before the commune elections.

“The Red Cross Cambodia granted me 1,240 family aid packages, but I took only 250 for the families of people living here, and the rest I gave to other communities,” he said.

The aid from Red Cross Cambodia was just a temporary solution for people in his community, and they still suffer hardship, he said.

He said his community could get massive help from Islamic NGOs and Malaysian Muslim people during Ramadan, the holy fasting month in Islam.

Ms Slamah said she could fast happily during Ramadan because she got some help from donors.“Even though I cannot earn anything in the month of Ramadan, I am not facing difficulty like I am now. I am grateful to receive the help,” she said.

She asked donors to continue helping people in the community.

Mr Yousof would like the government to grant his people plots of land to create a village, build a mosque and a school for children.

He said he and the people in his community could live in huts and plant crops if they had a plot of land. Life could be easier if they got off the boats, he said.

See also in Khmer Time: http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5078751/cham-river-life-picture-perfect-poverty/