“The project provided me with 500 young frogs, which I raised as food for my family and sold the surplus for 2,500,000 Kip.”

My name is Khamla Keopadid. I am 24 years old and live in Ban Phiengngam, Tonpherng district, Bokeo province. I do not have a job – I am a housewife and I rely mainly on my husband’s income as a soldier. Unfortunately, his salary is not sufficient to cover all our daily expenses. So, to be able to provide for ourselves, I raise some livestock at home and often go into the forest to forage for food. My situation took a turn for the worse when the pandemic hit. COVID-19 brought about additional challenges and an increase in the cost of living, leaving us in a dire financial position.

Fortunately, during this challenging period, I had the opportunity to participate in MHP’s livelihood recovery program, which helped those impacted by Covid-19 regain their livelihoods. Through this program, I was provided with 500 young frogs and received guidance on how to raise them. In addition, the project staff visited us from time to time to monitor our progress and gave us the guidance we needed.

A few months later, my frogs grew significantly and reached a size suitable for consumption. This greatly reduced our need to buy food from the market. Additionally, I could sell the frogs for additional income. I was able to make 2,500,000 kip from selling this lot of frogs. Witnessing firsthand the financial benefits of selling frogs has motivated us to expand in my frog farming activities.

Looking ahead to 2023, my plan is to purchase and raise more young frogs. As the demand for frog consumption grows, I aim to make frog farming my main occupation. Sometime in the future, I would love to learn about frog breeding to become self-sufficient and eliminate the need to buy frogs from others. This would also enable me to sell young frogs and further expand my business.