Today is a surprised and solemn day for everyone and in particular for an AFESIP ex-resident who is going to be married !!!!
The traditional wedding music is heard throughout the village since early in the morning. The wedding guests with multi-colored traditional costumes stood in line, ready for the morning dowry offering procession toward the bride’s house. The groom is escorted by his groomsmen, parents, relatives and friends, carried kinds of fruits, cakes, drinks, meat and vegetables…….. The bride is waiting outside the house to welcome the groom.…. The hair-cut event where both parents and important relatives did symbolized hair-cutting to get rid of unhappiness.
At the pairing event, before noon, parents, family members and friends tie the bride and groom’s left and right wrists with blessing strings, following praises and well-wishes of happiness, good health, success, prosperity and long-lasting love. The ceremony concludes with a shower of palm flowers thrown over the new couple.
As usual, the wedding party is organized at the locality. The bride and the groom along with their entourage with their beautiful traditional wedding costumes are waiting the guests at the decorated heart-shaped form entrance. They are smiling, offering a token to each guest. That is wonderful event for a young woman who used to be under AFESIP’s center care for almost 2 years at Phnom Penh Tomdy Center. Congratulation to the new young couple !!! AFESIP Cambodia as always sent its staff to participate in the wedding with some financial support to the couple.
It is to note that the wedding ceremony was held on May 5, 2013 in Pailin Province, northwestern region of Cambodia. She was trained in hairdressing skills while in center in 2007 and reintegrated in 2009. She opens a hairdressing shop in Pailin town where she is able to make money enough to live independently. Actually, her family was originated from Takeo province, south of Phnom Penh and then moved to Pailin for economic reason.
Well, early May another wedding of an ex-resident was also taken place in Kompong Cham Province’s Prey Chhor District, more than a hundred kilometers away from Phnom Penh city. The family agreed to marry her with a taxi driver, who run from Kompong Cham to Phnom Penh.
She entered Tomdy Center late 2008, choosing sewing skills and was reintegrated to her home village late 2011 with sewing kits of more than $500 for business start. Later on, in 2012 she received additional support of $300 from AFESIP in order to upgrade her business.
