Lut, 87, Cambodia: Neglected after raising her children

Lut, 87, from Cambodia (left) with home care volunteer, Sok. (c) Tara Tran Lut, 87, is from Battambang, Cambodia. After taking care of many children during her life, Lut wonders why she is alone in her old age.

However, through the community action of her local older people's association, she has found a new family.

Lut lives alone. Her husband died during the Khmer Rouge era in the late 1970s, leaving her with their three adopted children – two daughters and a son.

Separated from her children

Then Lut and her children were separated from each other in different refugee camps on the Thai border, where she took care of many orphans. She did not see her son or daughters again until 1992. The reunion lasted a day. Lut has not heard from them since.

Every day, she gets up around 3 am because the chronic pain in her shoulders and stomach keep her from sleeping. She starts a fire, sweeps and tidies the house and cooks simple food such as rice porridge and fermented fish.

"I don't do anything after that. I just rest at home. I feel lonely. Sometimes I think a lot. Sometimes I don't have oil to light my lamp.

"I have only tears now. I raised my children since they were babies. I took care of them. I sacrificed food for them. Now they have their own families. They have left me. This makes me suffer.

"I remember when I found my son, I was collecting rice. I saw him. He was covered in ants. Someone left him. So I picked him up. They could at least come to see me a little bit. But they don't."

A new family

In the years since settling in her village, Lut has been adopted into a new community. The local older people's association has assisted her with food, rice, money and medicine. A home care programme facilitated by the association also makes it possible for local health centre staff and health support group community volunteers to check in on Lut every other month.

"When I need help, yes, there are people who come to help me, like Nuon, the older people's association leader. And sometimes children from the neighbourhood bring me water and some food. They just leave it for me, right there in front of my stairs.

"My neighbour helps me too. When she is sick, I make porridge for her. When I am sick, she makes porridge for me.

"I want to tell young people to acknowledge and get to know their mother and father, to show kindness and goodness to older people, and especially their parents and grandparents."

Lut wants to sympathise with and encourage older people who have experienced the same sense of loss and abandonment as she has.

"I can survive on one fish the size of my thumb for two days. So don't worry too much. I am in the same situation as many. We are not alone."