About Chhuon Mao

Chhuon Mao epitomises what DCWO is all about. Her husband, a policeman, died in 2004 from AIDS without ever telling her why he was ill - Chhuon Mao only found out that she herself was positive after a DCWO community meeting encouraged her to get tested at a referral centre (like the one Pao Sovanuin works at).

“When I found out I was positive all I could do was cry. I was so upset it took me a week before I could tell anyone, even my family.”

Then, her youngest girl kept getting ill and coming out in rashes, and Chhuon Mao later found out that she too was HIV positive.

Thanks to DCWO, Chhuon Mao’s family has regular access to Anti-Retro-Viral drugs and receives treatment for any Opportune Infections (OI) they pick up - DCWO even help out with meals when times are hard. The truly remarkable thing about Chhuon Mao is that she now works with DCWO herself:

“I encourage women to get tested and if they are positive, I help them with counseling, how to get OI drugs and ensure they take their ARV regularly. I also tell people about basic hygiene and on general issues on how to stay healthy. I am happy to be able to help women who are in the situation I was in.”

Spotlight on Cambodia