Discrimination against single, pregnant women is very common in Cambodia. They are considered “disgraced, bad luck, used and unworthy.”  This stigma compels many girls and women – many of whom are survivors of sexual violence – to keep their pregnancy secret and refrain from seeking health services for fear of being shamed in public.  Without access to health care, infant and maternal mortality rates soar.  Social isolation also leaves girls vulnerable to dropping out of school, abandoning their children, and being preyed on by traffickers.

One Day’s Wages is partnering with Mother’s Heart Organization to improve the emotional, physical, mental, and social well-being of women and girls experiencing a crisis pregnancy. Women receive counseling to help them make informed decisions about their pregnancy options and available support services.  Counseling also helps women heal from past trauma, build healthy and supportive relational networks, and eventually reunite with their families. Women’s delivery and medication costs are covered, and they may receive additional support like newborn clothing, food stipends, rental assistance or hygiene kits. For those seeking to build livelihoods skills to provide for their newborns, social workers match clients with a vocational training course of their choosing, or with support to start a small business.