After the passing of her husband, Morn struggled to pay the $25 a month rent to stay in the Cambodian slum where she raised her daughter, Sona. In the hopes of providing a better future for her family, Morn found a job in the city.

"With this job, I had to move to live in Phnom Penh," explained Morn. "What concerned me the most was that I had to leave my young daughter at our rented house. I could not bring her with me because she had to study and I did not want her to end up like me. My neighbours were taking care of her, however I still felt uneasy and worried about her safety. I tried my best to check on her but if I missed work, I did not earn anything for my family."

While working and living in Phnom Penh, Morn missed and worried about her daughter, but she continued to work in the hope of giving Sona something she never had as a child - a future free from poverty. Through Habitat for Humanity's New Start, New Life program Morn was able to build a safe, new home. No longer needing to pay expensive rent, she has been able to return to her community to live with her daughter.

"I feel very happy. My daughter and I are very safe here," she said. "Our new home will lead to better things in life."

The New Start, New Life program is working with 150 Cambodian families to help them access safe and decent homes. The project works with vulnerable families including those living with and impacted by HIV/AIDS, the elderly and child-headed households. To date, 10 homes with access to water, sanitation and electricity have been completed and another three are underway. Along with this, the program is also repairing and retrofitting existing homes and providing families with access to livelihood opportunities to improve their economic security.

This project is led by Habitat for Humanity Australia and is funded through Australian Aid from the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). In 2015-16 through the ANCP, Australian Aid supported 7 NGOs to deliver 7 projects in 3 countries focusing on supporting vulnerable families.