NGO CUFA's Australian Social Program for Inclusive Rural Enterprise (ASPIRE) project supports communities to build sustainable livelihoods through CSEs. The project focuses on the inclusion of marginalised community members, particularly people living with a disability and women. A lack of stable income is heightened by stigmatisation of people living with a disability in Cambodia, leading to social and economic exclusion.

Phally is 38 and has been living with an intellectual disability since developing a brain disease when she was young. Prior to joining the Vai Chlat Disabled Women Soap CSE, Phally was kept at home by her family, living with her widowed mother, younger sister and two nieces in Trapaing Chineang village in Kampong Cham Province. Social isolation made her feel ashamed, exhausted and unlikeable. The internalised stigma and economic exclusion forced Phally to collect scraps to make enough income to meet her needs, but she strived to improve her livelihood.

Phally joined the ASPIRE project in 2022 and has since developed her entrepreneurial and technical skills in soap production and strengthened her financial literacy. Phally's dependence on her family has reduced as she is able to cover expenses related to her disability through the additional income stream generated by the CSE.

In addition to increasing her entrepreneurial skills, encouragement from team members and regular mentoring from CUFA staff has supported her to be active in the community, becoming more courageous to interact with other community members and stakeholders. Phally now advocates for and inspires other women with disabilities who are facing similar issues, declaring;

"Please don't give up your life's effort. Keep moving forward and participating in social development with stakeholders and striving for alternative opportunities".