Cambodia Rural Poverty Simulation

Directions: As part of our unit on Microeconomics, you will learn about budgeting,
choice, opportunity cost and trade-offs by participating in a simulation as a family in
rural Cambodia. Much like in real-life, your ability to lead a successful family will
depend on a combination of good decision making and luck. Throughout the
simulation, you will have to deal with real-life problems that rural people in
developing countries must face daily. In Part 1 you will create the characters in your
family and design their personalities. You will make choices about what investments
to make in the family members including education, health-care, food, housing and
access to clean drinking water. In Part II you will lead your family through a 6-month
simulation. When problems happen, you will have to make decisions which will
affect the members of your family and cause you to make difficult choices. You will
also keep track of an ongoing budget with income, expenses and savings. In Part III
you will reflect on the successes, failures and challenges you faced throughout the
simulation.
Your Family Number: 1
Your Familys Province: Siem reap
Family Housing Choice: 6

Characters: You will have between 6 and 9 characters. List their type (ex. Mother,
grandmother, male child 14-18, etc) on the lines below:
Character1: male child (9) death samor lay
Character2: male child (1)
Character3: grandmother
Character4: mother
Character5: female child akara (kidnap)
Character 6: female child chakra

Characters: Copy and paste the following sections for each character. Descriptions
should include name, age, personality and interests. Families with less characters
should have more in-depth descriptions. As you make decisions throughout, try to
imagine as if these people are your real family.
Expenses must include Firewood, Food, Water, Shelter, Education, Health Checkups, Sanitary Products, Government Tax (10% I) and Bribes to Local Mafia (5% I)
Your summary of Characters Income and Expenses should describe if the character
goes to school, how many days the character works per week, what kind of food and

water they consume, if they have access to health check-ups and sanitary products.
You will make these decisions in the beginning and they will apply to month 1.
Any Changes in the Characters Status, Income and Expense, from either a disaster
or from your own choice must be recorded, along with the month that the choice was
made.
In this section, order your characters as follows: Male (oldest youngest); Female
(oldest youngest)

MOTHER
Number, Name and Description of Character: 1. Mother : kenny is the head of
family. She is 35 years old and very healthy so she can work 5 day a week.
Because of this we have to give a good food to her.
Month

Income

Expense

(IE)

Health

36

-38.9

-2.9

35%

36

-38.9

-2.9

35%

36

-37.1

-1.1

35%

51.8

-32.09

19.75

40%

72

- 36.59

35.41

40%

72

-32.09

39.91

40%

Summary of Characters Income and Expenses (Month 1): mother got to work five
day a week so she will get 36$ per month.She was the only one in the family who ate
rice and vegetable so she will get +20% of health and drink clean water.She live in
the corrugted metal and this make the health% increase 15% of health. the
percantage of mother health was the highest percentage compared to others
member in family so she will not going have a health check up for this month but she
still have the sanitary product for not get any decreased of the health percentage.
Changes in Characters Status, Income and Expense (Months 2-month6):
- not pay for bribe (month3-6) because the police end the local mafia
- mother sick so we have to pay 5$ for medicine and -40% of income(month 4)
- mother change to eat only rice (-20% of health) becaus if we continue to let
mother eat rice and vetgetable we will not have enough money.
- government subsidies - get plus 20% income (who work in combonia) month
4-6
- get food aid so it will decrease 30% the food cost from13.5 to 10.5

(month 5)
- mother get the double of income because we get the micro finance
from the goverment from 36 to 72 but in month 4 the income decrease to 51.8
because she get sick( -40% of income). the micro finance continue in month
5-6
- change the shelter from metal to concrete so we have to pay more
money (12.5$)

YUKKU
Number, Name and Description of Character: Male child (0-4) : He is the youngest
child in this house. He/she is 1 year old. He/she is a healthy child. He/she dont
have to study.
Month

Income

Expense

(IE)

Health

-23

-23

15%

-23

-23

15%

-23

-23

15%

-22

-22

40%

-30.85

-30.85

75%

-30.85

-30.85

75%

Summary of Characters Income and Expenses (Month 1):

Male Child 1 year old and eat only rice that cause 3$ a month.He drinks fresh water
that cause 6$ for a month and cause 3$ for the sanitary.He doesnt go to school so
we didnt waste in any education but -8 a month for the shelter. And he has no job so
he doesnt earn any incomes so his expenses is -23.

Changes in Characters Status, Income and Expense (Months 2 6):

-no bribe (month3-6) because the police end the local mafia
- upgrade the meal so the cost of food wil increase to 7.35$ from 3$ because we want to
increase the health of yukku(month 5)
-change the shelter from metal to concrete so we have to pay more money (12.5$)

AKARA
Number, Name and Description of Character: Female child (14-18) : Her name is
Akara She is 18 years old and she is a healthy girl and energetic so she can
work 5 days a week away from her house.

Month

Income

Expense

(IE)

Health

42

42

42

42

42

42

Summary of Characters Income and Expenses (Month 1): akara went to work in
oversea so she willl not have any cost for this month.She work for seven day per
week and she sent all the income to the family in the myanmar(42$).
Changes in Characters Status, Income and Expense (Months 2 6):
She was kidnapped when she went to work aboard and no longer send us incomes.
(month 3)

BONA
Number, Name and Description of Character: Male child 8-13 : His name is bona.
He is 9 years old. He will be the one who get the education because he is very
intelligent of science.But not have to do work
Month

Income

Expense

(IE)

Health

-29.5

-29.5

0%

-29.5

-29.5

0%

-21.5

-21.5

0%

-28.5

-28.5

45%

Summary of Characters Income and Expenses (Month 1): bona is the one who get
to study so he had to pay 8$ per month for the education fees but he will not going to
work so he doesnt earn any incomes. He will have only rice for every meal in this
month,it cost 7.5 $per month,and he drink a dirty water which wasnt cause any
dollar. He still live with his family so he have to pay 8$ for thier shelter.and he also
paid 3$ for the sanitary and 3$ for firewood. Since he doesnt go to work and hasnt
earn any in come so his expenses is -29.5.
Changes in Characters Status, Income and Expense (Months 2 6):
- no bribe (month3-6) because the police end the local mafia
- went to school (month 4) pay 8$ We have more savings so we would like to
send him to school for better education
- get the serious disease(month 5) and we dont have enough money to help
him so we choose to let him die.

CHAKRA
Number, Name and Description of Character: Female child 14-18 : She is 18 years
old . Her name is Chakra. She is very strong and she work for 7 days.
Month

Income

Expense

(IE)

Health

42

42

42

42

42

42

42

42

42

42

24

-37.9

-13.9

35

Summary of Characters Income and Expenses (Month 1):

Our family sent akara, 18 years old female to go work aboard so akara works 7 days
a week which mean she got 42$ per month. She doesnt waste any expenses in
Cambodia and the income is already deduct her cost of living there.

Changes in Characters Status, Income and Expense (Months 2 6):

- she still work in aborad (month1 to month 5)
- the family decided to bring me back(month 6)
- eat rice with vetgetable 12$ per month
- she work five day per week get 20$ per month but also decreased
10% of health
- no bribes because the police end up the local mafia.
- free medicine and decrease sanitary -2$ per month because the
govermnent give us the fee clinic
- get 20% of income of people who work in cambodia from the
goverment
- change the shelter from metal to concrete so we have to pay more
money (12.5$)

GRANDMOTHER
Number, Name and Description of Character: Grandmother: Her name is.. She is
70 years old and not really healthy because of the age.She work on weekends
twice a week and the rest of the week (Weekdays) she does the housework at
home and help mother take care of the children
Month

Income

Expense

(IE)

Health

6.4

-29.72

-28.12

15%

3.84

-29.72

-25.88

15%

6.4

-29.64

-23.24

15%

7.68

-28.76

-21.08

40%

7.68

32.66

-24.98

60%

7.68

-32.66

-24.98

60%

Summary of Characters Income and Expenses (Month 1):

Grandmother name Kiri works 2 days a week and earn 1.6$ per month. She eats
only rice that caused 9$ per month and drink fresh water that caused 6$ a month
and also 3$ for sanitary and 3$ for fire wood. The shelter caused 8$ per month which

everyone has to pay. Since Grandmother works 2 days a week and earn income so it
caused her 0.64 for taxes and 0.08 for bribes.

Changes in Characters Status, Income and Expense (Months 2 6):

-grandmother get sickness so she have to pay for medicine(5$) and decrease 40%
of income. (month 2)
-no bribe (month3-6) because the police end the local mafia
-get 20% of income (month 4-6) because of government subsidies 20% of income who
work in Cambodia so she her income increased from 6.4 to 7.68

-change food for grandmother from eat only rice to eat rice and vetgetable (month5)
so it will decrease 30% the food cost from 9 to 8.4
-change the shelter from metal to concrete so we have to pay more money (12.5$)

Monthly Diary: In this section you need to keep track of the important events that happen
to your family. You should also keep track of any decisions that you make. It is very
important that you keep good notes. This section does not need to be complete sentences
or paragraph form.
Month 1:

sent two female to wark at aborad

bora get the education / drink dirty water
mother work for five day per week/ eat rice and vetgetable
grandmom work for 2 day per week
male child (1 yers old) no eduction no work

Month 2:

grandmother sick(-40% of income) -5$ of medicine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Month 3:

no bribes / no sickness for everyone

Month 4:

not get money from akara (kidnap)/no more longer in the game.
income double begin this month.( Micro-Financing loan) of mother
Free clinic , Sanitry -1 each (2$)
mother sick(-5 for medicine/-40 of income)
government subsidies - get plus 20% income (who work in combodia);
mother change food (eat only rice)
bona get the education.

Month 5:

No bribe
Free clinic , Sanitry -1 each (2$)
government subsidies - get plus 20% income (who work in combonia);
get a good water(bona)
no sickness for everyone
get a serious disease (check the health)(bona get it) and we choose
not to pay 30$ to buy medication because we dont have enough money.
(bona die)
-we already have two disaster.
get food aid (get 30% decrease in food cost)
change food of grandmother and yukku

Month 6:

No Bribe
Free clinic , Sanitry -1 each (2$)
government subsidies - get plus 20% income (who work in combonia);
income double ( Micro-Financing loan) of mother
chraka came back (work 5 day per week)
change the shelter from metal to concrete