MUIDS Social Studies: Economics

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: 4
Your Familys Province: Kampot
Family Housing Choice:

MUIDS Social Studies: Economics

Characters: You will have between 6 and 9 characters. List their type (ex.
Mother, grandmother, male child 14-18, etc) on the lines below:
Character: Grandfather: Juk
Character: Father: John
Character: Jah, boy 16
Character: Jack, boy 13
Character: Jean, boy 13
Character: James, boy 4
Character: Mother: Jessica
Character: Jane, girl 18
Character: Jan, girl 8
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 Check-ups, 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)

is an housekeeper.

MUIDS Social Studies: Economics

Male Child(4) -James, He is a 4 years boy. He is a clumsy boy. He doesnt

go to school yet.m
Grandfather - Juk, He is 78 years.He is a farmer but his health is not well
at all. So now he works only 2day per week.Number, Name and
Description of Character:
Mother- Jessica, She is 45 years. She is a diligent woman because she
always works 6 days per week for raising her children.
Female Child(18)- Jane, She is 18 years. She is a kind girl. She didnt study
too much because she sacrificed her education to her sister and brother.
She sent her money back to her home every months. She do an legal work
in Thailand, now she
Male Child(13) -Jack, he is 13 years. He has twin name Jean. Both of them
study grade 8. Jack is a good boy. He always read a book, practice his
work.
Male Child(13) -Jean, he is 13 years. He was expert in football, he dicided
to practice by himself and his friends. He plan to get into the football team
to help his mom.He work 3 days per week. In month 6, he attend to school
so he can do work only 2 days per week.
Male Child(16) -Jah, He is 16 years. He is a worker in Thailand. He is
hardworking.
Father -John, He is 50 years. He is a worker in Cambodia. He love his
family, He works everyday for raising his family.
Female Child(8) -Jan, She is 8 years. She is a smart girl so her mom
decided to let her studied with Jack at home. She always helps her mother
to do housework. In the weekend, she do a part time all day 4 days per
week. But in month 6 she works only 2 day per week because she attends
to school.
Month

Income

Expense

(IE)

Health

1
2
3
Changes in
Characters

MUIDS Social Studies: Economics

Status,
Income and
Expense
(Months 2
6):

4
5
6
7
;8
9
Summary of Characters Income and Expenses (Month 1):
Number, Name and Description of Character:
Month

Income

Expense

(IE)

Health

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Summary of Characters Income and Expenses (Month 1):

MUIDS Social Studies: Economics

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

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: In Johns family, he and Jessica(his wife) have 6 children in their family
and have grandfather. He sent 2 children to work abroad who is Jane and Jah.
Janes income was $42 and Jah was $54. He sent Jack to study in the school
because Jack was a clever boy. Jeans role was to help the family to make more
money by working 3 days per week. Another young children who is Jan and
James, Jan also help her mother work 4 days per week. Juk who is grandfather,
he also worked 2 days per week because he was too old. They live in the house
that made from corrugated Metal, they have to pay for $20 per months including
$3 per person.If in some months they didnt have to save their money, they will
change to live in the house that made from natural material which is $7 per
months. The person who was the weakest p
erson was James who was 4 years old. In the first month, all of their income was
$202 but the total expense was equal $203.42 so their saving was equal -5.82.
Month 2:The family decided to not continue give Jean an education and sent him
to do the work so it will decrease $8. He does work 4 days per week. His income
is $9.6. And also Jan and James eat healthy food and then increasing their health
20%.Last month, Jamess health was very low, it about 15% so their family
decided to give him better food about $7.5 so his health was increase to 35% In
this month their total expense was equal to $207.86 and this month their income
was $21.82 to 1.6 so it will help to increase their saving from -5.82 to -0.64
Month 3:

The government gave us a free clinic

Average health about 63%
Total expense $192.86
Income $211.6
Saving $13.1

Month 4:
Free medical clinic
1 girl can have own business {x2 income of girl (Jan)}
Jean have disaster -40%of his income.

MUIDS Social Studies: Economics

The government Relief:character work in cambodia get +25% of

income.
Drought Disaster:-9% health, -12% income, +12% cost of food,
+12% cost of water for 2 months.
Income $228.78
Total expenses $212.99
Saving $28.79
Month 5:
Drought Disaster: -9% health,-12% income,+12% cost of food,+12%
cost of water
Our children(Jack)got a serious disease and chose not to pay$30 to
buy medication because we dont have enough money, then we let him
died.(Jack)
Jan get x2 from her own business

Month 6:
x2 of income Jan from her own business.
add medical care to everyone ($5/person) and increasing their
health25%
education for Jan and Jean($8/person) increasing their health 20%
but they work on weekend so they lost 10% of health.