Empower Cambodian Communities to Protect Forests

Wildlife Alliance has been working in the village of Sovanna Baitong since 2004.  In that time, the organization has helped the villagers learn about modern agriculture methods, including crop rotation and drip irrigation, assisted in the creation of the Agriculture Association and the implementation of the Agriculture Store and Nursery, and helped to set up schools and health care facilities.  So far, the success of these initiatives speak for themselves – the villagers have seen an increase of 300% in their income.  But eight years on, the focus of Wildlife Alliance’s efforts in Sovanna Baitong have shifted.  Now it is important to work on capacity building and community management so that members of the community take on more and more responsibility for the administration of their neighbors and environment.

Recently, there have been major strides made towards this goal.  Important components of the infrastructure in Sovanna Baitong are the Community Fund and Micro-Credit System.  Wholly managed by members of the Agriculture Association, the Community Fund already has over $5,500 in the bank in the form of compulsory savings and another $2,300 in voluntary savings on top of that.  This money will lay the foundation for the future operations of the village.  The Micro-Credit System allows families to diversify their income-generation activities.  In 2011 alone, 22 families availed themselves of new loans to start small businesses such as motorbike repair shops, fish farming, and produce trade businesses.  This entrepreneurial spirit not only brings increased energy to the village, but it helps Sovanna Baitong to grow into the regional hub for agricultural production that it is already becoming. 

Further development of the educational opportunities and extension of health care services have also helped Sovanna Baitong to grow.  Nearly 300 children are in consistent attendance at school and a pre-school program for children ages 3 to 5 has recently been implemented.  One of the main goals for families in the community is to keep their children in school longer than they themselves were able to.  The village’s 14 health volunteers also increased their training so that they can handle non-emergent issues ranging from pre- and post-natal care to immunization awareness.  The community also brought in a group of ex-pat dentists to perform free dental checks and extractions for the whole village. 

While increased agricultural production and income has been and continues to be important for the village of Sovanna Baitong, creating new opportunities, a more robust community life, and increasing capacity for community management are the vital next steps in the evolution of the village.

In 2011, the Community Agriculture Development Program instituted a community volunteer project to bring international volunteers to Sovanna Baitong to assist and enhance the work taking place there.  Volunteers from Israel and Australia have been arriving throughout the year, staying between one and three months, and bringing with them a diversity of skills and ideas to enrich life in the village.  The project has invigorated the social dynamics of the village, while at the same time laying a foundation for capacity building, youth skills development, income generation, and greater awareness of issues that villagers face. The technical assistance and support that Wildlife Alliance provides to the village can only go so far, as our focus is on the growth and improvement of agricultural practices and mechanisms for civil society.  Having volunteers spend time in the village and bring a wide variety of experiences to the table helps to diversify the knowledge that villagers have access to.

Community volunteers have undertaken some exciting initiatives since the institution of the program.  English language lessons have helped both children and adults develop skills in English to help with educational and employment opportunities.  Arts and crafts activities for the children are not only entertaining but teach a new skill and make use of recycled materials that help with natural resource management.  Volunteers have helped establish a women’s group where female community members can share life experiences, communicate aspirations, and find mutual support.  Entrepreneurial and managements skills have been taught to some of the community youth through the establishment of library that they run on their own and a small bread-making business.  Other business opportunities have been provided to the community as a whole through the construction of a wood-fire brick oven and training in massage.

The biggest project that the community volunteers undertook in 2011 was the creation of a community youth center.  The idea stemmed from a desire to create a safe and comfortable, open air place where children and their families could convene, hold meetings, celebrations, and other activities.  In order to give the community a sense of ownership, they were invited to help with the construction from the ground up.  Some children and teenagers helped build the walls, roof, and few wooden tables for the center.  In an effort to involve the wider community and raise awareness about the purpose of the center, community leaders were invited to a meeting to explain the center and encourage their dissemination of information about it.  They were also asked to collect panels of grass-thatch from their neighbors to construct the roof.  In an inspiring moment of community spirit, groups from all three phases of Sovanna Baitong donated more than 200 roof panels!  The community volunteers have obviously been a great asset in the village and we look forward to more volunteers in 2012!