Rural Assistance Program Prey Veng (RAP), Cambodia

Our Green Champions project, a part of our Rural Assistance Program in rural Prey Veng Province, Cambodia was begun in 2012 as a way to promote tree planting along dusty roads in our target area.  From the beginning we have enlisted the participation of students from the district high school to do the work of starting tree nurseries and then transplanting the seedlings to a treeless stretch of a rural which runs through the core of our target area.  

This year our Green Champions team consists of two girls and three boys.  All of them are in grade 11 at Baphnom District High School.  This year, in addition to tending to the trees along the road which was first planted in 2012 and extended in 2014 and 2015, the team will embark on an ambitious plan to plant trees along a one kilometer stretch of an entirely new road which is being made through our RAP target area.

In the photo labeled 2018 Project, our team stands on a newly built road which they aim to line with tree seedlings through the course of this year.  The work of transplanting seedlings along the new road will begin at the start of the next rainy season in late May/early June.

Since the initiation of our Rural Assistance Program in early 1999 it has been our practice to load up our vehicle withhundreds of small baguette loaves before departing from Phnom Penh in the morning.  Bread is not available in the villages of our target area so it is a special treat for the children there.  In the photo above we can see some faces of children patiently waiting for the distribution of the bread.  In the photo below, our local partner (wearing glasses and standing in the middle of the crowd of kids) leads the children in a kind of salute to bread. 

Although these children are very young, we feel that this kind of small community involvement, and a bit  fun ,  has made local farmers and their children gradually more aware of us and our programs. Of course, everyone loves a small treat, but beyond that it allows for some casual discussion and interaction and who knows when and how the spark of interest may arise in how to be a better eco citizen.

It is important to keep in mind that it is estimated that only about 40% of all Cambodian students even attend high school, and only a small  percentage  graduate. The little ones in the photo, shown  in their soiled shirts have a long way to go to achieve the knowledge and work ethic that our Green Champion team members, all high school students,  display. But, as the saying goes, all journeys begin with the first step, no matter how small.

Your contributions and support of this program, can impact these young lives, teaching them how to be better stewards of the land, encouraging them to stay in school, providing their fathers and  mothers ( we have 18 female farmers in our program)  with better farming skills for hopes of higher income standards and better access to water.  Your support directly impacts their local eco-system and potentially, every aspect of their daily lives. 

We are grateful to you all for your generous support of our efforts. 

Barbara & Mark Rosasco