On 5-6 January 2010, CEDAC organized its annual assembly at CJCC (Cambodia-Japan International Cooperation Center) for 2 days in order to reflect the results have been accomplished in 2009. About 300 participants, included CEDAC’s staffs and other local stakeholders such as representatives of village based farmer associations, farmer producer groups, collective saving group, rural women, youths, people living with HIV/AIDS, school principals, participated in the assembly.
Generally, representatives of each main component of CEDAC presented the main results achieved in 2009 as well as we have learned about the strategy of CEDAC 2010-2014. Mr. Yi Kimthan who is the director of CEDAC Field Program (FNP) presented the activities and results of FNP in 2009 and we generally could learn that FNP had finished some development project successfully and received more development grants to implement more projects within its target provinces. There are good progresses in terms of improving the livelihood of small farmers, help poorest children to go to school regularly, improving local governance, improved the women power in social status, promoting indigenous people to be active in agricultural and rural development, etc. Many other main components of CEDAC were working well in 2009, such as CILD (CEDAC Institute for Local Development), Publication and Communication, Research and Development, Health and Environment, CEDAC Cooperative, etc.
Additionally, the election of CEDAC’s was conducted and Dr. Yang Saing Koma was selected to continue his duties as the CEDAC’s president for another 2-year mandate thanks to his good leadership. Moreover, 9 members of CSC (CEDAC Steering Committee) were also selected during the assembly. Up to 2014, CEDAC aims to improve the livelihood of 500,000 farmer families in 6000 villages in Cambodia.
The monthly meeting of the project team “IFWP-MP/Improving Livelihood for Women and Rural Poor in Mundulkiri province” was conducted on January 04, 2010 at CEDAC headquarter in Phnom Penh. All project team members included Mr. Yim Sok Sophors, Mr. Pol Samath, Mr. Mak Samath, Mr. Nhim Sokea, Mr. Pheung Kosal, Mr. Pel Sovann and Miss. Som Charya participated in the meeting. We have discussed and shared about the activities and results in December 2009.
In December 2009, the project conducted some activities, such as organizing extra study tour for 39 interested farmers (they are all the indigenous minority people, called Phnong) to Kompong Speu and Takeo Provinces. The purpose of the study tour is to train the interested farmers on agricultural innovations from the experienced farmers under other CEDAC’s projects. The interested farmers visited community-led saving group, village-based farmer associations, young farmer groups, women groups, multi-purpose farm, home gardening, etc. The visit was a very effective tool to attract the participation and satisfaction of the interested farmers in cooperating with the project. At the end of the visit, the project’s facilitators conducted reflection meeting with the participants in order to sum up what they have learned and what they are going to apply after visiting.
On the other hand, there are 11 collective saving groups were formed in 10 villages (in 6 communes) under the technical support from the project’s supporting officers like Som Charya and Ear Sophal. Totally, 183 indigenous people (99 women) participated as the members of saving groups. The accumulated capital of all groups is 1,698,000 Riels. It is to mention that the indigenous minority people are strongly interested in conducting collective saving group while they can access to credit service from their groups and also can help each other in terms of strengthening solidarity and cooperation among the members. The interest rate is 3 % per month which is lower than the interest rate charged by the middlemen in their villages. Moreover, there are some farmers starting to prepare vegetable gardens. The farmers can follow the technique of growing vegetables in the dry season as they apply circle garden.
To me, I can say that the project is being progressed even it is just started in October 20, 2009. However, we need to pay more attention to provide individual follow up advice to the target groups. More frequent follow up is really good to improve the understanding of the cooperating farmers amid the increasing of rapport between the project’s staff and the community people.
The project will undertake some main activities for January 2010, such as:
1. Organizing training for key farmers
2. Capacity building for leaders of collective saving groups
3. Organizing commune forums
4. Facilitating group training at village level
5. Providing training support to CFAs (Community-based Field Assistant
In January 2010, it is expected that there are 21 farmers apply vegetable growing technique, 31 farmers apply solid compost, 10 collective saving groups will be formed, 8 farmers apply fish raising in plastic hole, and 5 women groups will be set up. In order to ensure that those activities were conducted effectively, it must realize that the project team had prepared training guideline before organized those activities in the fields.
New Year, 2010 will bring CEDAC more achievements and progresses toward the implementation of the EU funding projects. It is to note that CEDAC is implementing 5 EU funding projects by its own and in collaboration with other partner NGOs. Those projects are included:
1. Improving Livelihood for Women and Rural Poor in Mundulkiri Province
2. Improving Food Security of the Most Vulnerable Families in Prey Veng Province
3. Development of food production, farming incomes, nutrition and resilience in rural Cambodia (CEDAC is a partner NGO of GRET in implementing this project in Prey Veng and Svay Rieng Provinces)
4. Poverty Reduction among Subsistence Rice Farmers through the Promotion of Sustainable Livelihood System (PRS-EU), CEDAC is a partner NGO of EED
5. ALDI project is implementing in Ratanakiri province as a partner with GAA
Additionally, CEDAC Field Program has been implementing many other projects involve in Agricultural Extension, Agriculture and Local Development Association, Saving Group for Self-Reliance, Local Governance, Primary Education, Rural Women Empowerment, People living with HIV/AIDS, and Climate Change. More detail information about CEDAC…
The implementation of the projects abovementioned will contribute to achieve the vision and mission of CEDAC align with the strategic paper from 2010-2014. CEDAC Envision a Cambodian society where small farmers enjoy good living conditions and strong mutual cooperation, with the rights and power to determine their own destiny. As well as playing an important role in supplying healthy food for the whole society. In period of 2010 and 2014, CEDAC commits to benefit 500,000 farmer families in 6000 villages throughout Cambodia.
On December 29, 2009, Mr. Yim Sok Sophors who is in charge of the Project Linking Farmers to Market for Rural Prosperity (RIU/ICF) as the project manager will participate in the partner meeting at Svay Rieng Province. Representatives of IDE (International Development Enterprises) and Representatives from PADEK (Partnership for Development in Kampuchea) will present at the meeting.
By this time, it is the second year of the project enactment, buoyantly all NGO partner representatives will confer in detail about the expansion of new target communes, which communes will be covered by CEDAC, IDE and PADEK. It is expected that the NGO partners will be able to discuss indeed about the operational strategies for 2010. It is to note that CEDAC is responsible to support 500 cooperating farmers within 50 vegetable farmer producer groups (in 50 villages across Prey Veng and Svay Rieng Provinces) be able to generate more farming income from vegetable selling. According to the project document, it is expected that each cooperating farmer will make further income of 150 USD from selling of vegetables.
The project Improving Livelihood for Women and Rural Poor in Mundulkiri province (IFWP-MP) is organizing an extra exposure visit from Mundulkiri province to Takeo and Kompong Speu Provinces. 47 interested farmers as well as the community-based field assistants of the project participated in the trip.
The exposure visit is organized in order to strengthen the knowledge and skills of those who are mentioned above in relation to agricultural techniques (system of rice intensification, vegetable growing, multi-purpose farm…), community-led saving group, village based farmer association, etc. It is expected that the visitors are able to learn new ideas to attract their intention to the project. Based on the experiences of our work, there will be more and more farmers apply agricultural techniques and other innovations introduced by the project if they have actively participated in the exposure visit.
It is to review that the project IFWP-MP has firstly conducted target villages selection, introduction workshops at the district level, organized village general meeting, selected potential farmers, and it is now the stage for organizing exposure visit for those potential farmers. The project will provide monthly capacity building onward.
A group of CEDAC staff are working together to write up the concept note of local governance. Mr. Huot Dok, Nhep Mengcheang, Khat Bora discussed about rational background, problem statement, goal and specific objectives, expected results and outputs, strategic activities, risk management, sustainability, indicators, budget plan, etc.
It is to remind that CEDAC has been implementing a project, called “Local Administration and Reform-LAAR” in collaboration with PACT for several years. The project funding agency is USAID. The project has contributed to improve the effectiveness of social services carried out by the commune councils. Commune Monitoring Committees (CMCs) are working closely with the commune councils in terms of ensuring good local governance in their respective communities.
They expect that the concept note will be submitted to CEDAC Field Program (FNP) by January 01, 2009.
Mr. Soy Tith, a project officer of the project ” Community-led Saving Development for Poverty Reduction and Self-reliance in Pailin province” is working on the first quarterly report covering from 15th October to December, 2009.
The project is fudned by CARE to work ininvolve in Community-led Saving Groups. Up to the end of December 2009, the project has supported 39 saving groups comprising 837 members (of whom 55% are women). The total capital mobilized by all saving group members is 77,423,300 riel (equivalent to USD 18,883.732). These Saving for Self-Reliance Groups operate in 22 villages across 5 communes in Pailin province. 22 village-based saving group animators are now in place in all 22 target villages.
The project has drawn the interest of the most vulnerable villagers to mobilize and use capital, which had been invested so far on the borrowing costs from MFIs/Banks and Money Lenders within their own villages. The villagers seem to be aware and willing to reduce their financial dependency on outsiders and to become self-reliant in the near future. Their voluntary participation in the saving groups reflects this position. The project contributes to building of collaboration and trust among villagers, as well as to the accessible, safe and profitable financial services for the most vulnerable families. A number of new groups have been formed into 4 new groups. At the same time, many new members joined the existing groups. Moreover, the savings mobilized by the villagers has also been increasing. Saving group members were able to take larger loans at a lower interest.
On 22 January 2010, Dr. Yang Saing Koma, president of CEDAC will organize a series training for CEDAC’s staff. At that time, the training will focus on Learning is Sharing and Sharing is Learning. I myself, Yim Sok Sophors, is going to present the book, called “30 minutes before a meeting”. Hopefully, I will be able to learn from myself and to learn from the other.
The concept note on Thematic Programme for Environment and sustainable management of natural resources, including energy submitted to European Union (EU) which was developed by CEDAC and Plan is now accepted by EU. CEDAC and PLAN Cambodia will write up the full proposal and send it to EU in March 2010. It is a good sign of cooperation between CEDAC and PLAN. It is expected both organizations will gradually enhance their cooperation from time to time.
The workshop to design the project will be done on 15-17 February 2010. The workshop venue will be informed later on. The participants will come from CEDAC team and PLAN Team. Totally, about 20 participants will participate in that important meeting. We will ensure to have a good participation from the communities that is why some community representatives will also be invited to the meeting. The length of project duration will cover 60 months.
December 23, 2009 there was a meeting at 4:00 PM at CEDAC Office in Phnom Penh with the participation of Mr. Khim Sophanna, Mr. Oum Savin, Mr. Ouch Ngak, Mr. Sim Samoeun, Mr. Yi Kimthan and Mr. Yim Sok Sophors to discuss about the reinforcement of project management within CEDAC, included to discuss about financial management, staff management, how to do contract with the project’s staff and CEDAC’s staff, etc.
Referring to the meeting, it enabled to learn more about project management especially to follow the guideline/procedure of the funding agencies.
