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Project Activity Report
November 2004
I. Summary of achievements for this month
1. Government Liaison and Establish a Park Management
- Partnership for Local Governance (PLG) conducted a Local Decentralization Planning workshop
at the Samlaut district office on 8 November 2004, with participants from all related agencies.
Mr. In Thiev, the CVD-MJP Liaison Coordinator, attended this workshop to provide input relating
to the management of, and contribution to, environmental issues and policies.
- On 12 November 2004, the CVD-MJP Liaison Coordinator and Mr. Chay Youb, Director of Department
of Environment Battambang, met to discuss the progress of the MJP Project, as well as project
issues that arose. The meeting also sought to strengthen the cooperation between these two bodies
(CVD and DoE). During the meeting, we discussed the involvement of DoE/MoE and the role that both
institutions have to play in the long term. We identified that, in the upcoming operation year,
the project should include Environment department staff, and the local ranger, in necessary
capacity building so that the overall goal of Samlaut Conservation is in the hands of the Government
and the quality thereof is self-managed.
- Voan Sam El, manager of the CVD-MJP, conducted a meeting with MAG, LUPU and World Vision
representatives at the CVD office on 5 November. The aim of this meeting was to identify possible
cooperation and participation in future planning on the de-mined land in Samlaut district. This will
ensure that environmental concerns have to be considered for all new projects in the Samlaut and
Pailin regions. Apart from that, CVD always creates awareness of new projects that involve
infrastructure rehabilitation, or building that directly or indirectly affects the management of the
environment, particularly on the de-mined land. Therefore, CVD–MJP has to raise the issue to those
people who are, potentially, the development NGOs in these areas.
Click to enlarge
2. Community Development Support
a. Pailin
- As part of the ongoing community support, the CVD–MJP Project has to provide small capital loans
for targeted beneficiaries. The project staff facilitated and released small-scale capital credit
to SHG (Self-Help Group) members in the Borhuy, Deikrohorm and Phum Thmei villages of Pailin. Each
village also received credit capital, to be used as a revolving fund within their group.
- Project staff continually monitor the revolving funds in all targeted villages to ensure that the
support is effectively managed and controlled by the villagers, with special focus on the Self-Help
Group (SHG) members.
- This month a SHG of 8 members in Borhuy village submitted a cow bank support request to CVD-MJP.
The project then sponsored 8 cows and 1 ox to enable these SHG members to develop alternative
livelihoods. The Cow bank is one of the main activities that MJP tries to establish in its entire
targeted region. It is understood that one of the main constraints that lead to poverty was lack of
agricultural means for production. The Cow bank is aimed at managing long term sustainable development,
and self-sustainability in terms of food and economic sufficiency. We will continue to assist, and
facilitate access to these critical assets for all group members, and will appeal to donors to see the
importance and value of these projects in the elimination of poverty.
b. Samlaut
- The project community support staff regularly monitored Self-Help Groups, with the primary focus on
the facilitation of group work and agriculture productivity/collection. The project staff also used
these opportunities to assess the use of capital loans that were provided at an earlier stage in the
Kantout, Beng Run, Kandal O’Sgnout, and Anlong Pouk villages of the Samlaut district. The result was
very positive. The community had made good progress in saving and effectively utilizing their community
funds. To date, some groups have managed additional savings for their group use. These savings will,
over time, be used to extend their agricultural occupation and eventually they will be self-sustaining.
- A community proposal from the O’Sngout village reached CVD-MJP. It was a request for repairs to a
stretch of dirt-road that is an important transport route for their agricultural products. Unfortunately
the CVD-MJP cannot respond to this request, as there is no budget for such an activity this month. We
hope to acquire more funding from donors for such activities in the upcoming fiscal year.
- Samlaut village has also submitted a proposal to the CVD-MJP, asking for assistance to repair a temporary
school for their children. Again CVD-MJP could not immediately respond to this request and hope that
sometime in the future we can provide assistance.
3. Environment Awareness/Education
Project staff held training sessions to raise environmental awareness and increase knowledge amongst the
villagers and children, who are living near the outskirts of the protected area:
a. Pailin
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No.
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Village
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Attendees
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Men
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Women
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Children
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1
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O'Tavoa
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9
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30
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34
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2
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Toul Lovea
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0
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0
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23
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3
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O'Chrap Leu
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9
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6
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4
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4
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Phum Thmei
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0
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9
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23
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5
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Bortungsu
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18
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6
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39
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6
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O'pert
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3
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11
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29
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7
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Boryakha
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0
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0
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35
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8
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Toul Nimith
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11
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10
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4
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9
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Kbal Prolean
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7
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20
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50
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10
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Deikrohorm
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0
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0
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32
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11
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Krochap
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14
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1
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28
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Total
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71
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84
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293
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b. Samlaut
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No.
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Village
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Attendees
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Men
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Women
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Children
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1
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Sung I
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0
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0
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28
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2
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Kamchat
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0
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0
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36
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3
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O'ngout
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8
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21
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70
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4
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Tanon
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4
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21
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0
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5
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Anlong Pouk
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0
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0
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113
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6
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O'Riangken
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0
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0
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37
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7
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Prey Rumchek
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0
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0
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31
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8
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O'Chrap
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2
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11
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0
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9
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Tasahn Tbong
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2
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1
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42
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10
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Sre Amnor
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0
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0
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34
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Total
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16
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54
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391
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After completion of each session the project staff also distributed environmental awareness materials
such as story books, T-shirts, and brochures/leaflets to the participants. These materials were also
made available for distribution to local villagers and schools, so that they could display them in
their classrooms and homes for future reference.
Click to enlarge
II. Conclusion
During November we noticed that the communities who live near the outskirts of the protected areas
showed a reduction in interference activities in the protected area. This conclusion was made based
on the day-to-day observation of the targeted villagers and on dialogue with local communities and
their heads. A great advantage of the CVD-MJP project’s investment in agricultures tools, seeds,
credit loans and cow banks to develop alternative livelihoods, is the reduction of forest interference
by the targeted beneficiaries. These communities now begin to understand the value and impact of the
protected area, due to the environmental awareness training from the CVD-MJP staff.
Prepared by
Voan Sam El
CVD, MJP Project Manager
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