Home About Us The Problem Projects Self Help Achievements Cambodia Gallery Support Us Contact Us Thank Yous	PROJECT THIRD QUARTERLY REPORT For the period covering 1st April to 30th June 2005   Country: Cambodia   Project Number:   CB-037A   Project Name: Promoting Civil   Society Transformation (PCST)   Prepared by: Pin Bunthan,   PCST Project Manager   Date: 30 June 2005   Reviewed and approved by: Mounh   Sarath, CVD's Executive Director I. SUMMARY OF OVERALL PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD. This is a narration of the activities accomplished by the Promoting Civil Society Transformation project (PCST) for 3 months from 1st April to 30th June 2005 of this project cycle. To promote and transform the civil society, the project has set up two main strategies, promoting civil society and community development (community assistances), which are known as the most effective methods towards the sustainable community development. Encourage the participation of children in the democratic civil society interaction among clubs, village association and government structures at village level. Of our next generation of Cambodian children, especially ones who live in remote areas, nearly 80 percent are not aware of their own culture and traditions, and often have more exposure to vulnerability of the lost their local background. The current history of Cambodia has left a legacy of high numbers of vulnerable people of all ages. The devastated health care, social services and educational facilities lack the force that the groups need to gain the limited access to financial means and the human resources to cope with the overwhelming needs of the people. Children are therefore not regarded as, nor have the opportunities and confidence to become fully contributing community members. In response to this requirement, CVD's PCST project has set up children's clubs in its target villages. The purpose of the clubs is to encourage children to form themselves into independent groups within their respective villages so that they can meet and discuss their day-to-day concerns, build trust and confidences amongst the children at the village level. 1. Children's Clubs: This is designed to meet the project objective where it states to encourage the participations of children in building collaboration effort. 10 follow up visits have been conducted by project field staff to monitor the 11 children clubs in target villages. During the visit, staff took some times to review lessons related to child rights and other issues related to children in general, which may affect their lives and education. The meetings were organized to share new information between one another and to identify solutions toward child rights and their related issues. To attract the attention of children in the village, the project introduces club members to sporting activities that they can enjoy during the club meetings. These activities attracted and entertained the children during the meeting. Furthermore, they could strengthen relationships amongst the group and learn how to work as a team. The members of 11 clubs in 11 villages, Kantout, Beng Run, Srae Andong, Chhork Roka, Peam Ta, Samlaut, Tasanh Cheng, Prey Rumchek, O Sngout, O Tatem, Don Trek (Tasanh Tbong) villages, have now increased to 273 children due to many more children wanting to join the club activities. On 23rd June 2005, 62 children of the two clubs of Beung Run and Kantout, joined public work at the Srae Andong temple, where they helped to fix the local temple (Sala Bali construction). This is the involvement of the children in the community work and part involvement in the community development. Reflecting on real needs of the schools and teachers for teaching children in these remote villages, CVD seeks additional consideration and approval from the project donor (TdH - NL) to support salary to school a new teacher in Chhaong village (Ref: e-mail from Dr. Frans Van Dijk dated 22nd May 2005), the proposal was approved appropriately. Therefore, an additional club will be established in Chhaong village.       Click to enlarge Statistic of children in clubs No. Village name No. of club members Total Remarks Boys Girls 1   Kan Tout 17 13 30   Old village (FY02-04) 2   Beng Run 14 18 32   Old village (FY02-04) 3   Srae Andong 12 7 19   Old village (FY02-04) 4   Chhork Roka 7 12 19   Old village (FY02-04) 5   Peam Ta 14 17 31   Old village (FY02-04) 6   Samlaut 10 11 21   Old village (FY02-04) 7   Tasanh Cheng 13 12 25   New village (FY04-06) 8   Don Trek (Tasanh Tbong) 11 19 30   New village (FY04-06) 9   O Sngout 18 9 27   New village (FY04-06) 10   Prey Rum Chek 7 12 19   New village (FY04-06) 11   O Tatem 8 12 20   Old village (FY02-04) 12   Anlong Pouk 0 0 0   To be established   Total 131 142 273   2. Education/Awareness (Temporary Schools): This is designed to create opportunity for children to be able to attend literacy class in a temporary school and offer general awareness on rights and concept of civil society. As stated in the project proposal, temporary schools were built in response to the needs of poor children whose villages are located far away from the government schools and who cannot afford for means of transportation. This is to give the children the opportunity to access appropriate education and as part of the involvement strategy in human resource development towards the rebuilding of the country as a whole. Within this period, monthly follow ups were made to spot check on ongoing activities of the project's temporary schools and their teachers. It is reported that children regularly attended classes. Only a few were absent because their parents were facing family food shortages and needed the children to help with making money from local employment in harvesting. Monthly meetings were held among 11 teachers, facilitated by project staff. The agendas included: Student attendance lists Prepare & review on lesson plans Public hygiene and sanitation around school compounds Encourage students to attend class Monthly reporting on class activities Set up a general plan cover the forthcoming school vacation period Plan for next month Teachers met with parents of students who were absent from class to discuss over issues related. Preparation for an art-work contest among students at temporary schools. The winners will be awarded with prizes (school supplies). The final competition process will be made on 7th July 2005. On 1st June 2005, the PCST project team in Samlaut organized the International Children's Day. There were 504 children from the project's temporary schools and government primary schools participating in the event. It was presided over by the head of the district education, commune chief and school director, with the participation from local authority and teachers. Organization of two training sessions for 11 teachers as part of teacher capacity building. The 1st training session was about the teacher's role and responsibilities, communication and lesson planning skills while the second one was about children's rights and anti-child trafficking awareness. Project had been officially received approval from TdH - NL to support salary for teacher in Chhaong village; this support will commence as soon as July 2005. Provided the teaching materials and school supplies to 11 schools. The supplies included chalk, books, pens, rulers, staplers, staples, correction pens and hole punchers.       Click to enlarge Statistic of students at temporary schools Scholastic year 2004 - 2005 No. School name Grade No. of students Total Remarks Boys Girls 1   Kan Tout 1 14 16 30   2   Beng Run 1 14 16 30   3   Samlaut 1 26 11 37   4   Chhork Roka 1 15 13 28   5   Peam Ta 1 13 4 17   2 7 6 13 6   Ta Sanh Cheng 1 16 16 32   New school 7   O Sngout 1 21 10 31   New school 8   Srae Andong 1 26 22 48   2 13 8 21 9   O Totem 1 25 20 45   These schools   have the most   students. 2 21 23 44 3 27 19 46 10   Prey Rumchek 1 27 15 42   New school 11   Ta Sanh Tbong (Don Trek) 1 25 15 40   New school   Total   290 214 504   Promote attitudinal development among villagers, particularly within village associations/clubs in order to lead to positive change. 1. Self-help group establishment: This is designed to address the primary constraint of villagers (the poor) who need to resolve the economic pressure so that they could maneuver to set up long term group development and self-sufficiency. The purpose of setting up self-help groups was to raise the sense of community and restore the social structure which was broken down by decades of war. The groups are managed by their own team leaders, selected amongst the group members. It is the autonomous group where members are selected amongst the very poor villagers. In general this is an interim measure taken by the project to provide credit to the groups. In the long term, this should be taken over by the formal financial institutions in the area. Saving is another method which is introduced to the self-help group members. Each individual can save as much as they want and the saving is recorded by both, the individual member and the group leader. They can withdraw their saving when it reaches the amount as specified in the policy, but will not excess the amount they have saved. The following are activities achieved within this period. Project staff conducted follow up to monitor cow bank activities of the Self-Help Groups. Of 39 cows, 5 have already been bred and the others are fat and healthy. Monthly meetings were held for each respective of SHG to discuss the progress of the saving process and problems encountered and to plan for the next month. The meetings were facilitated by project staff, except 8 groups: O Sngout, Tasanh Cheng, Prey Rum Chek, Anlong Pouk, Kantout, O Totem and Beng Run. They can effectively facilitate the meeting by themselves now. Follow up 14 SHGs of 112 families who received credit capital of 11,200,000.00 riels (one family received 100.000 riels) equivalent qual to US $ 2,800 to be sure that cash was used the same purpose as mentioned in the request or not. As result, the money was used for the agriculture activities. 15 trainings were held for SHGs of 10 villages (O Totem, Anlong Pourk, Tasanh Cheng, Ta Sanh Tbong, O Sngout, Don Trek, Prey Rumchek, Kantout, Beng Run, Srae Andong. The trainings were about the following topics: Role and responsibility of the group leaders The relationship between SHG and authority Record keeping (saving and credit) Seasonal planting and seed loan Use of chemical fertilizer, its consequences and the advantage of compost Children's rights is also included in the training       Click to enlarge 2. Civil Society Promotion: This is designed to overcome the promotion of community structures, the involvement of villagers in communal decision and to encourage authorities' participation in order that they are recognized activities/projects that initiated by groups/associations with their respective villages, so that they are mutually agreed. On April 28th 2005, the PCST project organized a meeting to present the project achievements for the first 6 months of the year, covering 1st October 2004 to 31st March 2005, to the local authorities in Samlaut district. The attendants were the Deputy District Leader, three commune chiefs from Tasanh, Samlaut and Sung communes, the Head of Education Office of Samlaut and the Head of Social Office of Samlaut district. After the PCST Project Manager had summarized the progress report to the attendants, Mr. Toch Puthy, Head of District Education Office, admired the project achievements in term of supporting the education facility and assisting the poor children in the district. He suggested that the cooperation between the education office and the project field staff should be maintained. He informed that there are many villages that need schools for children because these villages are located very far from the government schools. He also proposed the project to support another school in Chhaong village where a temporary school exists (initiated by villagers), but no teacher. The three chiefs of Sung, Samlaut and O Sngout communes also raised similar ideas and stated about the project activities, including cow bank, working capital, self-help groups, emergency assistances, agriculture tool etc, towards the sustainable development of the district. They agreed with the proposal of the Head of the Education Office regarding the support of a teacher in Chhaong village. Finally, the Deputy Chief of the district wrapped up with the admiration and appreciation of the project achievements and said that the hoped that the proposal will be responded to positively. It is also one of the project's activities for addressing the anti-child trafficking issue to the community members and local authorities' attention. Within this period, the project held discussion sessions with local authorities so that they are aware of the problem within their area. On June 8th 2005, one workshop was conducted at a commune level. Main subject to be discussed was Anti-Child trafficking. There were at least 19 village heads and 3 commune leaders participating in this workshop. At every possible chance, where there are community meetings, group discussions or when the project gathers local villagers for basic skill training at village level, the project always includes children's rights and human rights so that the members are well aware and take appropriate action toward the support and the promotion of rights among their community and the children. Such information dissemination activities are also raised among the project-supported teachers of every temporary school so that they are reminded and aware at all times of children's rights and anti-child trafficking. 3. Community Assistance: This is designed to meet the project objective and its recommendation where it is for SHGs to identify other community needs, which they can be involved in. The project supported seed loan activities to 60 families of the SHGs of 9 villages. This is the second crop planting following the first one starting from February, was mostly destroyed by prolonged drought. This second chance crop plantation which is to be harvested around October - November 2005 may not receive good yield as the current rainfall is very little. If that is the case the coming productivities season will face big problems and food shortage in the coming year. At this stage there are hundreds of families facing food shortfall already. Within the last month of this quarter, the project already has to support 5 families with basic food assistance; each received 35 kilograms of rice. The support was made in response to the families most in need who have no rice to feed to their children due to the drought. It is reported that at least 30% of the village population will face lack of food within the next month. The project only can support to a certain level as the budget for such line items limited.       Click to enlarge II. THE PROCESSES THAT ARE BEING USED TO ACHIEVE THE PROJECT OBJECTIVE. The monthly follow up was conducted by Project Manager to monitor the activity in the project implementation to ensure that it meets the plan of action as specified in the project proposal. To successfully implement the activities to achieve the annual plan of action, and the budget is available. This project responds, solely to the needs prioritized by the villagers and, for the most part, address family economic, food security and other physical assistance. However, CVD is aware of the need for social and personal development included rights awareness and sense of community restoration in targeted villages. The self-help group approach will lead to genuine people-centered development where people are, not only at the center of development efforts, but also take responsibility for their own development and success. III. MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT RESTRICTED THE PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT DURING THIS QUARTER. There are only two motorbikes for three staff members to carry out field activities. This leads to the delay or lateness in response to some top priority works. The prolonged drought in Samlaut district caused food shortage to hundreds of families in this area. The limitation of funds to respond to emergency food assistance. IV. PLAN OF ACTION FOR THE NEXT SEMESTER. Set up 1 new children club Support direct assistance to the most vulnerable families Train SHG member with agriculture skills Train children in new established clubs on basic children's rights. Schedule to follow up all activities to ensure the implementation of the project to reach the monthly, quarterly and annual plan of action. Back     Home
Help and Hope to the Vulnerable Cambodian Vision in Development Battambang, Cambodia