Tag Archives: Heifer Cambodia

Heifer CEO Travels: An Update from Cambodia

Posted on by
2
Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari in Cambodia with Asia South Pacific Vice President Mahendra Lohani and Country Director Keo Keang. Photo by Dave Anderson, courtesy of Heifer International.

Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari in Cambodia with Asia South Pacific Vice President Mahendra Lohani and Country Director Keo Keang. Photo by Dave Anderson, courtesy of Heifer International.

My last stop – Cambodia! Country Directory Keo Keang (or KK as she prefers to be called) and her team are very passionate about Heifer’s work in Cambodia, and it shows in their interactions with the communities.

My first stop was to Siem Reap, where we attended a Passing on the Gift ceremony with over 700 people – including local and provincial officials. It is encouraging to have them attend, as it shows their desire to collaborate more closely with Heifer.

Following the ceremony we went to visit a self-help group. The villagers were delightful, full of energy and gratitude. They have a lot going on! They received pigs, chickens and ducks. They have been trained in backyard gardens and are involved in handicrafts. As if that weren’t enough, they are building a rice bank. The villagers are forming a cooperative, and they certainly have big dreams. There is a great deal of hope and energy.

My next stop was to Phnom Penh to meet with the Heifer Cambodia team to discuss their new project Improving Income and Nutrition through Community Empowerment (INCOME). This project is part of Heifer’s new programmatic approach of increasing impact. This project will integrate production systems, core market actors and an enabling environment through the values-based Heifer development model. The project is still in its early stages; I look forward to returning in the future to see the progress that will be accomplished.

KK arranged for us to have several meetings. We first met with Dr. Kim Lucas, acting director of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Cambodia. Dr. Lucas was familiar with Heifer; we shared more details of our work, including our strategic priorities and our Theory of Change. I think there is an opportunity for Heifer and USAID to collaborate to build the capacities and increase the impact in the communities. Our next visit was to the Minister of Agriculture, who had also attended the Passing on the Gift ceremony; and with the team lead and acting Country Director, Natharoun Ngo, of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Cambodia. It will be very interesting to work with UNDP, as our missions and practices are very much aligned. They are focused on rural poverty and agriculture, believe in women’s empowerment and would like to work with partners scaling up their impact. Combining their knowledge of governance and capacity building at the regional and national level with our focus on grassroots efforts has the potential to produce a lasting impact to the families with whom we work.

KK and her team will continue developing these connections and will even participate in a study group with other non-governmental organizations to review and recommend a governance structure that will avoid duplication of work and support the rural development efforts we are striving to achieve.

Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari in Preah Netr Preah, Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia.

Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari meets with Kann Naiky (in orange) and other Heifer participants in Preah Netr Preah, Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia. The group was formed about six months ago and is making quick progress. Photo by Dave Anderson, courtesy of Heifer International.

Our next stop was to Svay Rie to visit two projects. The first community will be working as a component of the INCOME project and has just begun to receive training.  We met the villagers and talked for a couple of hours about their first impressions, needs and hopes.   They are willing and very eager to learn.  Local government officials were in attendance and seemed inclined to help. The second community we visited has been part of a Heifer project for just over two years and has made astonishing progress. The project is made up of four groups of women, and their pride in what has been accomplished and confidence in what they will do was wonderful. These women will be key in co-developing the larger cooperative to take full advantage of the various value chains these farmers can access for project INCOME. We shared lunch with the community and danced and celebrated their success.

Heifer project participants' image of what their village will look like in a couple of years.Photo by Pierre Ferrari, courtesy of Heifer International.

Heifer project participants' image of what their village will look like in a couple of years.Photo by Pierre Ferrari, courtesy of Heifer International.

Overall I am very pleased to see the persistent, strategic progress Heifer Cambodia is making. I know more great things are soon to come!

This has been an incredible trip. Vice President of Asia/South Pacific program Dr. Mahendra Lohani and his team planned well – and for that I offer my gratitude. There is much to reflect on, work to be done and to support. The opportunities ahead are exciting!

Words Cannot Express Thearom’s Happiness

Posted on by
0

Story by: Hun Hieak, Southeast Regional Program Officer

It is wet season in Cambodia as rain has been pouring since June. Like many Heifer International project participants, Lang Sophea and her family are busy at work at the field to plant rice on two hectares of their rice land. The way of rice cultivation in Cambodia is that farmers sow rice seeds on a good prepared plot of land. One month after growing, rice seedlings are collected to transplant on another rice paddy, which is plowed and prepared. The farmers transplant two to three stalks of rice seedlings in a space between 20-30 centimeters each, so that the rice stalks will multiply to big clumps.

Sophea’s husband Dok gets up early each morning at 5:00 AM. Dok goes to work at the rice filed about 2-3 kilometers from their house, with help from their children who had vacation from school, while Sophea is busy at her business in the grocery shop. Around 11:00 AM, Sophea prepares food and brings it to her family members at the field, and then she returns to continue her work at the shop. Her husband and children spend a full day working at the field until 5:00 PM. It takes them one month to complete their rice cultivation. However, Dok goes to the field everyday to take care of their rice, controlling water, destroying weeds, scattering fertilizer and so forth. They expect to harvest their rice yield in November.

Besides farming, her family also focuses on their livestock production as a source of income. Last month, one of her two sows gave birth to five healthy piglets. The household takes good care of the pigs, giving swine-fever vaccine and iron-Fe 200 injections with help from community animal health workers. So far the family also has 40 chickens, remaining from home consumption and sale. During the last three months, Sophea’s family is also able to earn additional income from selling bananas planted around her house. She plans to grow water spinet for home consumption, for supporting her shop, and for animal feeds. With saved money from the household’s incomes, the family could build a small house, 4.5 meters by 6 meters and 1.5 meters high, with a metal-sheet roof and wooden walls. The life of Sophea’s family has been gradually better after the family received 15 chickens, horticultural and vegetable seeds, fruit-tree seedlings, agriculture equipment, and trainings from the project as a tool to improve their food security.

Sophea is also very happy with the good result of her children’s study as they all passed exams to attend new class this year. Her daughter, Thearom, passed her exam to study at grade 7, her third son Theara – at grade 6, and her youngest son Theary – at grade 2.

“Words cannot express how happy I am to pass the exam to study at grade 7,” said Thearom, “This comes from support of my family, especially, my wonderful mother who always gives encouragement and support. My parents work hard to get money for paying our scholastic materials and inspire us to study harder to achieve our dream. Thanks to mother and father; I love you.”

Editor’s note: This post is part of a series that follows the progress of specific families, starting at the beginning of their work with Heifer. Today’s post is the third in a series of  quarterly updates on the progress of Lang Sophea and her family.

Sophea's family with help from neighbor transplant rice seedlings in her rice land late July.

 

The five piglets which were given birth by one of her two sows last month.

Her family's new house is built with saved money from incomes.

Her daughter Thearom and youngest son Theary are ready to school.

Glorious Guava: Photo of the Week

Posted on by
0
Photo by Russ Powell, Courtesy of Heifer International

Five-year-old twins, Roeuy Chandy (left) and Roeuy Chanda (right) enjoy guava. They live in Cambodia’s O’Mar Village, and their family is part of the Women’s Empowerment and Holistic Community Development Project.

Learn about this project and how you can be a part of the transformation in this community.

Sophea’s Story: A Blossoming Business

Posted on by
1

Story by: Sok Nom, Project Coordinator for RCSA
Contribution by: Prak Somathy, Communication and Networking Manager for Heifer Cambodia

Since 2010 after joining the self help group Stey Akphiwat Reakreay, or “Happy Development Women,” Mrs. Lang Sophea and her family members received not only physical inputs from the Heifer project, but also many trainings from which the household is able to use for increasing income and improving their standard of living. Late last December, Sophea had received another training on small business and micro-finance. After the training, Sophea has transformed this knowledge into real practice.

During last four months, Sophea sold two fattened pigs for 520,000 Riels (US $130) each. Her family allocated a part of the money, with some money loaned from the group, to start a small business — a grocery shop selling vegetables, fruits and foods. Sophea is able to earn a daily income in average of 110,000 Riels from the shop from which she receives a net profit of 50,000 Riels, or US $12, per day.

“Thank very much to Heifer Cambodia and Rural Children Saving Association (RCSA) for providing my family the knowledge on small business. Now we can get diversified incomes to support the family,” said Sophea. Last month, her family also took another part of the money from selling the pigs to buy a pumping machine which now has been used for pumping underground water to sell to villagers. Her family plans to expand this business while the villagers are more aware of using clean water.

Sophea gets up at 4:30 a.m. to cook and serve breakfast to costumers while her husband goes to a wholesale market to buy vegetables, fruits and other grocery things for sale. The breakfast is served until 8:00 a.m., and then she starts preparing lunch foods for selling. Meanwhile, with help from her children, she also sells vegetables, fruits and grocery things. Her shop is open until 6:00 in the evening.

“I had abandoned my illegal job in cutting trees and poaching wildlife at the jungle,” admitted her husband, Ein Dok. “We have created new jobs at home. We buy vegetables from market for selling at our shop. However, because now we have the pumping machine, we plan to grow vegetables to support our own shop.” Dok also plans to enhance the swine production as so far the family has two sows which are pregnant, which are expected to give birth next two months. The family also has a fattened piglet and 50 hens and chickens which remain from home consumption.

“I help feed the animals when my mom is busy at the shop because I have afternoon class. My dad cleans animals (pig) pens and troughs before we feed them,” said Sophea’s daughter, Thearom. “Besides doing household chores after school time, I do my homework, which is assigned by my teachers.”

Though Sophea is busy at her businesses, she never forgets group works and activities. She attends monthly group meetings regularly, sharing her experience in animal husbandry and participating in solving issues occurring in her community. She also pays attention to social work by contributing some money to repair her village road. During this period, because she is an active member in the group, the group members selected her as deputy leader of the group.

Editor’s note: This post is part of a series that follows the progress of specific families, starting at the beginning of their work with Heifer. Today’s post is the second in a series of  quarterly updates on the progress of Lang Sophea and her family. You can read the first post about this family here.

Sophea holds pineapple that she sells in her shop.

 

Sophea prepares foods for selling and serving to her clients.

 

Her daughter Thearom feeds a pregnant sow with vegetable as supplementary.

Sopheap’s Story: A Widow Struggles for Family Life

Posted on by
0

Editor’s note: This post is part of a series that follows the progress of specific families, starting at the beginning of their work with Heifer. Today’s post is the second in a series of  quarterly updates on the progress of Khuon Sopheap and her family. You can read the first post about Sopheap here.

by Heifer Cambodia

Ten months after joining the POG group, Ms. Khuon Sopheap has actively participated in group activities including monthly meetings, a savings program and attending literacy class. Through these technical and non-technical trainings, her knowledge and life skills have been improved while her attitude and behavior have been changed. She has shared what she learned with her family members and other villagers.

During the last four months, Sopheap and her family members keep practicing simple techniques in swine productions. With help from her daughters, Sophea and Sophort, she cleans the pen, troughs and the pigs before feeding them. She puts mosquito nets on the pen to protect the pigs from being bitten by mosquitoes that might affect the pigs’ health, which could lead to adverse weight loss. The family is happy to take good care of their pigs. So far, her family decreased buying commercial feed for feeding the pigs as its price goes up. Instead, the family increases using their local available resources including banana trees, morning glories and so forth for the pigs’ feed by applying knowledge they gained from the training. Moreover, Sophea and Sophort always spend their free time to find aquatic plants from the river as supplementary feed for the pigs. Now each pig is around 60 kilograms, and very healthy. Sopheap hopes she will receive the pigs’ offspring soon.

“Although my pigs do not yet give me income, I can see they are growing from day to day. I really hope they will become my family’s main resource of income when they produce piglets during the next few months. With the piglets I will be able to enhance my swine production,” Sopheap says.

After the flood destroyed her home garden late last year, her family now restores a plot of 15 square meters of land behind the house to grow varieties of vegetables for improving the family members’ nutrition. The family is more aware of sanitation and hygiene through keeping the household campus clean. Now all her family members regularly drink water that has first been boiled.

Sopheap is actively participating in group saving. Starting in June 2011, the total group fund increased up to 1 million Riels (US $250), of which 38,500 Riels belongs to Sopheap. Within this period, Sopheap is able to cash 18,500 Riels as voluntary savings.

“Participation in the group activities gives me huge benefits as we are able to help each other when we face any problem. We can take loans with a very low interest rate from our group to do small business or ease any difficulty in the family,” she says.

Story by: Chheang Sok Mao, Northwest Regional Program Officer
Contribution by: Prak Somathy, Communication and Networking Manager

Sopheap feeds her pigs. She puts mosquito nets on the pen to protect the pigs from being bitten by mosquitoes that might affect the pig’s health.
Shopeap works at her kitchen garden. She plants vegetables for improving her family members’ nutrition.
Her daughter Sophea boils water for the family members drinking.

 

One Family’s Favorite Stones

Posted on by
0

Photo by Kheang Sokleng, Courtesy of Heifer International

By Kheang Sokleng,
Heifer Cambodia

In October 2009, Tes Hen, her husband Meas Phy, and their three children joined the Strey Mean Samnang, or Lucky Women, self-help group (SHG) in Tropang Thlork village, Chantri commune, Rormeas Hiek district, Svay Rieng province, Cambodia. Their group is one of seven participating in the Improving Marginalized Groups Livelihood and Values-Based Holistic Community Development project.

Within a few months of joining the group, Hen was selected to be a Literacy Facilitator. In this role, she facilitates literacy classes to women members, providing numeracy and literacy skills based on Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones.

Hen practices the 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development with her family before sharing them with her group. This helps her to develop and implement effective lesson plans. During training sessions, she encourages her students to internalize the 12 Cornerstones. “I want to be a role model in my group and community,” said Hen. 

Hen’s youngest daughter, 11-year-old SreyPov, joined the SHG’s children’s group and said

Photo by Kheang Sokleng, Courtesy of Heifer International

her mother taught her all the “Stones.” “My group is named Yovakchun Ponlork Thmei, or New Sapling Children Group,” SreyPov said. “We have monthly meetings and a savings scheme. We save 200 Riel, or 5 cents, a month. We use our savings fund for buying books and pens.”

Hen’s husband and children love the Cornerstones values and mindfully practice them, especially the Cornerstone of Gender and Family Focus. Meas Phy said he is inspired by this Cornerstone, which brings peace, harmony and respect to his family.

Improving the Environment is SreyPov’s favorite Cornerstone. “Every morning, I clean my house and animal pens,” SreyPov said. “Sometimes, I help my parents bring animal manure to fill up the biogas unit. Since we have a bio-digester, my kitchen is clean and I can help my mom cook without being afraid of the house burning.”

Hen’s family does a great job living out the core values of Gender and Family Focus and Improving the Environment, their favorite Stones. With a strong belief that internalization of the Cornerstones changes people’s lives, they enthusiastically share these values with others.

In Context: Local Eats

Posted on by
0
Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

Most of the time, eating local is the way to go. Besides theobvious benefits, like boosting the local economy, it just plain tastes better.Produce is fresher and we get to eat with the seasons—tasting fruits andveggies at their peak. In Cambodia, much of the cuisine is focused on locallygrown, locally produced foods.


The Cambodian diet consists of mainly rice and fish although noodles are also popular. Rice, which contributes about 68% of daily caloric intake, is a component of nearly every meal and an essential ingredient in many desserts.

Fish makes up 70% of the protein in the Cambodian diet. In fact, fish is so vital to Cambodian culture that the national currency, the riel, is named after a small silver carp that is a dietary staple for many Cambodians.


The popular breakfast dish Num Bahn Choc or Cambodian Morning Soup varies in taste according to region and season. This noodle dish is a great example of eating local. Thebasic ingredients to this soupy, rice-y noodle dish are the same: fermentedfish paste, rice and noodles. The rest of the ingredients however, are a combination ofherbs, vegetables and greens available at that morning’s market.

A farmer’s market in Cambodia
A Peek Inside the Pantry
Mint, coriander and lemongrass traditionally flavor fish,rice and noodles but a true Cambodian meal also includes:
Prahok, a fermented fish paste, which is used in a varietyof ways and is found in nearly every dish.

Kroeung is a spice paste made up of star anise, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and turmeric.

Morning Glory (also known as swamp cabbage or water spinach)is used as a vegetable but is actually an herb. Grows in marshy areas. Tasteslike spinach.
Cooked Morning Glory
Photo by Andy Wright, courtesy of Creative Commons

Kabocha or “Cambodian Pumpkin” is a winter squash, broughtto Cambodia by the Japanese in the 1500s. It’s sweeter than butternut squashwith a texture that’s a cross between pumpkin and sweet potato.

Kabocha
Photo by The Unseasoned Wok, courtesy of Creative Commons
Slek Bas or Vine vegetable/Ivy gourd is a leafy green looks like a lot like Morning Glory but tastes like a mix of spinach and watercress.