Mak Sreyny and Toun Sokheng, in blue

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1 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Volume 4, Number 8 August 2006 World Bank Team s Learning Trip to Eastern Provinces Mak Sreyny and Toun Sokheng, in blue T-shirts with logos identifying them as Youth Star volunteers, welcome World Bank staff, community leaders, and commune council guests sitting around tables with them in Chray Sima village, Cheaklieng commune in Prey Veng province. Behind them is building made of thatch the new community school building where more than 30 teenagers are studying English. I feel as comfortable and at home living here as I do living with my parents in Phnom Penh, says Sreyny, a graduate student of the Economic and Agriculture Rural Development Faculty at the Royal University of Agriculture, in response to a guest s question. I am learning a lot from the community, and I am learning that young people need encouragement and motivation. Sokheng, a graduate student of the National University of Management, glances around modestly and tells the guests the village is an exciting place to work because she has never before lived in a rural area. This is a great chance for me to learn how rural people live and what they need, she chuckles. Students inside the thatched community school building, and some young hangerson outside it, in Chray Sima village, Chiklang commune, in Prey Veng province. Youth Star Cambodia volunteers Mak Sreyny and Toun Sokheng, center, in their blue uniforms, talk to World Bank staff about their experience on Chray Sima. Sreyny and Sokheng are two of the Youth Star Cambodia volunteers who go out into the provinces to spend a year working in a rural community. (See box onyouth Star). Sokheng explains that her task is to share with the community the knowledge she has gained from her university in Phnom Penh, and in return to learn about rural life from the community. If we want to promote development, we should start from the bottom, she says. Then after a pause, she continues, Now, I feel proud that I can contribute to the community and I feel more confident about working with a lot of people. A World Bank team led by Nisha Agrawal, Country Manager, and accompanied by Nil Vanna, Social Development Specialist, and Bou Saroeun, Communications Specialist, visited the eastern provinces of Cambodia Svay Rieng and Prey Veng to learn more about the lives of the people living there and to explore agricultural issues. During the one-week visit, from July 31 to August 4, 2006, the team met provincial officials, commune council members, villagers, and civil society groups to discuss what had changed in the provinces during the last five years, what challenges people faced, and how they foresaw their provinces in the next five years. In both provinces Nisha Agrawal gave See NEXT page

2 2 The World Bank Newsletter August 2006 continued from page 1 a presentation on the World Bank program in Cambodia that focused on what kind of assistance the Bank provides, explaining how and why the Bank is helping Cambodia in terms of its Country Assistance Strategy (CAS). In each provincial meeting there were around 60 participants who came from provincial departments, NGOs, district offices and commune councils. Many documents published by the World Bank Cambodia Country Office were distributed at both meetings, such as the Poverty Assessment, CAS, and Fair Share for Women. Svay Rieng Province On the first day, the team was briefed by Catholic Relief Service (CRS) staff about improvements and changes in people s living conditions. The team was told that farmers still produce only one rice crop per year, but the yield has been improved from 800 kg per hectare to around 1.4 tonnes per hectare. Farmers have also begun to diversify, growing vegetables and other crops for the market. Economic growth in Svay Rieng has also been boosted by family members working in the garment and construction industries in Phnom Penh. And some farmers are better off because of increasing value of land, particularly near the border with Vietnam, and access to micro-finance. The team heard that there collective work at the community level is increasing for example, water-pump-using groups, self-help groups, and community-based organizations. Responding to questions, some participants at the provincial meeting said Hing Sakhon, Rom Doul District Governor, briefs the World Bank team on the restoration planned for the irrigation system in the area. that they see some changes in the province, especially in education and health services, rural infrastructure and agriculture; however, these sectors still needed improvement. H.E Chieng Am, Svay Rieng Governor, said his province is still facing the problems of inadequate irrigation and rural infrastructure. H.E. Chieng Am, Governor of Svay Rieng province, Nisha Agrawal, World Bank Country Manager, and Nil Vanna, World Bank Social Development Specialist. Our top priority is to build irrigation systems, he said. When our farmers have irrigation they can grow more than one crop per year and be less dependent on rainfall. H.E Chieng Am said farmers dependence on rainfall meant they were limited to only one rice crop per year, and even that would fail if the rain did not come. Development of irrigation was critical to the development of agriculture. An irrigation system had already begun in the Svay Chrom and Kampong Ro districts. Now they were focusing on restoring and expanding an irrigation sys- Our top priority is to build irrigation systems. When our farmers have irrigation they can grow more than one crop per year and be less dependent on rainfall. H.E Chieng Am tem built by the Khmer Rouge in Rom Doul district deepening it, and extending it to 20 or 28 kilometers to provide reliable water to many farmers in the three communes of Rom Doul, Romeas Heak, and Svay Teab. Farmers were also being encouraged to change their rice strains to more recently developed ones such as IR66. Research was needed to find what strains of rice were best suited to the province s soils. H.E Chieng Am said the province was also trying to reduce poverty by encouraging farmers to diversify away from rice towards fruit plantations, rice-field fish aquaculture, and raising cows and pigs. On the second day in Svay Rieng, the team visited a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near the Cambodia Vietnam border in Bavet district. This is the first SEZ in Cambodia. Larry Kao, owner of the SEZ, said the zone began functioning early in So far it employs nearly 400 local workers at two export-oriented factories producing bicycles and screws, and a new shoe factory has been inaugurated in late July 2006.

3 August 2006 The World Bank Newsletter 3 Catholic Relief Services/ Cambodia In Svay Rieng and Prey Veng, CRS works under the project named Integrated Farming and Marketing Systems Program. It works with more than 7,000 families, self-selected based on the villagers own perception of their poverty. The project goal is to improve rural livelihoods in both provinces with reduced vulnerability and increased income for poor farming households. The project s strategic objectives are: (i) Rural institutions and networks are strengthened to improve rural livelihood based on agriculture and natural resource management. (ii) Food security is improved by promoting an integrated farming system which includes improved rice production, rice-fish ecosystem, vegetables, pig, chicken and duck raising, raising fish in ponds, cash crops, fruit trees, soil improvement, drought response, and farmer-to-farmer extension and exchange visits. (iii) Helping rural producers get effective access to markets and marketing mechanisms by developing farmers small business and marketing skills to improving market chains for agricultural inputs and outputs, and by implementing marketing activities. CRS also works on increasing capacity of community-based organizations to take the lead in development efforts to reduce poverty and to promote community participation. For more information about CRS please visit its website: Goods are being exported to European markets through Vietnam s Ho Chi Minh City port. Kao said the SEZ has 14 governmental officials from the Customs and Excise Department, Camcontrol, Trade Preference Department, Council for the Development of Cambodia, and the Labor and Vocational Training Department who collectively provide a one-stop service for all paperwork. The zone is a free trade area with great incentives offered by the Government, including duty exemption for exports and imports of raw materials for the industries in the zone. Tax on profit is exempted for up to a maximum of nine years for the zone developer. The zone expects to attract more investors and eventually to employ around 20,000 workers. While visiting Bavet, the team met with a water user group formed by the Community for Development (CFD), one of the Fish fingerlings are being netted in a hatchery to be sold for cultivation in neighboring rice-field fisheries. More than 300 families will be adversely affected by the scheme. However, Mak Chhon, a farmer representative, said the people are happy to contribute land in exchange for irrigation water. Of course, we will lose some of our land, but we will have water to irrigate our crops and can grow more crops every year, he said. The team also visited some CRS supported projects such as an integrated farming system and fruit tree nursery, a smallscale fish hatchery, a farmers group using see NEXT page grantees of the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) under World Bank administration. The group, which is voluntary, was set up to provide outreach activities such as basic health care awareness, protecting the rights of water users, monitoring private water supply agents, and checking water quality. The team also visited villagers who had latrines provide with JSDF support. Under the World Bank financed Provincial and Peri-Urban Waster Supply and Sanitation Project, Bavet and three other district towns are installing water supply systems. On its third day in Svay Rieng, the team met around 100 people from Rom Doul district officials, commune council members and farmers to discuss and to hear about agriculture activities. People at the meeting asked for funding for the new irrigation system scheme being resigned as a joint venture between the province and CRS. According to CRS, the scheme will benefit 4,121 families with 4,000 hectares of rice paddy in three districts Rom Doul, Romeas Hek and Svay Teap. It will cost around $1.5 million to complete and it will take three years. Both the provincial governor and CRS are seeking funding support. Svay Rieng Province Size: 2,966 sq.km Population: comprising males and females Number of districts: 7 World Bank-support current projects: Trade Facilitation and Competiveness, Agriculture Productivity Improvement, Rural Investment and Local Governance, Health Sector Support, Education Sector Support, and Provincial and Peri-Urban Water Supply and Sanitation.

4 4 The World Bank Newsletter August 2006 continued from page 3 Prey Veng Province a pump, and a pagoda which has been developed as a natural fish spawning ground. t the Prey Veng provincial meeting, Prey Veng Province A some participants reported that their Size: 4, 883 sq.km Farmers around this pagoda contribute and province has seen changes, but said there Population: 1,075,543 comprising 516,060 release one or two mother fish into the pond are still challenges because of the lack of males and females during the dry season every year. The results of these programs have been shown irrigation systems, health facilities, human Number of districts: 12 resources, and school buildings. World Bank-support current projects: to be very positive in improving the lives In the afternoon, the team visited some Trade Facilitation and Competiveness, of the farmers and their incomes. projects supported bythe Cambodian Agriculture Productivity Improvement, Before traveling to Prey Veng the team Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC) in Ba Phnom district. nance, Health Sector Support, Educa- Rural Investment and Local Gover- also visited Thaneakea Phum, a micro-finance clients group, in Svay Ta Yean commune, Kampong Ros district. Most of the (See CEDAC brief in box). tion Sector Support, and Land Management and Administration. A group of farmers was waiting to meet borrowers use the cash to raise pigs and cows, and to set up small businesses. the World Bank team in the shade of a big We make income from borrowing tree growing on the Trabek river bank not second years of the project. Now the irrigation and all its expenses are the respon- money, said Khun Savan, a Deum Po villager. We must manage it well so the bank the Sdoa Kong Farmer Association, comsibility of the farmers association. far from a water-pump station. This was will trust us. posed of 232 families. They talked about On the last day in Prey Veng the Bank irrigation management and the income team visited Chray Sima village, Chiklang Cambodian Center for generated since the irrigation canal had commune where they met the two of Youth been built. Star volunteers, Mak Sreyny and Toun Study and Development The farmers reported that since the Sokheng. in Agriculture (CEDAC) canal was built, they are now able to grow Keth Born, a Chray Sima villager, said two crops of rice per year instead of one. they had asked for Youth Star volunteers CEDAC is an agricultural and rural development organization. The center was established to work for the development of ecologically based family agriculture, and to promote a cooperative and mutual assistance movement in the rural areas of Cambodia. CEDAC s vision, mission and purpose is to work for the development of Cambodian society where small farmers enjoy good living conditions and strong mutual cooperation, with the right and power to determine their own destiny, as well as playing an important role in supplying healthy food for the whole society. They now have more than enough rice to eat, and sell 70 percent of their crop to traders. The improvement in living conditions means families can bring their children back home and back to school. People reported that some of their family members go to Phnom Penh to work in garment factories or at other jobs to earn additional income to support their family. However, there are some challenges facing them. First, the capacity of the water pump machine is inadequate. It can t reach further than 500 meters along the canal, so it can only supply half the villagers. Second, is the increasing price of fuel. Two water pump machines were donated by the government as well as fuel for the first and to help the community in three sectors agriculture, health, and education. She is happy with the results. We are seeing changed in our community since they came here. Our young people have changed their behavior. They are participating more in education, learning how to organize their self-development plan, she said. We also see that they start to help each other by teaching and sharing their knowledge and experiences, and they are getting involved in community development such as building a community center, and growing trees in public places, which we never saw in the past. Most important is that the attitude among the young teenagers has changed. Vio- CEDAC has been active in implementing field activities at a grassroots level since By the end of 2005, CEDAC was implementing and supporting agriculture and rural development activities in 1343 villages of 14 provinces of Cambodia. Approximately 50,000 (mostly poor) farmers participate in farmers associations and cooperate with CEDAC in testing and applying innovations, and participating in different group activities (especially relating to savings, marketing and solidarity funds). As a result of field experiences since 1998, in target villages, total agricultural productivity has increased by more than 50 percent, primarily through the adoption of agro-ecological innovations promoted by the project such as System of Rice Intensification (SRI), improved home gardening and ecological Chicken Raising. In the shade of a big tree growing on the Trabek river bank the Sdoa Kong Farmer Association talked to the World Bank team about irrigation management..

5 August 2006 The World Bank Newsletter 5 A community shop supported by Padek and owned by the community in Po village, Kraing Svay commune. There are more than 300 products on sale in the shop, which was established to provide good quality goods at cheap prices to the community. lent behavior has been much reduced. I am very proud of seeing this change. For health, the youth volunteers provide HIV/AIDS and bird flu awareness, as well as basic health care training such as living in a clean and good environment, washing hands, drinking clean or boiled wate,r and so on. Sek Kheng, a commune council member, responded to a question about why villagers should listen to the younger generation: Yes, we are old and have been Youth Star Cambodia Youth Star Cambodia was established in 2005, to build a just and peaceful nation through citizen service, civic leadership, and social entrepreneurship. It acts as an action tank that works to transform idealism into citizen service. Youth Star Cambodia calls on university graduated students from ages 20 to 30 to give a year of their lives to fulltime service to their communities and their country. Youth volunteers are sent to communities who ask for them. Three provinces are piloting the scheme Kampong Cham, Kratie, and Prey Veng. Youth Star volunteers will contribute to rural communities by working in four sectors: education and youth development; sustainable livelihoods; health and well-being, and business entrepreneurship. farming all our lives, but our experience is old-fashioned. We need new methodology, he continued. Even though they are young, they have new ways to improve agriculture, such as selecting seeds, managing water, and using fertilizers. In Po Peus commune, the team met with 20 people who represented the commune council, community development committee, school directors, self-help groups, and Padek (Partnership for Development in Kampuchea) staff (See PADEK box). The team was briefed about farmers living conditions and the further need to meet the challenges they are facing today. Almost all farmers depend on rice cultivation, with an average 1.4 hectare of land per family and rice yield around 1.3 tonnes per hectare. Because of inadequate irrigation, farmers can grow only one crop per year and are challenged by flood and drought. With 10 years of support from Padek, several committees have been established, such as self-help groups, and villager development, forestry, health, conflict resolution, and midwife services. Self-help group were set up to provide financial lending support to their members. Members borrow money at one percent interest per month to use for businesses such as pig raising, farming, and so on. However, because of the lack of development in their communities some men travel to Thailand to sell their labor for fishing and construction work. And in each village, around 40 or 50 young women travel to Phnom Penh to work in garment factories. Because of the high numbers of people who move from the village to work, the commune council asks local NGOs to provide training on human and child trafficking. Before heading back to Phnom Penh, the team visited a community shop supported by Padek and owned by the comthe attitude among the young teenagers is extremely changed. Violent behavior has been much reduced. I am very proud of seeing this change. Keth Born munity in Po village, Kraing Svay commune. There are more than 300 products on sale in the shop, which was established to provide good quality goods at cheap prices to the community. However, the community still needs more capital to invest in the shop so that it will meet their needs and keep prices down. Po village also has organized a village health agent who works as a volunteer to provide basic health services, for example, telling pregnant women to check their health regularly, and disseminating information about vaccination and sanitation. See NEXT page

6 August 2006 The World Bank Newsletter 6 World Bank Team s Learning Trip to Eastern Provinces continued from page 5 Like other villages the World Bank visited, the main challenge for Po is the lack of irrigation. Nisha Agrawal said that everywhere she visited, one of the main problems was the absence of water resource management and irrigation. The recurring cycles of floods and draughts in these two provinces have Partnership for Development in Kampuchea Padek Prey Veng Padek the Partnership for Development in Kampuchea has been working in Prey Veng since Its objectives are to foster civil society organizations in four areas: Organizational building with the goal of managing and coordinating resources for the total development of their communities. Food security and income generation improving the food security and income in their communities, increasing the number of families able to meet their own basic needs, reducing the number of malnourished children under five, and the number of families short of food.. Education and culture to network with government and other organizations to educate their communities about the value of education for all, and to nurture non-oppressive culture. The goals are to increase participation of children in schooling, particularly girls in primary education, and to increase literacy. Health to network with government and other organizations to promote and implement health and sanitation awareness and practice for all. The goals are to increase the proportion of families having access to an assured source of clean water, reduce the mortality rate of children under five, and reduce maternal mortality. Larry Kao, owner of the Special Economic Zone near Bavet, outside the One-Stop office where 14 civil servants from five government departments expedite paperwork. led to extreme poverty and hardship for the people. But at the same time, I was also encouraged to see the changes that are beginning to happen at the grassroots level. In Svay Rieng province, for example, it was encouraging to see that local authorities have been working with CRS to put together a plan to fund irrigation in one of the districts. And NGOs like Youth Star, CRS, CEDAC and PADEK are doing very important work to improve livelihoods and build solidarity and selfconfidence among community groups. While this is a long-term process, some of the results are already visible and need to be built upon. It is encouraging to see the kinds of partnerships between local authorities, NGOs and community groups that I saw on this trip that are leading to slow but steady improvement in the lives of poor people in some of the poorest provinces in Cambodia. For more information contact: Mr. Bou Saroeun Communications Specialist sbou@worldbank.org The World Bank Office Cambodia 113, Norodom Blvd. Phnom Penh, Tel: (855 23) Fax (855 23) Khmer website: and English website: