The Community Development program is bringing new hope to farmers in rural Cambodia, through sustainable training and support networks that are empowering individuals to build a stronger future for their community.
In Cambodia, 90 per cent of people living in poverty live in rural areas. Many of these families depend on agriculture for their livelihood, but conditions are difficult and two thirds of the country’s rural families face food shortages each year. Small-scale farmers face challenges such as lack of water in the dry season, infertile lands, and poor market prices for their produce. Specifically, the traditional rice farming techniques are time intensive, and require lots of water, which farmers must pay for. Many farmers also spend money purchasing expensive chemical fertilisers, which is the only way they know of preventing weeds and insects. These challenges have driven more and more people, especially young people, to leave rural villages in search of work in cities or in other countries. Many of the rural families are desperately in need of income, and don’t see any future in agriculture. In the rural Cambodian village of Keov Mony, Jesuit Mission is supporting our partner the Karuna Battambang Organisation (KBO) which is changing the lives of rural small-scale farmers. Through their Community Development program, the KBO is bringing together almost 650 rural farmers in Cambodia and equipping them with sustainable agricultural techniques and skills to sell their produce. The program works by establishing small, local self-help co-operatives. These co-ops include around 23 member farmers and one team leader. Each co-op receives $250 to begin sustainable farming activities and set up a savings plan that will help their operations continue to run smoothly. The co-op might use these savings to purchase items like new farm kits, buy new breeds of chickens or respond to damaging events like flooding. To ensure success, KBO provides co-op members with skills training, which includes learning how to sustainably raise livestock, farm vegetables and implement a system of growing rice called SRI (System of Rice Intensification) that uses fewer seeds, less water and no chemicals. KBO also promotes direct access to markets that helps farmers receive fair prices for their crops. The team leader manages the savings plan for their community, distributing seeds and lending money for villagers to start rice plantations and for livestock farming. They also manage the sale of the group’s harvest to local shops and markets and deposits the earnings back into the co-op’s savings plan."Farmers are getting harvests up to three times more than they’d previously experienced. It is a very special experience for them."
Mrs Neang’s Story
Mrs Neang is one such person who has been supported by your generosity.
Mrs Neang, a 37-year-old mother with two sons and three daughters who joined the program in Banteay Meanchey Province in 2020.
"At first, I didn’t believe that the SRI could bring a good harvest, but I tried it out in 2020 and the harvest was unexpected."
Before joining the SRI project, Mrs Neang was a construction worker and helped her husband with chemical rice farming activities, which proved to be very expensive and left their family in debt.
Now debt free, Mrs Neang welcomes an exciting future for her and her family.
"My heartfelt appreciation to the donors and KBO staff for their support and generous advice during this challenging situation."
In order to provide her children with a better education, Mrs Neang will expand her activities to include chicken and pig rearing, whilst her husband continues to work as a construction worker to earn additional income for the family.
Click here to try out a local rice recipe.
"My family’s lives are better than before, please continue to support us and other families to live in better conditions."
