Community Management Trainings for Government Officials and Journalists

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

The Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC) provided trainings on Community Management and Capacity Building for Self-Reliant and Sustainable Poverty Alleviations for communal council members, teachers, government officers, farmer representative communities, framers, local NGOs, and relevant stakeholders nationwide in Cambodia. The courses are under the financial support from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) and European Community.

Dr. Yang Saing Koma, President of CEDAC, said that since the project began in March 2007, a total of 130 students (41 females representing 31 percent) have graduated from the Community Management Courses throughout the country. He added that FNF and CEDAC have implemented a three-year project from 2007-2009 on “Community Management and Capacity Building for Self-Reliant and Sustainable Poverty Alleviations” in Cambodia, funded by European Commission.

“The goal of the project is to contribute to the poverty alleviation through building capacity and knowledge in managing community to the communal council members, teachers, government officers, farmer representatives, framers, local NGOs, and relevant stakeholders in Cambodia,” Dr. Yang said while handing over certificates of Community Management Work in Phnom Penh on December 15.
.
Khem Sophanna, FNF Program Manager in Cambodia, said that the Community Management Course is a self-learning system which was originally established in Australia to provide learning opportunity for disadvantaged rural areas in the fields of office management, project management, and general management. He added that the course is provided free of charge to 521 students (33 percent females), who are commune council members, teachers, government officers, farmers, and students who lack access to educational opportunity.

The course undertook in the English language in 2007 but has been conducted in Khmer language since 2008.

However, Dr. Yang Saing Koma said that another component of the project, Capacity Building, has successfully organized 79 workshops (40 development dialogues and 39 teacher forums) on best-practice experiences relating to personal development, in creating self-help saving group, empowering women in participatory approaches, System of Rice Intensification (SRI), growing organic rice, conducting ecological animals husbandries, and making multi-purposes home garden.

Dr. Saing Koma said that the 10 target areas are Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Siem Reap, Takeo, Kampot, Prey Veng, and Svay Rieng provinces. He added that there are 4,978 participants, of whom 1,276 were female with 25.63 percent. They are district deputy governors, district educational bureau representatives, commune chief, council members, village chief, farmer associations, farmers, teachers, students, other NGO representatives and also facilitator and organizer team members.

Besides training the farmers and government’s officials, Dr. Saing Koma said his organization has also conducted two workshops for local journalists in the first workshop titled “Role of Journalism in Rural Development” held on July 8-19 in Kampong Speu province with the participation about 40 reporters from different printed media, televisions and radio. The second workshop titled “Samchol Improves Quality of Life” was held on December 12-13, 2009 in Sihanouk province with about 40 journalists participating.

To promote Cambodian journalists’ capacity building on Agricultural Skills and Self-Reliant and Sustainable Poverty Alleviations in Cambodia, CEDAC will continue to conduct more training for in the future. ///

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Laotian gets life for drug trafficking

Sorn Elit, the Tallest Cambodian Taekwando Champion

Chan Tra: Life of a Cambodian Traditional Tattoo Artist