Our Agricultural Training programme teaches the villagers better agricultural practices.  The aim is to maximize the potential of the land and water resources at their disposal to produce quality vegetables.  This project has proven to be very successful.  The villagers who have completed the programme are now growing an abundance of vegetables, enough for their families to eat and plenty left over to sell.  Vegetable sellers from markets in the larger villages and towns in the area are now seeking them out to buy their produce. The courses are run by a young Cambodian woman who is university educated in agriculture.  The majority of the participants are women (around 90%).

 

Once the villagers have completed the 12 week course they continue to come together as a group once a week to discuss agricultural issues and to participate in a community savings scheme.  The agriculture trainer, Ratha, also attends the weekly meeting and continues to do so until she thinks they are ready to carry on without her input.  Each participant is required to contribute a small amount of money to a central “kitty” each week (between 500 and 1,000 riel, which is about 12-25c).  Money can then be borrowed from the pool if and when needed for agricultural purposes at a very low interest rate.   Among other things, members borrow the money for buying seeds, tools, fertilizer or pigs, etc.  They can also borrow money, interest free, if someone in their family gets sick.  Previously, the threat of potential illness caused great worry and stress amongst all the participants.  Now they have peace of mind and a sense of security knowing that they can borrow their own money back from the savings team.

 

Group discussion at the meetings is broadened to cover not just agricultural issues but also a range of domestic and household issues (such as household budgets). 

After completion of the course each participant is rewarded with a simple drip feed irrigation system.  Without the drip feed irrigation systems they have to water their vegetable gardens by hand with watering cans – a very time consuming process which limits the amount of vegetables they can grow.