Hand in Hand is a five-year community development initiative being undertaken by Bridges Across Borders with financial support from the Belgian foundation Friends of the Rainbow Schools and Knai Bang Chatt resort. This integrated community development project aims to bring about a sustainable improvement in the quality of life of villagers in the Phnom Voar area of Kep municipality, on the southern coast of Cambodia, focusing initially on the 2650 residents of Chamcar Bei village and paying closest attention to the poorest and most vulnerable villagers.

The Hand in Hand project is linked to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which aim to halve extreme poverty in the world by 2015. By working hand in hand with our Cambodian partners, we are confident that, together, we can achieve the ambitious UN goal of "making poverty history" one village at a time.

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Community Profile

Before Prince Sihanouk's regime in the 1960s, the Chamcar Bei area was covered with the thick jungle and large trees that covered the Phnom Voar mountain ranges, areas rarely accessed by people. According to one 70-year old man from the village, in the 1960s three Chinese families migrated to this area and cleared 3 plots of forest to plant peppercorn bushes. They named the village Chamcar Bei in reference to the three Chinese farms or chamcar cleared for growing pepper.

During the early 1970s, the area was heavily bombed by the United States and Lon Nol militaries, as it had became a zone controlled by the Khmer Rouge.  The heavily forested area once again became a primary Khmer Rouge base after the 1978 Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia and subsequent toppling of the Pol Pot regime.  It remained a Khmer Rouge stronghold until the early 1990s.  During that time the local area was heavily mined and saw fierce fighting between the Khmer Rouge and government forces.

In 1994 a ceasefire was reached and the Khmer Rouge began to defect to the side of the government. With fighting ceased, the government began the process of clearing mines, developing the area, and reintegrating the former Khmer Rouge into mainstream Cambodian society.  Chamcar Bei was the last village in the area to be created, as fighting had lasted longer here than in other areas.  Residential and agricultural land was divided amongst 100 Khmer Rouge families that had come down from the mountain to lay down their arms.  Food security for these families was virtually non-existent and risk of malaria was high due to the thick jungle that covered the area.  Humanitarian relief agencies had astrong presence in 1994, providing food to newly integrated families and combating malaria.  In order to support the reintegration process, NGOs, UN and government agencies became active in developing Chamcar Bei village.  The main focus was on building physical infrastructure such as schools, roads, water reservoirs, and health centers, and providing vocational training and literacy courses.

Ten years after the initial intervention from the government and NGOs, cases of malaria have declined and food security has improved, yet Chamcar Bei remains comparatively poor, with persistently high rates of illiteracy, unemployment and lack of food. Prior to the establishment of the Hand in Hand project, there was no community-based organization or functioning village development committee and much of the infrastructure that was constructed in the 1990s has been abandoned or fallen into disrepair.

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Community Vision

The vision of the residents of Chamcar Bei for their village, composed by 30 community representatives in September 2006, is:

Chamcar Bei is a peaceful village where all residents have a better standard of living.

Community Objectives

The four primary objectives of the Hand in Hand project, which were determined by community participants during the planning workshops, are:

1. Livelihoods improved: Create opportunities for village families to improve their living conditions through the establishment of cooperative and family micro-enterprises, community food security and natural resource conservation initiatives.
   
   
2. Education situation improved: Increase school attendance, particularly for girls; improve the quality of public school services; and establish a Community Learning Center and Demonstration Farm to provide adult vocational, agricultural and literacy training, and supplementary "after school" youth education.
   
   
3. Health situation improved: Provide required resources to the local public health centers and support community-managed primary and preventative health interventions that will bring about a general improvement in the health of village residents.
   
   
4. Sustainability ensured: Establish a strong, democratic community-based organization (CBO) with the capacity to plan, implement and monitor the development activities that are supported by the project. The CBO should continue to operate long after the project phases out, and it will serve as a community organizing model for neighboring communities.

Family Income and Food Security

The wealth ranking analysis conducted during the assessment concluded that around 70% of the community (388 families) is poor with around 10% deemed the poorest of the poor. These families have inadequate housing, no animals, no plantation, not enough food, debt, illness, and malnourished children. They tend to be illiterate and cannot obtain enough work to make ends meet. The livelihoods of the residents of Chamcar Bei depend largely on the subsistence farming of rice and other crops however these agricultural activities are made difficult due to a lack of proper irrigation, lack of training in agricultural techniques and lack of access to resources.

The Hand in Hand project is improving the livelihood potential of Chamcar Bei residents through a variety of community-led initiatives, including:

• Self Help Groups: Community-based savings groups have been formed amongst the poorest of the poor and their savings are regularly matched by the project each time they surpass a certain level.  The savings will be available to members of the group to borrow from for business initiatives at low rates set by Self Help Group.
  
  
• Micro-loans and small business training:  The project is providing small business skills training to village entrepreneurs and releasing micro-loans to them to establish their small businesses or cooperatives. Agriculture technical training: Training is aimed at updating traditional farming methods, improving soil conditions, increasing yields and decreasing reliance on harmful chemicals
  
  
• CLC demonstration farm: Land around Community Learning Center has been transformed into a demonstration farm to train farmers in agricultural techniques
  
  
• System of rice intensification: Families that we have introduced to this new method of rice cultivation have doubled their normal rice yield this year and their farms are serving as models for their neighbors to replicate.
  
  
• Bee Raising: Domesticated bee-raising is being piloted at the Community Learning Center demonstration farm, where local farmers are learning to raise bees and produce organic honey.  Eventually, a cooperative of honey producers will be formed and supported.
  
  
• Animal husbandry: “Pig Pass-On Program” supports families with few or no livestock by providing them with a female pig and basic training on how to raise it.  Each family selects two partner families and then, after mating, passes on two piglets. The process continues and expands exponentially throughout the region giving all families the opportunity to raise livestock.
  
  
• Vegetable growing/crop diversification: High quality seeds have been provided to producers and farmers after graduating from the agricultural training course and being introduced to cultivation of new crops.
  
  
• Irrigation system improvement: Improvements have been made to village water management infrastructure and we are working to build the capacity of the community water user group to maintain the infrastructure. A large village irrigation project is being planned to begin in early 2008.
  
  
• Vocational training:  English is currently being taught at the CLC to students seeking local jobs as English teachers.  Plans are underway to offer more vocational training programs, including handicraft production, cooking and food preparation, and computer skills.
  
  
• Silk production: Cambodia is currently meeting only around 40% of the demand for Khmer silk, a world renowned silk for its quality. A revival of raw silk production in the region, which was lost during the years of instability, including mulberry growing, silk worm rearing to dying is planned for 2008.
  
  
• Women’s weaving and sewing cooperatives: According to the results of a Women and Livelihoods Workshop facilitated by Bridges, the women from Chamcar Bei identified a number of obstacles they faced with generating income. These included lack of technical skills, start up capital, access to new markets, and childcare responsibilities. A plan has been formulated to develop a women’s skills training center which will include training in cooperative enterprise, creating new livelihood opportunities for women in the community. 
  
  
• Poor Family Dream Project: The project has conducted a three-day workshop on the Family Dream Project. The project aims to develop an in-depth understanding of the poorest families in the village, with a focus on their potential and their goals, using an appreciative inquiry approach.  These families will then be supported to develop and implement an action plan to achieve their realistic family goals within five years.  The Community Livelihoods Task Force will select fifty poor families to participate in this pilot project, which will be implemented by the Task Force with support from project staff
  

Read More about Livelihoods in Chamcar Bei from 2006 PLA Assessment

Health Situation

According to the outcome of our participatory pre-project assessment, around 60% of the target community was found to be in “poor health” and only around 10% in “good health”. With limited health services in the area, the Hand in Hand project is addressing some of the most basic health needs of villagers in Chamcar Bei.

Basic Health and Hygiene Trainings

Project staff and volunteers have conducted a number of basic health and hygiene workshops both with adults and children aimed at raising awareness about health and sanitation risks and building knowledge about measures that can be taken to improve general health and prevent illness. Health education topics have included prevention of mosquito and water-borne illnesses. The kindergarten and elementary level classes in the Community Learning Centre have all received oral hygiene training and each child has been provided with a toothbrush and toothpaste in an effort to address the significant dental health needs. Many of the children had never brushed their teeth before and because access to affordable dental care is out of the reach of most villagers, prevention is essential to avoid problems in the future.

Wells and Water Filters

A key contributing factor to poor health in Chamcar Bei is attributed to a lack of access to clean water. Bridges has constructed 10 wells in various locations throughout the village giving families access to a year round supply of fresh water. In November 2007, Bridges provided over 100 water filters to poor families in order to improve the quality of their drinking water. Water filter users are very pleased with the filters, which they report has reduced their expenditure on fuel for boiling water and has led to a noticeable improvement in their health.

Other Health Activities Include:

• Maternal Health Improvement: Plans are underway to implement a maternal health program in 2008, focusing on building the capacity of midwives and traditional birth attendants. 
  
  
• Latrine and Shower Instillation: Latrines and UV filtered showers and sinks have been installed at the Community Learning Centre, which are open for public use, and especially for students attending classes at the center.  Latrines will be constructed for individual families throughout the village in 2008-2010.
  
  
• Dengue Fever Prevention:  2007 witnessed the worst Dengue Fever outbreak in recent memory throughout Cambodia.  Bridges responded by providing support to the local Health Department to safely destroy dengue-carrying Tiger mosquito larvae in ponds and other standing water sources throughout the Pong Teuk commune.
  
  
• Support to Health Center: Through donations arising from our Volunteer Program, Bridges has provided medical supplies to the local health center. We are seeking medically trained volunteers in 2008 to help build the capacity of local health workers.
  
  
• Supporting Free Healthcare for Most Vulnerable Families: Working with community leaders, project staffs have identified the most vulnerable families in Pong Teuk commune (including Chamcar Bei).  Through financing obtained by the Ministry of Health, families identified as “most vulnerable” will receive a card that will give them access to free medical care at the local health center and public hospitals in Phnom Penh.

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Education Situation

According to our assessments during the planning phase of the Hand in Hand project, there are three main barriers to education in Chamcar Bei. Firstly, the schools in the area are inadequate, as they lack material and human resources and are difficult to access for many remote students. Secondly, the teachers are often absent and show little commitment due to the constraints they face as a consequence of low salaries. Finally, parents attach little value to education, in part due to the Khmer Rouge background of many families and a symptom of poverty.

Community Learning Center

Due to the limitations of the public schooling system, the Hand in Hand project has brought the Community Learning Center, formally constructed by UNESCO and donated to the project, back to full operating capacity. The center serves more than 300 students with supplementary education in English and Leadership and operates kindergarten classes that serve over 60 students. Plans are underway to offer a wider diversity of courses in 2008 and beyond.

Youth Empowerment and Leadership

The Hand in Hand project has launched a successful Youth Program that aims to empower youth through education, life skills and work experience. The Youth Team which now comprises of over 30 high school students, has recently completed their first course in Leadership In Action which culminated with a “Survivor Challenge” in which the students put into practice the skills they had learned in the classroom. Team work, effective leadership, respect and planning and budgeting skills were all developed under the overarching theme of exploring and breaking down traditional gender roles and stereotypes.

The Youth Team are using land behind the Community Leaning Center to grow saleable vegetables and raise pigs that they can use to generated funds to pay their high school fees.

Teacher Training and Salary Supplementation

The Hand in Hand project is committed to improving the standard of education in the target area through teacher training and salary supplementation of public school teachers. In collaboration with the Kep Department of Education the project conducted a five-day training workshop with 26 teachers from two primary schools, two community centers and the department of education in Kep. The main topics covered included child-centered learning, student friendly school concepts, classroom supervision and interactive teaching methodologies.

Scholarships and School Re-entry

In collaboration with Rotary International, the Hand in Hand project has provided bicycles and school supplies to 50 of the poorest students in Chamcar Bei with the aim of reducing drop out rates and supporting students to attend school regularly. One of the barriers to education identified by students was a lack of transportation to cover the long distances to school and limited access to school supplies.  

In 2007, the Hand in Hand project assisted 10 students who had dropped out to reenter school. 

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