Farmer Promoter of Kampong Trach District's Profile

1- Background:
Kakekor Phsor Phsay Bom Reu Sevakam Pakchek Tes Kaksekam Sruk Kampong Trach (Farmer Promoter of Kampong Trach District) is located in Kampong Trach I village, Kampong Trach Keut Commune, Kampong Trach District in the Kampot Province.
The commune based organization (CBO) has the members of 39 people, including 14 women, with come from 17 villages. This CBO was located in Kampong Trach Village of Kampot Province. The CBO’s objective is to improve food production and income through the following points:
• Collective buying and selling of paddy;
• Collective savings and the provision of credit services;
• Promoting agro ecological innovations;
• Communicating and negotiating the prices for local goods with local buyers;

2- Joining CSPPM:
Recognizing the need to build capacity, the CBO registered with Civil Society and Pro-Poor Markets (CSPPM) project in March 2009. Once the cooperation, CSPPM began providing supportive and ongoing technical training to help CBO became stronger and self-sustaining. Strengthened and improved the management and operations would contribute to CBO executive members becoming more effective at representing members and/citizens and influential in dealing with businessmen and local governments. More specifically, the CBO executive members could learn about the following:
• Facilitating the CBO to assess what is real needs of their members and priority of those needs;
• Training CBO on proposal writing;
• Facilitating the development of
• Training CBO executive members on CIP development process and how to participate and raise voice or advocate to stakeholders for putting more emphasize on natural resource management and community business as well;

Activities:
- Developed community by-laws which were recognized by District;
- Collective saved community funds for assistance in the community;
- Improved and promoted agricultural techniques to increase food security in the village;
- Successfully mobilized community resources for natural resource management;
- Conducted the collective buying and selling of paddy;

4- Small Grant implementation
With Supporting from CEDAC staff, the CBO developed and submitted a small grant proposal to CRS in April 2009. The proposal was approved and the CBO received a small grant of 1442 USD. The small grant was used to train CBO executives and members on participatory planning. The small grant was used to review the pre-works and produce the annual participation plan. Moreover, the training was discussed to set up the vision and mission of CBO.

In December 2009, the CBO developed and submitted another small grant to CRS and received a small grant of 1880 USD. Ensure that CBO are officially registered as “Agricultural Development Cooperative” and run the business smoothly, the small grant was used to build up the community based rice business and provide the training on the management and operations of rice business.


5- CBO’s Future Plans
Based on the 2009-2010 planning book, the CBO will pursue these main activities as following:
• Providing small business training for community;
• Collecting market information and provide it to the community;
• Organizing collective paddy selling and/or buying;
• Registering CBO as “Agricultural Development Cooperative at Ministry of agriculture;
• Promoting the collective saving;

CEDAC-Zone II Retreat

CEDAC Zone II Retreat,
17th-19th Feb, 2010

CEDAC-Zone II is the sub-zone of CEDAC and has been covering in the Kandal, Kampong Speu, Takeo and Kampot Provinces. In 2001, CEDAC started implementing development projects 11 villages in Tramkak District of Trakeo Province and in 2002 was expanded further 10 villages in Boseth District of Kampong Speu Province. Up to now, the CEDAC-zone II have been implementing in 750 villages, 110 communes and 20 districts of Takeo, Kampong Speu, Kandal and Kampot Provinces.

To totalize and reflect the annual of results and progress and define the next plan for 2010, zone II organized the 3-days retreat to Koh Kong Province. 1520 dollars for retreat expenditure was funded by LAAR/USAID and contributed by CEDAC institution and staffs; all the expenses were used for traveling, accommodation, solidarity food and meeting venue. The specific objectives were to increase the solidarity and cooperation among of staffs and to take the good time for reflection annual works and finding the new innovation to improve next year.

This retreat was held with the participation of 44 CEDAC staffs (XX women) on 17th-19th February 2010. The joy stories and funny performances were shared on traveling way; there were the impression and opinion on development also shared in pairs between the persons who seated nearby. Quick surveying about the living condition of fishermen and visiting mango were traveled to Koh Kape Commune that is the completely surrounded by water.

The annual reflection meeting, in second day, was held in fishing community hall and was facilitated by Mr Huot Dok, Zone II coordinator. The progress and challenges of projects, zone II and self-development were discussed in the meeting; there were the next planning both projects and staffs discussed on how do we do/thinks? How will you do when the project finish? In addition to the Zone II situation, Mr Bao Vuthy, member of CEDAC steering committee (CSC), highlighted the current projects and proposals that are developing for implementing in zone II; and he emphasized the main supporting activities to community such as: promoting agro ecological innovation, community business, social cohesion and credit services. Increased encouragement and commitment were taken by all staffs because they understand and know well what do they do next? How do they improve self-development to achieve their goal? and CEDAC’s goal go ahead.

In conclusion, all of staffs could learned the good progress and results of CEDAC-zone II and took the good lessons learned and experiences from both individual and project actions. More importantly, the staffs have increased cooperation and understanding well in each others.