Cambodia floodwaters yet to recede

October 19, 2011
ABC Radio Australia

Relief efforts are going on in Cambodia, where 17 provinces have seen flooding and 247 people have been killed due to the heavy monsoon rains.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane

Speaker: Lindsay Daines, Caritas Australia's Group Leader for Southeast Asia

Click here to listen to the audio program (Windows Media)

DAINES: In Cambodia, it's still raining. The biggest problem currently is that the flood waters are not receding as quickly as might be expected. But the floods do seem to have peaked. About seven-thousand families are being helped by us and there over 250 deaths in Cambodia, and it's affected a number of provinces along the Tonle Sap and then into the Mekong, so it's come down from the north to the south of the country.

COCHRANE: Tell us a bit more about some of those seven-thousand families that you're assisting, where are they and what sort of conditions are they living in?

DAINES: They're in Kampong Thom and Kampong Cham province, they're not living at home anymore really, a lot of them are in the shelters so the things that they lose of course are obviously things that you don't move when you go away from a flood which is heavy things, kitchen items, food. One of the biggest problems always with a flood is there's lots of water but it's not clean and getting people clean water and medical assistance is really important. The other thing of course is that agriculture land gets destroyed so that the Cambodian government's estimating about 190-thousand hectares of rice fields have been destroyed.

Church struggles to help flood victims

Flooding in Cambodia

Exceptional floods kill 200, wreck communications

October 14, 2011
ucanews.com reporter, Phnom Penh
Cambodia

As the worst floods in more than a decade sweep the country, the Church is struggling to deliver effective aid, even to its own community.

Caritas has been distributing food, drinking water and temporary shelters, bringing relief to 7,000 families in six provinces. Their effort went into action late last month and is continuing.

St Joseph Parish in Phnom Penh has been helping the cause since early October, collecting donations and providing staples such as rice, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar to 500 affected families along the Mekong River.

Cambodian NGOs fear law will tie their hands

A service provided by a Catholic NGO in Cambodia

January 11, 2011
By Khan Sophirom, Phnom Penh
UCANews.com

Aid workers fear that a draft law to “regulate” NGOs in Cambodia is an attempt to control community organizations but Catholic groups will not be affected, says a local Church worker.

The law may affect NGOs working on sensitive issues such as human rights and may inconvenience some small village-based NGOs, according to Rene Ayala Moreira, assistant director of New Humanity, a Catholic-based NGO.

“But I think Catholic Church activities will not be affected,” Moreira told ucanews.com following a Jan. 10 consultation hosted by the interior ministry with representatives of around 400 local and international NGOs.

The meeting was to seek the views of NGOs on the draft law made public in December.

Cambodians see growth in organic vegetables

August 26, 2010
By Phat Samphy, Kandal Stueng
UCANews.com

A project to encourage villagers to grow their own organic food supply and increase their family income, has been a huge success, Caritas Cambodia says.

“Global warming is causing problems in agricultural production in many areas … Planting vegetables in their gardens provides food security,” said Chai Meng, Caritas’ community empowerment program manager in Kandal province.

The social service arm of the local Catholic Church launched its Home Vegetable Garden project at the start of this year in Kandal Stueng, south of the capital.

So far 19 families are involved in the program, in which Caritas provides technical and financial support, Meng said. Each family’s vegetable plot can measure up to 100 square meters, depending on the amount of land they have. “Many kinds of vegetables such as wax melon, long beans and cabbage are being grown,” Meng said.

Not only can they eat what they grow, they are boosting their income by selling the produce as well, he said. “Their produce is sold in villages and some markets in Phnom Penh and many people are buying them.”

Caritas advises on the proper seeds to use and provides each family with US$25 – US$50 with which to start their vegetable garden.

“We encourage the use of organic fertilizers like compost and natural insecticides,” said Chab Rosekdey, a Caritas official.

“My family’s living standards have improved so much. We have organic vegetables to eat, which do not damage our health,” said Klot Sareth, a 35-year-old villager.

The program has also seen a fewer people migrating to Phnom Penh to look for work, which reduces the risk of human trafficking, Meng said.

Caritas is now planning to help villagers expand the production of organic vegetables on a more commercial scale, he said.

Caritas marks 20 years of service in Cambodia

A Caritas worker in Cambodia distributing food aid. Caritas is currently celebrating its 20th year in Cambodia.

June 17, 2010
Source: Ucanews.com

Caritas Cambodia will spend US$16 million over the next five years to help develop communities in the country, its executive director said yesterday while celebrating the agency’s 20th anniversary.

The Catholic Church’s social service arm will continue its work in the community and in disaster relief programs as well as rights-based approaches to gender equality and justice that it has launched over the past two decades, said Kim Ratana.

Ratana addressed 500 people including government officials, Caritas staff and villagers at the June 15 ceremony. Participants, Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, guest of honor at the event, praised Caritas for its work.

The government is grateful to Caritas for its efforts to reduce poverty in the country, with its projects to develop agriculture, education and health care, said An.

Nheuk Savon, a 49-year-old farmer from Siem Reap province, said Caritas has been present in his village since 2002. “We received support to plant rice, rear chickens and grow vegetables. Our living standard has improved,” he said.

“Caritas created … community empowerment programs to encourage poor people to earn a living,” said Monsignor Enrique Figaredo, chairperson of Caritas Cambodia.

“As a result, they have the ability to develop themselves by making products,” said the Jesuit priest who is also apostolic prefect of Battambang.

In 1972, the Catholic Church in Cambodia launched an aid commission to help war victims. This commission took on the name of Caritas Cambodia.

It stopped functioning in April 1975 when the Khmer Rouge took control of the country.

On March 22, 1990, Bishop Emile Destombes, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh , re-established Caritas Cambodia with the help of Caritas Internationalis and Caritas France and in cooperation with the Cambodian government.

Caritas helps Cambodia tackle climate change

Caritas is working with people in Cambodia to raise awareness of climate change (Photo by Michael Coyne)

June 2, 2010
By Khan Sophirom, Phnom Penh
UCANews.com

Caritas Cambodia is working with local people to raise awareness of climate change as well as hold training on disaster prevention, says its disaster management officer.

“Climate change is a collective challenge so we all have to join our hands together to deal with it,” said Sok Sakhan.

“We are currently working with local people regardless of religion background,” aided by funding from the Catholic bishops’ conference, he said.

Sakhan was speaking on the sidelines of a June 1 seminar in Phnom Penh jointly organized by Caritas, the Ministry of the Environment, and NGOs such as UNDP, Oxfam and UNESCO.

Climate change is an urgent issue faced by the world, so strategies to address this and education for sustainable development are important issues for Cambodians, Ou Sunvann, from the environment ministry, said at the event.

“Cambodia is one of the least developed countries and most vulnerable to the negative impact of climate change.”

Sunvann thanked Caritas, a member of the Climate Change Network comprising 45 NGOs, and the other organizers for helping to host the seminar.

About 100 people, including environmentalist, members of government institutions, NGOs and benefactors attended the seminar aimed at discussing strategies to deal with climate change.

“Climate change hampers Cambodia’s development efforts and will increase the vulnerability of the poor, especially local farmers, if there is no clear adaptation plan,” said Chhith Sam Ath, executive director of The NGO Forum on Cambodia.

Cambodia suffers from frequent flooding, droughts and cyclones.

CAMBODIA - Poor youths acquire skills at Caritas center

Saray Phirum (left) shows a painting done by a student from the center

March 25, 2010

TAKDOL, Cambodia (UCAN) – Cheng Theavin did not think he would be able to acquire a vocational skill as his parents could not afford to pay for anything beyond basic schooling.

However, thanks to the Youth Development Program of Caritas Cambodia, the 20-year-old is now studying art.

“I study without paying any fee,” he beamed. “Now I am acquiring a skill and I feel like any other student.”

Although only in the first year of his course at Caritas’ Vocational Training Center, he is already earning some money for his family by selling his artworks.

The center in Takdol village, Kandal province, has been providing such educational opportunities to poor youths for the past 18 years.

The students, aged 17-25, can enroll in the center if they have grade nine education and come from poor families, if they are handicapped or been trafficked.

In addition to art, the center also teaches computer, accounting, administration and community development skills. All courses last for two years.

Youth Development Program coordinator Saray Phirum said that the center not only teaches livelihood skills, it also “promotes human development and leadership.”

On March 18, the center held its 18th graduation ceremony for 128 students, 39 of whom were young women.

Instilling a love for learning

One of them, Kea Rum, 20, said, “I really appreciate this school. It provided me with a good skill and also helped me to find a job.”

Rum studied community development and now has a job at Norton University in Phnom Penh.

The Caritas center also has a hostel that provides accommodation and meals for 50 students from distant provinces.

One of the residents, Vann Den, 21, said: “We live like siblings. When we have a problem, we help each other and if we have something to eat, we share with each other too.”

He noted that the youth program also has a credit scheme to assist students who want to start their own businesses after graduation.

Caritas Cambodia director Monsignor Enrique Figaredo, apostolic prefect of Battambang, said at the March 18 ceremony that the center strives to instill a love for learning among young people.

When youths are given the opportunity to develop, society also benefits, he said.

Puun Paan, an official from the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, said the Caritas program is in line with the government’ strategy in developing the country’s human resources. “So we appreciate and continue to support” the Church agency, he said.

Since opening in 1992, a total of 1,842 students have graduated from the center. According to Phirum, most have found employment or are self-employed.

[Caritas Cambodia] Rice bank helps poor families

May 29 2009
UCAN

KANDAL, Cambodia : Caritas Cambodia is seeing positive results four years after establishing its rice bank program to help poor rural families.

In Lavear Em and Kandal Steung districts in Kandal province, for instance, the program has significantly benefited impoverished households, says Chhay Meng, Caritas Cambodia's program manager in this province.

The program here is just one of the many rice bank schemes that Caritas is involved in across the country. Caritas is the Catholic Church's social service agency.

"Confronted by immense poverty and suffering, our most fundamental response has been supporting marginalized communities by sharing resources, supplying seeds for farmers, increasing their output and supplies, and helping to reduce their dependence on high interest loans," he said.

Meng said that Caritas has managed to help six communes and 13 villages in the province, directly benefiting up to 250 of the poorest families.

The good thing about the program, he said, is that although Caritas is the principle sponsor, it is the local people who are mainly responsible for the day-to-day running of the rice bank.

Farmers contribute 20 kilograms of rice to the bank on joining the scheme.

Participants wishing to borrow rice to feed their families will have to pay 20 percent interest on what they borrow. However, the interest rate goes up to 50 percent on rice seed for planting, which they pay back at harvest time. If they default on a repayment, then it can affect their ability to borrow in the future.

The scheme also allows farmers to save rice, said Meng.

Rice bank officials are elected by rice bank members in the villages and staff from Caritas Cambodia. There are three main officials per district: director, deputy-director, and cashier.

According to Yem Nuon, 54, cashier in Kandal's Stueng district, Caritas Cambodia in 2005 provided 250 kilograms of rice to poor families in her district. Since then the rice bank has grown significantly so that there is now a reserve of about three tons.

"I'm very thankful to Caritas Cambodia for assisting the poor families in our village," she said "If our crops fail, we can borrow seed from the bank. If we borrow from other sources, we have to pay double the interest (almost 100 percent)," she said.

Hem Pring, 60, director of the rice bank in the same village, said her village has 26 families already registered as members of the program and 56 other people are about to join. "The members are living better lives now," she added.