The Indigent Family Support Project is done in five rural districts of Siem Reap including Siem Reap, Chikraeng, Kralanh, Varin, and Svay Leu. This project is focused on poor families that have too many children and don’t have enough money to feed them all, ACODO will help them with materials to build the house, and also ACODO visits their houses in advance to see the truth of each family and supply them with: chickens, ducks, pigs, etc. and/or using things such as: water pumping machines, wells, seeds, etc. In addition, vulnerable groups and indigent families are given counselling assistance so that they are able to grow their own food and provide healthy meals to their families. The project focuses on the poor households headed by women / widows or parents who have passed away or died of AIDS. The Indigent Family Support Project assists them in finding a way out of the trap of poverty through providing them with life skills, vocational skills or agriculture materials including methodologies of theories and practices.
Indigent Family Support – ACODO’s first indigent family support project provides food and education to 12 families in villages near Siem Reap. Prior to this program, the families’ living conditions were too poor to be able to feed their families. Their children range from 6 to 17 years old, and most had never previously attended any school. ACODO built a centre to provide Khmer and English classes and Khmer traditional dancing. The centre also provides food to allow these children to give up working or begging. The classroom is a focal point for children to gain access to medical care, social and family support as well as fun activities. Focused on poor families that have too many children and don’t have enough money to feed them all, ACODO helps them with materials to build their house. Also, ACODO visits these houses in advance to get to know each family and supply them with: chickens, ducks, pigs, etc. and/or using things such as: water pumping machines, wells, seeds, etc. It is hoped that the project will expand rapidly to support and educate more children and indigent families once the funds are available. Volunteers – Assist with feeding the children, teaching English and supporting the local indigent families.
1. Community Development Works (For Indigent Family supports)
The community development works are divided in to 2 programmes: (1) – Vegetable Farming and (2) – Feeding fish, animals, etc. To ensure the operational system with the 2 programmes, ACODO is preparing the community to develop skills needed for both these programmes.
Two programmes will be set up for Community Development Works in an area which has several villages. Three people were named as the community development representatives in the community development structure having been selected by ACODO’s members. One is the Community Development Leader (CDL), the second is the Community Development Technician (CDT) and the third is the Community Development Supporter (CDS). The community component was responsible for making community development policies and procedures relating to vegetable farming and fish and animal feeding, etc programmes, to supervise and facilitate the indigent people and to implement guidelines of the indigent family support scheme.
The areas of service were in 100 Communes, 12 Districts in Siem Reap and 18 Communes, 4 Districts in Odor Mean Chey province (a new province should be developed). There are 898 villages, 100 communes, 12 districts in the Siem Reap province and 108 villages, 18 Communes and 4 districts in Odor Meanchey province. Most of the people grow rice, vegetable and feed animals to make a living. The main programmes of Indigent Family Support focus on the rehabilitation of the poor families with too many children (5-7 children). ACODO will take a few of these children from their families to feed and educate them in the orphanages.
ACODO has 3 Community Development Programme Officers (CDPOs), one is responsible for Project Planning, another is responsible for Key Technical Support, and the third one is responsible for Community Development Work. They are working closely with the community development representatives and they report to the Community Development Work Leaders (CDWL) in relation to their work. The community development representatives give incentives to promote and foster the smooth running of community development works.
2. Community Incomes Generating Programme
ACODO provides vegetable seeds, breeds of animals, fish, etc to the community members throughout its programme policies and procedures. The community members are to bind 4 to 5 people as a guidance group. This group ensures the workers are capable of carrying out their tasks before applying for Indigent Family Support and also ensures that the seeds and breeds are provided. Initial support is provided to the community members. For the first month only one programme of the two programme projects will be given, either vegetable farming or feeding animals. They will be trained in methods of growing and feeding, and given technical training every lesson until the end of each cycle. The provision of the programmes is focused on agriculture and farming.
72 families in the Siem Reap province will be provided with this programme by ACODO. One hundred and forty four families will take the ACODO supporting indigent family programmes of vegetable-gardening and animal or fish farming. There are 144 families taking this programme and they will go into business as fish-and-vegetable sellers at Siem Reap and Odor Meanchey markets and will also sell their products from home.
The results of these programmes are improved farming and business ability. Furthermore, these income generating activities have not only increased their financial resources, but are also able to satisfy their daily food and needs. Also their children are now able to go to school. Overall, the incomes generating programmes are reducing poverty in their communities.