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Current Projects

Integrated Women Empowerment Project Phase II (IWEP II)
This project is implemented in partnership with the Danish NGO ADDA (Agricultural Development Denmark Asia). The project, which is currently going through its second phase, (2009/2012) covers 5 districts and a total of 130 villages.

In 2010, READA was handed over the responsibility for the implementation of the Integrated Women Empowerment Phase II in 40 villages in 8 communes of Chikreng district, in Siem Reap Province. In 2011, 34 villages in 8 communes of Sonikoum district were handed over to READA.

The project’s objective is to reduce poverty by empowering poor rural women to succeed socially and economically in their home communities through focusing on the following three main goals:

• Building individual and social capital among women through supporting the growth of civil society organizations at local level (Self Help Groups- SHGs and Community Based Organizations - CBOs).
• Enabling women to increase their household incomes through improved agricultural technology and skills, and through improved ability to engage in business activities which add value to their agricultural products, or grasp market opportunities in the local economy
• Empowering women to take on leadership roles in the many social functions which together comprise local governance.

Establishments of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and formation of Self Help Groups had very positive impacts on the lives of IWEP I beneficiaries with significant increase of productivity, shift from subsistence production to a market orientation, reduction of use of pesticide and chemical fertilizer, solidarity in the community and  women’s increased confidence in taking on leadership roles.  Further work is needed to consolidate current successes and develop market access for beneficiaries.

Click here to visit ADDA’s website for further information on the IWEP project

Food Income Market (FIM)
Food Income Market (FIM) is a follow up of the previous Community Action for Community Rights (CACR) project which started in 2005. This project is funded by Concern Worldwide Cambodia as part of the overall Concern SILIC (Supporting Initiatives for Livelihoods Improvement in Cambodia) initiative currently implemented in 2 provinces.
READA implements FIM in 32 villages across 8 communes and 3 districts (Angkor Thom, Banteay Srei and Chikreng) in Siem Reap Province.

The project’s objective is to improve the livelihood security of rural communities through working towards community empowerment in society. Its approach takes into account the following principals:

• Target the poorest of the poor members of the community
• Improve livelihood security and resilience to natural and economic shocks
• Improve voice and participation of extreme poor
• Collaborate with local authorities (to increase their response to the needs of the poor)

The project combines activities which are improving the livelihood opportunities of the poorest (grant for livelihood activities, technical training and support for agricultural and small business activities, links to market, water infrastructure renovation such as wells and canals); improving the resilience to natural and economic shocks (group saving schemes, social protection schemes through cash for work and rice banks, food security through rice bank establishment, DRR) and improving the participation of the extreme poor and their collaboration with local authorities (starting with self help groups which receive advise and capacity building to later become recognized CBOs, encourage to liaise with local authorities and raise their needs).

So far the project has led to significant improvements in the beneficiaries’ livelihood security. We have also noticed good examples of confidence building amongst the poorest and achievements in liaising with local authorities resulting in a number of the community’s needs being met (road, culvert and canal construction, agriculture technical skill, food processing and grant supports for livelihood improvement, HIV/AIDS, equality and human right training etc. ). Furthermore improved access to water infrastructure through canal rehabilitation have drastically improved agricultural yields.  Further work is needed to strengthen and increase these progresses to ensure they are sustainable.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project (WASH)
First funded by Concern Worldwide Cambodia for a period of 6 months (July 210-December2010), this pilot project covered 5 villages in Chikreng district, Siem Reap Province and focused on improving access to safe water and sanitation together with awareness of Hygiene at community level. The project achieved many successes; we noticed a reduction of diseases which had a direct impact on people’s income. This project was therefore extended in 2011 to another 10 villages where it is now implemented in parallel with FIM. Furthermore, we are also implementing the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) activity; mobilizing the community to gather village resources to construct latrines for their families and stop open defecation.
 
Appropriate Way for Community Livelihood Improvement (AWCLI Project)
Appropriate Way for Community Livelihood Improvement (AWCLI Project) is funded by Lotus Relief Charitable Trust over a period of 3 years (2009-2011) and covers 6 villages in Banteay Srei and Chikreng Districts, Siem Reap province .

The project’s objective is to improve livelihood security of target communities through providing the appropriate technical skills in order to exit poverty without undermining nature resources. The main principals are:

- Improving community structure and savings through self help groups
- Improving food security and livelihood activity through distribution of grants, technical training
- Improving access to water
- Technical Training is focusing on environment friendly techniques. 

Monitoring is showing good results in improvement of the daily life of the beneficiaries. Many have now diversified activity and increased agricultural production thanks to the grants,  technical training and coaching provided.  The wells have also contributed to household income and agricultural activity during the dry season. More needs to be done to sustain, deepen and increase the achievements from the project especially in the area of links to markets and access to water and sanitation. We are therefore planning a second project phase after July 2012.

Rice Bank Project
In collaboration with our partner Lotus, who is assisting READA in promoting the Rice Bank project to 3rd party donors, we are establishing village Rice Banks more communities.

For poor subsistence farmers the annual rice harvest is not enough to meet the family through the year. This situation creates chronic food insecurity which in turns leads to migration, children malnutrition and debt.
The concept behind the Rice Bank is to provide the community with a capital of rice available for the villagers to borrow at low interest rate and pay back year after year in accordance to the rice harvest cycle.   The amount of rice which belongs to the community is stored in the village “rice store” and is managed by a rice bank committee (3 villagers) with the assistance of READA.  Villagers agree on an interest rate which is use to increase the capital of rice year after year, provide a small remuneration for the committee and a small social protection assistance for the most vulnerable members of the community.

The strength of this initiative is that it tackles food insecurity and its consequences whilst strengthening the community.

Click here to access Lotus’ website

Water & Sanitation Project
In collaboration with our partner Lotus, who is assisting READA in promoting the Water and Sanitation project to 3rd party donors, we are increasing the access to water and sanitation in the rural communities we work with.

30 years of civil war and conflicts have prevented infrastructures development. It is estimated that amongst Cambodia’s rural population:

• 44% of people do not have access to safe (and regular) water sources
• 82% do not have access to sanitation

In many of our communities, the lack of access to water (for household consumption and agriculture) and latrines is seriously impacting the health and development of the villagers, preventing them from escaping the poverty trap. This needs to work in parallel with other livelihood initiatives as the success of the latest depend on it.