AFSC - Cambodia
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| Photos: Jim Wasserman |
AFSC began working in Cambodia in 1979.
A decade of war and turmoil, including four years of the brutal
Khmer Rouge regime, had left millions of people dead. Agricultural
systems, physical and social infrastructure were in shambles.
Through the 1980s, when Cambodia was denied access to UN and western
development assistance, AFSC was one of a small group of western
NGOs working to help restore basic systems of government. AFSC
staff helped rebuild animal health services, including setting
up and training Cambodian staff to operate an animal vaccine laboratory.
AFSC built small irrigation structures in Kompong Chhnang and
Pursat provinces to increase food production. AFSC trained Cambodian
health workers to make and fit artificial limbs for amputees and
reconstructed teacher training schools. AFSC joined other NGOs
in urging normal relations on the part of western countries towards
Cambodia and a full UN role in providing development assistance.
Integrated Sustainable Livelihoods
The 1991 Peace Accords and 1993 elections brought
improved military security to the country along with an influx of
many western aid agencies. As a result, AFSC relocated its rural
development work to the Sre Ambel District of Koh Kong Province
in 1996. Although newly declared "secure", illegal logging
backed by armed men was rampant. The area was largely isolated with
virtually no assistance from the government or other agencies. There
is still little external aid to the region but Sre Ambel is now
facing rapid change. There is increased competition over natural
resources as a result of the development of a highway link to Thailand,
plans for export processing zones and a proposal to develop an international
port at the river town of Sre Ambel.
AFSC's goal in Cambodia is three-fold: 1) to
help communities gain legal and social recognition of their right
to manage the natural resources which they depend on for daily subsistence;
2) to provide access to improved agricultural techniques and alternative
livelihood activities so that communities are not forced to over-exploit
their resources and 3) to help communities organize for self-help
and for advocacy. The Integrated Sustainable Livelihoods Program
is guiding communities through the process of setting up officially
recognized Community Forestry and Fishery areas and linking these
community groups to newly emerging national networks. In addition,
ISLP promotes new rice seed varieties and improved agricultural
techniques, trains Village Livestock Agents in animal immunization
and health, and provides the starting capital for community-based
rice banks, microcredit projects, and animal banks.
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