The Samrong Tong community programme
Samrong Tong is in Kampong Speu province of Cambodia. The
programme reaches 88 villages, with a total population of 45,000.
World Vision's partnership with the Samrong Tong community started
in 1997 and will continue until the end of September 2012, as the
community is now almost fully equipped with the resources and
skills to take ownership of its own development. In the past year,
progress was made in the final focus areas of health and nutrition,
and community mobilisation.
Issues covered: Community
mobilisation, health and nutrition
Updates on World Vision's work
Health and nutrition
- 180 community midwives and village health support group members
received additional training in postnatal care and nutrition,
allowing them to provide significantly better care to women and
newborn children.
- To improve children's nutrition and health, 2460
mothers/caregivers attended education sessions on nutrition and the
importance of breastfeeding, while 1550 were supported with
nutritional supplements.
Community mobilisation
- The Samrong Tong community has established a credit equity fund
to help people save, start small businesses, and support the most
vulnerable. For example, in the past year, a number of families
living with HIV and AIDS were assisted with bags of rice to improve
their nutrition.
- To improve community ownership, World Vision has been working
alongside 12 central development committees to increase the impact
of rice banks, grain banks, cow banks and village cash banks by
strengthening leadership and management skills.
The Samrong Tong community is in the sixteenth year of its
development journey with World Vision.
Life on
the ground in Samrong Tong
World Vision brings hope
Vuthy, 41, is now living a life of hope,
despite HIV and AIDS.
World Vision and the Samrong Tong community work loosely
together to help the most vulnerable people. One of these community
members is Vuthy, 41, a widower, who is living with HIV and AIDS.
Since Vuthy was diagnosed as HIV-positive, life became a struggle.
World Vision community health workers started assisting the family,
by helping Vuthy to embark on income-generating projects, providing
him with emotional and healthcare, and making sure the children
were well. Says Vuthy: "I have changed a lot since World Vision's
programme came into my life. I was invited by World Vision to
attend training sessions about health, HIV and AIDS, raising
chickens, and taking proper care of my children. I now also take
good care of my health. I have built a big chicken coop behind my
house. My seven hens produce eggs and chicks which I sell, and I
earn enough money to buy food for the whole family. I have also
become the leader of a self-help savings group. World Vision staff
keep encouraging us, and the training I have received is helping us
so much. There is no more discrimination against me and my family.
I no longer feel I have a death sentence hanging over me. I love
all my children and I hope they will have a bright future."
Cambodia at a glance
Cambodia is slowly recovering from devastation caused by the
Khmer Rouge and civil war. An estimated six million undetonated
landmines still dot the countryside, covering land that could be
used for agriculture and causing hundreds of injuries and deaths
every year.
World Vision staff keep encouraging us, and the training I
have received is helping us so much. There is no more
discrimination against me and my family. I no longer feel I have a
death sentence hanging over me. I love all my children and I hope
they will have a bright future.
- Vuthy, 41, a Samrong Tong community member
living with HIV and AIDS