Remote Community Organizes, Gets Results
A remote community with very little in the way of infrastructure is now on its way to connecting to markets with training from local partner Occupation of Rural Economic Development and Agriculture (OREDA).
Before, people raised a few chickens or pigs and grew what they felt like growing. They often harvested the same thing at the same time, so received little for their troubles. Outside middlemen came to collect products, offering a different price each time. Villagers didn’t know how to plan for profitable crops. According to one farmer, “We didn’t even dare to eat our own vegetables because of all the chemical pesticides we used.”
After a quick assessment from OREDA in 2022, the villagers formed a producer group consisting of twenty households, with the idea of improving people’s livelihood and income through agriculture. This group received training in health and hygiene and in making and using natural fertilizers from simple, cheap, and effective ingredients. They made field visits to successful farms to see possibilities. They elected one of the group members as a leader to be a liaison with OREDA staff and to coach and train other members in new techniques demonstrated by OREDA.
Household financial literacy became a focus, and members established a savings group together. This group plays a significant role in improving or expanding members’ agriculture businesses by making low-interest loans available to each other.
After connecting with OREDA, the community now has a structure, and members plan their production to ensure the market is properly supplied without minimizing the price of their products. They’ve now developed direct connections between the producers and buyers, eliminating the middlemen.
“Following OREDA’s training, we now understand the effect of chemical pesticides on our health,” said Mr. Nob, group leader. “All our producer group members have reduced the amount of chemicals used in vegetable production to ensure that our products are safe for the consumers and for our own families. More buyers are searching for us, and in the future, we will improve our production plans, hoping eventually to have an agreement with a buyer/distributor from Phnom Penh.”
Cambodia South Program
Led by World Renew and Local Partner Occupation of Rural Economic Development and Agriculture (OREDA)