Workshop of Case Studies of Development NGO Good Practices in Poverty Reduction in Manila, Philippines
Date: March 27-28, 2004

Mr Cheav Eng Seang, Deputy Director of SILAKA and Ms Chhim Sovanny, researcher joined an international roundtable discussion on Development NGO Good Practices in Poverty Reduction which was organized in Manila on March 27-28, 2004. The event was organized by Catholic Institute for International Relations (CIIR). CIIR was a UK based NGO involved in research and advocacy around the world. CIIR anchored the project through the South-East Asia Office supported by the Ateneo Center for Social Policy and Public Affairs (ACSPPA) in Manila, Philippines. ACSPPA was an academic based NGO involved in policy research and advocacy in South-East Asia and had a wide network of partners in the areas.

The discussion is designed to cull important learnings from the good practices of selected development NGOs on poverty reduction across the three countries of Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Indonesia and Philippines. Each country conducted 2 cases studies for presenting in the meeting.

SILAKA collaborated with CIIR to conduct two-case studies. The first case study was on the Integrated Community Development Program in Rattanakiri province in the North-East Cambodia, conducted by Mr. Ngek Sarin from Star Kampuchea, another researcher. The program was implemented and developed by CIDSE, Coopération Internationale pour le Développement de la Solidarité. The program was designed to facilitate capacity building; improve food security, health and sanitation; increase literacy and educational opportunities; enhance access to natural resources; and increase land tenure security of indigenous people. In achieving these objectives, the program had performed community organization and governance, agricultural training, small-scale irrigation, cow and pig banks, well construction, rice banks, health education, school construction and literacy education.

The second case conducted by Ms Chhim sovanny focused on the Improving Livelihood of Small Farmers in Prey Veng (ILFARM-PV) implemented by CEDAC, Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture. The project aimed to assist farmers to improve agricultural production and income through introduction of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and to improve social cooperation among local farmers and local stakeholders. The project provided farmers SRI method training; local network organizing; cows, pigs, ducks and chickens; wells and well construction and maintenance.

CIIR will publish the joint three countries report. SILAKA will publish the Cambodia report in Khmer language. Cambodia and Indonesia country studies are funded by DFID, the Department for International Development.