• Society

Cambodia Wins Prize for Rural Poverty Project

• By Teng Yalirozy
• February 23, 2024 2:10 PM

PHNOM PENH – Cambodia has won a gender award in Rome for a project on poverty reduction and its contribution to gender equality in rural development in the Tonle Sap Basin. 

The country beat 177 countries to represent the Asia and Pacific region.

Starting in 2009, the Tonle Sap Poverty Reduction and Smallholder Development Project (TSSD) was scaled up with Additional Financing (AF) in 2018, spanning 270 communes in seven provinces. 

The project runs until July and has helped about 650,000 households, particularly smallholder farmers and women grappling with prolonged poverty.

It costs $66 million, of which $6 million is from the government, $50 million from the Asian Development Bank and the rest from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The IFAD Gender Award took place on Feb. 14-15 in Italy. Ny Kimsan, the project manager, said the project focuses on inclusive, sustainable and resilient poverty reduction, while it also works to enhance agricultural productivity and market access.

“The TSSD-AF project has prioritized the inclusion of women, particularly those

from smallholding farmers and trapped in poverty,” he said.

Morn Leakhena, board director of the Farmers Livelihood Improvement Association established​​​ under the project, said the project beneficiaries experience are experiencing improved living conditions, education for their children and business expansion.

“It was a great honor for me to be part of the team that represented women beneficiaries of the project in receiving the award,” she said.

Challenges and the goal

The project covers mainly the provinces along the Tonle Sap Basin, including Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Tboung Khmum and Prey Veng.

It centers on improving infrastructure such as rural roads and irrigation rehabilitation, building agriculture production with climate-resilience and strengthening project management.

Ta Puong canal rehabilitation subproject in Battambang province is finished. Photo_ ADB

According to the Social Monitoring Report of the project (July-December 2023), the project is on track with 131 out of 147 subprojects completed. The others are due to be completed in the first and second quarters of 2024. 

However, 12 out of 16 subprojects are delayed and may not be completed by the end of the project in five months.

Ny Kimsan, however, said the 16 projects, mostly canals for water channels for farmers, will be completed on time before the project is due to end. 

“It’s no worry that we cannot carry out the subprojects on time,” he said. “We delayed the work because we gave time to farmers to do the rice fields first as the rain was abundant. By March, all subprojects will be completed.

Since the implementation, Kimsan said the only challenges were making the report and resolving the social impact. To improve the road, for instance, some plots of the villagers’ land have to be taken, which may cause conflict.

However, all villagers volunteered to give up their fences built on the land or the lands for the working team. ADB will not allow any subprojects that affect the people’s land, he said.

The TSSD-AF project is implemented by the National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development Secretariat and the Ministry of Agriculture. 

Kimsan said the continuation of the project after the contract ends in July depends on the decision of the government and ADB, hoping more projects will be implemented for the benefit of the local people in rural areas.