Empowerment toward Self-reliance ProgramVillage: TakhievCommune: Ampil PramdeumDistrict: BavelProvince: Battambang

VILLAGE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

Concept Note

VDCs and CC visit the site for building the water gate. Photo taken on 05 November 2016.

VILLAGE DETAILS

1. Name and location of village: Takhiev village is located in Ampil Pramdeum commune, Bavel district, Battambang province. It is roughly 17 Km far from Bavel district center. The borders of Takhiev village are shown below:

The north is next to Buorun village, Ampil Pramdeum commune The east is next to Dong village, Ampil Pramdeum commune The south is next to Kob village, Ampil Pramdeum commune The west is next to Thmey village, Ampil Pramdeum commune

2. Village profile Total population: 1558 (879 females) Number of families: 287 (29 female headed households) Number of people with disabilities: 4 people Distance to nearest school: 500 meters Main source of income: rice planting Budget for activity: USD 4, 500 including USD 500 of community contribution.

The table below lists the Community Based Organizations that are actively working in the village to run development activities:

Committee or group name Number of members

Major activity

Village Development Committee (VDC)

7 (3 females) Facilitating and leading community to develop village development plan and send it to integrate into commune investment plan.

Mobilizing community resources and participating in implementing, monitoring and evaluating the village development activities.

Managing development process in the village.

Building the capacity of CBOs and partner households.

Coordinating and building networks with NGOs, INGO, government agencies, private sector, and charity for support the village development support, and capacity building.

Building the relationships with all stakeholders for village development activities.

Joining and participating in decision making and problem solving.

Village Bank committee 3 (2 females) Organizing and facilitating the meeting with village bank members.

Disbursing loans to village bank members and collecting it back.

Managing finances and bookkeeping of village bank.

Monitoring VB member and sharing the business concepts.

Coaching VB members on business plans and the implementation.

Coordinating and cooperating with all stakeholders as IFMs, Government, and charity for more support on loan and business concepts.

Women group 15 (15 females) Organizing the monthly meeting. Providing awareness to women

group members. Sharing the business concepts to

the members. Raising the women issues to the

village development plan and participating in problem solving.

Participating in village development activities.

Partner household group 57 Sharing and learning economic livelihood activities.

Mentoring members on human rights, development concepts, income generation activities, agriculture planting, chicken-raising, etc.

Facilitating group meetings and encourage the implementation of family development plans

Bringing the initiative to the village development work and raise their voices in decision making.

Road using committee 7 (3 females) Facilitating the meeting with community members concerning road maintenance in the village.

Conducting road usage monitoring in the village.

Mobilizing the local resources from community members to repair road when it damaged

Village Disaster 7 (3 females) Raising awareness to community

Management Group

(VDMG)

people concerning disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation concepts.

Participating in data collection during disaster events and develop HVCA and hazard map

Joining in village meeting to integrate issues of disaster and climate change adaptation into the village development plan and commune investment plan (CIP)

Working closely with VDC, VL in order to update information about disaster events and finding aid or other support for rescuing disaster victims.

3. Village Empowerment status: Level C

The status of a village describes the skills, assets, knowledge and capacities the members of the community have as a whole. LWD works with communities to help them become increasingly skilled, aware and able to establish and secure community infrastructure (road improvement, water supplies, village buildings etc.), household resources (livestock, fruit trees, latrines, safe drinking water etc.) and services (health care, education etc.) for the village to move “up” the empowerment levels. An important part of this process for communities is learning how to work together to plan, make decisions, monitor and reflect on development in effective ways that involve the whole community fairly.

There are three main stages:Empowerment stage: with four levels - A (Low), B (Improved), C (Advanced) and D (Empowered or Graduated).During this stage, LWD staff work intensively with the village and in cooperation with local government structures. Villages establish a Village Development Council and Village Bank and other Community Based Organisations. Capacity building occurs through training, meetings, exchange visits, workshop and support for physical resources.

Post-graduation stage: with four levels - Low Self-Management, Improved Self-Management, Advanced Self-Management, and Full Self-Management.LWD provides less direct support but still works to build the capacity of the VDC and Village Bank since these structures have a vital role in organizing and leading communities toward self-management for long term sustainable development. LWD also works with villages to support them in conducting an annual self-assessment to guide their continued development. VDCs and communities are motivated to search for external assistance and vertical networks such as other NGOs, Embassies,

Commune Council, other governmental institutions etc. to support their development activities.

Learning and Sharing stage: maintains informal low level relationships between LWD and villages as part of its ongoing development support and continuous learning of both LWD and the village.

4. History and current situation of village

Takhiev village is one among 15 villages in Ampil Pramdeum commune, Bavel district, Battambang province. 90% of people in the village are farmers. They plant rice, cassava, corn, and raise poultry (chicken and duck) and pig. The rest of them are workers. LWF/LWD has been working in this village since 2007 with many kind of achievements such as supporting road construction, village bank, rice bank, women group, and village development committee and building the capacity of those group committee and member. Etc.

However most of the farmers cannot supply the family needs with the agricultural products for a whole year because they get the less yield. This is because their agriculture activities depend on rainwater so that when there is not enough rain the crops were damaged. Some people decide to migrate to Khmer-Thailand border or to Thailand as a whole family to sell labor while others leave their children with grandparents at homes.

5. Project proposal

According to the need of community members in this village that need water for improving rice and other crops production. VDCs and community have raised the project of water gate

construction which have planned in the village development plan and commune investment plan 2017. VDCs have developed the concept note and submitted to LWD for requesting fund to construct this water gate with the size 6 meters x 4 meters x 3 meters.

In order to contribute with the project, VDCs have mobilized resources from their community members to complement to the fund requested.

LWD will provide the capacity building to VDCs who will implement this project. The capacity of VDCs will be built through orientation and training which focus on village partnership program, procurement process, financial management, report writing, monitoring and evaluation. Then the VDCs will run the project by themselves. They will form the procurement committee for conducting bidding process with the contractors. The monitoring committee also will be formed to monitor when the project started, they follow up contractor regularly to make sure that the construction of water gate will be built by follow the plan set in agreement. Finally, the evaluation committee will be formed to evaluate the project when it finished before providing final pay to the contractor.

6. Strategies for ensuring the success and sustainability of the project:

In order to ensuring the success and sustainability of the project, VDCs have some strategies as below,

VDCs conduct the meeting with community members about the construction of project.

VDCs will work closely with local authorities and other development partners. VDCs will be strengthened the capacity on project management, project

implementation, project monitoring, and evaluation by LWD staff. People are encouraged to participate in-cash, in-kind, and in-labors, they involve in all

stages of the project. All budget of project expended has to show transparency with people and donor. VDCs will establish water gate maintenance committee and The maintenance committee will raise fund from community members for

maintenance or repair water gate when it broken.

7. How this project will benefit the community

This project will benefit the community people in three ways. First, this water gate will provide water for the community supply rice field, growing crop, and raising poultry and animal both rainy and dry seasons. The community also use the water for household consumption. Second, the community will travel across the canal through this water gate. They could transport agricultural products to the market. Last, VDCs will gain knowledge and experience on leadership and management, and they will increase self-reliance and responsibility.

8. Project planning

2016 2017

July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March Apr May June

Training from LWD about how to apply for a VPP grant

x

Village Development committees (VDC) meets with villagers to make decision on project

x

Planning and writing proposal

x

Proposal approved by LWD

x

Village members contributes funds and/or their labour for project

x x

LWD staff visit village to support project and community

x

Project start implementing, follow up and end

x x x

Produce final report

and submit to LWD

x x

9. Message from the village:

Photo of village leaders in Kakhiev village (from left to right)

Village leaders: 1- Mrs. Nuk Silong (VDC)

2- Mr. Preng Proeung (VDC leader/ village leader)

3- Mrs. San Koeun (Deputy of VDC)

Our VDC members have a good cooperation with local authority and the community members work together to support village development activities. However, our village faces the challenges such as lacking of water to do agricultural work and poor road condition that it makes the communtiy to be difficult to travel on this bumpy road.

We do hope that when this project finished, the farmers will be able to use the water to grow crops. Furthermore, they will be easy to travel across the canal in praticularly transprot the agricultural products through this water gate. Besides, our VDC members will improve knowledge on leadership and management through implement this village partnership program.

10. Photos of village members and/or area the project is planned to take place

The location where will be constructed the water gate. Photo taken on 05 November 2016.

Preng Proeung, village leader, pointing the place where will be building the water gate on the village map. Photo taken on 07 February 2017.