Takeo Province Slok Preykava District
Population: 189family, 904people (460 children)
85% of villagers are farmer
When we visited the village, the executives of the village such as village and district leaders, chairman of education, priest leader were waiting for us.
There was a new signboard at the gate of the village, children’s library, and photos of the projects that are supported by KOICA, the Korean NGO.
The meeting started with introduction by Ms.Rathana from Sna Dai Khmer, followed the introduction of all the participants.
After that we explained about the teaching of Dana, which is the basic principle of CEP activities. And then discussed and exchange the opinion each other.
About recognition of Dana, we explained that it is important to be done by pure altruistic mind from each individual person.
But according to villagers, they usually donate to the temple without any attention of how to use this donation and offerings, and pray for health and happiness of family, also may have a good life for this and next life.
They donate to express their respect for the priests.
It seemed there is a little bit difference between the both opinions, but we couldn’t explain the detail. Thus Ms.Rathana recommend us to explain with a Japanese fable.
We told them that originally there are two types of donation, one is a donation for monks and the other one is to the temple.
Donation for the temple, it is managed by villagers and use for village, and monks are not be able to touch this.
The villagers told us that they have three kinds of donation in the village, but none of these are use for village.
They have another system of collecting money along to the necessary for the expenses of village such as ceremony or event, and it seems that they have no idea to ask monks to contribute for villagers.
We also discussed about ‘Buddha Cooperative’ proposal, but they have been already operating the similar one called “Rusana Organization”.
This organization originated in Siem Reap, started by one Japanese contribution, and that idea spread to another community.
They started the organization with 140 families had joined, and managed as a rice bank at the beginning, and they have shifted to handle the cash gradually.
Now the members are nearly 200 families, almost all the villagers are join to the organization, and the budget get increased to $20,000, it seems managed very well.
They are running Micro finance using this budget as a capital.
They charged no interest to the loan for emergency case such as disease, education and funeral, and for loans to begin the individual small business they charged 2% of interest, and to payback within 3years. For a defaulter they charged 5% of interest, but at present all the members had paid off their debts and it has been well circulated.
And the 200 families are divided on 10groups, and each group have it’s own leader and manage the group, they said.
We’re really surprised by such facts that this village had realized to the ideal of the community.
Why they can realize the ideal? We didn’t have enough time to search the facts no more, but they said one of the reason why is that this village was only the one to be saved from Pol Pot persecution.
We’re much surprised of it again, and also very impressed that they’re taking over the traditional spirit of Khmer.
We didn’t have particular conclusion in that meeting, but they expressed the thanks for supporting from far place Japan, and we also showed our gratitude for giving the chance to have wonderful communication with them.
Then we finished the meeting by chanting a sutra with Khmer and Japanese each other.
After the welcome lunch by local food, we handed over the gifts of school material, and saw their class. And then communicated with volunteer teachers, watched the classical dance class and dance show, and saw some of the projects operating in the village.
There had operated the feeding pigs and fish as a pilot project with $1,000 supported by KOICA on 2015, and this project evaluated well and they got second prize of $20,000 fund for 2016.
There are running total 6 projects including feeding pigs (5family $200 each), feeding fish (10family $100 each), raising chicken and cow, rice, and textile this year.
If they get first prize, they can get $40,000 for next year, so they try hard to get first prize, they said.
Some of the fund rely on to the villager how to use it, so they’re planning to build a new kindergarten and 10,000m of road, and to cultivate cucumber on March, watermelon on May in 2017.
This KOICA project’s main objects are hygiene, income generating and training, also building public toilets, but their support will be end on March 2018.
About the projects of feeding pigs and fish, the villagers set up the new business loaned KOICA, and they must repay the 60% of income(1st year), 40%(2nd year) and 00%(3rd year).
Thus they stock and make the fund circulated after the project would finish.
These projects seems very efficient, but on the other hand they are regards the competition and the result as important, which is quite a westernized way.
And I asked that if some one doesn’t get increase the income, what can he do, then they said that they will take relief measure for him along to his motivation.
I thought it’s good for the villagers to encourage and motivate themselves to be improved.
During this discussion and inspection, we shoot the video and make interview to the teachers, communicated with the people as much as possible through the whole schedule.
Thus we spent a great and meaningful experience in that day.
