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On January 27,
40 original placement cattle were distributed to Heifer project
members from two Self-Help Groups (SHGs) after the groups were
formed in 2008 with the facilitation from Heifer project partner
Peace and Development Aid Organization (PDAO). The distribution
ceremony was held in Meanchork village, Krangleav commune, Bati
district, Takeo province. The 60 participants in the ceremony included project beneficiaries, village leaders, project partner staff, Krangleav Commune Council chief and members, the Bati District Governor, the Takeo Provincial Governor and representatives from Heifer Cambodia and the Provincial Department of Agriculture.
In his speech at the ceremony, Mr. Ho Bunyeth, Interim Country Director of Heifer Cambodia, introduced Heifer’s history, vision and mission to the guests. Heifer has provided livestock, seeds, agricultural equipment and trainings, guided by Heifer’s development principles of 12 Cornerstones, to poor families for using them as a tool to end hunger and poverty and at the same time, care for the earth through working together with the spirit of group values to achieve the goal in sustainable and holistic community development. Therefore, families who received cattle today had an obligation to take good care of this input which would produce offspring to be passed on to other needy families. With the value-based Passing on the Gift (POG), they would become a dignified donor, enhancing their self-esteem for sustainable development.
Responding to Heifer’s activities in the province, H.E. Srei Ben, the Takeo Provincial Governor, was fascinated with the project, saying that he was one of the witnesses in the ceremony to see progress of the project. Heifer’s development approach was one of rectangle strategies of the Royal Government of Cambodia in alleviating poverty through boosting the fields of agriculture, irrigation system, micro credit, loan for building infrastructure, and textile handicraft. “I will disseminate Heifer’s POG system to national level,” stated the governor. He also encouraged the project participants to help each other and work harder for family income by implementing sustainable integrated farming system and utilizing available local resources for this process of development.
PDAO, localized from HEKS – Swiss International Organization, a non-profit organization, gained partnership development from Heifer Cambodia in mid-2007 after receiving Heifer’s five package training on Values-Based Holistic Community Development (VBHCD) and experiencing the process of project partner selection. With the funds supported by Heifer, PDAO has implemented the projects in two provinces (Takeo and Kampot) by forming inclusively four SHGs with 80 families, mainly focusing on VBHCD, integrated farming system, animal husbandry, fish raising and home gardening to increase the SHG members’ income and food production in sustainable manner.
Before receiving the cattle, the SHG members received technical and non-technical trainings, especially, the Cornerstones training. Through the POG system, the project will expand its support to other farm families within the target communities. The project participants will commit to Heifer’s POG system to pass on not only the physical inputs they received at the same value, but also the knowledge and experiences they have to new members of the SHG.
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