Program Overview
Once the basic needs of the community members have been met, through the Safe Water and Food Security Programs, the community can then strive to increase its standard of living. This is where the Income Generation Programs fit in. Sustainable Cambodia’s community development team has implemented various programs to help the villagers help themselves. These Income Generation Programs are designed to increase the villagers’ abilities to support themselves and their families through income-generating activities. The current Income Generation Programs include:
-
Animal Pass-On: Providing villagers with animals, whose offspring they ‘pass-on’ to other villagers
-
Sewing and Fair Trade: Offering would be drop out students the opportunity to master a useful trade
-
Vocational Training: Training community members in various income-generating activities The goal of these programs is to assist the community members to increase their potential to make money to support themselves and their families. With steady access to clean drinking water, sufficient nutritional food, and various income-generating ventures, a community is well on its way to becoming entirely self-reliant.
Animal Pass-On
Based on the successful Heifer International program, Sustainable Cambodia’s Animal Pass-On Program empowers villagers by increasing their ability to provide for themselves. The concept is simple. We provide villagers with a water buffalo, a cow, chickens or ducks. We also provide the villagers with training to ensure that the animals are taken care of in the most efficient way. This opportunity grants the villagers increased income and/or food security. When the animal(s) begin to breed, the villagers donate the first few offspring to other community members. When those animals begin to breed, their owners continue the process by donating a set amount of their offspring. Barring extenuating circumstances, this process should continue forever. Therefore, this pass-on technique is not only sustainable, but in fact expands over time.
Sewing and Fair Trade
The Sewing Program was established in order to offer students who would not be going to University and unemployed community women an opportunity to learn a vocation to support themselves and their families. The sewing class graduates are not only trained in sewing practices, but also in running a small business. This is accomplished through training programs including money management and marketing. The SC Sewing Program is currently managed by an SC sewing class graduate. Trainees are trained to make a variety of products such as purses, shoulder bags, scarves, pajamas, dress shirts, and Days For Girls kits (sanitation pads for women). Trainees learn best practices in creating high-quality products that can receive a good price at the market. Graduate sewing students gain valuable skills and have income-earning opportunities through self-employment or employment with another small business, as they will have experience with sewing, being involved in a small business, and marketing activities. The program sells sewing products in the United States as well as other countries. Currently, orders are made whenever they are received, but future plans include the creation of a stock from which orders can be taken which will allow for faster delivery time.
