J846N Rural Livelihood and Training

Cambodia, Southeast Asia

The Situation

Sovanapoom Care commenced working in Cambodia in 1997, and has partnered with GDG since 2005. Early projects (J22 and J522) addressed an immediate need for short-term care of children and youth with a focus on education and vocational training. In this new project J846N, Sovanapoom Care seeks to tackle rural poverty, a root cause of urban migration which puts children at risk.

Many rural families have a piece of land they farm in the wet season for one crop a year. By the time they buy seed, fertilizer and pesticides, they owe the rich man in the village. When flood or drought impacts that one annual crop they are forced to borrow again, and after a few years they have borrowed so much they can’t pay it back and their land is taken as payment. They then move to the city or to neighbouring countries in search of work, and that’s where their children are vulnerable to child labour, exploitation, and human trafficking.

The Objectives


  • providing an alternative income source with small-scale household aquaponic systems producing fish and vegetables for sale and home consumption.
  • participating families will be invited to attend a week long conference where they will be trained in business principles, aquaponics, and life skills.
  • A further 12 month audio learning program will initially be delivered to families on MP3 or cassette, and later through the project’s own radio station.

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