Battambang – Life With Dignity (LWD) presented its achievements of 2011 and development plan in 2012 at an annual partnership workshop held on February 29 – March 1, 2012 in Battambang town of Battambang province. The workshop also aimed to strengthen the cooperation and partnership between the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), line government agencies, related partner NGOs and local authorities at all levels.
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In his welcome remarks, Dr. Sam Inn, LWD Executive Director, expressed his deep thanks to the Royal Government of Cambodia, especially MRD, line government agencies and local authorities at all levels for strongly supporting the operation of LWD and providing an honest collaboration. Dr. Inn briefed the meeting about key achievements made by LWD in 2011 under its Integrated Rural Development through Empowerment Program with the strong support of all stakeholders.
He said LWD spent US$4.5 million for development work and emergency response in 2011. LWD supported the development work in 2011 in 342 villages of 44 communes in 9 districts in Battambang, Pursat, Kampong Chhnang, and Kampong Speu provinces. Of the total, 69 villages were strongly empowered and successfully graduated. Beyond development work in the same year, LWD also contributed to supporting the emergency response activity. It provided food, rice seeds and some household necessities worth US$ 338,024 for 3,220 displaced families in Preah Vihear and Banteay Meanchey provinces and 9,098 families affected by flood in Kampong Chhnang and Battambang provinces.
In order to accelerate the development work, Dr. Inn made three requests. First, he requested the Royal Government, especially the local authority to pay more attentions to solve land conflicts resulted from the social land concession project being implemented by LWD as soon as possible and in a peaceful way. Second, he requested that the Ministry/Departments of Agriculture, related agencies, forestry administration, and local authorities focused more on natural resources management, especially forestry resource through the support of community forestry. Third, he requested the Royal Government to continue providing more support for development partners to preparedness work and planning for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. For development plan 2012, LWD projected to spend US$ 4,332,513 and support 324 villages in 46 communes in the same targeted districts and provinces.
H.E Dr. Sao Chivoan, Secretary of State for MRD, said in his closing speech that the achievements of LWD in 2011 in all target provinces contributed to the construction and development of Cambodia and took part in implementing the rectangular strategy of the government in a positive manner. “We have seen that the livelihood improvements of the people in the target areas actively contributed to the economic growth of our country over the last year and reducing the poverty rate by one percent in average per year,” he said, adding that the poverty rate dropped from 30% in 2007 to 25.8% in 2010.
He added that MRD designed a strategic plan and many projects covering key sectors such as health, clean water supply and rural sanitation, construction and maintenance of rural infrastructure, and rural credit, etc. aiming to improve the livelihoods of the rural poor. In 2010, clean water supply in rural areas accounted for 40% and rural sanitation 23%. MRD set its target to increase the supply of clean water for rural people by 50% and sanitation by 30% in 2015, and by 100% for both sectors in 2025.
For more information, please contact:
LEAK Ratna (Mr.)
Communications Coordinator, LWD
E-mail: ratna@lwd.org.kh
Tel: 012 819 121