New settlers on concession land receive donations from Cambodian Red Cross

Aoral District (September 12, 2012) – Four hundred families who have recently moved to settle in on the new concession land officially granted by the government in June in Reaksmey Sameakki Commune, Aoral district of Kampong Speu province received today donations from the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC).

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H.E Madame Men Neary Sopheak, Deputy Secretary General of the CRC.
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Poor families to receive donation from CRC.
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Ms. Veth Rim poses after receiving donation.

It was an urgent action taken by the CRC in response to the call for assistance made by the landless and land-poor families who just started up their new lives on the new land, aiming to relieve their difficulties.

Speaking at the donation distribution ceremony, H.E Madame Men Neary Sopheak, Deputy Secretary General of the CRC, highly appreciated and deeply thanked Life With Dignity (LWD) and other partners for supporting the Social Land Concession (SLC) project of the government. She also thanked LWD for providing administrative support for the families to bring their challenges to the CRC.

Each family received 50,000 Riels ($12.50) and a kit of 5 cans of canned fish, 1 Sarong, 1 cotton scarf, 1 mosquito net, 1 warm coat, 30kg of milled rice, 5 packages of instant noodle, 2 rice plates, 2 small sauce bowls, and 1 plastic tent.

Ms. Veth Rim, 62, said that she was so happy to get the donation. She said it could help reduce her difficulties for some extent. Ms. Rim lives with her only son, aged 20. They settled in on the new land and built a small house months ago. As her land is still underbrush and she needs more time to clear, she cannot plant any crop yet. Within such circumstances, they have to allocate some times to sell their labor force in the village to subsist.

“Thanks to LWD for your support. And thanks to the Cambodian Red Cross for providing me with the donation,” she said.

LWD has been implementing the social land concession project since October 2008. The project was funded by the Japan Social Development Fund through the World Bank. The project cost US$1,483,603, excluding contributions from LWD. It covers two locations—Kampong Speu’s Aoral and Phnom Sruoch districts, and Kampong Chhnang’s Sameakki Meanchey district, which the official land allocation ceremony for 893 landless and land-poor families would be held later this year.

The total area of the concession land granted by the government in Aoral is 1,120 hectares. Each family got 1.5 hectare of agricultural land and a plot of land, sized 30m by 40m for residence.

For more information, please, contact Leak Ratna (Mr.), LWD Communication Coordinator | E-mail:ratna@lwd.org.kh | Phone: 012 819 121