European Fund for Micro-Projects Phase II

Purpose of Project

The European Fund for Micro-Projects contributed to poverty reduction in Cambodia by providing basic socio-economic rehabilitation in 24 communes in four former battlefield districts in the north-west province of Battambang, which borders Thailand. This was achieved by the implementation of micro-projects identified through participatory planning processes undertaken at the commune level. All implementation was achieved through harmonized structures put into place by the Royal Government of Cambodia’s decentralization and deconcentration programme, with UNDP providing core technical assistance and operational support.

Main Activities

• Build 81.375 km of laterite roads.
• Build 17 bridges.
• Build 128 culverts and one spillway.
• Drill 107 water wells.
• Build 10 schools.
• Build two training centres providing vocational education for adult women.
• Train 42 women heads of households on market-oriented business skills.

Key Results

• About 24,945 families in 24 communes in the four target districts benefit from the new roads, bridges and culverts, which facilitate access to farms, markets, schools, health centres and other services. Produce such as maize and cassava can be transported more quickly and cheaply.
• Road maintenance committees were established comprising 271 members, 14 percent of whom were women. The committee in Chrey Seima Commune placed controls on heavy trucks.
• Eight primary schools and two secondary schools were built, allowing classes to fall from 70 students to 50 in many schools and allowing teachers to give more attention to individual students.
• A school committee was established in each of the 10 new schools, and the 50 committee members were trained in school development and management. Some committees built fences and gardens and started local collections to cover maintenance costs.
• 107 wells of high technical quality were built, enabling families to stop carrying water from distant streams.
• A Water Management Committee, including Commune Councillors and village leaders, was established for each of the 107 wells. The committees comprised 537 members,
  38 percent of whom were women.
• Water committee members were trained in well maintenance and Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation and went on to train 2,113 villagers, 58 percent of whom were women. The clean drinking water is expected to lead to a reduction in water-borne diseases.
• Two district training centres were built and 42 women received four months of training in tailoring and hair-dressing. It is expected that their new skills will enable the women to find jobs or establish their own businesses locally, improving their economic situation and lessening pressure on them to migrate in search of work. Studies have shown that when a woman’s income rises, the whole family stands to benefit.

Background

Battambang Province, in the northwest of Cambodia, was one of a number of major sites chosen for repatriation of refugees under the UNHCR repatriation programme in 1992-1993. Of 370,000 people returning from refugee camps, about 117,000 were resettled in Battambang. Fighting continued in the districts bordering Thailand until 1998. Economic and social infrastructure was lacking or in poor condition. For example, under the Ministry of Rural Development’s national formula, there should be one well for every 25 families. However, in the four target districts, there were from 15 up to 150 households per well. Many families, including young girls, spent considerable time travelling more than one kilometer to collect water from streams. The people believed that the water in the streams was contaminated in the rainy season by chemical runoff from farms over the border in Thailand, and also claimed they caught diarrhea and typhoid from the stream water. In Phase 1 of the project, implemented by the European Commission from July 2004 to December 2005, potential micro-projects were identified in the four target districts: Kamrieng, PhnomPrik, Samlot and Sampov Loun. In Phase 2, the EC entered into a partnership with UNDP, and the project was implemented by the Provincial Rural Development Committee and its executive committee under the leadership of the Governor of Battambang Province. The investments were made using nationally adopted structures and systems that are supported by the National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development. In 2009, some US$80 million provided by 15 development partners was channelled through the these structures for 20 projects, one of which was the EFMP Phase II work. The systems included validation of the Phase I proposals and the determination of the exact locations of the projects through extensive consultations with beneficiaries and local leaders. Construction work was delayed by the dramatic rise in inflation from late 2007 to late 2008, especially in the cost of building materials. As of August 2008, the inflation rate was 22 percent, and the price of steel rose doubled to US$1,200 per tonne. Retendering, strict monitoring and a contribution of government funds enabled the project to be completed within an extended timeframe. The number of outputs was slightly reduced but the very high quality standards were maintained.