Mrs. Duch Malin is a commune chief of Yeang, Puok district, Siemreap province. She is the only woman among 6 other men in the council. She said that right after she took over the commune office, she often thought of resigning because all male commune councils gave her a hard time. By attending WFP' s training and forum, she gained her confidence andher capacity has been improved. Before the forum, Malin did not focus on HIV/AIDS, but after the training on Poverty reduction and HIV/AIDS and the forum of female commune councils, organized by WFP, Malin started to have her heart set out to help the people and family with HIV/AIDS. A lot of men in her commune migrated to Thailand for work, therefore, she spend time with their family informing them about the diseases and other alternative work. Most people went to her for help and she brought them for blood test and paid for their transportation cost. Among 31 people brought in for blood test, 14 were positive, 8 were women. Malin was recognized by the people of her love and care, so they give her a nick name "Mother of AIDS Program ". Malin' s hard work was recognized and selected as one of KHANA' s target commune working under direct supervision of SCC, a branch organization of KHANA. SCC help Malin' s commune to set up different group of volunteer to bring people for blood test by providing them with transportation cost, monthly rice donation to patient with HIV/AIDS, poor family and orphans. Malin said that she will incorporate this issue in the next commune planning.
Case study A2:
Ms. Ung Pho was elected as commune council member of Basak commune, Svay Chrum district Svay Rieng province. She is the only female councilor among 6 other men in the commune. Ms. Pho lived in a poor family. She was never sent to school since she was a child. She is illiterate with very popular with the people. After attending the forum 4 times and with her popularity, the chief of her commune assigned her to be responsible in the conflict resolution committee. Two months, a project on building 8,000 meters was approved, however, the people who live along the road refused to donate the land needed to expend the road and also in cutting down their fruit trees. Ms. Pho was assigned to lobby those people who live along the road to cooperate, only one family strongly refused to cooperate and accused the commune for forcing that family to agree. Ms. Pho said that from the experiences and strategies learned from the forum, she was able to facilitate the issue and finally get the family approval to sign the contract for the commune to perform their road construction. In her case, it proved that it is not necessary for people to be literate in order to solve the problem.
Mrs. Ung Pho
Case Study A3:
Mrs. Yong Samon
Mrs. Yon Samon was elected as 1st deputy chief of Cheng Meanchey commune, Banand District, Battambang province. She is the only woman among 6 other men in the commune. As a young woman who has just been married a few months ago, and fewer experiences in community work, she was under estimated by other male commune councils at time that she first got into the office. By attending different forums organized by Women For Prosperity to meet and exchange of experiences with other female councilors as well as learning about CMDGs on Poverty Reduction and HIV/AIDS, her vision in helping to develop her commune became more clearer. She never stop thinking to find ways to help the people living in her commune. She discussed with other members of the council the need for school building, land that full of mine, lack of employment during off season, health issue etc.. All male councilors always agree with her ideas and said that they support any action she would want to take up. With the strategies and skills learned from different forums, she shared with other council members and then took the lead in taking up on the project one by one. Looking at the commune plan for school building, she contacted World Vision International and presented the plan, she received support for 2 school buildings. With land mine issue, she contacted CMAC and received successful support to clear the land mine. To help the people with income generation, she contacted HEKS organization to give small credit loan and training on agriculture to the villagers. At the same time, an organization called " KunTor" was involved in giving literacy training to the villagers. To prevent the men from leaving home to look for job elsewhere during off season, she contacted World Food Program to give out rice in return for labor to build a small dam to store the water for the villagers to use during dry season. She said that this strategies not only help the people to have water, it also help prevent HIV/AIDS to the home. She said that after learning on CMDGs and disseminate the information to the villagers, especially on HIV/AIDS, a lot of women in her commune went in for blood test. It was sad to find out that out of 15 women that went in for blood test, 3 were positive. Mrs. Samon has changed her appearance and is well known and well recognized of her ability and commitment by the villagers as well as the male commune council members.
Case Study A4:
Ms. Heng Kim is 51 years old with 5 children. There are 11 members, among them 4 are female in Beung Kok commune, Kompong Cham district. Since she was elected to the office, all male commune councils denied her ideas and did not value her work. At the third forum, she brought up the issue of "Transparency in spending commune budget". This issue was discussed and good lesson learn were shared. At the 4th forum, she reported that she has successfully implemented the strategies formulated by the forum, and she has just been assigned to be cashier to assist the clerk and commune chief with the commune expenditure. She had tried to convey the message in a very peaceful and good manner to all members of the commune related to transparency in the commune expenditure. In one meeting of the commune council, she requested nicely to the clerk to explain of some administration expenses that have no receipts or support evidence. Nobody responded. Two minutes after, the clerk said all funds are gone and he had no receipts for some of the expenses he made for the commune. At that time the provincial treasurer committee came to audit the commune budget expenditures, and the commune chief and the clerk received warning from the auditors for lack of receipts as evidence. The next monthly meeting was held, Kim determined to use her skill in communication, Advocacy and lobby to challenge the council members to adopt and try to follow the strategy developed by the forum and lesson learn from other commune to improve their financial expenditure. He said "we should learn to spend according to the budget lines and should draft an expenditure plan, and adopted by all commune councillors before spending. We must be obligatory have receipts as evidence for what ever we spend ". The commune councillors agreed with her comments and they recognized that Kim' s capacity has been changed and improved more and more in her work. Kim was assigned to be cashier in her commune and chief of sub-committee of commune development project.
