
Centre for CDC and CDCD > Stories of Change > ICS Cambodia

Interview with Mr Socheat Kong, ICS Cambodia

: Socheat Kong

'Building up trust among themselves.'

Mr Socheat Kong smiles. ‘The people in the Cambodian villages build up trust among themselves. That is the biggest achievement of the International Child Support programme in Cambodia.’

His organisation, International Child Support (ICS), wants to improve child development and protection in Africa and Asia. Civic Driven Child Development (CDCD) is one of the core pillars of the work in Cambodia. The activities undertaken pertain to the themes of education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihood and protection. Through these activities, ICS also tries to make a contribution to strengthening local communities to take a lead in CDCD.

Socheat himself used to live in refugee camp near Oddar Meancheay Province, located in the northern part of Cambodia along the border with Thailand.

In this rural area Socheat and his ICS-programme focus on child rights and the quality of education. He believes that schools often function as centres for social change. Not only for the children, but also for their families and the extended community.

: Map of the area

Conflict area

The Oddar Meancheay Province is known as a post conflict area. The Khmer Rouge rebuilt their former bases there in the Dangrek mountain range area and controlled some other parts of the province. It’s one of the most landmine ridden areas in Cambodia. ‘The people face suffering, difficulty. Their stories all differ from each other. The situation has changed gradually and it is important that they tell their stories so everybody will hear them and share the learning’, says Socheat Kong.

He is convinced that Cambodian people need to tell their stories. They lack a common history. ‘You have to get to know them. Without knowledge of history and local stories, you cannot learn from each other. And without it you can never accomplish change or build a stronger social community.’

In these complex processes, learning and the application of lessons learned in the ongoing projects is crucial for improvement of ICS’s work.

Kong’s work focuses on 25 small communities. ‘Together with key people like stakeholders and the local government, I try to create the best opportunities for children in those remote areas.’

: ALCS with children

Action Learning Case Study

In cooperation with Context, ICS organised a workshop in Cambodia in order to meet with local citizens and collect their individual stories. ‘We took a month to prepare ourselves. Most important was to inform the people, to get them familiar with us and our project. They have to share the concept first with us.’

Not only adults joined these workshops. ‘To get the children involved, we got them to make drawings and tell their stories through those small pieces of art.’

: ALCS in progress

During this groundwork Socheat and his colleagues considered who should participate and how to reach those key figures. ‘We invited teachers, health care professionals and the government to join our workshop. Bringing different people together and share stories, gives the community a chance to conceptualise their own ideas. They asked themselves: ‘What do we really need?’ That’s the most crucial question in order to bring about change’, according to Kong.

The workshop was a success. Around 50 adults and 20 children joined the Action Learning Case Study.

: The village meeting hall

The aftermath

Socheat Kong: ‘After the workshop the participants produced a tangible action plan with ten activities they wanted to explore. One was renovating a village meeting hall. Like schools, a village meeting hall often functions as a centre for social change.’

He explains that in those Cambodian communities a place to get together is most important. ‘Not only for ceremonies, but also to share thoughts.’

Another example was the arrangement to build a road from the village leading towards the school. ‘These joined actions aren’t that complicated, but they are their own decisions. Before the workshop, people were waiting. Waiting for someone to take the lead. Now they’ve learned to take the lead themselves. They now build up from what they have. And most important: citizens contribute on their own. This for me was the most inspiring thing that happened during the process: they build up trust among themselves’.