nomad rsi cambodia annual report 2011...sorn sarun, nomad rsi cambodia programme director checked...

Nomad RSI Cambodia

Annual Report 2011

Sen Monorom Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia [email protected]

www.nomadrsi.org

Nomad RSI Cambodia – Annual Report 2011

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Photo cover: Bunong Ceremony where the elders asked the spirits to help them to success in the show held before a cultural event facilitated by Nomad RSI in November 2011. This event was an occasion to portray the new components of Nomad RSI projects in 2011 such as Bunong community self- help groups and indigenous products; the cultural exhibitions of the Mondulkiri Resource and Documentation Centre (MRDC) and the ongoing work of the Medicinal Plants groups. The report was drafted by : Sorn Sarun, Nomad RSI Cambodia Programme Director Checked and edited by : Nicolas Savajol, Technical Advisor and John Lowrie, Senior Advisor. ©Nomad RSI Cambodia 2012 All pictures and design credit to Nomad RSI – they may be used after permission is obtained with due attribution shown.

Table of contents

I - Nomad RSI in Mondulkiri Province _________________________________________- 3 -

General situation _______________________________________________________- 3 -

Team composition ______________________________________________________- 4 -

Overview of 2011 – towards a broader approach to health and autonomy of the

organisation ___________________________________________________________- 5 -

II - Programme Results _____________________________________________________- 6 -

1. Health Education Project _______________________________________________- 6 -

2. Medicinal Plants Project: _______________________________________________- 9 -

3. Mondulkiri Resource and Documentation Centre___________________________- 12 -

4.Better Lives, Livelihoods and Choices for Indigenous Communities. ____________- 15 -

5. Impacts and Lessons Learned___________________________________________- 17 -

III – Perspectives for 2012__________________________________________________- 20 -

IV - Financial Report ______________________________________________________- 22 -


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Acronyms

CMEP Community Malaria Education Project

CBO Community Based Organisation

CNM Centre National for Malaria

CISP Creative Industries Support Programme

CSO Civil Society Organisation

DoFAC Department of Fine Arts and Culture

GF Global Fund

HC Health Centre

IRD Institut de Recherche pour le Développement

ILO International Labour Organization

MDGF Millennium Development Goals Fund

MoU Memorandum of Understanding

MoH Ministry of Health

MP Medicinal Plants

MPG Medicinal Plants Group

MRD Ministry of Rural Development

MRDC Mondulkiri Resource & Documentation Centre

NTFP Non Timber Forest Product

NTFP-EP Non Timber Forest Product – Exchange Programme

Nomad RSI Nomad Recherche et Soutien International

PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal

PHD Provincial Health Department

PVF Pro Victimis Foundation

RUPP Royal University of Phnom Penh

SHG Self Help Group

TBA Traditional Birth Attendant

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization

VHSG Village Health Support Group

VHW Village Health Workers


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I - Nomad RSI in Mondulkiri Province

General situation

Nomad RSI is an International NGO specializing in research and training related to health and health

practices amongst remote and minority communities in the developing world. In addition through

many other activities, Nomad RSI contributes to these communities, for example by improving

livelihoods and self-help group working. Nomad RSI's development actions are sensitive and

appropriate to the needs and cultures of beneficiary communities. Nomad RSI's standard of practice

is based on in-depth social research with high value given to community participation.

Vision:

To accomplish permanent improvements in remote mainly Bunong Indigenous communities: for

acceptable and appropriate health services to operate efficiently; better lives and livelihoods to be

sustained; and community solidarity/ownership invigorated through raised capacity to uphold

cultural identity and manage their natural resources.

Mission

Nomad RSI’s global mission is to promote and protect therapeutic diversity in health-care along with

protection of the environment.

Nomad RSI advocates for health problems to be approached holistically in their multiple biological,

social, environmental and economic dimensions. This multi-faceted approach accords with the

World Health Organization’s definition of health: “a state of complete physical, mental and social

well-being." Therefore Nomad RSI supports a range of therapeutic forms, through the idea of

reasoned medical pluralism in which medical systems of many kinds, including biomedicine,

independently find their place.

Goals:

1. To promote the general health; education and well-being of poor indigenous communities,

through better lives and livelihoods, especially the most vulnerable and at-risk citizens.

2. To pioneer, test and prove effective and culturally-appropriate solutions to most manifest

problems such as malaria, with creative learning techniques and messages that convey concepts

within the spoken-only language; belief systems and contexts of indigenous communities.

3. To facilitate medical pluralism through multi-scientific empirical research for traditional and

conventional health to operate alongside each other harmoniously to maximise potential for better

health for all.

4. To promote and facilitate the preservation and protection of indigenous culture through building

the capacity of communities – elders; leaders, teachers and revered members such as Traditional

Health Practitioners and Birth Attendants, as well as ordinary men, women and children – to

operate their own civil society organisations and institutions.


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Team composition

Members and position

Sorn Sarun: Programme Director

Puch Sorya: Finance Manager Office Team

Som Sinet: Assistant Administrator

Soeng Uk: Project Manager

Sam John: Community facilitator

Chan Kasol: Community facilitator Field Team

Chhay Vanny Health Community facilitator

Tuoun Vanny MP Community facilitator

Chey Bunthy MRDC Project manager

Chang Oen MRDC librarian

Yong Sophana : Logistician / Driver

Moen Rith: Guard Support Staff

Sokheang Sokheng : Guard

Ma Korb: Cleaner

Brigitte Nikles: MRDC Advisor/Anthropologist

Nicolas Savajol: Medicinal Plant Project Manager

Technical Advisor Expatriate

John Lowrie General Co-ordinator

Senior Advisor

Nomad RSI Cambodia in 2011

Nomad RSI’s founder Laurent Pordié with some of the team during his visit of at the beginning of 2012


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Overview of 2011: “Towards a broader approach to health

and autonomy of the organisation.”

While 2010 saw the gradual reduction and re-orientation of Nomad RSI’s main health education

programme in malaria prevention, 2011 has been a year where Nomad RSI Cambodia has had to

diversify to pilot new projects where cultural protection and sustainable livelihoods feature more in

their design. The vision and goals of the organisation have been evolving with a broader approach

towards “health and well-being” as a wider range of factors are now at-play impinging on health.

These changes coincide with the planned move towards greater autonomy for Nomad RSI in

Cambodia. Although this evolving strategy is led increasingly by the local team in close collaboration

with indigenous leaders, it comes at a time when challenges are becoming more formidable. Fund-

raising in and for Cambodia is becoming more difficult and the pace of development in Mondulkiri

continues to accelerate, usually adversely affecting indigenous people.

Nomad RSI’s projects increasingly emphasise the socio-cultural aspects of Mondulkiri’s main ethnic

group the Bunong Indigenous people. The WHO definition “health is a state of complete physical,

mental, and social well-being” embodies Bunong Traditional Health practices as well as Nomad RSI’s

philosophy on therapeutic diversity.

Thanks to our new supporters and donor from 2010, MDG–F CISP, the

Mondulkiri Resource and Documentation Centre (MRDC) has grown from

more than a place for keeping information and data on Mondulkiri in to

a valuable facility to develop and value Bunong culture through

exhibitions, videos and theatre show. Our second-linked MDG-F CISP

project is building the confidence, skills, knowledge and capacity of

Bunong people for them to be more able to influence their own lives and

livelihoods. New activities have facilitated collective strength and encouraged voluntary self-help

group working in handicrafts, basketry, traditional dance, and cultural expression. Both projects are

bringing more capacity to Bunong people to improve their livelihoods, ways of living and by doing so

they themselves improve health, nutrition and well-being.

Meanwhile Nomad RSI’s programme on preservation of medicinal plants and traditional medicine

has continued to evolve and project Nomad RSI’s vision of health and culture. This year has seen the

emergence of 3 Medicinal Plants Groups as the main relays of the project at village level. The group

members start to manage their medicinal plant resources by developing forest-gardens and

cooperating with community forestries to monitor the natural medicinal plant resource. The main

issues for the groups are (a) to conserve plants and access to them; (b) to strengthen their capacity

to undertake such duties and responsibilities, and (c) develop income generating activities linked

with medicinal plants and/or other non-timber forestry products (NTFPs). When successful, such

groups prove that their use of natural forestry can be more beneficial than agro-industrial

concessions.

Finally, Nomad RSI’s longest-lasting health education project, with the

focus on countering malaria, continued in 2011 to reach locations not

covered with the Global Fund. This was possible with new grant from

Pro Victimis. Previous project messages were reinforced through

essential refresher trainings to teachers in remote areas as well as Traditional Birth Attendants and

Women Leaders. The monitoring system was applied in two in 2 phases – a pre/post training test the

immediate impact of training, and a later follow to see if the new knowledge had been retained and

applied. This is only way to ensure that the health education messages are effectively applied by

communities and key stakeholders.


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II - Programme Results

1. Health Education Project:

Nomad RSI received funding from the Pro Victimis Foundation (PVF) to run its “Community Malaria

Education Project-CMEP” project in Mondulkiri Province, for 3 months. PVF kindly approved the

project when it learned that 2011 could be the first year in over a decade without a malaria

prevention campaign in the province. The project finally extended to 6 months due to delays caused

by flooding in the particularly heavy rainy season. It was based on the continuation of the previous

CMEP programme led by Nomad RSI under the Global Fund for HIV; Malaria and TB Rounds 4 and 6

until 2009, and the French Embassy to 2010.

Following the main recommendation of the project final external evaluation in 2010, remote

provinces have been targeted and three main relevant activities implemented. (1) Community

malaria education by performing role-plays and video-shows. (2) Malaria refresher training to

school teachers. (3) Training to traditional birth attendants and women leaders. The main aim has

been to strengthen the capacity and self-performing skills of communities in the remote areas that

have higher malaria risk, with focus on most at-risk groups such as pregnant women. The main

results are tabulated below:

The Nomad RSI malaria education theatre shows remains highly popular and a community education succes! The story and the way to deliver key health messages have improved

after gaining experience and by applying rigorous monitoring and evaluation.


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Main activities carried out by the Health Education Project:

Major Activities Comments

School refresher training:

The refresher trainings on malaria to school teachers were conducted in the selected schools of Kao Seima and Koh Niek districts. In total 37 school teachers participated. A malaria manual was designed to be used and given to participants. Pre/post test were conducted before and after the training courses to evaluate the knowledge of the participants. T-shirts, Caps, Bags, VCDs and CDs of Bunong songs for malaria education were distributed to participants as incentives for participation as well as tools for further education. The following graph shows the results from tests.

Video show: Nomad RSI conducted Video Shows on malaria education in 6 selected locations Kao Seima, O Raing and Koh Niek. The main tools used were the “Combat Malaria” video tape in Bunong Language produced by Nomad RSI and a video tape on malaria education provided by CNM.

Pre/post tests were conducted to evaluate the knowledge of the participants. About 500 people attended the shows, 80% understood and are now able to explain about malaria.

42 sets of T-shirts and Caps were provided during the quiz shows. 33 people gave good answers. The advocacy about malaria education conducted by Nomad RSI field coordinators prompted family-carers to take and obtain advice and/or treatment at the Health Centre (HC).

Role Play: One new story about malaria education was designed by the Nomad RSI team. Four main topics from malaria trainings based on the National Malaria Programme featured in the story such as; Malaria causes /transmission, symptoms, treatment and prevention. Interviews to recruit actors were conducted with and among community people. Two community members were selected to be actors and joined in the role play performance, Miss. Kem Kaneka a nurse from O’ Raing Health Center and Miss. Chan Tola a student from Sen Monorom high school.

Training on role play performance was conducted for two days and a half at Nomad RSI Office in Sen Monorom, 10 people received the training. Three theatre backdrops have been printed in colour for the malaria education. The messages about malaria had been discussed and reviewed with the Provincial Malaria Unit.

Three role plays on malaria education were performed in three different villages, Puchu, Putaing and Laoka. Around 1,000 people joined the activity. Pre/Post tests to evaluate the knowledge about malaria were conducted on 12 people per location before and after the plays. The good results of the test are shown in the table below.

Training on Malaria for TBAs and Women Leaders:

Training courses on malaria for traditional birth attendants and women leaders were conducted in the remote locations of Sre K’tum, Sre Hoy, Royor, and Sre Sangkom. A total of 59 people participated. A training manual was designed to be used and delivered during the course. Tests were conducted before and after the training courses to evaluate how the participants understood the training. T-shirts, Caps, VCD and CD of Bunong song were distributed as incentives and education material. The percentage of good answers increased from 56 % to 90 % after the training course.


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Looking Forward

Malaria-prevention education activities will remain a central feature of Nomad RSI and the localized

self-help civil society groups at village up to provincial-level being created. It is a disease that recurs

in Mondulkiri’s environment with increasing resistance to current drug treatments a danger. Nomad

RSI is greatly encouraged by, for example, Dr. Tho Sochantha, Deputy Director of the Centre of

National Malaria (CNM), as a key player with the Mondulkiri Department of Health in the national

plan to eliminate malaria by 2025. Therefore more awareness campaigns as well as distribution of

protective bed-nets are to take place.

However, other health hazards and the underlying causes of ill-health are also important to be

addressed, especially for pregnant and nursing mothers and their infants. Mondullkri and

Rattanakiri, the two provinces with highest indigenous populations have the highest incidences of

mortality and morbidity in Cambodia. Therefore Nomad RSI-Cambodia will consolidate its more

integrated approach to health issues in 2012 and beyond. Proposals have been designed and

submitted to donors.

The underlying causes of ill-health addressed by this project, with other projects described below,

include: poverty; poor nutrition; lack of access to conventional health services; insufficient mutual

trust and respect between indigenous communities and conventional health practitioners, and low

participation of girls in education.

Target teachers learn Malaria Education and Child-to-Child methodology in Kao Seima.

Malaria education training to TBAs; women

leaders and village chiefs in Koh Nhiek.

Test results show clearly the improvements in the percentage of good answers by people who attended the role-plays. 89% good answers were given after the show, meaning that the main key messages delivered through the play were understood and remembered by the people interviewed.


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2. Medicinal Plants Project:

The diversity of knowledge of medicinal plants and medical traditions of Indigenous communities is

an important part of global bio-cultural diversity, but is often threatened by globalisation of culture

and economic development. In Mondulkiri a new market economy has rapidly entered in to these

communities with great impact on the management of forest resources. It often results in

destructive use of resources that are out of control. The main threats to MP cultural heritage of the

Bunong People as identified by Nomad RSI come from:

(1) Decreasing access to forest: rights of Bunong to traditional land and access to natural resources

are threatened by forestry and other concessions.

(2) Land as a commercial product: with a market; agents and externally-driven demand/supply

values mean that the most marginalised and poor are excluded, unable to claim their rights.

(3) Decline in the existence of medicinal plants: up to 50% of native medicinal plants (14% of the

known flora) are conceivably under threat in the long-term.

(4) Loss of knowledge in medicinal plants and their uses: transmission is done orally and during

travel in forest areas to collect plants, people learn to recognize species in situ. The decrease in

the availability/accessibility of the resource is leading to the loss of valuable knowledge. In

addition less interest is shown by the younger generation who see traditional medicine as

belonging to the older generations.

Preserving MP knowledge of Bunong people and helping to keep this common heritage is a major

contribution to maintain the bio-cultural diversity. That is the aim of Nomad RSI’s medicinal plants

project with the specific objectives of: documenting traditional medical knowledge; developing

sustainable uses of MPs through community based management, and supporting traditional healers

(Kruu boran)

The project, with its main activities from early beginnings on the documentation of the knowledge of

traditional healers, has taken a new direction since 2010 with the development of conservation

activities of both plants and knowledge within communities. Local communities are involved through

the development of three (so far) Medicinal Plants Groups (MPGs). These groups, composed of the

main medicinal plants stakeholders (traditional healers, forest products collectors) at village level,

were created in order to conserve and transmit medicinal plants knowledge. The legal framework of

a Medicinal Plant Conservation Area varies depending on the context and proximity with a protected

area, its size, organisation and individual local factors. They are usually close to a Community

Forestry and often integrated in to already existing conservation projects. To be sustainable, the

MPGs also need to develop income generating activities in order to support the villagers involved in

the conservation. A participatory process facilitated by Nomad RSI has led to the selection of the

most suitable activities in each group.

Interview of a traditional healer in the remote commune of Nangkilek

Meeting with the MPG in Dak Dam commune to launch the community ecotourism project


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Main activities carried out by MP project:


Documenting medicinal plants and medical knowledge

5 new Kruu boran have been interviewed in 2 villages of Nangkilek commune, Koh Niek district and in Putang village Romonea commune. Herbarium vouchers prepared. 9 specimens collected in 3 copies.

A book ”BunongTraditional therapeutic knowledge of Bunong People in Mondulkiri:Healers, their practices and medicinal plants” compiling the information gathered over the years have been published by Nomad RSI team. Anarticle have been published in the Cambodia Journal of Natural History and 2 articles in the NTFP-EP Cambodia newsletter. A feature also appeared in the Cambodia Daily.

Cultivation of medicinal plants 12 species have been experimented in the nursery. A garden in the office containing more than 50 species is set up. 3 gardens in 3 villages are cultivated with an average of 30 different plant species.

Awareness campaign 3 Campaigns conducted: Dak Dam 12-13 Jan, 20 villagers joined mapping, 500 role play. Sok San 21- 23 Feb, 30 villagers joined mapping, 300 role play. Pu Chri 23- 25 Feb, 24 villagers joined mapping; 250 role play. Best results and community involvement were obtained in Sok San, local authorities and villagers are ready to develop an MPG in their community.

Sustainable medicinal plant management

3 Medicinal Plants Groups have been set up in traditional healers’ villages. They are in 3 different districts and 3 different environments in order to integrate the large diversity of plants and knowledge in the province.

Meetings from last year and the meetings held in 2011 have led to empowerment of the MPGs. They have developed two main activities, ex-situ conservation in a medicinal plant forest-garden and in-situ through cooperation with the Forestry Administration and the Ministry of Environment.

The groups are now developing income generation activities by using the methodology of Self Help groups that Nomad RSI has been developing in other villages. One MPG is starting an Eco-tourism activity around the knowledge of medicinal plants and forest.

Support to traditional healers A workshop was organized in the Nomad RSI office gathering 12 traditional healers. The basis of developing a professional association of traditional healers, the first civil society organisation of its kind, has been discussed. A draft structure has been agreed

2 young students in traditional medicine from 2 MPGs have successfully passed the national exam on traditional medicine and started the national course on traditional medicine in October 2011. A case-study of one, Chran Dim, has been published and can viewed on Nomad RSI and MRDC websites.


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Looking forward

The level of precision and rigueur for the interviews with Kruu are to be enhanced. The methodology

will need to be improved to help the interviewers to collect more accurate information from the Kruu

boran. Indeed, the practices of the Kruu Boran and the understanding of their medical system is

complex. It requires a strong scientific background in order to identify and analyse relevant

information. In the coming year, an Ethnopharmacist is planning to visit for his thesis in Mondulkiri

with Nomad RSI. He will be great support for the team in order to reinforce this vital scientific

background.

More technical support is needed in botany, especially to develop a good system for plant

identification through networking. Students from the Royal University of Phnom Penh will visit

Mondulkiri for research in medicinal plants into the Community Forestry areas managed by the

MPGs. The first one will occur in Dak Dam commune in 2012.

More published articles in scientific journals will raise visibility in the scientific community. Raising

the visibility of Bunong traditional medical knowledge at National and International levels is essential

if we are to preserve this knowledge. Communication through books such as the one produced in

2011 as well as publications in scientific journals and newsletters will continue. Wherever possible,

and resources allow, participation in conferences and workshops, such as one Penang, Malaysia in

2011 is encouraged. A special report on this can be viewed on the MRDC website.

The participative methodology implemented since the early stages of the project is essential to reach

sustainability, in terms not just of finance or management but community leadership. The

development of MPGs, each responsible for their own garden and its future organisation, combining

with others in to a larger federated Community Based Organisation will empower and strengthen the

memberships to promote and protect common interests. Income generating activities will emerge

and be linked with eco-tourism, marketing of medicinal plants or other NTFPs etc. depending on the

community. As an example the MPG in Pundreng is on its way to develop eco-tourism activities

around its garden and Medicinal Plants Conservation area. The 2 students in traditional medicine

supported by Nomad RSI accompanied by Tuoun Vanny during their exam in October

2011 in Phnom Penh

Sam John (Nomad RSI) posing with a Penan elder during a festival on Penan culture in

Sarawak, Malaysia.


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3. Mondulkiri Resource and Documentation Centre (MRDC):

The MRDC is a place for gathering all the data and resources related to Mondulkiri province and its

indigenous people as well as others in Cambodia. It is the first and only one centre of its kind and is

fully accessible to the public. Researchers as well as students who come to visit use the MRDC as

their study place to improve their knowledge, to meet Bunong people and each other as well as

exchange ideas. The MRDC offers the opportunity to promote issues related to Mondulkiri province

and indigenous people, to raise awareness about recent events, especially in the context of rapid

socio-economic changes and transformations currently taking place throughout the province. It is

also an important facility to record and preserve local knowledge, cultural patrimony, including

indigenous history, language and music. Therefore the MRDC, it is hoped, now that it has established

itself, will become a permanent feature of the province eventually with its own fine building.

The MRDC started off as part of the MDG-F “Creative Industries Support Programme” (CISP), a joint

effort by UNESCO, ILO, FAO and UNDP. This programme is designed to strengthen local capacities to

take advantage of the potential of local creative industries to develop and preserve performing and

living arts, living human treasures, handicrafts, traditional music and other related creative

industries, with special focus on protecting indigenous cultures and identities.

The project is based on three main objectives:

• To collect, gather and classify all available research data and information regarding the

environment, culture, history and development of Mondulkiri, and facilitate public access to and

use of this knowledge.

• To facilitate coordination and sharing among all the active stakeholders in the province while

creating a focal point for them.

• To contribute to the development of local cultural enterprise activities.

The number of visitors at the MRDC is steadily increasing as knowledge spreads about its contents

and activities. The majority of visitors are students based in Sen Monorom who come to use the

computers, the internet and the library. The MRDC has raised awareness with the participation of a

small circle of researchers and NGOs inside and outside the province. Researchers and NGOs usually

request collaboration with the MRDC, to make new discoveries regarding their work area and

subjects, or to use the MRDC facilities for screening their documentary films. During the past year,

many resources have been donated to the MRDC. In addition, two Bunong cultural exhibitions were

prepared, various Bunong stories were recorded, and the MRDC organized each month a movie

screening.

As part of saving and disseminating this unique culture and tradition of Mondulkiri to the public,

especially to the young generation, the MRDC has formed a 7+ membership volunteer team for

supporting its two regular staff to cover opening hours during lunch times and Saturdays. This not

only provides a longer timeframe for visitors who want to access to MRDC service but also engenders

Bunong ownership from early ages. The volunteer team in addition, assists staff for the monthly

movie screenings at the office and field trips to conduct interviews about story telling and food from

the forest. This team is a catalyst for distributing the objectives of the MRDC to their friends,

classmates, roommates and communities. Most of volunteers are Bunong and live at the boarding

school and the local orphanage ASPECA. They are as well introduced to researchers who need

assistance for their work. In this way, volunteers gain a lot of new experience and insight in to

possible future careers or interests.


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Main activities carried out by the MRDC in 2011:

Activity Comments

Sort and catalogue the documentation in the MRDC with an appropriate referencing system and ensure accessibility to the public

Up to now, the library has 585 books, of which 35% are in Khmer, 38% in English, 25% in Bunong and 2% in French. In addition, the library comprises 192 audiovisual resources, mostly DVDs.

All the resources are classified according to the Dewey Decimal Classification System and stored in a database.

The database is accessible for the public on the two desktops and visitors get an introduction to its use and function upon their arrival.

To December 31st 2011, the MRDC had 1,555 registered visitors.

Formation of a volunteers team and a community network to encourage indigenous ownership

The volunteer’s team has seven members and is functioning well. The set up of the community [outreach] network is still in its early stage. However it will expand as the village self-help groups and federated CSO/CBO develop.

Develop coordination and information tools about the MRDC and about projects and activities implemented in Mondulkiri Province

Leaflets and postcards have been designed to promote the MRDC

An NGO map is currently being developed and designed, indicating all active actors in the province and their project locations.

Develop information tools about Indigenous culture:

CD with songs in Bunong and Khmer language: the songs are about current issues which Bunong communities face at the moment, such as land problems, conflicts between generations, modernity, etc.

Redesign of several research reports produced by the Department of Culture and Fine Arts Mondulkiri.

Developing posters about Food from the Forest

Monthly movie screening at the MRDC

For each venue, most of the visitors were students. On average, there were around 100 visitors for each movie screening. We usually showed a documentary related to Mondulkiri or Cambodia first, and after an entertaining movie or comedy.

Cultural events (exhibitions) at the MRDC

The MRDC has hosted an exhibition about Mondulkiri’s biodiversity, produced by WWF Mondulkiri.

The MRDC recorded various Bunong stories connected to landscape and displayed these stories with Khmer and English translations on posters.

The “Food from the Forest” (FFF) project in collaboration with WWF MDK and NTFP-EP aims to collect information about all the different foods the Bunong use from the forest for their daily diet. Dried plant samples are displayed at the MRDC and posters have been designed that tell about the different uses and preparation of the plants.

The MRDC mounted a special Cultural Event at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts venue in Senmonmorom in November.

Outreach cultural events in the local villages

6 movie screenings have been carried out in the local villages in various districts. Between 250 and 300 villagers attended each movie screening.

Newsletter in Khmer and English: Four newsletters have been produced and widely distributed

Website (www.mondulkiri-centre.org) and MRDC logo

The website has up and running. However, it is still in the early stages of development but does feature all major MRDC reports and events.


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Looking forward

We will continue all the activities from last year: collect more resources, information as well as

materials of Bunong daily use from the villages and make them accessible for visitors and display it at

the MRDC. We will organize more cultural exhibitions for promoting indigenous knowledge; organize

monthly movie screenings at the MRDC; record Bunong stories around Mondulkiri province and

publish them as a story telling book.

We hope to increase the number of visitors from inside and outside the province in order to become

a well-known and widely used centre. For this aim, we want to improve communication,

advertisement and collaboration with other institutions and cultural centres, especially in Phnom

Penh. In addition, the MRDC volunteers group together with the two staff will improve their skills in

managing the website and using social media in order to share information, conduct networks, post

videos and photos etc. From this, we expect to generate user feedback and interaction, to generate

greater attention and increase our reputation.

Finally, we keep building close collaboration with other institutions, especially the Department of

Culture and Fine Arts in order to prepare for the development of long-term strategic and

management plan. We will gradually develop the MRDC Joint Management Committee to take over

responsibility from Nomad RSI, consisting of mainly Bunong Indigenous Leaders and other

stakeholder representatives, especially the Department of Culture and Fine Arts. This will include

starting to work part time with one staff-member of the Department of Culture and Fine Arts, in

order to get the Department more familiar and involved with the work of the MRDC. In 2012, we

hope to move the MRDC to better more permanent and more central premises. They are to be

vacated by the Department of Culture and Fine Arts, as they will move their offices to a new location.

MRDC’s staff and volunteers during their monthly meeting

Guests for the Food from the Forest Exhibition reading the food recipes before the event started


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4. Better Lives, Livelihoods and Choices for Indigenous

Communities Project:

An initial 8 month pilot project with one more in community development was successfully

completed in 2011. It was supported by MDG-F CISP via International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The main aim of the project is to build confidence, skills, knowledge and capacity of Bunong people

in order that they are more able influence their own lives and livelihoods, by adding collective

strength and gaining more real choices of their own. The main objective is to increase the income of

traditional handicraft producers after technical training in production and quality; business self-help

group formation; financial management, and marketing. For some families who have lost access to

land it provides alternative living and an escape from poverty. The design and sale of all kinds of

authentic indigenous products and services, traditional and new, are encouraged. The idea is to

encourage and facilitate self-help group working in whatever activities the villagers themselves

decide as priorities or will work for them. Although income-generating activities are important,

others that contribute to better village-life and preserving culture are encouraged equally.

This project was designed to complement, extend and enhance CISP’s existing projects in Mondulkiri

over the same original time-frame to August 2011, with the intention of continuing thereafter

through new sustainable self-supporting activities. It has worked directly with the Bousra and Dak

Dam communities where Village Focus International (VFI) and Mr Bill Herod first started to promote

traditional handicrafts. The project has extended in to more communities. In Sen Monorom it

focuses on Bunong Market Traders with the aim of them having their own dedicated market space

where buyers can be sure of purchasing authentic indigenous goods. In Putaing a traditional Bunong

Dance troupe has been formed to revive this art and perform in public.

The project complements the MRDC, as described above, as a cultural hub, through more direct

active Bunong participation, through basing there training and community mobilization activities as

well as displaying products for sale, such as at Cultural Events.

Training lead by Nomad RSI in Busra Weaving group in Putrue


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Main activities carried out by the livelihood project in 2011:


Introduction meetings The first meetings were arranged to explain the idea of self-help groups, and the variety of groups that may exist. New or improved livelihoods featured mostly. Community facilitators worked with villagers to identify how they may improve existing livelihoods through more efficient or diversified activities. At the same time they explored what new supplementary or alternative activities might work for them. Cohesion of the groups to harness the talents of members has made for undoubted success – e.g., the Bousra Handicraft Group won second prize in a national competition for indigenous goods.

Family assessment Rapid family assessment was conducted to determine the wealth and other key factors of the household living situation. This tool was developed to assess criteria for poverty.

Forming SHGs 4 Self Help Groups so far have formed, 93 people became member including 28 in Busra Handicraft Business Groups (HBG), 19 in Putrue SHG, 31 in Putaing SHG and 15 in Puchu SHG. Nomad RSI supported them to construct the group structure and helped to design the group’s internal regulations for good managing. We provided training courses on group management, leadership, financial recording and small business association. A revolving fund has been organised with $1,300 into each Self Help group’s bank account to be kept well and continue supporting the group’s activity. Each SHG members is able to obtain a loan for developing his or her own business, as approved and monitored by the group as a whole.

Exchange visit An exchange visit to Kon Kleng in Bantey Meanchey province was arranged to learn about community development and the self-help/CBO approach. 10 people from Mondulkiri participated (Department of Rural Development, 5 community people and 5 Nomad RSI staff.) Experiences/ lesson learned at Kon Kleng CBO have shown 5 programmes such as Cow Bank, Self Help Group, Forestry Community, Farm and Mixing crops, road/bridge building and Bridge organised by the CBO and communities.

Trainings A training manual on business planning, financial record keeping and leadership was designed to be used as IEC material for the training sessions. 1 training course was conducted in Sen Monorom, and 22 people participated from Putaing, Putrue and Bousra groups. 4 refresher trainings were later conducted in the target villages. Manual/books were distributed to the participants. Ideas to set up a provincial association and/ or federation were discussed in the training session. 7 people were selected to be the representatives of each SHG group. One association and/ or federation is planned to be fully formulated in 2012. An additional training on traditional dancing was conducted for 7 days to Putaing Self Help Group. The training was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Fine Arts, Mondulkiri.

Monitoring and Evaluation visits

Monitoring visits to SHGs were made through consultation meetings on the advantages and disadvantages of SHGs. Each monitoring visit was conducted in all 4 target villages. With the passage of time SHG membership increased as more villagers understood the advantages of the SHGs and showed strong community collaboration and solidarity. The beneficiaries have shared full transparency with all members. The members of the SHGs understood the concepts clearly and their efforts encouraged other people to participate. The project was subjected to an external evaluation arranged by MDG-F CISP, with the outcome of one short extension approved and a new proposal from Nomad RSI invited.


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Summary of the SHG locations

Name of the SHG # of SHGs Location M F

Bu Sra Handicraft 1 27 Village # 5, Busra Commune

Putaing Bunong Dance 10 21 Putaing village,Romanear Commune

Putrue Basketry and Blacksmith 12 7 Putrue village, Sen Monorom Commune

Andong Kraloeun Handicraft 5 10 Andong Kraloeun village, Sen Monorom Commune

Looking forward

This project took place in the final year of a four year national project and therefore only had a very

limited timescale, but it achieved highly creditable results – to the satisfaction of all concerned – and

potential to serve as a model for wider-scale replication. It certainly does represent one form of

solution to the need for alternative sustainable livelihoods for indigenous people losing traditional

ways of living. Mondulkiri’s Indigenous People were in the past self-sufficient and self-reliant. They

have natural talents for self-help group working and entrepreneurship. The challenge now is to

secure funding for a second larger phase that includes building the capacity of the federated

CBO/CSO to lead the project and give longer-term support to participating groups and communities.

ILO is working with Nomad RSI to secure funding to put this plan in action.

One major project should take place in 2012 - to organise the Indigenous People Market Space (IPM)

in Senmonmorom. Hopefully ILO and/or other donors will secure a grant to construct the IPM

building. Nomad RSI is assisting in the design and budget as well as liaison with Bunong Traders, and

has also included continuing support in its fundraising proposals.

Putaing SHG: dance training in collaboration with Dept Culture and Fine Arts for the


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5. Impacts and Lessons Learned:

Malaria and health education

Malaria is still a major issue in Mondulkiri and, despite the recent development of roads and access

to health services facilities, many villagers still have difficulties to reach those facilities and then to

receive treatment. Although we observe that past efforts into malaria education by Nomad RSI have

paid off - all stakeholders in our target communities have improved their general knowledge about

malaria (causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention) – the same is not true of other communities

such as those of migrants from other provinces of lowland Cambodia. It is therefore important that

all actors within the health sector in Mondulkiri coordinate their efforts to build the capacities of all

communities to help to improve health for the entire province’s population.

One migrant, for example, returned all the way to Prey Veng Province at great expense. She had

moved two years earlier to Pucha village in Kao Seima District. Her family had been since but were

not aware that it was malaria that could be treated at her local health centre.

Malaria Health education does need constant reinforcement. Usually the best period to conduct this

through role-plays/ video shows is before the beginning of the rainy season (March to April) when

access is good and before villagers go to farms. However there are advantages in continuing in to

during the rainy season to remind people when malaria and the conditions giving rise to it are most

rampant. Nomad RSI’s experience has shown that this is best done with Volunteer Health-workers

resident in villages. Today they are known as Village Group Works (VGW) for health education at

community level, complementing the self-help group working in medicinal plants and livelihood

activities. More resident VGWs should be formed with as many women as men in order to provide

continuity training in health education, with requisite technical skills and materials.

Medicinal Plants

An important element which has emerged during the implementation of the Medicinal Plants project

is the development of a national strategic plan on traditional medicine. Indeed, up to now no legal

framework was either regulating or recognising traditional medical practices in Cambodia. A long

term partnership is established between Nomad RSI and the NCTM. In line with the national strategy

Nomad RSI is supporting the development of a professional Mondulkiri traditional healers association

under the behalf of the NCTM and the MoH. The traditional healer network that Nomad RSI is

building since years with regular workshop is the first step of the development of this association.

Nomad RSI is also supporting the study of two young traditional healers sons in the traditional

national medicine course.

At the community level the preservation of Medicinal Plants needs to be done in close collaboration

with other stakeholders working on conservation. Thus, the Forestry Administration and the

department of environment are closely associated with the MPGs activities. The MPGs supported by

Nomad RSI are forming sub-groups in the Community Forestry Committees already established in

their villages. We have seen that conservation needs to go together with livelihoods improvements

and that income generation activities and forming SHGs is a good way to involve villagers in

conservation activities.


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Mondulkiri Resource and Documentation Centre

After one year of the project’s implementation the MRDC has faced two challenges. Firstly, it takes a

lot of time to record oral histories, as well as to find villagers who can still remember and share their

experiences they went through and have known from their ancestors. Secondly, the MRDC has only

been opened for one year and it needs more time to run and advertise this project successfully.

Livelihoods and Capacity-Building

Concerning the livelihood project, the short time project duration was a main constraint. In addition,

the villagers were very busy with farming in the last few months before the end of the project and

the communication has been difficult within target communities. The short time period the project

can’t lead to show strong positive impacts, and could make people not much concerned, or even lead

to a disengagement of the communities in the future. This is the main issue for the project

sustainability. Strengthening the capacities of communities to be able to run activities by themselves

is taking time and needs a regular involvement of Nomad RSI community facilitaors.

To improve project implementation it will be necessary to take more time to carry out observations

to refine and improve self-help group formation. The communities have to design by themselves the

best rules or regulations that work for them to ensure the quality of community involvement. The

long-term sustainability of project activities depends on increasing levels of income both of self-help

group-members /families and the group/federated organisation. This will require the revolving funds

to grow and to be managed well to maximize returns, to generate internal revenue, while of course

continuing to support the poorest members.


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III – Perspectives for 2012

2012 will be a crucial year for Nomad RSI in Cambodia, as indeed it will be for many smaller

international and local NGOs, for reasons that we hope to influence but are not certain that we can.

1 Politically - the Royal Government throughout 2011 pursued a new draft NGO regulation law

although recently it has postponed its passing for up to two years. Part of its logic is that nationally

there are far too many NGOs and many of these do not work closely with authorities. Nomad RSI’s

MoU with the Royal Government was due for renewal in July 2011. We began negotiations for its

renewal from February last year but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation has withheld

renewal with the main reason stated that we require a full MoU with one line ministry. Following the

Nomad RSI President’s letter supporting Nomad RSI-Cambodia’s representations at the end of 2011,

it is now requesting a new letter of support from a line ministry. We are asking for this from the

three main partner ministries – Culture and Fine Arts; Health, and Rural Development. While Nomad

RSI does not have an operational MoU, it does not qualify for concessions such as waiving of visa-

fees and can be ruled ineligible by some donors to receive funding.

2 Raising funds is also a major challenge, especially to cover “core’ running costs, with

Cambodia no longer a high priority for many donors. This means that there is less money available

and much greater competition for it, requiring Nomad RSI to be more diversified in its fundraising

efforts. We hope that this will pay off in 2012. Nomad RSI-Cambodia makes the same case as it does

to the Royal Government that the work it does is unique; it is essential and highly valued by

Indigenous Communities who would be measurably worse-off without it, and of course only Nomad

RSI is carrying out its kind of scientific research. Equally, due to operating solely from Mondulkiri, it

represents exceedingly good value-for-money with low running costs while still attaining significant

accomplishments that have been independently attested.

One important key to the future will be the establishment of the new local civil society organisation

in Mondulkiri, which once registered by the Ministry of Interior, will be able to take over

responsibilities from 2012 onwards. It will progressively take the lead in implementing Nomad RSI‘s

operational projects as capacity is raised so that a strong grass-roots-led organisation emerges. It is

essential that it is locally well-connected and able to implement relevant projects for communities

while co-existing with Nomad RSI to collaborate in research to feed in to ongoing projects.

3 Participation with Nomad RSI’s Research Unit will continue. Brigitte Nikles anthropological

research under the sponsorship of the Swiss National Science Foundation will continue her

contribution. Nomad RSI will also collaborate with SOREMA (Société Resistance Malaria) research

programme led by IRD and the Pasteur Institute. This research, which will take place in Cambodia ,

Laos and Vietnam, will examine the spatial dynamics that shapes inequalities in malaria, its

transformations of social and natural systems, and the local impact of health policies. Two districts

close to the Vietnam border will be investigated. Ethnobotnical research will be carried out with the

MPG in Dak Dam Community Forestry by researchers from the Royal University Phnom Penh. This

research will continue the documentation work started by Nomad RSI originally as well as supporting

the development of the national herbarium at the RUPP.

For the ongoing projects, a summary of perspectives for 2012 is given here based on earlier sections:


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• Health Education – plans have been produced towards a more integrated approach to health

issues to operate alongside malaria-prevention, with priority accorded to maternal/child

health. Funding is now being actively sought with some degree of optimism.

• Medicinal Plants – mainly this will be a year of consolidating the building up of the data-base

and community activities especially medicinal gardens, while conducting more research. A

Kruu Boran association/network will be fostered.

• MRDC – the plan is that MRDC will secure medium to long-term funding to maintain the

same range of activities; to continue to conserve cultural knowledge; to find a more

permanent home; and to operate more autonomously.

• Livelihoods – present projects will continue with emphasis on the federation of the various

village self-help groups in to the new CSO. One key project will be the Indigenous People ‘s

Market Space to come in to existence in 2012

Finally, Nomad RSI and the Cambodia Team wish to thank all supporters and donors for their kind

support, and especially the Indigenous People of Mondulkiri for whom 2012 and years beyond hold

so much uncertainty.

Rice ceremony held to ask the spirit of the rice and of the field to help with the rice cultivation


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IV - Financial Report

Income per donor in 2011

USD Donor Balance c/o 2010

Received 2011 Total

%

Chanel 9685 0 9685 7

Nomad France 0 22373 22373 15

UNESCO 0 56206 56206 38

ILO 0 20547 20547 14

PVF 0 33000 33000 22

SoBioEtic 0 5586 5586 4

Total 9 685 137 712 147 397 100

The total income of Nomad RSI in 2011, close to 140 000 USD, is large in comparison to the 56 000

income of 2010. In 2011 the main founder of Nomad RSI was UNESCO (38 % of the total income)

through the CISP – MDG fund. This grant launched the Mondulkiri Resource and Documentation

Centre (MRDC) and ended in 2011. 22 % of the income came from the Pro Victimis Foundation (PVF)

which had agreed to provide a gap funding to Nomad RSI to be able to conduct the Community

Malaria Education Project (CMEP). The grant from ILO is also part of the CISP-MDG fund and was

aimed at the development of Self Help Groups. The three other donors are supporting the Medicinal

Plants project (MP), globally for Nomad France and Chanel and specifically for the awareness

campaign (SoBioEtic).

7%

15%

4%38%

14%

22%

Chanel Nomad France

SoBioEtic UNESCO

ILO PVF


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Expenses 2011

0

20

40

60

Th

ou

san

d $

Chanel Nomad

France

SoBioEtic UNESCO ILO PVF

Distribution of expenses per donor according to incomes in 2011

Income

Expenditure

The largest expenses in 2011 were for the MRDC, indeed the Centre was opened in December 2010

and most of its activities happened in 2011. The project was suspended after an extension in

November 2011 and all the funds were spent. The Livelihood project supported by ILO had the same

timeframe, with activities starting in mid December 2010 to October 2011. The grant was spent

during the implementing phase. PVF which had provided a gap funding from July 2011 was kindly

extended to the end of the year 2011 in order to maintain the longstanding CMEP. The grant from

Chanel started in 2010 and ended in May 2011. The two other grants for the MP project are

continuing in 2012 as all funds were not used in 2011.

Breakdown of expenses per main categories

42%26%

32%

Activities

General Operating costs

Human resources


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Total expenses of 135 000 USD are broken into Activities (56 000 $), Human Resources (44 000 $) and

the Operating Costs (35 000$). Contrary to previous years the main expenses category of Nomad RSI

in Cambodia are for the activities (42% of the total expenses). Details of expenses for activities are

given below. The amount of money spent remains similar to previous years but human resources

costs decreased in 2011. This is not due to a reduction in staff numbers or salary decreases but due

low expatriate charge as part of the localization process (only 1 full time expatriate in 2011).

Operating costs are slightly progressing in 2011 mainly due to the new operating costs generated by

the MRDC, rent, electricity, internet and phone. However, they remain at a low level and count only

for 26% of the total budget.

Breakdown of expenses per project

Medicinal

Plants 17%

Livelihood

26%

MRDC 29%

CMEP 28%

CISP-MDG fund two projects (MRDC and Livelihood) showing the same level of activity expenses as

the CMEP with around 30 % of the total budget. As the Nomad RSI strategy evolves with the

diversification of its activities towards a broader approach to health, the expenses are much more

balanced than the previously 90 % CMEP orientated. The Medicinal Plants project has seen slightly

lower expenses but is close to 20 % of the total activities expenses. This graph shows clearly the

diversification and the balance in between all Nomad RSI projects.


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Therapeutic diversity

Protection of the environment

PO Box 1013 - Sen Monorom, Mondulkiri Province

CAMBODIA

E-mail: [email protected]

www.nomadrsi.org

nomad rsi cambodia annual report 2011...sorn sarun, nomad rsi cambodia programme director checked...

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