Members of Kampong Kor CCBO Changed from Individual to Collective Livelihood Enhancement

Write by: Mr. Lorm Sinath

Verified and Edited by ៖Mr. Minh Bunly

CCBO members of Kampong Kor Commune, Kampong Svay District, Kampong Thom Province, has clearly understood about advantages of group forming, they make decision to change from individual occupation to create collective livelihood enhancement for their families income generation and contributing in promoting, protecting and conservation in their commune. CCBO Kampong Kor was formed with 467 members created collective livelihood enhancement group for increasing their family’s income, which has large group of saving and other sub-group such as: Producer group, Rice collective buying, Fishing group, and Collective sell-buying group.

Before, they did not understand about the advantages of group forming, they have got the fish and rice products, they sold by individually its make the trader gave them the low price, after their group have been formed and CBO formed, they can get the high price when they sold their products collective, they were clearly understood about how to identified and managed the product rice properly with whole market that positively affected to their family’s income.

Mrs. Yang Sangat, chief of CBO of Boping Village, Kampong Kor Commune, said that” Refer to before they like to sell their product individually, they don’t understand about advantage of collective sell and buying, to make the trader gave them the low price when the sold their products, actually when most of CBO member sold the fish, rice have been reduced the price by traders, what important thing, we have a lot of products for selling but we cannot identify the proper price but the trader became decider to identify the price. After we formed the group they were changed that before discussing arise before sell their product and working together to identify the common price, make them improved the family income.”

Currently, CBO of Kampong Kor Commune have fish product collective group and rice product collective group that CBO have 19,125.000 Riels equivalent 4781.25 $ provided loan to their members for borrowing to invest in their occupation. Actually CBO members has improved their livelihood than before through these loan. She said more that currently, we provided the loan to 3 CBO members for to make them able to invest in fish product sale, then we noticed that currently 3 CBO members got net income around 11.25$ to 17.50$ per day per family. Moreover they could transport their product for delivering to outside commune that compared to before theysale inside commune only.

Beside this, Rice collective buying group could sale their product with high price that before, that she said more that refer to collective buying group were improved through supporting technique from FACT-Forum Syd included capital, FACT monitor, follow up and provided coaching every month.

Until now, CCBO of Kampong Kor Commune have capital 35,879.500 Riels equivalent 8969.75 $, in which 9,360.000 Riels Equivalent 2.340$ are saving account of CBO members, 5,753.000 Riels equivalent 1,438.25 $ are loan interest, Total capital of collective rice and fish product sell equal 19,125.000 Riels equivalent 4, 781.25$, in which profit from rice and fish product sale: 1,641.500 Riels equivalent 410.375$. beside this CBO used some interest and net income of the business for supporting CBO member pass away around 400,000 Riels equivalent 100$, and vulnerable people from storm around 150,000 Riels equivalent 37.50$, contributed in flooded forest afforestation around conservation area around 256,000Riels equivalent 64$, contributed in fish releasing day 200,000 Riels equivalent 50 $.

For ensure the income of CBO members and sustainable fisheries resources conservation, Kampong Kor CBO has specific strategic plan is expand and strengthen saving group member, rice and fish producer group members and collective sell-buying group members, especially educate to youth group for raise awareness to actively participating in protect and conserve the fisheries resources sustainably. She said more that: Form now on, CBO members and I will doing more hard work, strengthen alternative livelihood option, thinking more about commonly benefit of community, we have commit in fisheries resources protecting sustainably for young generation, on the other hand we will work together for improving our community.

Based on she mentioned above, we can conclude that the important of team work or group work had provided the vital benefits, especially we have specific strategic plan is promote CBO become a model, strong, and sustainable. No anyone could put pressure on us.