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Water Sanitation

The key constraints facing communities: the bulk of former returnees, former Khmer Rouge and resettlement population relocated in the North West in provinces including Battambang. Between 1980 and 1997 North West provinces were some of the heaviest battle grounds for factional fighting and was heavily land mined. During much of this time the local population was compelled to leave the area for fear of safety. Now on their return there is a new challenge-on how to make the most of the land.

The key constrains facing the areas include their very poor physical infrastructures (many villages are far from proper roads and have very few water facilities); continuing insecurity due to the presence of a large number of ex Khmer rough soldiers and demobilised soldiers, extreme poverty in most rural communities which it is difficult for them to escape from due to capital constraints.

Having established, at a community level, levels of comparative vulnerability, Ockenden has closely coordinated with Provincial development authorities to seek their inputs into targeting of assistance within Battambang. This was done so as to ensure that activities an plans complemented, rather than duplicated or contradicted, provincial development plans. The local authority has proven very supportive of the work that Ockenden has done over the past four years and agrees with the prioritization of communities within this proposal.

This project aims to ensure that:

• Each participating family will undergo a “live safe, eat safe and drink safe” preventive health training. This is a well-proven module taught using participatory methodology with participants not needing literacy skills. The lessons here are linked with those of animal health, introducing knowledge of cross-over disease such as avian influenza.
• Each community will have a cadre of members who will be trained to be “Live safe, eat safe, drink safe” facilitators, i.e., peer-to peer trainers, who can deliver and follow-up on the basic training and assist/encourage families to make the transition to higher standards. This cadre will manage community facilities.
• Technical training for each of the new facilities provided, including follow-up and reinforcement.
• Community “clean-up” activities, removing hazardous items that breed mosquitoes and flies, attract rodents, etc., including safe disposal/recycling. Competition and prizes for participating villages.

For the project report, please click here