Solar-powered water pumps have been installed in three drought-prone districts – two in Kampong Thom province and one in Battambang. The project aims to provide farmers with an affordable and sustainable alternative to diesel-powered pumps. The project is a collaboration between People in Need (PIN), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “The use of solar energy means people do not need to be present the whole time – the pumps operate automatically from 8am to 5pm every day,” explained PIN project manager Chen Cheth. “Water is pumped from a river and…
Author: Raksmey Hong
ISF Cambodia, a non-profit organisation that provides education and community services to underprivileged children and their families, has launched an exciting new fundraising campaign. With the support of elite national football star Thierry Chantha Bin, the organisation aims to reach thousands of people in need with its “Coffee for a Cause” campaign. “This month, we’re thrilled to run our ‘Coffee for a Cause’ campaign, in collaboration with Thierry Chantha Bin, to encourage people to make a positive difference. With their support, we will provide desperately needed assistance to some of the poorest children and families ISF supports,” said Chourp Vicheka,…
Battambang-based Lakhon Komnit Organisation (LKO) is making waves in the world of theatre, as it helps to preserve and develop Lakhon Niyeay, a form of traditional Cambodian theatre. Unlike the more well known traditional forms like Bassac and Yike, Lakhon Niyeay does not employ music or dance, but tells its stories entirely through the words of the actors – mush like traditional western theatre. LKO is more than just a theatre group – it is a force for change in its community, using theatre as a tool for social transformation. “Watching a LKO show often leaves people with a newer,…
In an effort to preserve Cambodia’s rich cinematic history, the Department of Cinema and Cultural Diffusion under the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has partnered with the Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) to carry out a comprehensive inventory of the 400 to 500 movies and documentaries in its archives. The project aims to ensure that all of the films are in good condition and to identify any that may require digitalisation for preservation purposes. Department director Pok Borak met with ACMI’s Ben Abbott and Candice Cranmer on April 24 to discuss the collaboration. This project will be coordinated…
Art has always been a powerful medium for expressing emotions and ideas that are sometimes difficult to put into words. Artist Adana Mam-Legros, president and founder of social movement Generation C International, has used her art to explore the complexities of her identity and the trauma that her family and country have endured. She describes her own life, from her lonely youth to becoming an activist rebelling against the system, through the mediums of dance and film. “I’m telling my own story through a mix of dance performances, from traditional Khmer dance to contemporary styles and Bokator movements,” Adana told…
Nisset Plastic is a youth-led movement that has taken it upon itself to clean up Phnom Penh, while also raising awareness of the importance of waste management. With a focus on cleaning up the streets and drainage canals, this group of young people is having a significant impact on the community. “Our cleanups aim to preserve the beauty of our city and set an example for the young generation to follow,” said Hem Sophem, leader of the group, which was established last year. “Waste management is crucial, and the key to implementing it successfully is through behavioural change. We need…
Get ready for an evening of love, laughter, and heart-warming music as the Musica Felice choir presents a charity concert on April 30 at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra. “All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to two Cambodian charities: Kampuchea Sela Handicap and Empowering Youth in Cambodia,” said Valentin Dube, deputy director of Kampuchea Sela Handicap. Kampuchea Sela offers community living and work preparation programmes to adults with intellectual disabilities, empowering them and allowing them to integrate into society. Empowering Youth in Cambodia provides supplemental education, personal development, and community outreach to children and young adults living in the…
The Cambodia Post Operational Processes Upgrade – a new project funded by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) through the UN’s Universal Postal Union (UPU) and Japan Post – is expected to transform Cambodia Post from a conventional postal service provider to a significant global player in the e-commerce industry. According to Cambodia Post director-general Then Samvisoth, the project will involve upgrading digital systems to enable customers to find relevant information, order products online, and track their delivery from the time of dispatch to the final destination. “The service will also install drug control machines and other prohibited…
Meta House is currently hosting an art exhibition featuring the work of Ernst Altmann – a German painter based in Phnom Penh – along with Cambodian artist Say Chearun, whose regular job is working as a vegetable vendor. Chearun was born with a genetic condition called macroglossia, which means he has a larger than usual tongue that makes him unable to speak clearly. The Uncontemporary Contemporaries exhibition showcases joint work by the two artists who met in 2014 when Chearun became Altmann’s assistant during a shadow puppet play project at Meta House. Despite coming from very different backgrounds, the two…
Ouk Dara Chan, a 62-year-old Cambodian artist whose life has been displaced for a second time by war, recently opened exhibitions of his collected works in two French cities. His 32 paintings, predominantly featuring Khmer temples and Cambodian motifs, are being shown in Besancon and Lyon, with the profits of his sales going to the people of his adopted home, Ukraine. “Emotional happiness is about doing something optimistic and successful; more or less the most important thing is to act in solidarity, helping each other regardless of thinking of personal gain. This is my first step and I will continue,”…