Cambodian Irrigation Canal Update

Earlier this month, Pangea members and guests gathered for an evening with Van Sar, Vice President of the Khmer Alliance Foundation, to learn about the situation in Cambodia and the irrigation project Pangea helped fund in Kandek. The Khmer Alliance Foundation (KAF) is a U.S. based organization founded by the Cambodian diaspora to help Cambodian communities address their development needs. KAF has established the Foundation for Cambodian Development (FCD) in Phnom Penh and it was FCD that Pangea funded to organize and carry out the irrigation project. Van Sar, traveled to Cambodia to provide technical assistance to FCD so he was able to give us a first hand account of the project. Following is a recap of what we learned from his visit:

Purpose of Irrigation Canal: This area of Cambodia has a very dry climate and villagers were in need of a way to conserve rainfall during the rainy season so more than one crop of rice could be grown. A reservoir had been built near the village but attempts to get funds to build an irrigation canal had failed. As Van Sar said, this area is poor and not deemed important to governmental authorities.

Cost:  The total cost for the Kandek Irrigation Project was $15,000. A $5,000 Pangea grant enabled KAF to raise another $8,000 from sources in the Seattle area and with $2,000 contributed labor from the Kandek villagers there were sufficient resources to complete the project.

Added Benefit: We were intrigued to learn that the canal had an added benefit to the village: the bank of the canal was wide and firm enough to provide a good road alongside for use by pedestrians and bicycles to speed their journey to the nearest town.

The Process: Ground breaking occurred on February 28 with a ritual ceremony to the Spirit of the Land. The project was completed three weeks later. Van Sar showed us photos of the groundbreaking and construction process and the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Van Sar thanked Pangea on behalf of FCD and the villagers and presented us with a certificate commemorating the project!

 

Pangea members are proud to have played an integral role in getting this canal built!

 

 

 

7/28/14