OVERVIEW
The town of Poipet sits on the Cambodia/Thai border, and is a popular gambling destination for Thai tourists. This border town is also used as an important transit point for human trafficking. It presents many risk factors to the people of the Poipet community and surrounds on a daily basis. Poverty is high in the area and many Cambodians cross over into Thailand seeking employment. This project aims to work in the villages around Poipet, providing education on the risks of human trafficking and basic health information which then forms a jumping off point to connect with the community and offer business training and micro-loans to interested families. The aim is to assist families to set up small businesses, reducing their need to travel to Thailand for work, and protect their children from trafficking by putting them into school.
WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT IT
Our local partner has been working in the community for a number of years and has previously run successful livelihood development projects. We like that the project doesn’t just focus on establishing businesses, but also addresses other crucial problems through its education about trafficking and health. We appreciate the concern to provide income to families to enable them to stay together and to thrive in their own community.
THE NEED
Poipet is in an extremely poor area of Cambodia, and one with many risk factors, being a transit point between Thailand and Cambodia, a major gambling/prostitution destination and and the exploitation of young girls is rife. Unemployment is high and skill and education levels are low. Often families cross into Thailand to get low-paid manual work, depriving children of an education. This project provides a way for people to empower themselves, and to break free from poverty.
BUDGET INFORMATION
This is a 3 year project. The budget for year one, $38,390 ($27,460 US at 0.72 AUD:1 USD) provides wages for staff to implement a training and micro-loans program for up to 40 families per year. Each family will be coached and encouraged over their loan repayment period.
LIFE IMPACT
