COSECAM News

COSECAM’s Economic Development for Vulnerable and Trafficked Persons Project (EDVP) has helped a total of 123 people in 2010, according to the annual report presented in a workshop on the project outputs and evaluation in March 2011, in Prey Veng province.

The people helped were migrants and people who were trafficked or vulnerable to being trafficked.

The EDVP project, funded by the European Union, is aimed at promoting sustainable livelihood for those people and reducing the vulnerability to trafficking and migration through economic and business development.

The annual report said in 2010, 123 people were selected out of 237 interviewed to be the project clients. However, nine selected clients abandoned their businesses and the report said they were less committed to doing businesses but intended to only migrate to the neighboring countries.

The workshop brought together around 40 participants who are government employees, staff of nongovernmental organizations, and beneficiaries.

“Our living has improved a lot. My children have the opportunity to go to school. I have money to raise chickens and pigs. I can afford for the medical treatment for my elderly, ailing mother,” one of the beneficiaries said.

“I feel really delighted that the organization has given me some capital to start up my business. Now, I can avoid migration, and I can live with my children and take care of them,” another beneficiary said.

Head of COSECAM’s Steering Committee, Mrs. Hun Phanna, said in her welcome remarks that trafficking and labor exploitation of children and young women in Cambodia is a big concern and people who illegally migrate to the neighboring countries risk unsafe work.

“These problems shall be jointly addressed by civil society organizations, and relevant government institutions, as well as the international community,” Mrs. Hun Phanna said.

Prey Veng Provincial Deputy Governor, Her Excellency, Tep Sam Oun, said the reasons behind illegal migration are poverty, unemployment or lack of capital to start up businesses, and natural disasters including droughts; and these factors have forced them to find other sources of income to support the family.

“To prevent them from migrating to the neighboring countries, they shall have proper businesses or jobs and obtain vocational training so that they have the ability to earn income in their communities,” said Her Excellency Tep Sam Oun.

“The project has contributed to poverty reduction of poor families,” she said.

Target groups of EDVP project are victims of trafficking and the vulnerable, people illegally migrating to the neighboring countries, the returnees who had illegally migrated to the neighboring countries and a person or a family attempting to illegally migrate to the neighboring countries.

The EDVP project searches for markets for clients who completed the vocational training skills, provides capital for clients to start up small-scale businesses, provide job or business counseling and integrate the beneficiaries into the families, communities or labor force.

COSECAM Coalition Director, Mr. Tuon Vicheth, said the project is based on the policy of teaching to fish rather than giving fish directly.

“It’s not that easy, and it needs time to teach people,” he said. “In order that people’s livelihood becomes sustainable, their economy shall be empowered.”

Since its inception in 2006, the project has helped 340 people.

Currently, the project has been implemented in three provinces of Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng and Phnom Penh capital. Government officials at the provincial level claimed the project has contributed to the poverty reduction of the Millennium Development Goal and of the Rectangular Strategy of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

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