News/Events 
50 year old, Doung Chanthy and his 34 year-old wife, Bleng Peu live with their 5 children in Seil Village, Yeak Loam Commune, Banlung District, Rattanakiri Province. Without special skills and knowledge, Chanthy’s family, like many other families in the Yeak Loam area, lived under bad conditions and could hardly survive.
“My family is extremely poor. My children have to help us earning an income for the family. Thus, they have received no education. I am a farmer who owns a very small field and my wife had a serious illness for a long time”, Chanthy said.
In 1996, International Development Research Center (IDRC) project of Canada and UNDP/CARERE program started to assist the community committee by providing human resources, technical support and funds.
The high risks to natural resources in high priority areas led the IDRC and CARERE to focus on very poor areas and to determine development needs as well as to identify the challenges facing communities living around the Yeak Loam resort and review the possibilities for improving living conditions of the families in that area.
IDRC and CARERE approach was to identify the concerns and needs of the community, authorities and participants, to define the process and to set priorities for capacity development on subjects like fund raising, administration, budget and financial treasury, and vocational training, based on findings. IDRC and CARERE also provided funds to a Community Based Organization (CBO) for developing and strengthening the community committee.
On 09 June 1998, the Yeak Loam Community Committee received permission from the province to manage eco-tourism in the area of Yeak Loam for 25 years. Resulting from this, five villages in Banlung district gained direct benefits for their livelihoods. With financial and technical support from IDRC, CARERE and local NGOs, the natural resources and traditional culture of Tompoon in Yeak Loam area have been preserved and living conditions for people have been improved including those of Chanthy’s family.
The Yeak Loam Community Committee continued receiving support from IDRC and Community Natural Resource Management (CNRM) Project of Sida (2001-2005) through Seila Programme until 2005. In 2006, the support from the IDRC and CNRM projects to Yeak Loam Committee was ended but the committee continues receiving support from the Seila program and a Natural Resource Management and Livelihood (NRM&L) Program through National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development (NCDD) until now.
Chanthy can now support his family by using his specialized skills as a drummer, his technical skills for growing agriculture produce and he has increased his talents, knowledge and opportunities to earn more income. He earns much more now since he became a member of the community committee. “I’m taking it up step by step since I had the chance and opportunity”, he explains.
He continued, “Now, I am improving a lot, especially now our daily food is enough, and my children can go to school. Previously, I did not have any ideas; I thought it was too hard and impossible for me and my family to survive and improve our lives. Since I joined the community committee, I gained more knowledge and broadened my mind. Thus, my current income is going up. Even though it is not as high as urban incomes can be, but I am still happy when I compare with my previous situation”.
He added, “I really appreciate the Government and all NGOs that supported my eco-tourism area, especially the NRM&L program of the NCDD for their efforts. I preferred that the eco-tourism area of “Yeak Loam” is kept under the management of the local community for their sustainable livelihood.”
