The Cause

In order to thrive and not simply survive, communities need access to capital and markets. Unless villagers have access to a network of local resources to help initially fund their activities, or find the sales opportunities to help sustain their business, rural entrepreneurs will not rise.

Community First envisions a collaborative approach to this problem, whereby groups of villagers are formed based on their trade. Artisans and farmers join their resources as a savings groups at first, which will then turn into an alternative lending source for the group.

Members of support network are also able to pool together their production in order to leverage their bargaining power, reduce their cost of delivery and access markets with better margins.

As part of this program, Community First is connecting farmers and artisans near Siem Reap with the city’s booming hospitality and tourism industry in order to make Cambodia’s 4 million tourists a year part of the solutions.

Our Work

While working in Sen Sok, Community First developed several self-help groups by federating various farmers based on their activity. With chickens and ducks as the preferred livestock, subsistence farmers were able to finance the essential vaccinations needed to ensure their coup’s good health.

Today, Community First is federating the both artisans and farmers through two projects which will connect villagers to value-added market opportunities near Siem Reap.

 

What you can do

CONNECT, GIVE

$500 will help track record one of the last lacquer trees in the villages of Prolay. Each tree will provide a steady flow of income to families and will be used craft souvenirs for the tourists visiting the Temples of Angkor.

$250 will help an artisan get get the skills needed to secure a contract for recurring order in lacquer art work.

INVOLVE

Build this! We need a lacquer churner to help double the quality of the villagers’ production and increase their income.