The Cambodian Enterprise Programme, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Empowering young people to break the cycle of poverty and deprivation

The Project

The plight of Cambodian children caught in the double trap of poverty coupled with a lack of educational opportunities has caught the imagination of people visiting Siem Reap from all over the globe.

Many organisations, both local and international, have established schools and orphanages to teach and care for vulnerable children. Within the more forward thinking establishments, attention is now focusing on how to prepare the young people for work once they leave. Some good links have been forged with local businesses and small scale placement schemes have been started.

There is an urgent need for vocational and technical training and also support for those young people who wish to run their own businesses. This will enable Cambodians to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the rapid tourism development linked to the Angkor Wat temple sites.

EDW has been advising on approaches to be deployed in the development of an enterprise centre and will be training the staff to deliver an enterprise support programme to young people in Siem Reap and the wider community.

Background

Cambodia is located in South-eastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, with a population of 13,995,904. The country has achieved stability and peace following many years of devastating conflict. However, it remains one of the poorest in the world and social indicators are amongst the worst in the region. The United Nations Development Programme’s 2002 Human Development Index ranks Cambodia 130th among 162 countries in terms of quality of life, and it has a GDP of only US $300 per capita per annum.

Opportunities for Development

Over the last few years there have been pockets of growth and economic development - one of these being at Siem Reap in North-western Cambodia. Angkor Wat temple, the largest religious building in the world, is situated just outside the town and has acted as a magnet for tourists.

This influx of visitors has transformed the town into a booming tourism centre and there is an emergence of a new middle class of Cambodians who are starting to have disposable income available to spend at local businesses. Tourists, businesses and service operators are all in need of suppliers, manufactured goods and employees.

Meeting the Need

Due to the past problems of conflict, coupled with poverty and a lack of opportunity, many young people are unable to benefit from this economic growth. Despite the rapid development, more than 50% of people in Siem Reap province still live below the poverty line. People from the surrounding villages are drawn to Siem Reap in search of work, and poverty in the rural areas increases as the local communities struggle to cope when the young and able bodied leave, in the hope of work in the hotels or on the construction sites.

Access to education is difficult for many in Cambodia. Around 80% of children start primary school, but the costs associated with sending children to school means that only around 25% start lower secondary school, and less than 10% complete their secondary education.

Young Cambodians are eager to learn and to better themselves. The new enterprise centre will offer opportunities for the young people of Siem Ream to break the cycle of poverty and become entrepreneurs or enter employment. It is a model that could be replicated throughout Cambodia and in other parts of the developing world.