A Visit to Northwestern Cambodia -From the Ambassadors Penh As a reader of my blog, you might remember when I wrote about my New Year’s resolutions for 2015. One of these resolutions was to take more trips throughout Cambodia. This week, I traveled to the Northwestern provinces of Siem Reap and Oddar Meanchey to talk to some of the hardworking people that the U.S. government is supporting to help improve the lives of Cambodians. The first stop on my trip was at the University of South-East Asia (USEA) in Siem Reap, home to one of four American Corners in Cambodia. After being greeted by Mr. Sien Sovanna, the founder and president of USEA, he and his staff led me on a tour of the school and the American Corner. There, I observed and spoke with many students who were engaged in a number of exciting and interactive English-based learning activities. As I walked around and listened to students, I was impressed by the level of English that they already possessed. After the tour, I spoke with approximately 200 university and high school students about topics of interest to Cambodian youth, with most of our discussion focusing on English language learning, studying in the United States, the use of social media, and the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). I was happy to respond to their questions and encouraged by their desire to become YSEALI members. The next day, I visited the town of An Long Veng in Oddar Meanchey Province. Researchers in the area have encountered a dangerous, drug-resistant form of malaria that threatens the years of progress the world has made in the fight against the disease. With assistance from the United States, the Anlong Veng Referral Hospital and Health Center provides treatment and other services to approximately 25,000 people in 37 villages. Since 2006, the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences and the Naval Medical Research Unit 2 has conducted studies in Oddar Meanchey. With support from the President’s Malaria Initiative, they have been leading U.S. government efforts in the fight against drug-resistant malaria in Cambodia. The lab technicians and hospital staff members were very helpful in helping me understand their work. I was humbled to learn how our support is saving and improving lives. Later that afternoon, I participated in activities for “Malaria Week,” which takes place every year before the rainy season, when the incidence of malaria rises. Malaria Week is a time to increase awareness and prevention of malaria infections through testing and treatment in the community. Activities include health education through popular Khmer video shows as well as distribution of mosquito nets to villagers who otherwise might not be able to afford these simple yet lifesaving tools. I met with the Chief of Party for Control and Prevention of Malaria (CAP-Malaria) Dr. Khieng Soy Ty and other local leaders. Sponsored by USAID, CAP-Malaria works closely with the National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, the Provincial Health Department, the An Long Veng health center, health workers, and local authorities to conduct this event. More than 250 villagers joined the event to learn about getting tested and treated for malaria. Some families received new or retreated mosquito nets as well, and I was very proud to assist with this effort. Returning to Siem Reap province the next day, I visited Wat Thmey to see a USAID-supported HIV/AIDS community-based care site managed by Salvation Centre Cambodia, a local Cambodian NGO. I had the opportunity to talk with many individuals about how the program has changed their lives. We care deeply about the effects of this disease on the people in need, which is why the U.S. government supports this project that provides a wide range of services to people living with and affected by this disease. It is also a remarkable example of the progress that has been made in Cambodia to eliminate HIV/AIDS. Currently, more than 70 percent of HIV-infected individuals in Cambodia are receiving care. The United States serves as a proud partner with Cambodia in helping it obtain an AIDS-free generation. The U.S. government is also helping Cambodians to not only protect their forests and trees, but also benefit from them in a way that keeps the forests alive and growing. Visiting the Chan Sar Cheung Community Forestry in Siem Reap – supported through USAID Cambodia’s Feed the Future program known as Helping Address Rural Vulnerability and Ecosystem Stability – I met with community members who have recently received training on ways they can make a living while protecting the forests – what the experts call sustainable forest management practices. These forests are critical because they affect the water, the food supply, and a lot more in between. Additionally, forests are key part of the climate change equation. If they are destroyed, it would have devastating effects on the global climate and, of course, our lives. I was able to speak with many people about how their livelihoods and their communities are getting better – all without destroying the forests. On my final stop for this trip, I visited the Rice Field Fisheries Enhancement Project, which seeks to improve sustainable rice field and fishery management practices in Cambodia. In April 2012, USAID’s Feed the Future initiative awarded a four-year grant to WorldFish Center, an NGO with a mission to harness the potential of fisheries and aquaculture to reduce poverty and hunger. I was very impressed with one of the communities that I visited, where people were raising fish in their rice fields! This kind of ingenuity is something that I have always been impressed with when I visit the people of this great country. Whether we are challenged by limited access to education, the spread of disease, threats from climate change, or by the pains of hunger, I was reminded on this trip that if we work together, we can overcome some of the biggest challenges that the people of Cambodia are facing today. It was a perfect example of the efforts that the U.S. government supports. It’s innovative, it’s cost-effective, and it’s the right thing to do…everything we look for in a solution that benefits all Cambodians. #AmbTodd #Cambodia Read more entries from Ambassador Todds blog here: blogs.usembassy.gov/todd
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 07:34:48 +0000
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