Prepared by Sok Chanraksmey – DPA

The ALiSEA small grant instruction meeting held at the FLO office and community in Kratie province on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, comprised 33 participants which 19 were female for session in morning and afterrnoon. This meeting aimed to introduce guidelines for the ALiSEA narrative and financial reports, as well as the financial policy and ALiSEA knowledge products, including videos and case studies and learn about the community under the support of project.  The morning session proceeded with FLO project team at FLO office and then continued to Ou Kak Community Forestry in this afternoon.

In the morning session, this meeting was attended by seven participants including five females, who engaged in discussions about the guideline and knowledge products of this small grant.

Ms. Kim Vandy, the executive director of FLO, provided an overview of the organization and its projects, emphasizing FLO’s vision of promoting agroforestry within protected areas. FLO aims to support Communities Protected Areas (CPA) and fishery communities across four provinces: Kratie, Stung Treng, Mondulkiri, and Ratanakkiri. This vision underscores the commitment to enhancing local livelihoods while fostering sustainable practices.

Ms. Sok Chanraksmey, the ALiSEA National Secretary, presented the overall background of the ALiSEA small grant program, which is supported by ALiSEA Network, facilitated by DPA, and funded by Uni4Coop. She also emphasized on the ALiSEA’s narrative and financial reports as well as the knowledge products under the ALiSEA small grant facility. Mr. Chea Dara, the Finance and Admin Manager of DPA, elaborated on the essential elements of the financial policy, the procedures for grants, and the requirements for financial reporting to DPA.

Following the meeting, the DPA and FLO teams visited the Ou Kak Community Forestry, where the project will be implemented. In the afternoon, the meeting extended to meet with local farmers from the community, who actively participated and presented their insights about their community especially Ou Kak Village Agroforestry. 26 participants were joining the meeting at the community including FLO technical staff, community leader, local authority in commune level, and farmers.

The community leader presented about their initiatives, providing a detailed account of the community’s history and organizational structure. Established in 2005 and legally registered in 2013, the Ou Kak community encompasses a total land area of 1,200 hectares, divided into four critical areas. It comprises a committee of seven members, including three women. Meanwhile, 77 households amounting to 193 individuals (87 female) are members. The community is the Pu Nong indigenous group.

The community is organized into three groups to support their livelihood such as the fishery community, the agroforestry community, and the credit community. Within agroforestry community, Ou Kak Agroforestry Village has 24 members, 19 of whom are female, and notably, 19 out of the 24 members are young farmers. This demographic highlights the community’s commitment to engaging youth and women in sustainable agricultural practices. These practices align with the commitment of ALiSEA small grant to engage more women and youth in agroecology for sustainability.

During the visit to the agroforestry village, farmers showcased their pilot projects, which included the cultivation of various vegetables and the production of natural fertilizers, both dry and liquid. This hands-on approach reflects the community’s dedication to innovative practices in agroforestry, aiming to enhance promote agroecology. One of farmer in village used to attend ALiSEA’s training on using cover-cropped in rice organic production in Roveing district, Preah Viher province under the ASSET Flagship.