an APHEDA project_cambodia: March 2014

Monday, March 24, 2014

APHEDA's micro-finance options for Hair Make-up Nails & Wedding Outfitting @ Chhaeb Koeut village, Chhaeb

APHEDA Hair Make-up Nails & Wedding Outfitting @ Chhaeb Koeut village, Chhaeb (far north Cambodia)

The ex-trainee group has built a very nice small shop in front of one of their houses, at street level. There were 3 ex-trainees working there, the elected co-op leader Sothy, and Samon and Malis. The co-op had started with the 6 ex-trainees from the 9-month 2012-2013 Hairdressing Make-up and Nails Women's Development Centre (WDC) training centre class, in July 2013, inside the co-op leader’s house. They had been permitted to borrow equipment from the WDC training centre until the new training course started in September 2013. They had then received $225 worth of equipment from the WDC income generation account, and took out a $200 loan from the project loan fund. They had then set up the shop. 3 co-op members have since got married, one has moved away, the other 2 have small babies and are on ‘maternity leave’ and will return to the co-op in a few months. The 3 currently working the co-op have education levels of year 12, year 12 and year 9.

The co-op has a ‘professional’ air and the co-op group are enthusiastic, and very capable. There are 2 other hairdresser’s in the village but the group reported that villagers prefer the co-op because its services are of a higher quality. We saw one of the other 2 hairdresser’s and it looked very basic and not attractive. The co-op on the other hand is run by capable well-trained women who appear ‘empowered’. It is assisting rural development in their village by offering villagers a quality service, with ‘a touch of luxury’ to help improve people’s well-being. They charge 5,000 R for each of their services – cutting, shampooing, styling, make-up.

The families of the co-op group have helped them to obtain loans from the bank to purchase wedding outfits, worth $3,000. This enables the co-op to provide full wedding services – outfitting as well as hair, make-up and nails. They charge $100 for a wedding, had at mid-March 2014 done 15 weddings, enough to pay back half the bank loans, and the wedding season was still in full swing.

The co-op members said that they had no problems within their group; they all got on well in a spirit of trust and solidarity, and shared the money they made equally. Income and expenditure are clearly indicated in the co-op journal. The evaluation team donated 40,000 R for the co-op to put a sign outside giving the co-op a name and indicating its services.

Soksan visiting one very nice co-operative

Salon Khmer style

co-op leader Sothy, Samon and Malis with Soksan and Barbara

Income and expenditure are clearly indicated in the co-op journal.

APHEDA visiting before salon khmer opened

before salon khmer

who took tamagotchi?

Young women from Cambodia turning hairdressing skills into Co-operative dollars....

APHEDA Hairdressing Make-up Nails & Wedding in Kea, Mong Russey

Three young single women – Ly 26, Sorng 24, and Kuneary 18 - who completed a technical vocational course in Hairdressing Make-up and Nails at APHEDA’s partner centre in Mong Russey district, Battambang province, in June 2013, formed a co-operative in July 2013.

Their co-operative is operating in the old, now vacant, former district office of Women’s Affairs in Kea commune. The parents of all 3 are small traditional rice farmers, Sorng’s father is disabled. School education levels were year 6 for Ly, year 12 for Sorng and year 5 for Kuneary.

Initially Mong Russey centre allowed them to borrow some equipment for their co-op, which is called Bright and Modern, but then they took out a USD 250 loan from the project loan fund. They have made USD 514.50 so far and have now paid back $40 to the loan fund and anticipate they will pay back the rest in a year. They have at least 10 wedding lined up for this month, February, which is the start of the wedding season. They manage the income and expenditure together and keep accounts. Some of the money has been used to buy new tools and other equipment, and the balance is shared equally between the three. ‘We are very happy and would like to thank APHEDA for providing the opportunity for us to have a job and make money for our families.’

beautiful Khmer brides

in the salon co-operative

Ly 26, Sorng 24, and Kuneary 18

Bright and Modern is open for business, with elementary teacher Sophy

teacher in charge Sokheng

organic gardening at the Women's Development Centre

Fish feeding at the centre

full marks!

who took tamagotchi?

Monday, March 17, 2014

APHEDA Newsletter

newsletter
who took tamagotchi?

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Article for Canberra hairdressers in the ACT

Re-skilling the workforce through vocational education is the key to helping Cambodia recover.

http://therussianmarket.blogspot.com.au/
my blog by Gail Vest

Since 2009 and in collaboration with the NGO APHEDA and the Canberra Institute of Technology, I have volunteered 3 months of every year to train women in Cambodia, developing their vocational skills in Hair and Beauty.

The economy in Cambodia has developed significantly in the capital and main cities since the 80’s, but little benefit has filtered out to the countryside, so we have targeted some of the poorest districts in the country. Together, we provide an opportunity for women to attend formal education that they may have been forced to drop out of earlier due to poverty. In consultation with communities, our project selects a small group of women from the Provincial villages to receive our training.

The key skill areas in our hairdressing program are women's hair cutting, bridal up styling, makeup, nail art and small business management, all cash earning skills in the Buddhist Wedding season. We concentrate on teaching staff within the centres and trainers transfer skills onto students. Importantly, all our training includes life skills components in reproductive health, HIV awareness, hygiene, anti-domestic violence and nutrition training.

On completion, our graduates are supported to form small cooperatives with interest free loans, equipment and financial management training.

More recently, we have welcomed Teresa and Catherine from CIT to deliver training to our teachers. They were overwhelmed by the level of skill and beauty of our Cambodian staff and students; and will definitely return.

Canberra based businesses Beautopia, Norris Hair & Beauty and salons within the Canberra region have been very generous with donations. Two local hairdressers Emma from Antique Salon and Craig from Smitten are also keen to donate their time to reskilling within the project. If you’re interested in donating ‘pre loved’ tools, equipment, make-up, nail polish or bottles of perfume (that you don’t wear anymore) to the women in Cambodia, please contact me at gail.vest@cit.edu.au

APHEDA Hair&Beauty 2009 - 2013

The key skill areas in the hair&beauty program are women's hair cutting, bridal up styling, makeup, nail art and small business management. We concentrate on teaching staff within the centres and trainers transfer skills onto students.

We work in seven provinces including some of the poorest districts of the country. Our partners are:

• Women's Development Centres, Department of Women's Affairs - Preah Vihear, Kampot and Battambang

• Cambodian Women for Peace and Development - Kampong Cham

• Community Education Centre - Mong Russey District, Battambang

• Department of Women's Affairs - Oddar Meanchey