Save the Children in Cambodia last week welcomed Ms. Korina Szkudlarek, Portfolio Manager for Asia Region, Ms. Sinziana-Elena Poiana, Senior Partnership Advisor, and Mr. Henok Zeratsion, MEAL Advisor from Save the Children Norway (SCN), and organized a five-day visit to our country office and project areas to learn about MEAL system and plan, as well as the project progresses. 

 

These include the Generating Resilient Environments and Promoting Socio-Economic Development of the East Tonle Sap Lake project, the Green Generation project, and the “Promoting the Protection and Inclusion of Children Discriminated due to their Sexual Orientation and Gender Identify/Expression (SOGIE) in Cambodia” project. 

 

During the visit on 13 November 2023, they received a briefing on the Country Strategic Plan 2022-24 Innovation Hub, Gender Equality and Inclusion, Research, Evidence, and Learning at the Country Office in Cambodia, and on the following day, visited the target areas of EU-CAPFISH GREEN in Boribo District, Kampong Chhnang Province and Kampong Svay District, Kampong Thom Province to learn about the project implementation of sanitation, water and hygiene (WASH), solid waste management (SWM), Green Economy Initiative and Education.  

 

They observed the teaching process and parent group meeting at Serey Mongkul Community Preschool, clean drinking water enterprise, Sky Latine users in the flooded areas, and chicken raising farmers in the food safety group in Trapeang Chan commune, Baribo district, province. Kampong Chhnang. Then continued to meet with mung bean farmers and meet with the Student Council and school management committees. and visited the water treatment system, and sanitation practices and understand the challenges of the Stung Chrov primary school.  

 

The next day, they visited the floating community in Phat Sanday commune, Kampong Svay district, Kampong Thom province, to learn about the Green Generation III, which focuses on environmental education at Phat Sanday Primary School. SCN colleagues observed the school environment, teaching process of environmental lessons, and meeting with the school management committee and the student council.  

 

They continued to visit and learn from the fishing community household using the floating latrine or HandyPod about the comfort and safety of being exposed to the environment of the Tonle Sap Lake environment. At the end of the visit, the colleagues also met with aquaculture model farmers to discuss fish-raising techniques and handmade feed processing from the Action, which can help reduce operation costs and increase profits.  

 

From 16 to 17 November 2023, at the Country Office, Ms. Sinziana-Elena Poiana, Senior Partnership Advisor who experienced with the European Union, shared relevant EU rules and compliance policies with the colleagues of Save the Children Cambodia and project partners, including iDE, VSO, and Wetlands Work to ensure transparent and efficient use of donor aid.  

 

At the end of the five-day visit, they expressed the warm welcome of the visit, especially since the country office has applied a concrete MEAL system and learned a lot about the progress and challenges of the project in the Tonle Sap Lake region.  

 

Ms. Korina Szkudlarek and Ms. Sinziana-Elena Poiana are committed to continuing their technical support and seeking financial resources to help Cambodian children.