Cambodia Project Officers Describe Farmer Field Schools
Students at a Farmer Field School at work.
World Renew’s Farmer Field Schools in Cambodia have become a model for teaching sustainable and more productive agriculture practices.
“Farmers learn together and share experiences at the schools,” said Chen Dechorith, a World Renew program officer.
Dechorith was recently in West Michigan, along with fellow program officer Sok Kao, discussing the Farmer Field Schools and other projects with World Renew officials and program supporters.
Underwritten by Foods Resource Bank, the schools bring together people from various communities to learn and work. They commit to participating for two years and learning through two full growing seasons.
The classroom is a field — set up as a training/demonstration plot — and a place where participating farmers (the students) regularly meet to share, learn, explore, problem‐solve and try out new technologies. About 20 students, often women, take part in the schools.
“The school is a place where they can meet and experiment,” said Kao.
“They plant rice in the field at the school and then take care of it. This is agriculture to feed their own families, but it is also income generation.”
Besides training people to teach at Farmer’s Field Schools, Sok Kao and Chen Dechorith say they are involved with community development, nutrition training, education, playing a role in sanitation projects, and helping people participate in savings groups.
Organizing training for teachers in community schools and encouraging both genders to participate in community leadership programs are also part of their job description.
“World Renew integrates all of these aspects, and Cambodian people appreciate it,” Dechorith.
In addition, they assist people in communities to know their rights and then to bridge the gap between themselves and government officials.
“We encourage a local community and government to to get together, develop a forum and discuss the issues,” says Dechorith.
Yet another part of a project officer’s job is unique to Cambodia, home to the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge.
As part of their peace-building work, they need to talk with people about the horrible memories they have from that time and try to discuss ways of dealing with them, especially if the offending party is known to you.
“Almost everyone in Cambodia remembers the killing fields,” said Kao. “We work with people from the killing fields, trying to help them get better.”
