Hello,
I'm helping the community-based tourism (CBT) group in Banteay Chhmar. From June 2010-2011, I was the English language teacher for the tour guides and CBT members here. I also built their website (see below) and helped out with other projects.
Now, I'm still here doing some extra voluntary work. We're starting to think about adding some new visitor activities, income-generating projects and possibly larger community projects.
One thing we would like to add is making and selling of products - items that can be made locally in the village. We would want to make quality items that are Khmer-style and unique.
Per our CBT guidelines, all income would stay in the community (a % to the maker and a % stays in the CBT fund for running costs).
We would also do a participatory survey to try and find poorer, or more disadvantaged villagers who would be interested in such a project.
A general list of items might include jewelry, bookmarks, notecards, sculptures, t-shirts, puppets, bags etc. - small items that are easy to pack for travelers, unique and have a good quality.
There is already a very high-quality silk center (Soieries du Mekong) here, so that area is covered.
My main question is this: Are there organizations, NGOs, schools etc here in Cambodia that can help with designing products and training villagers how to make various items. Basically, I'm looking for some networking leads and ideas. I'm sure there must be some artistically-inclined individuals and groups working here. I'm just looking for ideas now, and can worry about the 'how to' 'how much' and 'where' later.
Thank you, many thanks for any ideas and help
Andrew
http://www.visitbanteaychhmar.org/
NGO Resources Question
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I would contact NGOs that are already making and selling products in Cambodia. Friends restaurant has a shop attached where they train people to create products for sail. There are others but this the only that springs to mind at the moment. I think Artisans D'Angkor is a group of NGOs that do this, maybe give them a call too. There's a free magazine that you should be able to find in guesthouses etc called "Stay another day" which also features companies that do this, although I think the majority of them are in Siem Reap, probably worth a look though.
Aren't other, 'producing' NGOs your competition?
Artisans d'Angkor used to be an NGO. I think they've turned into a non- tax paying, for profit org now
Artisans d'Angkor used to be an NGO. I think they've turned into a non- tax paying, for profit org now
Same same. No different.SunSan wrote:to be an NGO. I think they've turned into a non- tax paying, for profit org now
- BubbaRamDas
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My thought as well. You need to find artists and people with that kind of knowledge who are will to provide designs and assistance. NGOs have their own agenda.SunSan wrote:Aren't other, 'producing' NGOs your competition?
Artisans d'Angkor used to be an NGO. I think they've turned into a non- tax paying, for profit org now
Sorry, I wasn't really suggesting that these people would help directly, but they would be people that you could learn from, just by going to look at the products for a start.
- BubbaRamDas
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While not quite khmer style or unique, I have always wondered why noone makes '' grass rakes '''. The type that have a bamboo handle and 10 or 12 strips of bamboo fanning outwards, with a slight bend on the end of them. Cambodians always seem to use a broom type to sweep up grass clippings and leaves. I noticed in a photo of the tools used by the deminer crews, that they used a plastic oneAndrewjmarino12 wrote:Hello,
I'm helping the community-based tourism (CBT) group in Banteay Chhmar. From June 2010-2011, I was the English language teacher for the tour guides and CBT members here. I also built their website (see below) and helped out with other projects.
Now, I'm still here doing some extra voluntary work. We're starting to think about adding some new visitor activities, income-generating projects and possibly larger community projects.
One thing we would like to add is making and selling of products - items that can be made locally in the village.
We would want to make quality items that are Khmer-style and unique.
Per our CBT guidelines, all income would stay in the community (a % to the maker and a % stays in the CBT fund for running costs).
We would also do a participatory survey to try and find poorer, or more disadvantaged villagers who would be interested in such a project.
A general list of items might include jewelry, bookmarks, notecards, sculptures, t-shirts, puppets, bags etc. - small items that are easy to pack for travelers, unique and have a good quality.
There is already a very high-quality silk center (Soieries du Mekong) here, so that area is covered.
My main question is this: Are there organizations, NGOs, schools etc here in Cambodia that can help with designing products and training villagers how to make various items. Basically, I'm looking for some networking leads and ideas. I'm sure there must be some artistically-inclined individuals and groups working here. I'm just looking for ideas now, and can worry about the 'how to' 'how much' and 'where' later.
Thank you, many thanks for any ideas and help
Andrew
http://www.visitbanteaychhmar.org/
Every empty bottle is my private crystal ball
Where I gaze into the future
And find nothing there at all.
Where I gaze into the future
And find nothing there at all.
What handicrafts made in different villages are usually based on geography and what is available in that locality. Where is your village?? It is far better to use what is at hand than try and make something where everything has to be brought in. It really is the only way to make it sustainable.
Good luck
Johnny
Good luck
Johnny
Near Banteay Chhmar? Oddar Meanchey...johnny99 wrote:... Where is your village??...
- Lucky Lucan
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I've never noticed that. I just thought they let all that shit get blown into a big enough pile by the wind and then set it on fire.eight wrote: Cambodians always seem to use a broom type to sweep up grass clippings and leaves.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
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Excellant so you are going to start to use this NGO to conduct a business.
So despite all of your good intentions on coming to Cambodia, you aren't willing to demonstrate the importance of good business practices and conducting ethical business to local people?
Instead you are going to use an NGO entity to allow you to circumvent company and tax laws.
Excellant work!! what a great idea!!
It really fucks me off that when these NGO's come here to teach the little brown people about how to do things, and then they deliberately flout the laws of the country to get around little problems like corporate compliance and tax.
Can you explain why you and the management feel that it is appropriate for this social enterprise business to ignore Cambodian laws on registration of its business activity, and you feel that this organisation should not pay tax and contribute to the growth of Cambodia?
I find it interesting that so many NGO's decide to elect to conduct business through their NGO entity, and would be genuinely interested to hear an explanation of why the NGO'ers feel this is appropriate. In reality its fraud, and anti-competative and undermines proper business practices.
I truly hope the new NGO law will address this issue.
So despite all of your good intentions on coming to Cambodia, you aren't willing to demonstrate the importance of good business practices and conducting ethical business to local people?
Instead you are going to use an NGO entity to allow you to circumvent company and tax laws.
Excellant work!! what a great idea!!
It really fucks me off that when these NGO's come here to teach the little brown people about how to do things, and then they deliberately flout the laws of the country to get around little problems like corporate compliance and tax.
Can you explain why you and the management feel that it is appropriate for this social enterprise business to ignore Cambodian laws on registration of its business activity, and you feel that this organisation should not pay tax and contribute to the growth of Cambodia?
I find it interesting that so many NGO's decide to elect to conduct business through their NGO entity, and would be genuinely interested to hear an explanation of why the NGO'ers feel this is appropriate. In reality its fraud, and anti-competative and undermines proper business practices.
I truly hope the new NGO law will address this issue.
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I can't speak for Cambodia but in Aus. you could successfully argue that paying a % to the Government will simply see it wasted. I have seen it estimated that for Government (in Aus.) to spend 80c it needs to raise $1. That's an enormous opportunity cost, let alone taking into account the worthiness of the project the tax $ is spent on. If in this case. all (or most) goes directly to the locals, is that not helping "Cambodian growth" and helping the people directly ? Of course that doesn't address the problem of how Government is to fund it's largess but I am not sure legitimizing a Kleptocracy is ethical in itselfNiam Bai howie wrote:Can you explain why you and the management feel that it is appropriate for this social enterprise business to ignore Cambodian laws on registration of its business activity, and you feel that this organisation should not pay tax and contribute to the growth of Cambodia?
Perhaps I am not cynical enough ? and think the guy might be trying to help rather then be bogged down in bureaucracy or maybe he didn't know he's supposed to set up a business entity per se ?
If they're genuine, is it not easier? which would be your answer. Some people (me included) suffer bureaucracy-phobia , particularly if the end result is essentially the same.Niam Bai howie wrote:I find it interesting that so many NGO's decide to elect to conduct business through their NGO entity, and would be genuinely interested to hear an explanation of why the NGO'ers feel this is appropriate.
Fair point. Devils advocate though, you can have fraudulent business. ie What do the "scales of justice" look like with a concerned genuine NGO on one side v a corrupt business on the other, both "helping the community" ? Aren't the various Occupy movements ostensibly concerned with this very thing ?Niam Bai howie wrote:In reality its fraud, and anti-competative and undermines proper business practices.
Running with your point here, I mean you could argue Sunsan's flood relief good deed (and in no way am I taking anything away from the superb effort) took "opportunity" away from a local business to supply flood relief and be paid by Government.Niam Bai howie wrote:I truly hope the new NGO law will address this issue.
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