 | | Greetings from Cambodian Kiva partner, CREDIT Thank you for supporting an entrepreneur in Cambodia.
Dear Kiva CREDIT Lender,
Thank you for supporting a Cambodian entrepreneur with CREDIT. As a Kiva Fellow, for the past three months I have had the privilege to interact with CREDIT and its borrowers. As Kiva's oldest partner in Cambodia, CREDIT has reached countless borrowers throughout the partnership, and continues to provide new opportunities to target low-income communities in the country, including through CREDIT's Vulnerable Services Unit (VSU) for more marginalized and vulnerable populations, as well as the organization's new Trust Bank program.
From the VSU program, responsible clients are offered the Trust Bank program. Both programs offer non-collateral loans for guarantee groups and trainings, but the Trust Bank also provides slightly larger loans (from $125 - $400 USD), as well as agricultural trainings.
Subsistence agriculture and farming businesses are very common throughout Cambodia. The latest data by the World Bank shows that "approximately 80 percent of Cambodia's population lives in rural areas and 71 percent depend primarily on agriculture (largely rice) and livestock for their livelihoods." This population tends to live in poverty and is therefore a critical segment of population for development and microfinance assistance, as CREDIT has noted.
Two months ago, a rural guarantee group expressed interest in an agriculture training. Last week CREDIT and partner Green Agricultural Product provided training to 10 borrowers on family farming.
Sothy, a representative from Green Agricultural Product, presented throughout the two day training. The family farming training focused on growing vegetables and how to increase farming productivity. Topics covered included properly preparing the soil, how to make compost fertilizer and solid compost, managing proper bacteria in the soil, and how to destroy harmful insects and prevent domestic animals from grazing on crops. In addition, the training taught borrowers about water management, including how to maintain good soil during the rainy and dry seasons, as well as what kinds of vegetables to chose for sunny and/or shaded areas. Clients learned techniques in how to plant within a garden as well as in a seed bed, and harvesting in general.
Borrowers were taught with written and illustrated teaching materials, an individual manual, as well as a practical approach as borrowers worked together creating a garden using the skills they learned. Out of a barren patch of land, the borrowers created a full garden of tomato, ginger, morning glory, bell pepper, ginger, chili, papaya, and a fruit similar to cassava.
As a CREDIT lender, we rarely see the poorest borrowers of CREDIT as their small loans and needs require a more direct approach from the organization. Yet, it was enlightening to see the work CREDIT does behind-the-scenes. The commitment to providing new skills and therefore a chance for improved livelihoods was inspiring and makes a difference far beyond a loan.
Thank you again for supporting CREDIT and its borrowers. Sincerely, Anjali Fleury, Kiva Fellow – Cambodia
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Kiva Staff | |
Posted via email from Peace Jaway
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