PNKS is fostering leadership and resilience in Cambodia’s indigenous villages. 

AOA’s partner, PNKS, is faithfully working to ensure that communities have the tools to build a more hopeful future in two provinces of northeast Cambodia.

These rural communities are impacted by illegal logging and are already feeling the brunt of a changing climate, which is affecting access to water and livelihood options.

At the heart of PNKS’ work is the creation of Community Initiative Development Groups in each area. Provided with organisational and leadership training, these groups begin working together with their community to identify, prioritise, and over time, collectively address their shared challenges.

Partnerships are developed between the groups and local government departments and service providers, jointly working together for a more hopeful future.

‘We are the leaders in our community...no one is left behind.’

Ou (left) & Khea (right)

‘We are the leaders in our community,’ Ou states. ‘The project team is always behind us to help if we need their advice… We have a strong relationship, and no one is left behind.’

Ou and Khea, both members of Community Initiative Development Groups, are women who know the effort the PNKS team puts into developing local leadership and building courage and confidence in people passionate about seeing change.

For Ou, taking on a leadership role has been transformative. 'Being involved with the project, I have seen the change in myself,’ she reflects. ‘I never thought I could do so many good things for my community.’

With the support of PNKS, Ou has transformed into a passionate and effective advocate, encouraging widespread participation in village clean-up days and tree-planting events.

In her leadership role, she has also mobilised 14 families to install latrines, contributing their own resources alongside external support. She has also facilitated linkages that ensured the local health post was equipped with local solutions to manage medical waste.

Similarly, Khea’s love for her community also shines through her leadership.

She has seen encouraging changes in her village: ‘It is cleaner, people are growing vegetables, and more people have joined the savings groups. They are participating in the community, like road repairing, and have good relationships with one another.’

However, it’s not just the wider community that has seen growth. Through the training delivered by the program, Khea has been inspired to develop her own livelihood.

‘It allowed me to think about pig raising, earning a living, and sending my children to school,’ she says.

Managing her income wasn’t something Khea had thought possible before; however, she is now thinking about how she can effectively expand her pig-raising business.

Ou and Khea’s journey of becoming effective advocates for their communities exemplifies the work of PNKS, which builds upon the skills and confidence of those who know their community best to ensure a more resilient, hopeful future for everyone.

The Somleng Prey Lang program run by PNKS receives funding from the Australian Government, through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).