Regenerating Fish Harvests in Cambodian Villages

January is election season in Santey Village. Citizens of Santey assemble to discuss open posts and nominations. Ballots are collected (one per household) and counted to determine the winning candidates. 

This year’s ticket has an opening for the role of managing food security for the entire village – Head of the Community Fish Refuges (CFR) Committee. With the ballots counted, we are proud to share that Pheun Sophin was confirmed the new Head of the CFR Committee.

Pheun has ambitious plans for the community’s fish ponds. Since the CFR project launch in June 2014, 240 households have reported increased household income with bounties from the Community Fish Refuge. Pheun wants to build on these successes by:

      1. Mobilizing Santey villagers to expand the CFR by 300 Meters².

      2. Stocking the CFR with more fingerlings to increase fish harvests

      3. Building a boat with local materials to visit migrating fish populations.

If these goals are reached, two more villages will benefit from the CFR harvests. That’s almost 500 families on their way to lasting food security.

Since his appointment, Pheun has extended many thanks to the Trailblazer Cambodia Organization for their assistance getting this project off the ground and to the international donors that provided financial support over the last eight months. As Santey village assumes full management of the CFR project, Pheun asks if he can count on us for continued support.

We have raised our fundraising goal to $10,000. Please consider continuing your support to help Santey citizens reach their goal to end the cycle of malnutrition for not only themselves, but for their neighbors too.

This project is about much more than fish ponds – it is about the long-forgotten North Cambodian villages coming together through self-governance, ambitious planning, and community resource management to realize food security.