Thursday, October 16, 2008

What's news fro Kep Pilot!


Dear all,

Through my personal observation, since late yesterday and this morning, I have seen many communities (over 100 people) come to iREACH’s hubs to get hot news about the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. It seems that iREACH is the information stored.
Pls have a look picture at Prey Takoy hub which captured this morning.

Best regards,
Sokleap

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Sparkling in Kamchai Mear community in present

Ms. Khorn Sokunthea is a twenty-five-year-old person who lives at Pongror village, Kronhong commune, Kamchai Mear district. Her province along with Prey Veng province is the priority areas of Informatics for Rural Empowerment and Community Health (iREACH). Ms. Khorn Sokunthea is a second child among six children of Mr. Phann Kea and Ms. Nai Som Aun. Their standard of living is average as they mainly depend on rice as their main crop for farming. On her younger years, she studied hard and wanted to be famous in the society being a community developer. But she had to stop studying in grade 11 at Kamchai Mear high school in 2004 to help in her family’s livelihood and went to work in Phnom Penh as a garment factory worker. With this job, she got a little money to support her family in her hometown and the rest were used for her daily expenses such as water and light bills, food and house renting, etc.

In 2005, she got interested with Mr. Tha Bun who was a farmer and also lived in Pong Ror community. They were married through their own parents’ agreement. As life and jobs for them were difficult, her husband decided to leave his family and worked in Thailand. But Ms. Sokunthea got no information from her husband along time because the information network service was not available in their community. It was difficult and costly to go to Phnom Penh or the other provincials just to make overseas calls.

Until 2006, her life and wisdom in the past were step by step beginning to be hopeful because iREACH project started their program in Kamchai Mear community which aimed to improving life through information and communication technology (ICTs). It also provided important service network to community such as computers, internet, e-mail and community sound information program which related with health, agriculture and education…etc. There are three main objectives of iREACH project in Kamchai Mear district. First, for informing information and communication technology (ICTs) to the country area in the community; second for changing or developing community’s standard of living in the country area that follows by providing ICTs; and third for informing in preparing the ways of government policy. ICTs are gone quickly to Kamchai Mear community because of having iREACH project, which introduced information to the country area in the community.

Ms. Sokunthea always used the project information hub that was introduced and supported by Mr. Pich Rotha is a community facilitator in Pong Ror information hub. Because of the information and communication technology (ICTs) is not yet modern in the community and they still lack knowledge, she met difficulty in her first time of using such the Khmer typing is poor, searching to find the information who want to know in internet is not possible….etc. But then, she used it more often to be more knowledgeable until she could use ICTs by herself and didn’t need support from community facilitator of iREACH project. Three month later, because of her hard work and careful using of the network service of iREACH project‘s information hub, Ms. Sokunthea can now understand ICTs. She could fluently type (Font Khmer) by using Khmer UNICOD, prepared administrative document such as festival, wedding invitation, and other ceremony in village. She could also search other information from the internet system that related with agriculture, health, education, communicate with her relative or friends in inside and outside of country by e-mail. Furthermore she could help and share her idea to the other people in community who wanted to know the information and communication technology (ICTs). This action was referred to by someone as “STEP by STEP” no someone was born wise, they have to study hard for getting success in the bright future.


Relating with iREACH information hub, Sokhuntea spent a bit time with the whole family in her free time from work to use Pong Ror information hub for finding knowledge and information and to setting them to practice in her own family especially relating with agriculture, education, health that are the important information for practicing her own family such as rice crop methodology, vegetable, fruit tree, feeding, and understanding about domestic violence, safety of immigration, traffic law, health prevention, cheating……etc. Now, she has been using information hub of the project which is all the service of iREACH project and community in developing area. Moreover, she also shared lots of her experience on ICTs to the other people conscientiously. Because of her hard work and struggle, she now lives around Pong Ror community information hub and become friendly and sensitive to all villagers in using the information and communication technology. Moreover, iREACH Project appointed her the lead person in the community in ICTs for developing knowledge. Now, she will be trained by iREACH Project for sustainability.

iREACH has made ICTs accessible and understandable to the people in the community who had no ICT knowledge in the past. It also helped them develop their source of livelihood by using information and communication technology from iREACH information hub as being shown by Ms. Khor Sokhunthea as their model. She got knowledgeable and successful because of ICT system which we believe all community can be the same using ICTs system. With that, information which can be readily accessed from project information hub and could be of great use in their daily work and could improve community livelihood as well as its social being.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

How much I was enjoying?

Have a look this materials, how much I was enjoying at the IDRC-PANdora Capacity Building Workshop, Penang, Malaysia. Please link to video

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Khmer Unicode Contest Result

After finished organize and mark for the Unicode Contest among KCM CFs we found that in average they can type 52.58% among 639 words in Khmer, with average mistake of 9.98% in one hour. Mr. Moa Phanin the CF from Prey Plorng Hub can type up to 61.66% (394 words) with only 3.55% (14 words) of wrong words, and Mr. Kheiv Kimsreang CFs from Kamchai Mear Cheung Hub can Type up to 65.73% (420 words) with only 8.33% (35 words) of wrong words, and the other can type Khmer Unicode around 40 to 60%. As my observation, I can say that much of working time of our CFs were spent for community and teach to the student and during free time (night time) they are not use computer because they need to save power for working time in term of saving the power for running the project.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Family Link-Up Discussion

On September 4, 2008 at iREACH KCM HQ conducted a meeting to discus the result of survey on family link-up with Management Committee and Project staffs which presented by Mr. Pin Tara (KCM Research Coordinator). After presenting and verifying the result of survey, Project Coordinator also facilitated to define the price list would Community Committee charge from community member regarding to the country. As the result, we had approved for the price of calling from project's hubs to hand-phone/table-phone and pointed four locations to install equipment for oversea call for testing (those are KCM HQ, Kamchai Mear Cheung Hub (Kranhoung Commune), Tean Pleung Hub (Smoang Cheung Commune), and Prey Thom Hub (Smoang Tbaung Commune).

Saturday, September 6, 2008

IDRC-PANdora Capacity Building Workshop, Penang, Malaysia (Sept.1-14, 2008)



Sokleap is attending the IDRC-PANdora Capacity Building Workshop (I+II) at Wawasan Open University, in Penang, Malaysia.

The IDRC-PANdora Capacity Building Workshop I was focusing much about Strategy Plan for Open Distance Learning (ODL). And the Workshop II will be focusing about the design of curriculum.

The strategy Plan for ODL was look into four sectors:

1. Environmental analysis including (1) social environment; (2) technology; (3) economic; (4) educational; and (5) political

2. Internal Competencies including (1) financial resources; (2) human resources; (3) media/communication; (4) teaching materials; and (5) support from government and stakeholder

3. Partnership including government (ministries), NGOs, community, private sector, media and potential donors

4. Marketing including TV, radio, print, e-web, seminar, exhibition and open ceremony

It was very interesting and useful capacity building workshop for those managers who are responsible for ODL even now and in the future.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Mgt Committee Commit to Use ICTs

Lady with sunglass infront of computer is the Chairwomen of Management Committee of KCM community and another one who handling Unicode Keyboard Layout is the member of Management Committee, they both are attempting to learn Unicode typing in break time during KCM project staffs and committees meeting as well as the participation of community members in using ICTs at Hubs level are also increasing.

Khmer Unicode Contest amont KCM's CFs


Dear all,

How are you going on? Today I would like to share with you all about KCM staffs, this morning iREACH KCM conducted a contest of Khmer Unicode Typing among CFs (10person) to test their capacity and to see how familiar they are Khmer Unicode (PAN Localization source). One hour test were done with two pages of text of iREACH situation (included some English word) and differences font of Khmer Unicode were applied. The result of the contest will present to you all this afternoon.

With Regards,

Dimanche

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Finally community can reach news via Skype


Congratulation to Kep Community!



Today, we test our live broadcast from HQ to hubs via Skype (audio).

4 hubs are being tested. 3 hubs are in Kep and one hub is in KCM.

Well, students at those hubs can listen to the NEWS.

We will do someting next.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Share Experience and Lesson Learn Research Activities


The first, i want to say hello to everybody

for the research in the Last of July and the first week of August had complete some activities such as Attend in the OM/speak self evaluation, update the new database for user monitoring and Family linkup market research. From these activities, I am research Coordinator in kep got the lesson:


1. OM/speak self-evaluation the lesson learns are:
- This is new application so complex some question and difficult to completed
-
There are some question are not clear and difficult to write into English to complete
- Among the All Community Facilitators (CF) and Management Committee ( MC) participants are 3 or 4 person are not understand for this process because the OM/Speak is the English languages so mark difficult to her/him.

2. Update database for monitoring form and analysis the user information on July ( the report I will later )
- All CF can get the new knowledge for using SPSS application, they have time to control the user and they input the user information into the Database by self
- And easer to make the monthly report of user

3 . Family Linkup Market Research lesson learns:
- All CF don’t want to travel to farther
- So spend along time for data entry and clean data
- And spend along time for report writing

Thursday, August 7, 2008

One of the experiences for Sokleap


It is not for you to be shad (Anet) but it is just want to share one of the experiences!!
Raining makes me remember last year experience in Kep!!!
Sine yesterday and today, Aug 2008, there a lot of raining and winding here in Kep BUT I am still working in a nice office, nice desk and nice chair. Moreover, I can access to the internet with stable electricity that it is hugely different what was happened in July, 2007 while Kep iREACH start with little thing in term of nice office, internet and electricity. This time of that time, least year, I was working under the tree, 30mn latter I was running back to the office because of rainy season. Alas! Again, I was running out of office to work in the tent where the contractor of Kep iREACH office (HQ) renovation stocked the cement because we could not work in the environment of noisy, dusty of the building renovation. My laptop was on the table which was in the water and even my seat. My leg was on the brick, suddenly many insets was on my leg while my back was getting a piece of rain water (Dom Nok Tuek Pleang).
I was happy and I am happy when it was raining and it has raining while farmers also happy. Well, farmers are happy while it has raining because of they need water for their farm BUT I need for bathing. why I am so happy too. There are two reasons bellow:
1. I am not take a bath with water which was brought from the pound anymore (it has a lot of worm, plants and mud). It mad me have disease (Romors) and heard hair.
2. I am happy to farmer instead.
This is just one of my experiences with working in Kep.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Start with the newest experience for Saroeurn

It is not easy for someone who wants to become a writer while the other showed a difficulty in writing what is happening in their community, but the attractively dark and curly hair man showed an interesting in this job.

Cheang Saroeurn, 18 years old, is an 11 grade student of Hun Sen Chamkar Dong high school in Kep municipality started with a news episode poet after he attended training on journalism skill organized by iREACH project.

He started with a first topic on “Unsuccessful rape under age girl by anonymous man”. This is a hot news topic which he tries to do in a feature because he thinks that it is over for a few days ago. In the topic he tried to put the main point of journalism writing that he got from the training and what should admire him is including what training did not train yet. He said that “the combination of comment from teacher and a habit of reading newspaper and magazine made him understand some of writing”. Even though, his writing was not considered as a good but it is acceptable. These reflect that it is not difficult to train who gain interesting in writing. “I am interesting in talking and writing, comment from teacher, and I used to read some newspaper and magazine that made me understand in the some part of area” Saroeurn answered a question what factor could encourage you to do this job?

Saroeurn said that it is not a last topic. He is designing to write another topic on the issues of insect is attacking paddy field. He is attempting to tell this issue to government to take action to solve a problem of farmer in area of problem occurring.

One of more than 10 student and villager attended training course on journalism skill organized by iREACH project but Saroeurn is more progressive.

This is one of result which iREACH had done in aiming to built capacity of community member on management and implementation skill in order to encourage them to manage and implement project activities by them self when the project staff was dropped out.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

How can visitor/community view iREACH Kep?

I would like to update you that there are about 4 websites that visitor/community can know about iREACK Kep such follow:
1. htt://kep.ireachcambodia.org - It is called INTRANET. it is about local website that visitor/community can access at HQ or each hub. Aside from Kep Team, community are encouraged to develop the content and post it.
2. htt://kep.ireachproject.org -It is worldwide. It has been posted by PC, RC, MC and TS. We are developing some contents for posting.
3. htt://http://www.ireach/.org.kh - It is worldwide. Visitor can view the iREACH Kep by link to "Kep Portal" or they can link to "iREACH Blog"
a)"Kep Portal" has been posted by Kep Team
b)"iREACH Blog" has been posted by Kep Team or KCM Team
4. htt://www.csdcambodia.org - Of cause, it is worldwide. It has posted by CSD IT Manager.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

iREACH Kep to the OM/SPEAK


OM/PEAK is of the most important work for Kep iREACH. It is about yearly project report establishment. There was many steps were conducted such as:
1. PC worked on the Operational Env.
2. Each staff worked individually on the Resources Audit
3. All staff worked on the Output
4. All staff and MC members worked on the Impact
5. Sent it to Sean for the edition/comment/question
6. All staff and MC members met again to finalized of what was commented/questioned from Sean
7. Sent it back to Sean for edition.

In conclusion, it is hard work but we are satisfied our one year report. (message from Kep PC)

Note for July!

1. Conducted "Familiy Link-up"survey
2. Conducted OM/SPEAK workshop with MC members
3. Skype Audio Conferance was canceled because of the internet connection

Note by Kep PC

Audio Materials will be extended on Radio Station!

Starting from Aug, 2008, audio materials will be extended on "National Radio, FM 99.70 MHz, Kompot Province". It is an other step more forward. A message from PC Kep.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Mobile Video Show




iREACH Promotion!


Education!


Entertenment!

Friday, May 2, 2008

I wish you getting better soon Zarah!


Dear Zarah,


Are you getting better?


I wish you getting better soon.


From Sokleap

Friday, April 18, 2008

CSD test video conference!

Today CSD will test video conference from CSD PNH to Kep during CSD staff meeting from 3pm until 5pm. I will update later how it is going on!
Sokleap

Trango Adapter was demage


When it has raining here in Kep I am so worry about light struct!!!!!
And I would like to update you all that the Trango Adapter at What Phnom Sor Sir was broken because of light struck when it was raining. I remembered that on that day there are two cows (mother and baby) die and one man was 'lose of consciousness is was because of light struck!
Sokleap

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

KCM Update

Dear all,
How are you going on? I would like to share some new updates from KCM site.

ICTs Infrastructure: For January 2008, the TS of the KCM pilot seek and explored some software for video conference such as NetOP School, i-visit and also collaborated with Gateway technician on stabilities of the networks. As the result of exploring, the NetOP School software was suggested to replace by other software ecause NetOP School based on the LAN and need a high speed bandwidth (at least 10Mbps) and our CPE Wimax can support up to 1Mbps, and Trango can support up to 10Mbps. Beside of the NetOP School, TS tried to test the other software call i-visit which recommended by PM but this software is need stable internet signal. TS spent his time to work closely with Technician from Gateway Communication Company to configure the network in all hubs to ensure its work properly. Base on the MoU, the project will provide internet signal to MVU, TS was dispatch to see and configure the network in MVU to make it work properly and as the result MVU has to purchase some equipment to make it work.

Research Activity: For February, the research coordinator was spent most of his time in documenting the process and other activities of the project. The achievement of this month are: completed the draft commune profile, three minutes meeting in both version, completed draft process of management committee election, and also published and distributed two iREACH note on Sugarcane and Cucumber.

Content Development: The missing of the Multimedia Coordinator is giving more tasks to CDs to handle, up to the end of February the CDs produced 6 new audio productions (New traffic Law Version 2, 7 vaccination, Tuberculosis, Pig Raising, Sugarcane Planting method and the effective of chemical fertilizer on soil and crop). Only two audio productions were recorded and distribute to target pagoda. In February, CDs try to test the first mobile video show in three communes (Prey Thom Secondary School in Smaong Tbaung Commune, Smoang Primary School in Smaong Cheung Commune and Kamchai Mear Market in Kranhoung Commune). For mobile video show we played the audio of the project and the picture slide show to the audiences before playing the movies. After finished disk one the CD also announce to the audiences about the project and the Hub close by to their village, and services that project offered.

Service Accessing and ICTs Training for Community: February is not different from January; there are many people access to the internet both in HQ and Hub especially in HQ by students. Base on the report of the CFs at Hub level still mostly focus on computer training to students except HQ which postpone the training, but we also found that it’s the first time that elder people came to our hub and try to type their name. At hub level we found that the eldest people come to type their name and listen to Buddha pray through “www.dhamma4khmers.org”. The total money earned from these services both in HQ and Hubs are now up to 100 Dollars and this money is keeping for community.

Project Staff and Management Committee Meeting: In February, the project only conducted meeting one time for project staff meeting to discuss about the progress of their activities. In the meeting, beside of discuss the progress of the project, staffs were asked to review the form that applied and asking to prepare the equipment and services follow up form.
Visioning Workshop: based on the objective of the project which want community to drive this project, the visioning workshop was pointed to do to set up the vision, mission, boundary & strategic partner, out come challenge and progress marker by community its own. Refer to the discussion of project team with our participatory advisor, the dry run have to be done before conducting the real visioning workshop and this decided to do in KEP pilot first (dry-run on February 26 and visioning workshop for KEP on February 28, 2008). I spent my time to attend and assist KEP team in doing these activities, as the result we completed the Vision, Mission, Boundary & Strategic Partner and Outcome Challenge, except only Progress Marker that not yet done because of time limited.

Welcome Visit: This month the project team in KCM welcomed the visit of Ms. Jackeline from Singapore and Marksurman from Tele-centre. The visitors were welcome presented by the PC in KCM about the progress of the KCM up to date and also the trial video conference (audio conference) by the TS. After presentation in HQ the visitors were welcomed by the PC to visit in Two Hubs and a Pagoda to see the actual activities in hub and the equipment for broadcast audio production.

IV. Conclusion:In short, I can say that beside of performance our regularly task of each division, project staff have more clear picture of the project (especially Community Facilitator) and understood of their responsibilities and committed to work. This month because of change in climate, project also faced with electricity exhausted in HQ and some hubs but in the HQ this is not cause problem because we have the generator for supply power to our work.

V. Difficulties and Solution: The climate was changed in February, some rain fall caused our solar panel cannot produce power enough for support to our equipment. In HQ this is not a problem because the project has a generator offered by the central and we just need power for 2-3 hours in the morning. But the problem occurred in three hubs such as; Prey Plorng power run out in the morning of February 27, 2008, Tean Pleung power run out in the morning on February 22, 25, 26 and 27, 2008 and for Beuk Touk normally power run out in the morning for 2 hours.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

How iREACH can empower local woman?

I am so happy when I see local woman can work the same as man.
I used to see only man operated the live show at our HQ but today (18 Feb) I see woman can be an operator while she is reading.. wow!!!!!!

Before she work with iREACH, she know nothing about radio production but now pls look at her action in this picture.

SEE, HOW iREACH can build the capacity for local woman!!!!!

a small note from Sokleap!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Feedback survey on audio broadcasting in pagoda on every holy day

At the beginning of project, a baseline and need assessment survey was conducted in the three target commune of project such as Smoang Thbong, Smoang Cheang and Kronhong. A now, the project was produced many audio production related with agriculture, education and health and broadcasted into the community by loudspeaker in 11 pagodas located in target commune of project in Kamchai Mear District. So on, the project want to know the result of audio broadcasted in pagodas was conduct the survey to get feedback from the community for improve broadcasting method. The purpose of this survey was to identify the best method for broadcast, adaptation of audio broadcasted in pagoda, community’s material for get information and percent of farmer to recognize the project. The results of this study will help to the project staff to identifying the best method in the future for broadcast the project production into the community following to the objective of the project.

This survey was conducted in three target commune of project in Kamchai Mear district, Prey Veng province - Smoang Thbong, Smoang Cheang and Kronhong. In doing in this research, 110 households in the community were individually interviewed face to face surround of 11 pagodas (10 household per pagoda). The survey activities consist of survey planning, data collection training, data collection, data entry, data analysis and report writing. The survey was conducted in November, 2007.

Questionnaire was developed base on the farmer adaption of audio production that we broadcasted in 11 of pagodas located in the target commune of the project. Research coordinator and content developer contributed significantly to developing this questionnaire which was verify corrected by project director and project coordinator before conducting this survey. Moreover, the questionnaire was developed to be as simple as possible so as to reduce errors during data collection and recording, and to ensure all questions could be easily understood by both of interviewer and respondents.

The collected data was checked thoroughly and then entered directly to SPSS packages by the data entry team consisting of the research coordinator and one content developer. This task was completed on the week after data collection. This survey was analyzed by SPSS (Statistic Package of Social and Science) and Excel packages. Frequency, descriptive statistics, and cross tabulation procedures were used to produce the outputs of the data survey. The outputs of data analysis were converted into the form of tables and graphics, so that they can be easily interpreted.

As the results of feedback survey on audio broadcasting showed that: very separate between the numbers of people who known and unknown the iREACH project. More than 88 percent didn’t know the project because of project didn’t promote all of activities everywhere of the priority project area. Moreover, for the audio production was produced many audio such as iREACH belong to community, water sanitation and dengue fever for broadcasting into the community but now we broadcasting through the pagoda in every holy day didn’t enough for community to get this information. Total 60.91% didn’t have the audio information of the project and 39.09% only got this information but not clear. Moreover, a little household located surround of the pagoda and many household located far from the pagoda so we could be improve of our broadcasting into all area of our priority project by another method including video spot, note or poster...etc.

In addition, all iREACH’s project staff must be set up the activities plan for actively promotion about the iREACH project to community. Especial must conduct campaign to all target area of the project and in the capital town and producing the other program to promote the local people to participate in the project. Moreover, we should be develop the newsletter of the project objective, project goad and project activities in present and future for broadcasting into the priority area of the project. In addition, we should be communicating with whole authority in the area of project such as village and commune chief to explain them about our project activities for develop their household because they can provide these information to another peoples living in the community.

Best regards

Pin Tara
Research Coordinator
iREACH, KCM, MVU

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Feedback Workshop on Baseline and Need Assessment Result

Good Moring Lady and Gentle Men. Very sorry for didn't blog along time because I don't understand with this. First time, I want to introduce myself in the iREACH Project Blog to know and welcome. My name is Pin Tara, a research coordinator of iREACH pilot project in Kamchai Mear district, Prey Veng province. Everybody can call me “Mr. Star” (Sorry just joking).

In first week on Thursday January 02nd, 2008, Kamchai Mear team of iREACH project has performed the workshop on “baseline report and need assessment of CHAMROEUNVITYEA CHUNBORT Community of Kamchai Mear District” at new office located in central of Kamchai Mear district hall. There are 31 (05 females) participants attended in this workshop came from Maharishi Vedic University (MVU), Education Office (EO), Agriculture Office (AO), Public Health Hospital (PHH), High School (HS), PRASAC, Management Committee Member (MCM), and Chief of Kronhong, Smoang Chheng and Smoang Thbong commune. This workshop presided by Mr. Pin Vannaro is a Project Director and facilitated by Mr. Pin Tara is a Research Coordinator of pilot project in Kamchai Mear district. The objective of workshop is to gathering and capturing feedback from community and strategy partner on the data of baseline survey and need assessment was conducted by the iREACH project.

This workshop is mainly focused on baseline survey and need assessment report was prepared by the project to get feedback from strategy partner for complete with these documentations. This workshop also discuss on actual problem in community on agriculture, education and health (identify problem and solution); difficulty for transfer information to the community; and current priority needing of information for developing their community are easy for contend developer to broadcast information to the real community.

As a result, the actual problems in current community are: animal disease (foot, indigestion, diarrhea..), chicken disease (influenza…), low of rice yield (lake of technologies…), insect damage (leaf folder, inchworm, stream borer, grass hopper, brown plant hopper…), lack of alimentation, lack of sanitation, limit of knowledge, lake of health service, miserable, Immigration, and distance from school to home. Moreover, strategy partner was provided feedback and comments to edit some data such as the number of non enrolled children from 6-12 years of age, percentage of community rent rice thresher, household type, name of organization, percentage of home gardening, draft animal use, requirement of information … etc.


The workshop was run smoothly under facilitation and presentation by Research Coordinator and with strong involvement of multimedia team. The workshop was under overall coordination of Project Director. This workshop was finished on time and following to the agenda and time frame and this workshop is successfully due to taking care of the both of facilitator and strategy partner.

Best regards

Pin Tara
Research Coordinator
iREACH, KCM, MVU

Monday, February 4, 2008

Brief information from KCM

Dear everyone, sorry for late to post this information to you all.

ICTs Infrastructure: For January 2008, the TS of the KCM pilot seek and test some software for video conference such as ACCESSGRID and NetOP School. As the result of testing, the ACCESSGRID software did not work well with our network because of this software were not support to Window Vista and most of our project computer are Window Vista basic. For NetOP School, its seemed work well with Window Vista but for the first testing it doesn’t work well and this is under finding result of TS. By the way, after testing these software the TS found that some part of our network especially Antenna at Hub not perform work well, and he had sent this problem to Gateway.
Research Activity: For research activities in this month, the RC spent much of his time in documenting (minute and report writing of meeting and training); preparing community profile and this community profile just complete about 40%. Beside of documenting, the RC conducted a feedback workshop to strategic partner on baseline and needs assessment result. After this workshop, we got some requests to correct the data by comparing to the national figure. The iREACH notes production and distribution were done by RC, those iREACH notes are radish and watermelon planting method.
Content Development: Until the end of January, the multimedia team still misses the MC which gives a heavy hand to CDs to ensure the activities of content development get success. In aiming to develop the content for community, CDs work closely with management committee in identifies the topic for audio production and produces the material for community. 4 audio productions were produced and recorded to cassette for distribute to pagoda, beside of audio production, the CDs committed to produce the video clip on school enrollment which played by community. The Video clip were produced with collaboration of CDs, PC and management committee and used the local resources.
Service Accessing and ICTs Training for Community: January is the month that many people access to the internet both in HQ and Hub especially in HQ by students. Base on the report of the CFs at Hub level still mostly focus on computer training to students except HQ which postpone the training, but we also found that it’s the first time that elder people came to our hub and try to type their name. There are 3 elder people come to our hub in Prey Phlorng to type their name and exited what they see in computer. Even this point occur but we still get feedback that the elder willing to persuade their children to access to our hub.
Project Staff and Management Committee Meeting: this month the project staff meeting have been done as normal, beside of discussion on the result of project activities, all CFs were provided the awareness of a whole project picture. On January 31, 2008 the management committee meeting was organized and facilitated by Mrs. Vong Kannareth Chairwomen of community and this is the first time for committee to lead the meeting. This is a way that we can give hand to community to drive their own community by themselves through delegate one by one task to them. With this process the capacities building also included to guarantee the smooth running of project activities.
Attending meeting and Workshop: Regarding to the plan, the 4th meeting of the project staff have to be held in January. This meeting were attended by all project staffs in both location and this is the first time that all CFs, CDs, RC, MC and PC meeting together with the representative from the center who have PM, RM, Admin and Financial officer. During the meeting we also revise our plan from February to April, discus on visioning workshop preparation, and preparation for launching project at the end of April 2008.

Best Regards,
Dimanche

Friday, February 1, 2008

Not good for internet connectivity



This week, the internet connectivity is not good (stable) even Sophin tried the best... Pls look at hi...

























The reason, maybe cecause of the weather...many cloud...
I post this insteat of Sophin because he did not invited yet to the blogger. Zarah, could you pls invite hime.
Best wish,
Sokleap

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

December Report

First of all I would like to appology for late to post the up date information of KCM.


Monthly Report of December 2007

I. General Information
Project title: Informatics for Rural Empowerment and Community Health (iREACH)
Funded by: International Development Research Center (IDRC)
Executive Agency: Ministry of Commerce (MoC)
Implementing Agency: Maharishi Vedic University (MVU)
Project Duration: August 17, 2006 to April 2009
Prepared by: Long Dimanche
Date of Report: December 31, 2007
II. Summary
December is the last month of the year but for the project it’s not yet. In this month KCM staff pay their best to perform their work with the good results such as we have completed the network security by established firewall, recruited all CFs to handle the hubs. For multimedia team they produced 7 audio productions on pig and chicken raising, seed storage, new traffic law of Cambodia (a continue topic), diarrhea and typhoid fever. In term of research division the RC completed two more iREACH note on Radish and Watermelon Method, three minutes of meeting and ongoing on processing documents. This month the project employed 6 more CFs to fill the spare hub, this can be done also because of the commitment of center in delivering the equipments to KCM.
III. Detail Activities and Results:
ICTs Infrastructure: on December the technical supporter of KCM project completed the configuration of wireless infrastructure and established the firewall for the whole system of the project. A part of the reconfigure wireless infrastructure the technical supporter spent his time in testing the software for the video conference with yahoo messenger and the open sources (access grid) software. But unfortunately, this task was failed because of limited of time and corrupted of the internet access (the internet was cut off while down loading the software). Beside of the regularly training on the internet and email for public, this month the project conducted training on computer maintenance for all project staffs for two days. This training covered on how to work with window vista home premium, computer maintenance and networking with windows XP and VISTA home premium.
Research Activity: this month the activities of research division in KCM are mostly focus on the documenting of project meeting, Management Committee Meeting and produce iREACH notes. This month the RC spent some of his time to verify the process of Needs Assessment and Management Committee Election Process also. As the Result of RC commitment there are three minutes in both version were produced and two iREACH notes on Radish and Watermelon Planting Method. Beside of these activities, the RC has spent time to prepare the logistic for the workshop on presenting the result of baseline survey to strategic partner in advance.
Content Development: with missing of Multimedia Coordinator, the Content Developers in KCM just only continue their work on producing audio for broadcast at Pagoda. As the result, CDs produced new 7 audio productions and recorded to cassette and distributed to 11 Pagodas. Those audio productions were produced regarding to the needs and resulting from management committee such as: New Traffic Law of Cambodia (the continuo topic), Safe Migration, Typhoid Fever, Diarrhea, Chicken Raising, Pig Raising and Seed Storage. All CDs attended the training on computer maintenance and collaborated with RC in distribute the iREACH notes to community also.
Service Accessing and ICTs Training for Community: Up to the end of December, there are 98 students were trained on computer literature and internet access in three village hubs (Tean Pleung, La’ak and KCM Cheung) and iREACH headquarter. For December 2007, CF in 4 Locations of project earned more than 30 000 Riel from services providing to clients both in HQ and hubs.
Project Staff and Management Committee Meeting: in arming to build team work and following up the daily work of the project, in every two week on Friday, all staff come and sit together to share and discus on results, difficulty and find solution of difficulties or any problems if have. For the first meeting on December 21, 07 KCM staff conducted the first meeting which presided by PD, this is the first meeting which all CFs attended also. In this meeting the new CF have time to learn about the project through sharing of activities by the project staff especially the old CFs. On December 31, 2007 the project conducted the second meeting to sum up the results that have been done by all staff which presided by PD. With this meeting, the new CFs expressed their impression after practice and field study with previous CFs in three hubs and HQ also.
Beside of meeting with the project staff, the PC spent time to facilitate in meeting of management committee for two times. Once on the December 3, 2007, this took for November meeting and the second hold on December 31, 2007 which is the monthly meeting of December. During the meeting the PC presented the result of the project to the management committee and management committee also sharing information from community.
Attending meeting and Workshop: this month PC attended in third Global Knowledge conference in Malaysia with KEP PC, RM, PM and SA. For the period of stay in Malaysia we also have meeting with Maria and Sean to discus about next priority work especially for visioning workshop and project launch. With GK3 I met many new thing both working with community and ICTs technology, it really interesting and useful conference.
Staff Recruitment: after returned from Malaysia, PC recruited 6 more CFs to work in other 6 hubs. Among those there are 4 CFs is just get success in the recruitment process of mid December, 2007 they are Mr. Heng Sambo, Mr. Mao Phanin, Mr. Chhoem Pov and Mr. Moen Mai. The previous success 2 CFs are Mr. Chou Samuth and Mr. Pich Ratha, so mean right now, we have all staff to implement the project. After success in recruitment, all CFs attended in computer maintenance and networking with windows XP and VISTA and they also have time to trained more on internet access and email at headquarter. To ensure their capabilities to manage their own work at hub, they were dispatched to the field practice with previous CFs at Tean Pleung, La’ak and KCM Cheung to learn on daily processing at hub.
IV. Conclusion:
With all above result, we can say that even this month is the busy month of the year but the project staff still committed to finish their own work successfully. Just only a few things that not yet complete because of their personal case of busy. This month is also the first time that all project staffs attended in training together and also the first time which all see each other and sharing knowledge together.
Best Regard,

Dimanche

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Feedback Survey on Audio Broadcasting and Connectives


The first, I want to say hello everybody, in the third week of the November, 2007, I conducted a survey feedback on audio broadcasting through loudspeaker in community in arming to get feedback and find out the additional methodology in broadcasting the information to reach the Community.

This survey feedback have cooperated with Contend Development (CD) term and Community Facilitator (CF) to colleting information in 10 target areas which are Damnak Cham ber, Our Krasa (two place), Phnom Leav, Ampeang, Kos Sam, Prey Takoy, Chamkar Bei, Angkoal and Head Quarter and has 100 sample were selected for interview, this sample were divided 10 samples for one target and this survey report was finished of analysis data and waiting for interpret data from Mr.Bunthoeurn (MC) after this report and commune profile will post on the Beasecomp.
The process of this survey are some mistake from data collector (CD and CF) because they are missing questions during interview by not completed at all in questioner and so spend time for data entry into SPSS program.


The last week of November, I am so busy to Quide the Gateway Company for connectives, the gateway company arrived Kep on November 24, to connect internets and repair error in the left 7 hubs: Cham Kar Bei school hub, Prey Takoy commune hub, Toul Srangam School hub, Phnom Searser Pagoda hub, Chak Riyavong School hub and City hall. After the Gateway technicians worked in Kep four day the nine village hubs and HQ can accessible to internet. ( let me talk about the Community Facilitator (CF) that they work in the village hub to facilitate villager come research news, writing letters and leaning but our FC lack capacity to access the internet because before in the local don’t internet. This is one of the key lesson learn is that it is necessary to focus on training CF to use internet (ICT) to develop their capacity). For Solar Panel Company came on November 25, 2007 to repair the solar error in Phnom Leav Village Hub and Prey Takoy Commune Village Hub to remove the solar panel to new place. Right now, we can say that the connectivity and infrastructure are completed in the pilot Kep area.

Best Regards,


SENG Dara

RC in Kep