The Fourth Week Journal

The Fourth Week Report

In the fourth week of November, 2007 the KCM pilot completed some activities as below:

Infrastructure: this week the person from Gateway Company came to install the left Hub such as: Prey Thom, Kum Num, Prey Plorng, Beuk Touk, Pong Ro and Chamkar Check 1. For this installation the Gateway technician installed AP 523c and Omni in the HQ and in Hub they use P2P 2218 to get the signal. To make this work run smoothly and easy for KCM pilot to manage all network, the Technical Supporter were delegated to work closely with them. As the result from this cooperation the TS mentioned that we need to re-arrange our network because Gateway changed equipments so the best way in controlling, managing and make it more secure the whole network have to be replaced. This work will be done by KCM TS in next week.

Audio Production: Referring to the plan, multimedia team have to finish 6 audio productions for broadcast in Pagoda and write new three scripts. As the result of their performance, the multimedia finished 6 audio productions and among those there three audio productions (seasonal influenza, brown plant hopper and domestic violence) were distributed to pagoda. The other three audio productions (Composting, New traffic Law and but typhoid is still in finalizing) just finished in this week and recorded in cassette but not yet distribute to pagoda. The script on chicken raising among of three scripts in planning was finalized.

Research Activity: for the research division, this week is busiest in preparing the report of the survey on feedback of pagoda broadcasting. Within this work one of three CDs involved to analyses and makes the report, this report is still in editing by RC and hopefully to finalize by next Monday.

Project Staff Meeting: this week is the second meeting of KCM staff meeting and this is the first time that all CFs attended in the meeting. The meeting was discussed on the result of the activities of the project both in HQ and Hubs. For the result of the HQ as mentioned above, based on the report of CFs, in the three hubs that have been running there are businessmen come to the hub and search for the currency exchange rate and access to other website especially everyday.com website.

With my best regards,

Dimanche Long

Third Week of November 07 Journal

The Third Week Report:

For the third week of November 2007, we are all in KCM performed our own activities regarding to the plan. As Mr. Neth Sovann the Multimedia Coordinator resigned from project at the end of October, 2007, the CDs is lacking of the supervisor on their script writing and also sound editing. So this week I spent some of my time to assist them in editing scripts and comment on audio production; up to the end of the week 3 topics of audio production were produced. Those are Domestic Violence, Seasonal Influenza and Home Composting, based on my observation, the CDs improved their skills in writing script but eventhough they still need some supervision to make their script better enough. These scripts produced according to the result of needs assessment and baseline survey, also based on commenting of health key person in the community. But unfortunately, these products not yet convert to the cassette for distribute to Pagoda because it take long time to recording into cassette. The pagodas that have to distribute to broadcast are 11 so it’s taking at least 2 days so that why they can not distribute to pagoda.

The Research Coordinator was dispatch to Phnom Penh and Prey Veng to contact with project boundary partners like the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Department of Extension of Ministry of Agriculture, CARDI (Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute) and also with VSF organization. The mission of the RC is to build collaboration between the projects with those partners and to ask some technical books and leaflet or magazine for the reference book for content development.

Beside to these, I spent my time to look at the CV of candidates for the position of Community Facilitator (CF), as result we get 6 candidates who fit to the need of the project. In fact, all CFs were recruited since the end of 2006, but because of the delaying of the employment some of recruited CFs have other job to do and some endeavors their study. Up to present the project have 6 CFs which 4 already employed and other 2 not yet, so to fill all the Hubs the project need 4 more CFs to fill in the spare places. Hopefully all CFs will be employed to work at the beginning of December, 2007.

With my best Regards,
Dimanche Long

Second Week Journal of November 2007

Dear colleagues,

How are you? Hope you are all doing well!
First of all I would like to express my apologies for being late in posting here. Here now, is an update on the activities over here in Kamchai Mear Pilot Area. As usual, we welcome your comments or questions. Please read on:

During this week, I spent most of my time attending meetings, supervising the decoration/arrangement of things at the HQ, and facilitating the installation of solar panels in the village hubs. With the recent departure of our Multi-media Coordinator Neth Sovann, I also took over his responsibility of supervising the production of audio materials with the Local Content Developers. This is quite a big challenge on my part, not to mention the other challenge is to find suitable person to take on the Multi-media Coordinator position. This means that we have to advertise again on the paper and do the rounds of interviewing again. We will see how it goes in the coming days.

I was also in Siem Reap over the weekend (Nov 10-12) and stayed at the Sokha Angkor Hotel together with the Project Manager, Research Manager and the Kep Pilot Coordinator. We joined the Resources Branch Management and Regional Controllers Meeting with IDRC's top level directors and the four of us delivered presentations on the iREACH and PAN Projects in Cambodia. Maria Ng and Richard Fuchs were also there and we had a short but very meaningful informal meeting with them. They both talked about how iREACH could be taken into the next level and how the staff should be prepared for the future.

The Project Manager visited us just in time for our weekly meeting on Nov. 15. This time, the Project Manager presided the meeting. He started by asking about the performance of each staff, giving comments and feedback as each took turns in updating him. One of the things that was given emphasis, for the nth time, is the organizational structure of the project. This is to make them staff understand very well the chain of command for smooth working relations as well as to ensure commitment from each staff to deliver quality performance. The Project Manager shared some of his experience in the USA and in Cambodia in order to give an example to us on how important it is to keep good working relationship. It has been a problem on my part since there are some staff who pushes someone else in order to do something when in fact, I was the one that needs to be informed or talked to. This is frustrating on my part as I try my best keep the activities going and the staff relationships smooth-sailing. However, I could not handle this person as he is close to someone higher than me.The Project Manager also asked the project staff to make way in understanding the project infrastructure because all staff need to know and be aware of it. iREACH is considered a failure if the staff don't know how the infrastructure works at all.

As mentioned earlier, I was facilitating the installation of solar panels to six other village hubs. I worked closely with the technician of KC Company to install the solar panels in the following village hubs: Prey Thom Hub, Kum Num hub, Prey Plorng Hub, Pong Ror Hub and Chamkar Check Hub. The technicians also helped us move the temporary solar panel installed in the HQ to Beuk Touk Hub. I also managed to complete the wirings for the electricity at the HQ that will allow the staff to work even at night.


With the Multi-media Coordinator gone, I supervised Multimedia Team in producing audio materials. We were able to complete three scripts and at present the voice overs are now being recorded and will be edited soon.

In preparation for the Project Manager's presentation on Khmer Script in Computer to MVU students, I organized the venue and handled the logistics. More than three hundred students of MVU from both the Faculty of Agriculture and the Faculty of Management attended the activity. The presentations were divided into two groups, one in the morning from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and other one in the afternoon from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Based on my observation, I found that the students were very interested at this new knowledge and very much prefer to get this application. This is the first time that they had seen the correct usage of Khmer Script in Computer, which is a big issue for them before. This presentation also gave satisfaction to the Rector of Maharishi Vedic University because of the benefits that the students can get from it. With this application, the students will be able to type the correct spelling of Khmer words.

So these are all the things that transpired in the past week. I will come back for next week's update.

With my best regards,
Dimanche Long

Just for your information first!!!!!!!

Dear all,

How are you? This is just shows you the update from Kep. I will schedule my time to write what I have observed latter.
1.Today, Solar Company is setting up solar power at the two rest locations (Prey Ta Koy and Chamkarbie). If so, community in Kep will have the solar power at 8 locations such Angkoal, Wath Phnom Leav, Am Peng, Toul Sa Ngam, Wath Phnom Sor Sir, Sala Chak Rya Vong, Prey Ta Koy and Chamkar Bie.

2.Can access to the internet at, HQ, Angokal, Wath Phnom Leav, Wath Chak Rya Vong, Ampeng and Waht Phnom Sor Sir

3.The 18m towers were set up at all 9 hubs

4.There are 80 youth and students are provided on Computer basic learning including email and internet.

5.Today, Multimedia team is recording 9 audio materials including Khan Damnak Chang Eur after civil war, health and most of topic about agriculture. One video script was finished but yet shooting

6.Management Committee are monitoring of how the hub working.

7.We are living the Morning News from HQ through loudspeaker
8.Set up sign/banners at existing site- (HQ, Angkoal, Am Peng, Phnom Leave, What Chak Rya Vong)
9.Research on how the hub is worked.
Best regards,Sokleap

Seng Dara Profile

Mr. Seng Dara has graduated with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration in 2004 from the National University of Management (NUM) where he majored in Management Information System. After graduation, he spent two years with the NGO Working Groups for Weapon Reductions (WGWR). In his first year there, he was Research assistant in Small Arms and Light Weapons Policy Development (SALW) Project and later on as Program Assistant of the Community Security (CS) Project.
In May 2007, he joined the Center for Social Development as Research Coordinator of iREACH Project in Kep Pilot.

Hello

hello this is my first post

Sokleap's profile

HAK Sokleap is the Pilot Coordinator of Informatics for Rural Empowerment and Community Health (i-REACH) Pilot Project based in Kep Municipality. Sokleap is responsible for the overall management of the iREACH Project in Kep Pilot Area in providing new technology to local community and empowering them to manage the pilot project when it will be phased out.

Sokleap joined CSD as Kep Multimedia Coordinator in January 2007. He was promoted as Kep Pilot Coordinator and joined as a senior staff and member of the Management Committee of CSD in August 2007 bringing with him his knowledge and experience for almost seven years from works with other local non-governmental organization (NGOs). He has extensive background in environmental and social issues. Sokleap is the author of a book entitled Environmental, Social and Economic Impact Assessment of Fastwood Plantations in Cambodia, first published in December 2005.


Sokleap was born in Preah Prasop village, Preah Prasop commune, Ksachkandal district, Kandal province where he lived for 17 years where he experienced rural Cambodia. He moved to Phnom Penh in 1998 to study toward a bachelor degree in “Tourism Management”. He completed the associated degree of “The Base of Journalism” while he was running a project called Environmental Radio and Advocacy Program. Sokleap has attended trainings, workshops and meetings in several countries, including Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and Sweden.