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| How teaching English funded an NGO's work in Cambodia's rural communities | How teaching English funded an NGO's work in Cambodia's rural communities |
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| The Cambodian Rural Development Team was founded in 2001 with the aim of creating a Cambodia free from poverty and environmental degradation. Working in three of the country's north-eastern provinces, the team specialises in environmentally appropriate agricultural development. We focus on increasing food security, natural resource management, water and sanitation, renewable energy technologies, income generation, eco-tourism and community empowerment. Our donors include WWF, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the business school of the Pan-American university in Mexico, the Australian overseas aid programme and the UN Development Programme. | The Cambodian Rural Development Team was founded in 2001 with the aim of creating a Cambodia free from poverty and environmental degradation. Working in three of the country's north-eastern provinces, the team specialises in environmentally appropriate agricultural development. We focus on increasing food security, natural resource management, water and sanitation, renewable energy technologies, income generation, eco-tourism and community empowerment. Our donors include WWF, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the business school of the Pan-American university in Mexico, the Australian overseas aid programme and the UN Development Programme. |
| However, despite valuable funding from international donors, by early 2005 we were concerned about our sustainability. Funding was at times haphazard and difficult to secure. Moreover, donors often stipulated that funding could only be spent on projects, not on core costs, such as staff development and welfare. The team had to be innovative about its fundraising, so Mao Savin, one of our founding members, and Geordie Smith, a volunteer teacher at Chea Sim University of Kamchaymear (formerly Maharishi Vedic University) had the idea of an English language school. It was called Conversations with Foreigners. | However, despite valuable funding from international donors, by early 2005 we were concerned about our sustainability. Funding was at times haphazard and difficult to secure. Moreover, donors often stipulated that funding could only be spent on projects, not on core costs, such as staff development and welfare. The team had to be innovative about its fundraising, so Mao Savin, one of our founding members, and Geordie Smith, a volunteer teacher at Chea Sim University of Kamchaymear (formerly Maharishi Vedic University) had the idea of an English language school. It was called Conversations with Foreigners. |
| Profits from this project were intended to provide a sustainable source of income, allowing us to become self-sufficient. We thought that Conversations with Foreigners would be a viable source of funding after market research that we conducted on students in Phnom Penh, as well as in English language schools. The results showed a growing demand for affordable English tuition, particularly with native speakers, to improve their job prospects. To meet this demand, the lessons were to be taught by international volunteers who mostly speak English as their first language. Included in the vision was a model of cultural exchange that both students and volunteers would benefit from. | Profits from this project were intended to provide a sustainable source of income, allowing us to become self-sufficient. We thought that Conversations with Foreigners would be a viable source of funding after market research that we conducted on students in Phnom Penh, as well as in English language schools. The results showed a growing demand for affordable English tuition, particularly with native speakers, to improve their job prospects. To meet this demand, the lessons were to be taught by international volunteers who mostly speak English as their first language. Included in the vision was a model of cultural exchange that both students and volunteers would benefit from. |
| Making the concept of Conversations with Foreigners into reality did have its challenges. Start-up capital was the first main problem. This was overcome by a $5000 donation from the friends and family of Smith, and a further $5000 loan from the man himself. We also received assistance from the Australian government's AusAID VIDA programme which had agreed to sponsor Smith to establish the centre and build the capacity of local staff to take control of the centre. | Making the concept of Conversations with Foreigners into reality did have its challenges. Start-up capital was the first main problem. This was overcome by a $5000 donation from the friends and family of Smith, and a further $5000 loan from the man himself. We also received assistance from the Australian government's AusAID VIDA programme which had agreed to sponsor Smith to establish the centre and build the capacity of local staff to take control of the centre. |
| Second, setting up the school required enormous hard work and dedication from former Maharishi Vedic University volunteers who funded their own living costs while setting up the school and teaching, and a volunteer from Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development to continue capacity building in the second year of operation. We also had to learn how to successfully communicate our work to the community and potential volunteers. Without funding for human resources, staff until then had mostly worked in the field and reported only to donors. | Second, setting up the school required enormous hard work and dedication from former Maharishi Vedic University volunteers who funded their own living costs while setting up the school and teaching, and a volunteer from Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development to continue capacity building in the second year of operation. We also had to learn how to successfully communicate our work to the community and potential volunteers. Without funding for human resources, staff until then had mostly worked in the field and reported only to donors. |
| It is really important for small NGOs like us to diversify our income and become as self-sufficient as possible. We believe our success is down to the teamwork between our two distinct organisations. We share our experiences and even go on annual retreat together to review the previous year and create our strategic plan for the future. We have learnt the importance of communicating the value of our work to potential students and volunteers so our project is no longer misunderstood as it sometimes could be when we started. If anything, our main mistake was that we did not find a way of diversifying our income earlier – it has only had a positive effect. Bearing this in mind has led us to other avenues of fundraising as well, such as eco-tourism. Having gained experience of running tours for Conversations with Foreigners volunteers to our project sites, we have set up CRDT Tours which generates income for our project communities, raises awareness of our work and also funds the Cambodian Rural Development Team. | It is really important for small NGOs like us to diversify our income and become as self-sufficient as possible. We believe our success is down to the teamwork between our two distinct organisations. We share our experiences and even go on annual retreat together to review the previous year and create our strategic plan for the future. We have learnt the importance of communicating the value of our work to potential students and volunteers so our project is no longer misunderstood as it sometimes could be when we started. If anything, our main mistake was that we did not find a way of diversifying our income earlier – it has only had a positive effect. Bearing this in mind has led us to other avenues of fundraising as well, such as eco-tourism. Having gained experience of running tours for Conversations with Foreigners volunteers to our project sites, we have set up CRDT Tours which generates income for our project communities, raises awareness of our work and also funds the Cambodian Rural Development Team. |
| There are also plans to develop other social enterprises like an eco-farm and a rural micro-credit service. With such diversity of funding, we hope to become a truly self-sufficient local NGO. | There are also plans to develop other social enterprises like an eco-farm and a rural micro-credit service. With such diversity of funding, we hope to become a truly self-sufficient local NGO. |
| Coline Ganz is fundraising co-ordinator at the Cambodian Rural Development Team, a not-for-profit working to improve food security, incomes and living standards of poor rural communities. | Coline Ganz is fundraising co-ordinator at the Cambodian Rural Development Team, a not-for-profit working to improve food security, incomes and living standards of poor rural communities. |
| Editor's note: do you work in development in the global south and want to share your experiences, successes or challenges? Email your ideas for our 'Voices from the south' series to globaldevpros@guardian.co.uk | |
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