Livelihoods Study Tour

Three weeks ago, I attended a VSO Livelihoods Volunteer workshop in Battambang. The workshop was held at Ptea Teuk Dong (Coconut-Water House), the NGO centre for street families I’d visited with my CoDeC colleagues earlier this year. We stayed in Ptea Teuk Dong’s visitor accommodation, comprising these charming traditional houses, newly built by the centre’s beneficiaries as part of the training they receive. The houses have a lovely rural outlook, with lots of night-time firefly sightings – magical! All our food was prepared and served by residents learning the catering business, and the youngsters again gave a wonderful dancing performance. During the two day workshop, we visited communities where locally based VSO volunteers work , and were taken to see this newly dug fish pond. The purpose of the UV light and plastic sheeting is to attract insects at night time, which fall into the water to become fish food.