1. Fostering Youth
Leadership in Rural
Cambodia
First International Seminar
on Leadership and
Development – Leading for
Positive Change
Anna McKeon
Khouth Sochampawatd

2. Young leaders
“A leader for me brings
me to a bright place.
They have good
communication with other
people.
The young people is a
person who will build the
country”
– Chhunly, aged 20

3. The scope of the work cited in this
project covers young people between
the ages of 5 and 20.

4. Youth leadership national context
National goal:
“To enable youth to share their perspectives, opinions,
and decisions in their community” and in the broader
national development context.
Strategies:
o “Create an enabling environment for full participation
by young people within local communities and
agencies”
o “Promote formal mechanisms for effective participation
by youth within civil society ”.

5. Context of study
Kralanh district is located 57km west of Siem Reap town. Chanleas
Dai commune is 7km north of Kralanh district town center.
Table 1.1 Social statistics for Chanleas Dai, Kralanh and Siem Reap 2010
Chanleas Dai Kralanh Siem
Reap
No of families 1,766 13,269 178,792
Total population 8,959 68,368 946,656
% population growth 9.6% 4% 3%
% families whose primary occupation is 98.9% 91.2% 81.1%
agriculture
% young people who do not attend high 60% 40% 30%
school

6. Migration to Thailand for casual labor prevents long-
term economic development of impoverished
communities and Cambodian employers struggle to
recruit workforce.

7. Lack of quality
education in rural
areas contributes
to attrition rates
and few young
people finish
grade 12.

8. Young people who complete grade 12 often
lack key life skills. Young people lack the
confidence to pursue scholarship and
employment opportunities.

9. Access to ideas and services is limited in
rural areas. Young people struggle to take
advantage of services offered in cities such
as job fairs and leadership projects.

10. Introducing Child Clubs

11. Methodology – the six steps
Six step approach:
1 – Understanding the problem

13. Methodology – the six steps
Six step approach:
1 – Understanding the problem
2 – Finding out more

15. Methodology – the six steps
Six step approach:
1 – Understanding the problem
2 – Finding out more
3 – Discussing findings and planning action

17. Methodology – the six steps
Six step approach:
1 – Understanding the problem
2 – Finding out more
3 – Discussing findings and planning action
4 –Taking action

19. Methodology – the six steps
Six step approach:
1 – Understanding the problem
2 – Finding out more
3 – Discussing findings and planning action
4 –Taking action
5 – Evaluating

20. Child Clubs – active learning

21. Methodology – the six steps
Six step approach:
1 – Understanding the problem
2 – Finding out more
3 – Discussing findings and planning action
4 –Taking action
5 – Evaluating
6 – Improving

22. Methodology – participation

24. Methodology – active learning
o Drama
o Work groups
o Games-based learning
o Creative writing
- to build critical thinking, problem solving and build
confidence and self-efficacy.

26. Fluctuating attendance – Access – Location -
Skill of facilitators – Commitment of children

27. Clean environment
Oral health
Hand-washing
Math and Khmer and peer learning

33. Case studies
Chhunly – Child Club participant for 4 years
“The two most important topics that I learnt about in Child
Clubs were clean water and clean environment. Good health
comes from drinking clear water. If people drink clean water
they do not get sick a lot.
I learnt about water filters and how to get clean water. My
family buy the water filter and I use it every day until now. I did
a show to the villages about the water and they came to
watch. They learnt and they asked questions. 90% of my
village started using water filters.”

34. Case study
“Girls can change the world, they can change the country”

35. “Students who go to clubs are more
confident at expressing their ideas –
especially when working in groups. It’s
easier for teachers to see when they
don’t understand as these students
express themselves – they don’t just
keep quiet”
Vanna, former teacher at Chanleas Dai
primary school

36. Unexpected impact - VCD
Volunteer for Community Development (VCD) started in
2010.
“Creating opportunity for youth creates a brighter
future for all”
o English tuition
o Clean environment
o Agriculture
o Performing arts

38. Unexpected impact - VCD
“PEPY and the Child Clubs are not staying forever,
so we want a local NGO to develop our village and
ourselves. We saw that the children in our village
cannot speak English like the children in the city. We
want to help them. We ourselves take extra classes
to learn but that is not action. It’s not only about
English, is about leadership as well. We want to see
our community change and improve. We want to
make good communication with children from one
village to another.”

39. Unexpected impact – Youth Clubs
Vision and mission
devised by Run Youth
Club members:
Vision: That older
generations will see the
potential of young
people
Mission: To encourage
and promote thinking
and leadership skills in
young people

40. Lessons learned
• Freedom for initiative and ideas
• Encourage young people to identify their passions
• Emphasis on investing in people
• Allow young people to fail
• Connect young people with information and
opportunities to gain new skills
• Create role models
• Give young people opportunities to lead

41. Future challenges
• Inter-generational communication
• Rigidity of project structure
• Pressure for immediate, large scale change

42. “I know that the
world is too big for
me to say that I can
change it, but I still
strongly believe that
I can. I know I can
start off small, with
myself.”
– Chor